The search for good and affordable hotpot is neverending and with recommendations from my family, I decided to check out Yue Long Men hotpot at Chinatown
Yue Long Men is nestled along the 2 storey shophouses just next to the Chinatown MRT exit so it is extremely convenient. With a price tag of weekday lunch5 at SGD 16.99 and dinner SGD 24.99 and weekend lunch price of SGD 19.99 and dinner at SGD 26.99 (all prices quoted before tax) , this place is extremely popular so do book in advance
The restaurant occupies 2 shop units so there are only limited tables. Most of the tables are fitted for 4 seaters and only 1 bigger table accommodates 6 to 8 customers so if you have a big group so book well ahead.
The hotpot is served in individual pots which is more hygienic so every seat has an induction cooker installed. There are 9 soup bases to choose from; tomato, kimchi, chicken, herbal, mala, miso, mushroom, tomyam and soya milk broth
Ingredients like fresh meats, vegetables, hotdog, luncheon meat, mushrooms are all served at the buffet counter
There are also fresh seafood and other meats like pig liver and kidney. Each ingredient is placed in a small cube which is replenished constantly to ensure the freshness of the ingredients as the ingredients don’t sit out in the open for a long time
Other premium cuts of meat like pork collar and pork belly can be ordered with the servers as they bring them fresh from the kitchen
The cut of the premium meat given is also of good quality
There is also a dessert bar where you can get iced water, hot dessert of the day as well as ice cream
The ice cream chiller has 6 different flavours for you to eat to your heart’s content
As the soy milk soup is very unique, I decided to give it a try. The soup base itself is on the lighter side with slight bean flavours. It tastes almost like soya bean drink without the sugar. The miso base was on the salty side so those who like their soup salty would love it but I find that you kind of gets thirsty thereafter. Generally, during my visit, my dinner party voted the herbal soup base as the best tasting one
Other than the hotpot items, the buffet also offers some cooked items like this xiaolongbao. The taste of the dumpling was pretty general but I only found the skin too thick.
Overall, Yue Long Men offers very affordable hotpot buffet with relatively good quality food and ingredients. They also have a sauce bar where you can mix your own sauces. I would recommend this restaurant for family gatherings as there is something to please everyone. The only downside is the small limited space and it could get a bit hot and steamy amidst all the hotpot even though the air con is on full blast.
Address: 75 Pagoda St, Singapore 059234
Operating hours: 11.30 am to 10.30 pm ( 4.30pm on Mondays)
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 