Steamboat

Located within Japan Food Town in Wisma Atria, Shabu Shabu Gyu Jin serves pretty quality meats in a reasonably priced buffet setting — perfect for ravenous appetites! You can choose to have the meats shabu shabu, sukiyaki or yakiniku (barbecue) style. Burppler Siming T really enjoyed the Sukiyaki (from $31.90 for American beef, prices vary according to type of beef chosen), which sees thinly sliced meat cooked in a pot of umami-rich sauce heavily seasoned with soy. It's delicious but rather rich, so pace yourself. Apart from the beef, there are other meats including pork belly, chicken thigh and pork loin, along with a selection of fresh vegetables from the bar, Japanese curry rice and ice cream. It's good enough a deal for us to set aside the fact that there's a time limit on on our meal — the standard course allows diners 70 minutes to dine.
Pro tip: If you're lucky enough to steal out for a long lunch, come by for the 60-minute lunch buffet (from $24.90, daily from 11am-3pm).
Avg price: $35
Photo by Burppler Siming T

Head to this Serangoon establishment (a short stroll from NEX) for steamboat with a twist. By that, we mean the laksa broth, which is fragrant and full on flavour, yet light enough to slurp on right till the end. The Laksa Steamboat Buffet ($21.80 weekday lunch, $26.80 for weekend lunch and daily dinner) is great value, and the price includes two soup bases — the laksa is a no brainer; pick something mild like the chicken soup for your second to counter the richness. The standard selection of ingredients are decently fresh; keep an eye out for the super fresh prawns and fish slices. The buffet also includes cooked food, free flow drinks and ice cream — don't miss the tasty, fried-to-order chicken wings.
Avg price: $25
Photo by Burppler Raine Liu

For a feast, consider this casual chic steamboat restaurant in China Square Central. Smart enough for a business meal yet laid-back enough for gathering with friends, Guo Fu Steamboat one-ups the competition with free-flow xiao long baos! Priced at $23.90 for daily lunch, $25.90 for weekday dinners and $27.90 and weekend dinners, the steamboat buffet is perfect for large appetites, but bear in mind that the soup bases are charged separately (prices start from $3 for a personal portion, or from $9 for a split pot of two broths to share). That said, the quality and variety of the ingredients are commendable — expect the likes of sliced beef, pork and chicken alongside prawns, scallops and mussels.
Pro tip: The xiao long bao takes awhile to be ready, so order that first before you start piling your table with food.
Avg price: $25
Photo by Burppler Jervois Chong

This is our go-to for reasonably priced hot pot and affordably priced beer; the industrial chic setting of brick walls and cement floors is a nice plus. Along with standard ingredients like sliced meat, seafood and veggies, the Steamboat Buffet ($29.80) also features lesser provided ingredients like pig intestines, prawn paste and beef omasum (a part of cow stomach). The latter is especially delicious having soaked up all the flavours in the mala broth. Like Guo Fu Steamboat, the price here excludes the broth base — expect to pay an average of $18 for two soups, so come in a group to keep the cost down. Some favourite broths among the Burpple community include the Sichuan mala, the pork-based bone soup and sweet tomato. Beer lovers would appreciate that the beer here averages at $6 a serving, with four big bottles of Qingdao going for $20!
Avg price: $40
Photo by Burppler Jason Yeo

A favourite on Burpple's Hawker Hot 100 list last year, this Old Airport Road Food Centre prawn noodle stall serves up one shiok hotpot. Boosted with the sweetness of prawns and robustness from the pork ribs, the base broth is without a doubt one of the winning points here. The heavenly broth is filled generously with seafood (prawn, clams and a whole crab) and fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. What we also appreciate is that we get to bring our own ingredients to further fill the pot — think mushrooms, fishballs and all the vegetables you fancy! The Prawn Broth Hot Pot (from $55 for two people) is not listed on their menu, so call ahead to let friendly owner Richard know to prepare it in advance for your party.
Avg price: $25
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Zhihui Lim

This Hong Kong Street restaurant is our pick for Chinese mala hotpot with class. Elegantly decked out, it is perfect for an intimate dinner with a spice-loving date. For a fuss-free meal, order one of the three hotpot set menus (from $55, serves two) to share. Each set comes with a variety of meat and vegetables, along with a divided pot for two MSG-free broths — we highly recommend the tongue numbing mala as well as the rich and concentrated wild mushroom. If you're really specific about what you want though, consider ordering everything a la carte, from broths to ingredients. That's what Burppler Veronica Phua did, filling the table with tender Premium U.S Short Rib ($22) and Mangalitsa Pork Collar ($30). For best value, visit on a Tuesday, where you can enjoy their one-for-one promotion on all meats, except luncheon meat. You're welcome.
Avg price: $40
Photo by Burppler Sam Chua

Tucked away on the third floor of Clarke Quay Central, this is an underrated spot for a la carte steamboat. According to Burppler Tay Brenda, the chef here used to be from Hai Di Lao, which explains the similiar concept and menu items albeit at more affordable prices. For starters, choose the thickness of your broth, along with the oil and spice level if you're going for the mala soup base. Burpple Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang went for the Twin Pot ($14-$16, depending on broth type) and loved how both the mushroom and mala broths started out light yet got increasingly flavourful. Ingredients are really fresh and come in generous portions — they don't do half portions, so take Wei Zhi's advice to visit in a group to stretch your dollar. Some recommendations include Black Pork ($10), Prawn Paste ($12), Indian Lettuce ($4), Kelp ($4) andd Wide Vermicelli ($5). Beverages are free flow at $3 per person, while access to the sauces, seasonings and fruit table costs $4 each.
Pro tip: Upin takes reservations till 6.30pm before dinner crowds peak, and also opens till 3am for supper daily.
Avg price: $35
Photo by Burpple Tastemaker Wei Zhi Chiang