Wulao Pot

I wrote about Wulao hot pot years ago in their old outlet here and I had such good memories from the meal I had there, I was left craving their hotpot for 5 years

When I finalised my trip to Taipei, Wu Lao hot pot was definitely on my food list and I tried to make a reservation for lunch since they are really popular. The Xi Men Ding outlet has now shifted to a new location and is much bigger and nicely renovated

The new location is well-renovated with great emphasis on Chinese cultural elements like these ancient medicinal drawers reused as a reception counter for the restaurant. The rest of the restaurant is also filled with pretty red and white Chinese lanterns and wooden furniture which resembles an old Chinese mansion

The restaurant provides unlimited top-ups of rice as well as some condiments for customers to eat with their hot pot. The condiments are limited compared to the usual chain restaurants we are used to and there are no fancy condiments offered here

We ordered the dual flavour pot; mala soup layer tofu pot where the broth is mainly made of milk and soy. The servers also brought over refill broths which is the same for both the spicy and non-spicy options

We ordered several dishes but I am highlighting what really stands out and surprised me in terms of taste and texture or uniqueness. First is their cloud tofu, which comes in a cute dome shape similar to the fish tofu from Beauty in a Pot but way nicer. The tofu was creamy and milky and melted nicely in your mouth giving you a burst of soy flavours. This next vegetable is some kind of water parsley stem which I do not recognise but tastes very good in hot pot. It is crunchy and refreshing in flavour, perfect amid the meat and spicy soup. The 2 items that surprised me the most were the shrimp paste, scallop paste, and the yam mochi ball. While shrimp paste is common, the texture of the paste here is quite the bomb as you can bite into the crunchy chunks of prawn meat which is mildly sweet and flavourful. The scallop paste was bursting with umami flavours as they added shredded dried scallops which gave off flavour with every bite. The yam mochi dumplings on the other hand are soft, chewy and delicious as they tasted like a dessert which paired well with the savoury soup. I will definitely order these 2 items if I visit again

Finally one of the reasons why I love visiting Taiwanese hot pots is the free flow service of tofu and blood tofu. Blood tofu is congealed blood made into the shape of a beancurd and can be made from pig’s or duck’s blood. In Taiwan, they mainly use duck’s pig and it usually seeps in all the spicy broth and is perfectly flavoured for a delicious soft textured beancurd

Overall, my experience at Wu Lao Hot Pot was wonderful and completely matched my expectations even after years of not having it. I will definitely eat here again during my next visit for their tasty broth and extremely fresh and delicious ingredients

Address: 100, Taiwan, Taipei City, Zhongzheng District, Section 1, Zhonghua Rd, 55號2F

Operating hours: 11 am to 4 am