It’s time for the steamboat smackdown. Which steamboat restaurant should you hit up next?
Hotpot Kingdom
Best for carnivores
The broth: Choice of 10 soup bases like Macanese pork bone, pork tripe with pepper soup, la-la seafood soup and traditional herbal chicken soup.
The meat: Premium stuff: Japanese wagyu tenderloin, US Black Angus, Kurobuta pork belly and fresh handmade meatballs.
The seafood: Polka dot garoupa, lobster and abalone as well as the run-of-the-mill cuttlefish, scallops and live prawns.
The perks: You can opt for two broths in one (divided) pot as well as a range of Hong Kong-style dim sum to stay your hunger pangs. Plus, the waiters cook the ingredients for you.
Shabu Shabu On-Yasai
Best value for money
The broth: Six soup bases, including classic seaweed soup, Sichuan spicy soup and the mild soya milk soup.
The meat: The standard buffet covers pork belly, pork collar and chicken thigh, while the premium stuff has beef chuck roll, Kurgegyu shoulder and wagyu chuck roll (a $24.90 top-up).
The seafood: Sadly, nothing live—just lobster balls, fish balls, squid and fish cakes. What they do have is lots of veggies and mushrooms.
The perks: You get to choose two different soup bases at no extra charge, and the buffet-style set up means you can just keep going back for more ingredients.
MK Restaurant
Most addictive sauce
The broth: Thai-style hotpot or sukiyaki with two soup bases, original and tom yum in a single pot.
The meat: The usual: marinated and sliced pork and beef. There’s also pig liver. Be sure to get a side order of the signature MK roasted duck.
The seafood: Seafood is the focus here, from slied fish and scallops to shrimp roll on crabsticks and stuffed squid.
The perks: We love the signature jade noodles and the crack-like signature sauce. Don’t forget about their famous red ruby dessert, too.
Imperial Treasure Steamboat Restaurant
Most sublime seafood options
The broth: 10 choices, from the standard (classic pork bone) to the intriguing (drunken imperial chicken).
The meat: Extensive. This place doesn’t skimp on variety. Highlights are Kurobuta pork belly, pork liver and kidneys, beef prime rib and chicken.
The seafood: Alive and kicking. There are fresh fish like soon hock and garoupa, oysters, Boston lobsters and our favorite live prawns, which are some of the sweetest we’ve tasted. Don’t miss the cuttlefish and prawn noodles.
The perks: The twin-broth soup pots that come with free flow top-ups. Plus you can concoct your own sauces from a tray full of chilies, peanut sauce, sesame pastes, garlic and herbs.
