Hot Pot Heaven In Seattle: A Guide To The City's Best Broths And Bites

Seattle is home to a plethora of hot pot restaurants, ranging from robot-run mega-chains to family-owned spots. The International District is a hub for hot pot, with Chengdu Memory, Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, and Boiling Point being notable mentions. The Dolar Shop in Bellevue is a high-end hot pot restaurant that offers a luxurious dining experience with private rooms and a live seafood tank. Haidilao, a popular hot pot chain, offers a unique dining experience with tableside noodle-pulling and free treats. Morfire in Capitol Hill is perfect for those seeking a quick and casual Thai hot pot meal. For an all-you-can-eat option, the International District offers an extensive selection of bubbling soups and meats at a reasonable price. Other notable mentions include Qiao Lin Hotpot, Happy Lamb Hot Pot, and No.9 Alley Hotpot, which offer a range of broth options and a lively dining atmosphere.

Hot pot in Seattle's International District

Hot pot is a popular dish in Seattle, with a variety of restaurants offering this soup-based meal. The International District, in particular, has several options for those looking to indulge in this comforting cuisine.

Chengdu Memory

A relative newcomer to the International District, Chengdu Memory is a small, low-key spot perfect for a casual lunch. It offers a strong, mala soup base and the Chengdu Three Treasures dish, which includes beef aorta, tripe, and omasum—meats that are not commonly found in other hot pot shops in Seattle. Their yin-yang bowls allow diners to separate different types of broth, and their spicy beef oil and Szechuan peppercorn-packed broth is a favourite among patrons. Chengdu Memory is also one of the few hot pot places in town that isn't a chain, so you can expect table service and a more personalised experience.

Boiling Point

This Taiwanese shop in the International District offers a unique, passive version of hot pot. Instead of providing raw ingredients, Boiling Point serves pre-cooked items in a pot that is reheated at the table. Their house special includes pork intestines, pork blood cake, and fermented tofu. This restaurant is perfect for those who want a flavourful hot pot without the hassle of cooking raw ingredients.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

Little Sheep is an international chain with an outpost in the International District. While it may not encourage the typical DIY meat and vegetable sauce dipping, it offers a rich and aromatic broth filled with a variety of herbs. The addition of lamb, a Mongolian hot pot staple, completes the experience.

Gourmet Noodle Bowl

Gourmet Noodle Bowl is an International District mainstay that offers both all-you-can-eat and individual hot pot options. Their soup bases are mild and light, and the portions are generous. The prices are affordable, and the tables are well-supplied with condiments such as garlic, peanut sauce, and Taiwanese barbecue sauce ("Sha Cha Jiang"). This restaurant is perfect for those who want a variety of options and large servings.

Hot Pot King

Hot Pot King serves up Chongqing-style hot pot, a beef tallow-based soup turned red with the addition of chillies and Sichuan peppers. They offer two soup bases: original or spicy. The spice levels range from 1-10, but be warned—the higher levels might be too extreme for those unaccustomed to spicy food. They also offer a playful way to increase the richness of the broth with chunks of beef fat moulded into animal shapes.

Hot pot in Bellevue

Bellevue has a number of hot pot restaurants to choose from, ranging from high-end spots serving premium ingredients to more laidback, affordable eateries.

The Dolar Shop

The Dolar Shop is a high-end hot pot restaurant in Bellevue that is part of a global chain. It offers a swanky night-out experience with individual hot pots, a live seafood tank, and private rooms with personal servers and sauce bars. The menu includes thick-cut wagyu beef, A5 Japanese Miyazaki beef, live crab, and geoduck. The restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows and shiny decor, creating an elegant atmosphere. However, it is on the pricey side and usually has a long wait.

Liuyishou Hotpot

Liuyishou Hotpot is another option in Bellevue, located at 1644 140th Ave NE. This international chain offers a wide range of items at their extensive sauce bar, as well as standalone snacks like fruit and peanuts. Highlights of their menu include perfectly tender marbled beef and Kung Fu sliced potatoes, which are wafer-thin and absorb a lot of broth.

Swish Swish

Swish Swish is a shabu-shabu restaurant in Bellevue, located at 14603 NE 20th St #5c. They offer a variety of broths, including the tongue-numbing (mala) Sichuan spicy and the spicy curry. Their notable meat option is the tender wagyu beef, served with a soup base in a pot made from paper, which helps to absorb the oils and keep the broth light.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is an international chain with an outpost in Bellevue. They are known for adding a variety of herbs to their soup bases, creating a fragrant, rich, and aromatic broth. While they don't encourage DIY meat and vegetable sauce dipping, their lamb, a Mongolian hot pot staple, rounds out the experience.

Hot pot in Redmond

Shabu-shabu is a Japanese form of hot pot that emphasises lighter ingredients cooked more quickly. This all-you-can-eat restaurant in Redmond offers a self-service buffet bar with various vegetables, noodles, and sauces to accompany your hot pot. While orders of meat need to be placed with a server, Shabu-shabu is a great option for those looking for a hot pot experience with a variety of customisable options.

