There is no lack of hotpot restaurants in Singapore, especially if you are walking around Chinatown area. But have you heard of this steamboat place, Li Xiang Lan Hotpot, that serve their steamboat with an ice herbal tea made from 72 kinds of herbs that will melt and drip into your soup base as you enjoy your meal? Yes, Li Xiang Lan Hotpot (李香蓝重庆火锅)’s tri-soup base ($26) is served with Ice Herb Tea in a Bamboo Drip which is known to relieve heatiness too!
Once you stepped into Li Xiang Lan Hotpot, it is not difficult for one to think that you have been teleport-ed back to the ancient China. Xiao er, give me a jar of wine ~~ (just joking ok).
If you are worried about getting stains onto your clothes, remember not to be shy, ask for an apron from one of the friendly service crew near you. In fact, I was totally impressed by how observant they were when I visited the store. I was offered an apron with the chinese surname “李” (lee) once I sat down.
As with all steamboats, dipping sauce is a must. Well, at least for me and I was thrilled to find that besides having their house brand xiang you (aromatic oil) and other condiments, Li Xiang Lan Hotpot also serves freeflow complimentary fruits and starters.
While the presentation of the steamboat was a tad too fancy, the ingredients were fresh. I have even overheard a diner from another table sharing with her friend that she thought that the mala was here better than the famous hotpot chain restaurant at 313 somerset with equally good service. Oh yes, if there is one thing that you must live live order at Li Xiang Lan Hotpot, don’t forget to order the handmade shrimp cake ($16) as it was made with heaps of real prawn meat!
Besides Japanese ice cream ($3.80/scoop) and brown sugar cake ($6), Li Xiang Lan Hotpot also offers pumpkin pancakes ($6) as one of their dessert selection which I totally adore the chewy texture. Please remember to leave some tummy space for it as it is made from glutinous rice flour and can be a little too filling for a full stomach.
Overall, it was a nice dining experience at Li Xiang Lan Hotpot as the service crew was really attentive and the selection for both the cooked and ingredients for the steamboat were aplenty. Do check out this hotpot restaurant that is located diagonally opposite Smith Street Market if you are around the area. You can also book your table via Quandoo.
Li Xiang Lan Hotpot 李香蓝重庆火锅
46 Smith Street Singapore 058956
Tel: +65 6786 5885
Operating Hours: 11:30 am – 4:30 am
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