Melbourne has gone hotpot crazy and we have found the hottest of the hotpot! Located in the previous Dracula building stands Panda Hot Pot. You will not miss this venue. Two stories high, a massive dragon facing the entrance with a centre stage, you can expect great things from here. It gets real busy so make sure you make a booking to nab a spot.
o’Wok Shop Chinese Cuisine, Camberwell
I’m a huge fan of Chinese food and when there’s a new Chinese eatery in town, I definitely want to check it out. O’Wok Shop in Camberwell has been on the food scene for 3 months and it’s already pretty busy. It’s located on Burke Road which is the main (busy) road, but there’s plenty of parking around too! The interior is modern and at the front of the shop, you’ve guessed it! There’s someone making dumplings for you in plain sight (love that!). Walking inside you’re welcomed with open arms by the staff and they are very attentive and friendly. There’s quite a bit on the menu so be prepared to spend quite a bit of time going through it.
Da Long Yi Hot Pot, Melbourne
If you’ve been in Melbourne for a while you will know that plenty of venues have been popping up that serves hotpot. For those who don’t know what hotpot is, let me give you a brief overview. Basically you get a pot of broth in the middle and once it boils, you chuck in whatever you’d want to eat which could be various meats, fish balls, veggies and noodles. You cook them in your pot, cook it, dip it in whichever sauce you’d like and BAM Bob’s your uncle. Mr D was in charge of picking a hotpot place and we ended up at Da Long Yi Hotpot. Da Long Yi Hotpot is a huge venue, double story and located conveniently on Elizabeth Street.
The Grand Tofu, Glen Waverly
Another Friday means another eatery at Glen Waverly and this time it was The Grand Tofu. Now if you’ve ever walked past here, it gets super duper busy so we decided to get there just before lunch time. We were able to get a table for 6 quick smart and we already knew what we were ordering.
Dragon Hot Pot, Glen Waverly
Dragon Hot Pot has made a name for themselves, opening more and more shops around Melbourne so it’s no surprise when they decide to embrace veganism and release a vegan Ma La Tang soup base! So if you’ve never been here before, just walk in, get a table and then pick up a pot and put whatever the hell you want in the pot. From meat to seafood to fishcake and heaps of veggies, there’s something for everyone. Once you’ve got all your ingredients, shuffle over to the counter so they can weigh your pot and it’s $3.38 per 100g and the minimum weight you need is 400g. So you’ve guessed it, the more you put in your pot, the more you gotta pay.
Colourful Yunnan, Burwood East
There’s plenty of Colourful Yunnan chains in Melbourne and we hit up the one in Burwood for a friendly catch up. The service was efficient, the staff were friendly and it does get busy so definitely make a booking so you don’t have to wait. Walking in you can smell the amazing soup bases and it really does get your mouth watering. The concept is pretty easy. Individual hot pot and order whatever the hell you’d like to put in it and of course no need to share either!
Dumpling Empire, Glen Waverly
Moving along all the restaurants on Kingsway in Glen Waverly, we were up to The Dumpling Empire. As you would be aware, The Glen and the surrounding restaurants are always packed so we always park in the multicomplex carpark around the corner (it’s also FREE!). We got in just before lunch time and it was quite empty but 10 minutes later, it was packed! We flicked through the menu and started our dumpling feast. The food came out quick smart.
TuanTuan Chinese Brassarie, Melbourne
There’s a new kid in town who moved into Melbourne that serves up Hong Kong style food. With restaurants opening up around the world, they’re bringing their snow buns to Melbourne. Located on the quiet part of Carlton on Queensberry Street, it still gets super busy. The venue is sleek on the inside with beautiful murals painted on the back. The staff were efficient and you won’t be waiting long by the door before you get shown to your seat.
David’s Spicy Pot, Melbourne
DIY hotpot is picking up speed in Melbourne and every corner you turn, there seem to be more DIY hotpot popping up. David’s have their sichuann hotpot restaurant and have opened up DIY hotpots. What do I mean by DIY hotpots? Pull up a seat, sit down and let me show you a whole new world. David’s Spicy Pot does get busy so if you plan on dropping by in peak hour, be prepared to wait. We decided to have an early dinner and there were plenty of seats available.
Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar, Glen Waverley
Shopping can get tiring and when you’re not a huge a shopper, you get hungrier quicker than usual (yep, that’s me!). Mr D and I headed towards the food court and I’m a bit of a snob and didn’t really want food court food but something in the corner caught my eye – Lanzhou Beef Noodle Bar. We didn’t think much of it so we shrugged our shoulders and walked straight in.