Attention all hot pot lovers: If you simply can’t get enough of seafood in a boiling broth or steamer, then you’ve come to the right place. For most, a regular hotpot will suffice but those with a huge appetite will certainly see no harm in upsizing their meals.
These restaurants have upped the ante by bringing to you hot pots that are bigger than the norm — I’m talking stacked tiers of steamboat and huge 9-grid pots. They say less is more, but I say go big or go home.
Without further ado, I present to you 7 food havens with massive hot pots that are guaranteed to satisfy:
7. Emperor Pot
Can’t decide whether to go for a BBQ, hotpot or steamer? Well, you can have the best of everything at Broadway Food Centre’s Emperor Pot, with a 3-tier steamboat that allows you to boil, steam and grill your meats all at once.
You can even customise the broth in your hot pot to suit your palate; four different soup bases including laksa, tomato, chicken and mala are available.
Lovers of seafood should most definitely opt for the Seafood Set ($29.90) which is, not only affordable but also comes with a generous selection of seafood offerings. Expect to be served crabsticks, half shell scallops, fish balls, fish slices, slipper lobsters and squids on a single platter. Don’t forget to dip these in the 9 dipping sauces available at the counter!
Emperor Pot: 100 Tyrwhitt Road, Stadium, Singapore 207542 | Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday (2.30pm – 11.10pm), Sunday (3pm – 11.10pm) | Tel: 9720 3409 | Facebook
6. Hi! Joyful 嗨货
Hi! Joyful combines the very best of fresh seafood and everyone’s guilty pleasure: mala broth, except upsized and bigger than the usual. The huge mala pot can easily feed two to three pax so there’s really no place better to go feasting on a gigantic platter than at this establishment.
Packed with a whole slew of seafood ingredients, the Seafood Platter for 2-3 pax ($138.90) comes with prawns, clams, mussels and premium items like lobsters, crabs, oysters, scallops and even bamboo clams.
But that’s not all, because the base of the mala broth is also filled with condiments including beancurd, vegetables and mushrooms, which will surely strike a good balance with the crustaceans.
Hi! Joyful 嗨货: 27 Smith Street, Singapore 058941 | Opening Hours: 1pm – 1am daily | Tel: 6222 9555 | Facebook
5. Flame Cafe
At Flame Cafe, you’ve just got to have the 4-Tier Cheesy Hotpot & BBQ Pagoda Steamboat. Part fondue and part barbecue hotplate, customers can sear fresh meat on a hot BBQ pan before dipping it in the gooey cheese sauce for an extra burst of flavour. A boiling pot on the top tier also allows for vegetables and other ingredients to be cooked without the grill.
Go for the Seafood & Meat Combo ($48.90) if you’re looking for a good mix of different ingredients. This combination offers seafood varieties includign clams, crab, mussels, prawns, salmon and sotong, alongside meats such as, chicken fillet, cheese hotdogs and chicken wings.
Do note that the steamboat is served all day on weekends and only after 3pm on weekdays.
Address: The Flame Cafe, Level 1 Centro Bianco Building, 73 Upper Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 534818 | Opening Hours: Monday – Friday (9am – 10pm), Saturday (11am – 12am), Sunday (11am – 10pm) | Website
4. Captain K Seafood Tower
I’m sure Captain K Seafood Tower needs no further introduction. Located on Prinsep Street, this seafood eatery was one of few restaurants to bring in the Korean steamed seafood tower, which comprises of eight metal steamers piled above a hot pot at the bottom.
With the choice of either Kombu Dashi, kimchi stew or Korean ginseng, the last layer is where the juices from the seafood will be collected to add on more flavour to the broth.
Each tier of the 9-Layer Seafood Tower ($288.90) features luxurious seafood items that range from prawns and squid to crayfish, lobsters and oysters, among many others. With seasonal ingredients, the seafood varieties are stacked in layers and cooked from top to bottom in a massive steamer.
You can even add on extra non-seafood ingredients such as pork slices, sausages, luncheon, fishballs and vegetables. Every set also comes with free-flow barley tea and typical banchan dishes, like kimchi and soya bean sprouts.
Captain K Seafood Tower: #01-02 Income At Prinsep, 30 Prinsep Street, Singapore 188647 | Opening Hours: Monday (6pm – 10.30pm), Tuesday – Sunday (11.30am – 3pm, 6pm – 10.30pm) | Tel: 62552270 | Website
3. Jiu Gong Ge Hotpot 九宫格火锅
Along North Bridge Road inside Bugis Cube is where you will find Ming Tang Jiu Gong Ge Hotpot, a restaurant serving a delicious 9-grid mala hot pot that is just humongous.
The Seafood Set ($118 for 2-3 pax, $148 for 4-5 pax, $198 for 6-7 pax) comes with plenty of fresh crustaceans, including baby lobsters and prawns that will absorb all the spiciness within their shell. And if you’re not a huge fan of seafood, you can always go for their meat selection which consists of Taiwan sausages and and Kurobuta pork, to name a few.
Jiu Gong Ge Hotpot (九宫格火锅): North Bridge Road Bugis Cube #01-02 470, Singapore 188735 | Opening Hours: 11am – 12am daily | Tel: 63383405 | Facebook
2. K-Tower
Located along Amoy Street, K-Tower is the place to go for yet another “9 Layer Seafood” experience inspired by Korea. Within the tower, you will find fresh seafood stacked in tiers and steamed atop each other, as the succulent juices trickle down into a steaming hotpot.
The great thing about this particular type of steamboat, is the fact that you can to savour the natural flavour of each seafood on its own, instead of having them in a hotchpotch combination.
The 9-Tier Seafood Tower ($388) consists of premium ingredients such as, lobster, crab, oyster, abalone, prawn, scallop, squid and your choice of soup base of either seafood, kimchi (+$10) or ginseng (+$20). Eat your way down all 9 tiers of seafood that is steamed collectively, and you’re in for a great feast.
K-Tower: 74 Amoy Street, Singapore 069893 | Opening Hours: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm daily | Tel: 6221 9928 | Website
1. BBQ Box
Home to the very best of North Chinese cuisine, BBQ Box is known for their extensive selection of ready-to-eat Chinese-style barbecued skewers and most of all, the incredibly large seafood hot pot that is packed full of tantalising ingredients.
Soaked in a spicy broth, the Seafood Combo ($88.80++/small) is a glorious feast that will be the highlight to any dinner. Featuring a smorgasbord of prime ingredients, they have everything ranging from abalone and crawfish to scallop, squid and langoustines, just to name a few.
This communal pot can easily feed up to two to three pax. For a larger group of four to six pax, go for the larger version of the hot pot ($168++).
BBQ Box: 21 Tan Quee Lan Street, #01-03, Singapore 188108 | Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm daily | Tel: 68357456 | Facebook
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