Fishpot — Restaurant in Melbourne

ORDERED: 🧂 Sauce ($5.00pp) 🍲 1/2 Fragrant fish soup and 1/2 Spicy chicken soup ($47.00) 🦞 Live Australian lobster in hotpot ($99.00) 🥓 Beef brisket (180g) ($16.00) 🥓 Sliced lamb (180g) ($18.00) 🍥 Handmade mix meatballs platter (12 pieces) ($33.00) 🍄 Mixed mushroom platter ($19.00) 🥟 Homemade dumplings (4 pieces) ($16.00) 🧈 Stuffed beancurd ($13.00) 🥚 Quail egg (10 pieces) ($8.00) 🍝 Potato noodles (200g) ($6.00)

🍚 Steamed rice ($3.00) 🐔 Spicy shredded chicken ($16.00)

🥤 Plum juice glass ($5.00) 🥤 Bamboo cane glass ($5.00)

REVIEW: Fishpot had a $209 to $99 lobster special when we went! They give you the option of getting it prepared in hotpot style, sashimi or wok fried. Since hotpot is the name of the game, we chose to have it prepared in the hotpot version. Really, it's quite unnecessary because it's a lavish amount for not much meat ($33 between the three!!). Doesn't really add much to the overall hotpot as well. Just a fun outrageous moment for us.

Everything else is the standard hotpot offering. Beef brisket, lamb, mushrooms and a generous buffet of sauces. What sets it apart is their special handmade mix meatballs platter with varying meats (not just dyed a different colour! Not all yummy either haha!) and their stuffed beancurd with pork. Least favourite was the stuffed beancurd with pork because it retains its chewy, hard texture when it's cooked. It's not a pleasant texture. To note, the fish fragrant broth was ok. Didn't taste a lot like fish (negative) but the spicy chicken soup was the perfect amount of spice (positive).

Service was straight forward and they delivered all the food. They have a gorgeous interior, so it's definitely worth a visit once. Especially their nifty hotpot contraption. With a click of a button, the hotpot strains all the meat so you don't have to rummage around for the food. Then with another click, the strainer lowers itself into the broth to continue cooking. So efficient, fun and extremely clever! However, for Chinese Hotpot Da Long Yi still holds my heart with its memorable tender...

An airy, bright, modern restaurant serving fish-based hotpot, with prices ranging from moderately expensive to extravagantly so.

Okay, hotpots are a dime and dozen in Melbourne city. So, why would one want to give Fishpot a try?

For me, it is the fish based broth - the basic, fragrant fish broth is really delicious. Without even adding any of the hotpot ingredients, it's already full of flavour - creamy, sweet and not fishy at all. At $40 a pop for a full pot, it comes with lots of deep fried fish pieces, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, yam sticks, and refill.

Being able to lift the basket of hotpot ingredients away from the hot broth is more than a gimmick. One of my pet peeves about hotpot is that one tend to overcook the ingredients. Lifting the basket up stops the cooking.

I also had a great time mixing the various sauces, herbs and condiments at the island bar - but that comes at a charge of $4 a head.

There is a mind-numbingly wide selection of hot pot ingredients to choose from. You are given a piece of paper with the listed ingredients, and you use a pencil to tick the ones you want. You will probably need quite a few minutes to go through the list, especially if you are not familiar with the hotpot concept. The prices for the ingredients ranged from $2 for egg, $6 for spinach/tomato slice/radish, $15 for premium beef slice to $$$$$ (e.g. $176 Kobe Beef Roll). I have only tried a small selection - all good except for the fish balls - does not taste fresh to me. And the frozen tofu - spongy and rough, not the kind...

Stepped into this cozy spot on a chilly evening, and it quickly became one of our new favourites. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm and attentive with staff who clearly take pride in making guests feel welcome.

We kicked things off with their signature fish soup—light, comforting, and brimming with freshness—exactly the kind of soul-soothing broth you crave in cold weather . Next up, the collagen-rich soup arrived: velvety, milky, and deeply flavourful, with that subtle richness you can only get from hours of slow simmering . But the standout? Their pepper‑pork‑stomach chicken soup—a perfect balance of fragrant white pepper heat, tender pig stomach, and chicken—moreish, comforting, and just the right amount of spicy to chase away the cold.

Every bowl felt like a warm hug, perfectly suited to the grey, cool weather outside. The ambience was calm, and the piping‑hot soups transported us straight to comfort-land.

If there’s a caveat, it’s that things tip toward the pricier side. Still, even with that in mind, the quality of food and service made the prices feel worth it for a special treat.

All in all: a hidden gem for soup lovers. Brilliant flavours and attentive service—with only a gentle caution on the bill. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something hearty...