Seattle is a hot pot hot spot with an abundance of eateries located in Seattle’s very own Chinatown-International District. But whether you’re in north or south Seattle, there’s always a great hot pot restaurant nearby. Also, almost anything can go into a hotpot, so it’s easy to customize it to allergies or dietary requirements, making it a crowd favorite for picky eaters, too.
The 4 best hot pot spots in Seattle:
- Chengdu Memory, Chinatown-International District
- Morfire, Capitol Hill
- The Dolar Shop
- Qiao Lin Hotpot, Downtown
Where To Eat Hot Pot In Seattle
Eating hot pot with family or friends is an intimate experience. This communal meal is a traditional Asian fare with regional and country variations, which call back to the days of old when people would cook and eat together. From mutton in a Mongolian soldier’s helmet to a burner on a table in a chain restaurant, hot pot remains a meal for the community.
Seattle’s hot pot restaurants hold tight to these traditional values and offer great taste, too.
1. Chengdu Memory, Chinatown-International District
520 S Jackson Street
https://www.chengdumemory.com/3
Chengdu in Sichuan, China, is famous for its sophistication in culture and luxury; Chengdu Memory in Seattle is a hotpot restaurant that calls on its namesake’s style and offers its guests a treat of an experience. With its extensive sauce bar and stylized red chairs, this restaurant is perfect for a meal with friends.
Chengdu Memory is unique because of its customizable menu. You can pick and choose various additions for your soup base, or, if choosing is dividing the family as well as a monopoly game, order a yin-yang bowl in which you can have two different soup bases. Ideal for even the pickiest of eaters!
What to order:
- Combining two, the mushroom and Chengdu spicy beef soup bases, they come separated in a yin-yang-shaped cooking pot.
- Sweet potato noodles are perfect for helping with the incredible spice.
- Hong Kong-style ice milk tea is a refillable drink with incredible taste, combining sweet, evaporated condensed milk with Ceylon tea.
Their guests praise their fresh meats and customer attentiveness by giving aprons to keep their clothes clean and perfumes to mask any smell left over on their clothes.
2. Morfire, Capitol Hill
1806 12th Avenue Suit 100
http://www.morfireseattle.com/
Hot pots may bring up mental images of China, but Morfire offers their customers a Thai-style hot pot. They make hot pots with traditional Thai ingredients, from noodles to sauce, that warm your soul. Whether you’re dining alone or with a party, their extensive menu options have you covered.
Decorated in white and black, Morfire looks and feels modern and sports a menu that allows gluten-free and vegetarians easy access. They’ve even gone so far as to create a ‘how-to hot pot’ guide for customers; you can find it on their website under the family hotpot option. Choose from seven soup broths, or choose your favorite two and have them both in a split pot.
What to order:
- You should order the Quail Egg Wontons with MF sauce. This dish is crunchy on the outside from a deep-fried wonton but soft on the inside and is served with a delicious spicy sauce.
- Their Tom Yum broth is a flavorful Thai soup that combines sweet, sour, spicy, and salty elements.
- Matcha Milk tea made with lactose-free milk is delicious and perfect for anyone who is lactose intolerant.
Guests of Morfire are especially impressed by the quality of their ingredients and the incredible service.
3. The Dolar Shop, Bellevue
11020 Northeast 6th Street #90
https://www.dolarshop.com/location/seattle
As a rule, small family-run Chinese restaurants are always better. Still, the chain The Dolar Shop is an exception to that rule. Originating from the Macau Islands, they strive for excellence and take their representation of Chinese cuisine seriously.
With lavishly decorated walls and creatively displayed dishes, they are the ultimate fine dining experience of hot pot in Seattle.
The Dolar Shop offers both a customizable hot pot and a set menu. The set menu includes broth, vegetables, and meat and is only available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., then from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. This choice saves having to choose different elements from the menu and works out cheaper than buying separate meat and vegetables for the broth.
What to order:
- Creamy pork broth is a chef’s special soup that’s creamy and umami.
- Wagyu pancake is a thin and crispy savory pancake made with wagyu beef.
- Black Truffle broth, a mushroom-based soup that sells out very fast.
While The Dolar Shop is expensive, guests think the price is worth the experience, and they are thrilled by the free soft-serve ice cream at the end of their meals.
4. Qiao Lin Hotpot, Downtown
1510 7th Avenue, Pike Street
https://www.qiaolinhotpotseattle.com/
Hot pot is not just food but an experience. Qiao Lin shows their dedication to this statement by offering tastefully designed dishes for an elegant dining experience. Seattle’s Qiao Lin Hotpot is a relatively young restaurant with a loyal customer base through its incredible service and uniquely elegant and cozy atmosphere.
Qiao Lin has an extensive sauce bar, phenomenal handmade noodles, and great portion sizes. If you visit them with a group of friends or family members, everyone can taste their chosen broth with a triple partitioned hot pot. Additionally, they offer a great snack bar with an assortment of desserts.
What to order:
- Golden chicken broth, bold and deep flavored chicken soup base.
- Fresh noodles, tasty, made in-house traditional noodles.
- One meter beef plate, a long paddle covered with rolled beef slices.
While Qiao Lin may have a lengthy waiting period, guests express that the wait is worth it for the experience, authenticity, and excellent service.
Conclusion
Seattle has a lot of hot pot restaurants, varying in atmosphere and regional taste. There’s a hot pot for every occasion, family meals with mini dishes for children, and incredibly affluent restaurants perfect for a date with your loved one. No matter who you eat with or where you eat, hot pot is an experience of community and bonding.
Resources
