Guo Fu Hotpot Steamboat- Unlimited Premium Fatty Beef & Xiao Long Bao in Chinatown

Specialising in authentic premium beef hotpot from Northeast China, Guo Fu Hotpot Steamboat claimed to be the first to introduce the small and individual hotpot concept in Singapore 15 years ago. Even though it gives diners an option to share a big hot pot of 2 soup bases, Guo Fu believes that individual hotpot promotes better hygiene.

With 10 different types of soup bases, 64 fresh and quality food options, free-of-charge house-made condiments and unlimited Xiao Long Bao (XLB; soup dumplings), Guo Fu Hotpot Steamboat is a place where you can eat for hours with good companions.

While it costs $25.90++ for weekday lunch buffet and $27.90++ for dinner buffet, the soup bases come at an additional cost, ranging from $3 to $7 if you opt for the individual pot. For the big sharing pot, it ranges between $9 and $23, depending on the combination of soup bases chosen.

Although Guo Fu doesn’t have an extensive spread of condiments, it has special sauces for different hot pot items. Take the seafood sauce, for example. It is made in-house specially for beef slices. They even have a chive-based paste and mushroom sauce that is made with 5 types of mushrooms including Black Reishi and King Oyster. It’s savoury and suitable for most ingredients.

When I first saw the soup base menu, I had a hard time deciding what to get because all of them sounded so good! The menu also states some health benefits for some of their soups, so it made me feel less guilty indulging in this buffet. In the end, we chose Mild Spicy Soup ($3) and Beauty Soup ($7). The Beauty Soup is boiled with black chicken, red dates, wolf-berries, Cordyceps and other herbs. Thus, it is rich in antioxidants and collagen.

Let’s not beat about the bush and plunge into the must-tries of this buffet. Since Guo Fu specialises in premium beef, the one thing you must order is the Sliced Special Beef which I call the “fatty beef”. With almost an equal ratio of fats and meat, every thin slice gets cooked within 5 seconds. Expect very soft and tender beef that is already full of flavour on its own!

Guo Fu also has an impressive selection of other raw meats. You can choose from different cuts of beef, chicken, mutton and pork. Interestingly, it also offers unusual options such as duck gizzards and hog skin. Go for the pork belly — it absorbs whatever broth you cook it in.

Next up, Guo Fu is known for its unlimited XLB! All the XLB are steamed upon order, so you don’t have to worry that they aren’t hot when they arrive. You may request specifically the number of XLB you want. In this way, you won’t need to experience any paiseh (awkward) last-piece or feel the need to waste your stomach space just to accommodate an additional XLB.

Personally, I find the skin is on the thicker side, but I absolutely love the juicy meat in a savoury soup encased within.

They have steamed dumplings as well as uncooked dumplings for your hotpot!

They have 10 seafood items, but I will recommend the crunchy prawns, sweet scallops, and fresh mussels! All these will make your broth even sweeter and more palatable.

For desserts, other than pumpkin puree, pumpkin cake, fresh fruits and fruit banana fritters (only available for dinner), there’s free-flow ice cream too! With sweet and savoury dessert options, there is something for everyone.

To be honest, I feel that its fatty beef alone is worth another visit. I’ll probably try Guo Fu’s unique Curry Beef Soup and Male Vitality Soup the next time!

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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