Taikoo Lane Hotpot (Singapore) – New Chinese Hotpot Restaurant Opens at Chinatown Point

Good news hotpot fans! Taikoo Lane Hotpot has opened at Chinatown Point, offering sumptuous Chinese hotpot in a classy dining environment. The wife and I had a very satisfying hotpot feast here recently.

Taikoo Lane Hotpot

Taikoo Lane Hotpot is a new Chinese hotpot restaurant that opened in August this year at Chinatown Point.

Opened by former bankers, this new hotpot joint aims to “redefine your hotpot dining experience”.

Incidentally, the owners of Taikoo Lane Hotpot are also behind popular Sichuan cuisine restaurant Chengdu Restaurant at Amoy Street, which opened in 2018.

Wonderful Ambience

Taikoo Lane Hotpot is a bright and sophisticated dining space, with stylish pendant lights, beige leather banquettes, plush leather chairs, sleek tables and marble walls.

I like how regal and polished it felt, yet still so cozy and casual with its soothing pastel hues.

There are also private dining rooms for large groups.

Parents will be happy to know that there is a small play area for kids. Some of the tables also have cute Sichuan opera figurine toys.

Service was earnest and sincere. One friendly waitress even invited me to enter the restaurant when she saw me taking photos outside before the meal.

“Want to come in and eat hotpot?” she asked smilingly.

Menu

Some of the signature items

Individual minipots

Shared pot

There are eight soup base flavours: Sichuan Spicy Soup, Pork Bone Soup, Tomato Soup, Green Peppers Soup, Fish Soup Broth With Milk, Golden Treasures Soup, Pumpkin Millet Soup, and Mushroom Soup.

Based on my personal experience, I recommend going for the Green Peppers Soup and Pork Bone Soup.

The restaurant offers both individual mini pots and shared pots. Interestingly, the mini pots allow for two different soup flavours, which is a feature I have not seen in Singapore hotpot restaurants before.

I like that the restaurant allowed us to customise the levels of chilli oil, spiciness, and “mala numbness”. Both the wife and I went for less oil, less spicy, and less mala.

The menu features the standard suite of hotpot ingredients, such as thinly sliced meats, meatballs, prawn paste, fresh seafood, and a variety of vegetables.

Many of the items have a half portion option, which was great because it allowed the wife and I to order more items to try.

Hotpot Soup Bases

Sichuan Spicy Soup Broth and Pork Bone Soup Broth

Green Peppers Soup Broth and Fish Soup Broth with Milk

After looking through the soup bases, I decided to order the Green Peppers Soup Broth and Fish Soup Broth with Milk for my mini pot ($7.80).

The wife went with the Sichuan Spicy Soup Broth and Pork Bone Soup Broth for her mini pot ($7.80).

All the broths were very tasty, but my favourites were the Green Peppers Soup and Pork Bone Soup.

The Green Peppers Soup Broth had the numbingly-spicy flavour distinctive of Sichuan cuisine, but I felt that it was very well-balanced and not overwhelming.

The Pork Bone Soup Broth was full-bodied and had a lovely savoury-sweet flavour perfect for cooking the hotpot ingredients.

Taikoo Lane Vegetable Platter

The Taikoo Lane Vegetable Platter ($9.80) consists of fresh vegetables, winter melons, mushrooms, and black fungus.

The wife is not a big fan of vegetables, but I like ordering greens because they help to sweeten the soup base.

I also feel slightly less guilty because at least I am eating some vegetables during my sinful hotpot indulgence.

Spanish Iberico Black Pork

The Spanish Iberico Black Pork ($17.80) is one of Taikoo Lane Hotpot’s signature dishes, and is significantly more expensive than normal pork meat.

I was impressed by the beautiful presentation of the meat slices, which were delicately arranged in the shape of a rose.

I enjoyed the solid texture of the black pork slices. They were also very juicy and had a pleasant toasted aroma.

The meat went well with both the spicy and non-spicy broths.

A few slices were slightly too fatty for my liking though.

Handmade Prawn Paste

The Handmade Prawn Paste ($8.40, half portion) is one of our favourite hotpot ingredients. The wife and I almost always order this item for our hotpot meals.

Taikoo Lane’s prawn paste did not disappoint. After being cooked in the soup broths, they became very savoury and chewy, “QQ” to use the Taiwanese parlance.

I enjoyed this satisfying item very much!

Pro-tip: the prawn paste expands significantly once cooked, so do not put overly large pieces into the broths.

Shrimp Skewer

There were two reasons why we decided to order the Shrimp Skewer ($6.90, half portion).

Firstly, the prawns were already peeled. Both the wife and I dislike peeling prawns so we were happy to see this dish.

Secondly, it had a beautiful presentation. The eight sticks of shrimps were served in a nifty wooden container filled to the brim with crushed ice.

The prawns were quite sweet and juicy, but I felt they could have been slightly more tender.

Beancurd Skin Rolls

The Beancurd Skin Rolls ($3.40, half portion) is another of our favourite hotpot ingredient!

I dipped one skin roll into the mala soup base and let it soak up all the spicy-savoury goodness for a few seconds.

Then, I put it in my mouth, closed my eyes, and blissfully savoured this wonderful crispy treat.

I highly recommend ordering this simple but delicious item.

Crab Meat Sticks / Lotus Roots

The Crab Meat Sticks ($3.40, half portion) and Lotus Root ($2.90, half portion) are two standard items that we will order for our hotpot meals.

It is always super satisfying to eat the crab meat after they have soaked up the flavours of the broths.

And I also really like the crunchy texture of the sweet lotus roots.

Try it for yourself and you will see what I mean.

Rice / Instant Noodle

For our carbs, I had a bowl of Rice ($1) while the wife ordered Instant Noodles ($1.30).

I always like to eat rice with the savoury broths, while the wife enjoys savouring the instant noodles cooked in spicy mala broth.

Self Service Counter

The self-service counter offers an impressive array of appetisers, fruits, and around 20 condiments. You will need to pay $2.50 to get these treats.

My favourite appetiser was the mala-flavoured bean sprouts. They were savoury, slightly feisty, and very tasty!

Soft Launch Promotion (Click to Enlarge)

To celebrate their soft launch, Taikoo Lane Hotpot will be having various promotions between 26 August and 15 September.

Firstly, customers can enjoy value set meals starting from just $9.90++, which include the soup base, appetisers, and fruits.

The restaurant will also be offering 20% off for ala carte hotpot dishes, as well as free self-service appetisers and fruits (usual price $2.50).

Conclusion

The wife and I enjoyed our meal at Taikoo Lane Hotpot very much. Most of the ingredients were very fresh and delicious. The prices are also slightly less expensive compared to other upscale hotpot restaurants in Singapore. Its proximity to the CBD area makes it a great spot for a sumptuous dinner after work.

This was an invited tasting.

Taikoo Lane Hotpot
Address: B1-16, Chinatown Point, 133 New Bridge Road, Singapore 05941
Opening Hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Phone: +65 6970 0966
Website: www.facebook.com/Taikoolane