Hot pot or steamboat dining is definitely springing up here in Singapore more significantly in the recent years. From roadside outlets to classier restaurants, you should be able to find one that suits the occasion and the budget.
Located in Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, Hotpot Kingdom would be one of the best places to have a hot pot, do some shopping, catch a beautiful dusk riverfront scenery plus downtown Singapore. And if you are game enough, hit the roulette tables.
Hotpot Kingdom’s ambience is pleasant and welcoming. The restaurant has five private rooms for added privacy.
They serve an ala carte menu so you pay for each item, including the soup base. They have many choices for that very important soup base. Spicier options include the “Mala” Spicy Soup (S$15), Korean Kimchi Soup (S$25) and Pork Tripe with Pepper Soup (S$25). Non-spicy options are the Macanese Pork Bone Soup (S$15), Beef Consomme Soup (S$25), Herbal Chicken Soup (S$25) and even a Bak Kut Teh (S$15). I would recommend the Kimchi and the Herbal Chicken soup base. The “mala” base is also very good, just that it might get a little too spicy for some. When it gets too spicy, you often get that choking feeling which is not ideal.
Besides the standard fare of vegetables, seafood and different types of meat, Hotpot Kingdom offers a premium range of sliced meat – Japanese Wagyu Striplion or Ribeye (S$75 / S$35 per 100g), USA Black Angus beef (S$32 per 100g) and Kurobuta Karubi (Pork Belly) (S$14).
A must-try is their Handmade Meatballs – Fresh Prawn, Pork, Dace Fish, Beef or Cuttlefish balls, six balls per serving (S$12 each serving, except cuttlefish at S$14).
Another signature item would be their Handmade Noodles made from Fish (S$10), Cuttlefish (S$10) or Prawn (S$12). These noodles come as paste in a little piping-icing bag, which you squeeze into your soup, converting the paste into string-like noodles.
What is most impressive is their range of sauces and condiments for you to make your own personalised sauce mix. You can try different mixes and once you find the best concoction, it will make a world of difference to your overall dining experience. Sometimes I wonder if I am eating more of the sauce or the food. Whatever pleases the palate…
If you happen to be someone who dislike the process of cooking food in the hotpot, and your good friends are not prepared to cook for you and you still want to hang out with them (hmmm…)… well, this is the right place for you as Hotpot Kingdom also serves many cooked dishes from appetisers like Pan-fried Cuttlefish Cake (S$9.80) and Deep-fried Shrimp Dumplings (S$6.80), to main courses like Pan-fried Wagyu Beef Cube with Sliced Garlic (S$38), Dried Shrimp Vermicelli with XO Sauce in Claypot (S$22), Stir-fried Kurobuta Pork in Black Pepper Sauce (S$20) and Braised Crab Spawn and Crab Meat with Vegetables (S$18). They even have individual bowls of noodles and fried rice as well as a comprehensive range of Dim Sum.
The restaurant offers a small wine list from various regions like Bordeaux (France), Veneto (Italy) and Barossa Valley (Australia). Chinese wine, whisky, brandy and beer are also available.
Hotpot Kingdom is located at 2 Bayfront Avenue #B1-01B, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore 018972. For reservations, call +65 6688 7722.
Hotpot Kingdom opens from 11am to 2.30pm (Hot pot, Tze-char, Dim Sum), 2.30pm – 5pm (Dim Sum only) and 5pm – 11pm (Hot pot and Tze-char).
About the Writer
Kevin Khoo is a self-professed foodie who loves his bak chor mee as much as an authentic al dente aglio olio; and savoury as much as sweets. He also works in F&B so he literally eats and breathes food. He struggles to stay in shape.
