From the moment we walked into Haidilao, a popular hotpot chain originating from Sichuan, China, the atmosphere felt warm and welcoming, with the server explaining the current deals and asking about our previous experiences. To celebrate my friend’s birthday, we decided on going to the Haidilao located at 1600 S Azusa Avenue, Unit 178 in the City of Industry. Walking into the restaurant, it was heavily decorated with Chinese New Year festivities.
We were given multiple combo pricing options, with an all you can eat A combo for $32.99 per person or a pick your own add-ins, with individual pricing for each item. Haidilao also offers a 30% discount on food items after 9:00 p.m. to its closing time, 11:30 p.m. My fellow Hoofprint friend Abby and I chose the individual add-ins, with most of the items ranging from six to 20 dollars.
As a vegetarian, there was a wide variety of options that I could choose from and some of my favorite add-ins included the Assorted Mushroom Combo ($15.99) and the Classic Fried Dough Sticks ($5.99). The meat like Angus Beef Tongue ($22.99) was the most cost-heavy part of our meal.
For the soup base, my friend went with the Pork Bone Soup ($13.99) while I chose the Mushroom Soup Base ($13.99). The soup had a rich and strong mushroom flavor which paired well with the add-ins, creating a flavorful and aromatic effect. Haidilao also offers an all-you-can-eat sauce and snack bar for $3.99 that includes unlimited sauce options and different desserts such as tofu pudding and jelly. Despite going to Haidilao on a Sunday, the service was very fast and efficient, with our items all coming within 15 minutes.
At the end of our meal, we told the server that it was my friend’s birthday and they sang happy birthday to her; at the end of the celebration, we were both given bags that included two Haidilao snacks and two keychains. Attached to the bag was also a 10 percent off card.
However, Haidilao is on the pricier side, with our total coming out to $105.80. After the 10 percent was applied to our meal, our meal was reduced to $95.30.
Overall, if you are looking for a filling and lively place to have a nice meal or celebrate a special occasion, Haidilao is the place to go. Despite the steep price, Haidilao met my expectations, although I would not go consistently as it drained my bank account. I would give Haidilao 4.5/5 stars. Ω
