🇲🇾 Austin Crest Hotpot Recommendation | Xiang Ju Hot Pot

I first noticed the sign for this place early in 2025, but it wasn’t until nearly the end of the year that it finally opened. It’s a Taiwanese‑style individual hotpot buffet — very common in Taiwan, where everyone has their own pot and can add whatever ingredients they like (even taro, without any arguments — and yes, they really do serve taro!). The setup is semi‑buffet style: each set includes one main protein (seafood/beef/pork/lamb). Once you finish the main item, you’ll need to pay extra for more, but all other hotpot ingredients are unlimited and self‑serve. Besides the hotpot items, they also offer multigrain rice, chawanmushi (steamed egg), small fried snacks, and dipping sauces — all included at no extra charge. Except for alcoholic drinks, the self‑serve beverage selection is quite rich: besides soda (zero‑sugar Coke gets a thumbs‑up 👍), there’s a coffee machine, tea bags, slushies, and — surprisingly — Häagen‑Dazs ice cream! The staff serves hot towels before and after the meal, and they bring out sliced fruit after you finish (didn’t manage to photograph that). As for the menu and prices, you can check Google Maps, but I think their pricing is really competitive in Johor Bahru. At my age, I can’t handle all‑you‑can‑eat buffets like I used to — with hotpot, I know when to stop. That’s why I care more about ingredient freshness when it comes to meat; I refuse frozen meat, and that’s the main reason I appreciate this place (´・ω・｀). BTW, the owner is from Taiwan. Xiang Ju Hot Pot 📍 67, Jalan Jaya Putra 7/9, Bandar Jaya Putra, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta'zim #JohorBahru #AustinCrest #FoodExploration #Foodie #JB #Austin #Crest #Dinner #Lunch