Other Hot Pot Options in Seattle

If you're happy to travel outside of Redmond, there are several other hot pot restaurants in Seattle and the surrounding area. Here are some options:

• Morfire in Capitol Hill is great for those looking for a quick, laidback meal. As a Thai restaurant, Morfire offers bases like tom yum and tom kha instead of the usual tomato or mala.
• The Dolar Shop in Bellevue is a high-end hot pot restaurant that serves wagyu beef and Japanese Miyazaki beef, as well as live seafood. With a sauce bar containing 21 different options, rich broths, and high-quality ingredients, it's a popular choice for a swanky night out.
• Chengdu Memory in the International District is a small, low-key spot, perfect for a casual lunch. As one of the few hot pot places in town that isn't a massive chain, you'll get an actual server instead of an iPad!
• Qiao Lin Hotpot is a rare hot pot spot in Downtown where you can usually get a table quickly. They offer a performer on certain nights, and you can choose between a lively main dining room or a quieter section near the bar.
• Haidilao is a popular hot pot chain where you'll be escorted to your booth and entertained with tableside noodle-pulling dances. They also offer a lot of free stuff, from toys and ice cream to lotion and manicures.
• Boiling Point in the International District is a relaxed spot where the meats, fish, and vegetables come to the table precooked in woks and are re-fired at the table to keep the broths simmering.
• Sichuan Hot Pot is located on 12th Avenue Northeast, not far from Trader Joe's. They offer a variety of cuisine, including Black Pepper Steak, Cumin Lamb, and Egg Fried Rice.

Hot pot in Capitol Hill

Morfire, located on 12th Ave in Capitol Hill, is the place to go for Thai-style hot pot. The restaurant offers a "do it yourself" hot pot experience, where you start with a gently flavoured broth that gets richer and more complex as you add and cook vegetables, meat, and other ingredients. Each bite is accompanied by unique Thai hot pot sauces, which brighten up the flavour. Morfire also offers tasty small plates, individual hot pot bowls, and unique Thai noodle and rice dishes. The restaurant is decorated with a cozy space and a full bar offering cocktails, beers, and wines.

Morfire fills a gap in Seattle's Thai food scene, as Thai hot pot has been missing from the area despite the proliferation of Thai restaurants in the city. Owner Monchaya "Taup" Paitoonnerarmit says that hot pot has been a staple way of eating in Asian cultures for centuries, and that there is something special about the way people cook and eat fresh ingredients together throughout the meal. Morfire sources its ingredients from sustainable and local suppliers, with Pacific Northwest pork, beef, and chicken that is pasture-raised and vegetarian-fed.

In addition to Morfire, there are a few other notable hot pot restaurants near Capitol Hill, including Gourmet Noodle Bowl in the International District, which offers both all-you-can-eat and individual hot pot options with mild and light soup bases, and Chengdu Memory, also in the International District, which offers a strong, mala soup base and the Chengdu Three Treasures dish with beef aorta, tripe, and omasum.

Hot pot in Chinatown-International District

Hot pot is a popular dish in Seattle, and the city's Chinatown-International District is home to several restaurants serving this soul-warming treat. Here is a guide to some of the best spots to enjoy hot pot in the area:

Chengdu Memory

Chengdu Memory is a relative newcomer to the International District, known for its spicy broths and strong mala soup base. The Chengdu Three Treasures dish is a unique offering that includes beef aorta, tripe, and omasum—meats that are not commonly found in other hot pot shops in Seattle. Their yin-yang bowls, which separate different types of broth, are also a notable feature. Chengdu Memory is also one of the few hot pot places in town that isn't a massive chain, so you can expect personalised service and suggestions from your server.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot

Little Sheep is an international chain with an outpost in the International District. They offer a slightly different experience from other hot pot restaurants by not emphasising DIY meat and vegetable sauce dipping. Instead, they add a variety of herbs to their soup bases, creating a fragrant and rich broth. Their regular and spicy broths are complemented by servings of lamb, a staple of Mongolian hot pot.

Gourmet Noodle Bowl

This restaurant is an International District mainstay, offering both all-you-can-eat and individual hot pot options. Their soup bases are mild and light, and the portions are generous. It's also affordable, and tables are well-supplied with garlic, peanut sauce, and "Sha Cha Jiang" (Taiwanese barbecue sauce), an essential part of any Taiwanese hot pot experience.

Hot Pot King

Hot Pot King serves up Chongqing-style hot pot, a beef tallow-based soup turned red from the addition of chillies and Sichuan peppers. They offer a choice of two soup bases: original or spicy. The spice levels range from 1-10, but be warned—turning up the heat may result in a broth that's too extreme for those unaccustomed to spicy food. They also offer a playful way to increase the richness of the broth with chunks of beef fat moulded into animal shapes.

Boiling Point

Boiling Point is a Taiwanese shop in the International District, offering a more passive version of hot pot. Instead of providing raw ingredients, the pot comes filled with precooked items that are reheated at the table. Their house special includes ingredients such as pork intestines, pork blood cake, and fermented tofu. While purists may prefer more customisation, Boiling Point makes up for it with flavourful broths and a fun atmosphere.

Qiao Lin Hotpot

Qiao Lin is a convenient Downtown spot where you can often walk in and grab a table without a reservation. The lively main dining room features bottles of soju on the tables and cuts of meat whizzing by on gold cow-shaped sculptures. They also offer solo pots in a quieter section near the bar. The quality of meats is high, especially when dunked in their sweet tomato broth.

These restaurants offer a variety of hot pot experiences, from spicy broths to all-you-can-eat options, ensuring that you'll find something to satisfy your hot pot cravings in Seattle's Chinatown-International District.

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