Fondue Haidilao — Restaurant in Montreal

This was my first time trying Haidilao, and I was genuinely excited to visit, especially since there isn’t a location in my hometown. When I saw there was one in Montreal, I made a point to go. Unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations, primarily due to issues with food safety and service.

To begin with, I have a peanut allergy. I appreciated that the waitress asked about allergies at the start of the meal, and I clearly informed her of mine. However, I was not informed that the green curry soup base I selected contains peanuts. It was only when the soup base arrived and I asked, out of caution, that I was told it did, in fact, contain peanuts. This was extremely concerning. Had I not double checked myself, I could have had a serious allergic reaction. There was no allergy warning on the menu, and I was not proactively advised of the risk despite disclosing my allergy. There was no apology or offer to remove the item from the bill, which I found disappointing, given the seriousness of food allergies.

Moving on to service, we opted for the all-you-can-eat meat option. Toward the end of the meal, I ordered an additional plate of beef, which never arrived, even after a 15-minute wait. When I approached the waitress to cancel it, she casually mentioned that it probably wouldn’t be coming anyway, as there was nothing in the kitchen. I found this response odd and unprofessional. If the item wasn’t available or the order didn’t go through, shouldn't I have been informed without me asking?

Throughout the meal, there were several other items we ordered that never arrived. We were told afterward that they had been removed from the bill, but we were not notified at the time. For instance, we inquired multiple times about the dancing noodle, only to be told each time that the server would check again....it ultimately never came.

I was also excited to try some of the "secret code" items I’d seen online. While I understand that one of the toys I asked for they said they ran out of, but we were told "the golden bricks" was would be brought to us, but again, it never came.

Overall, while the food itself was decent, the service left much to be desired. The experience did not live up to the reputation Haidilao has built, especially considering the safety oversight and lack of clear communication. I definitely think there are other hot pot restaurants that offer similar food quality with more attentive service. Probably less expensive too, my advice? Just go to all you can eat so you don't end up spending over $230 to barely be full. Unfortunately, I do not plan...

No words can explain how great my overall experience was. Something I love about Haidilao is their consistency when it comes to quality of food and service, had a chance to eat in Haidilao Philippines and I can say that there is no difference at all!

I went to their Montreal branch last Saturday, and for someone who knows how long their wait time for walkin can take regardless of the time of the day I made sure to reserve a table.

We went there earlier than my booked reservation but they accomodated us, just needed to wait 30 mins before we were seated to our table.

From the time you enter their resto they will offer snacks, fruits, drinks, activities non-stop just to ensure that you will not get bored.

Upon being seated we were given the "essentials" - hairtie, wet wipes, glasses wipes and apron and asked to login to the tablet since I'm already a member. We were seated on a table at the 3rd floor, initially I thought service might have delays since kitchen was on the 1st floor BUT orders arrived less than 10mins!

What separates them among all other hotpot is how they let you customized your orders based on your preference, like I really love their Sichuan spicy soup but I always request for it to be less numbing and less spicy. They also have LOTS of varieties when it comes to their hotpot ingredients, majority of the balls are handmade and not the frozen hotpot balls that you can find on grocery stores. The quality of meat is exceptional, top choice will be beef as it really does melt in your mouth!!! Though it has an additional price, their sauce bar is also worth it.

We tried the "popular secret code" regarding their soup but instead of a soup base we were given a bag full of snacks!!!

Another worth mentioning is their washroom, hotpot soup and sauce can leave strong smell so they have creams and even listerine available in all washrooom!

Hope to try mooooore Haidilao branches and continously be amazed with the quality of food and...

My girlfriend and I visited Haidilao Hot Pot for lunch on a Saturday, and overall, it was a good experience with some drawbacks. The restaurant is spacious and well-organized. Upon arrival, you choose your soup base, with options ranging from spicy to non-spicy mushroom broths. The variety is great, but I noticed that the spicier the broth, the saltier it became. I picked one of the spiciest options, and by the end of the meal—especially after eating the meat—I found my mouth overwhelmed with salt, even though I kept drinking water. Fortunately, the staff was very attentive and kept refilling my glass, which was much appreciated.

Like most hot pot places, you can customize your dipping sauces, but some people didn’t realize there was a sauce station. Thankfully, there are suggested combinations, which is helpful if you’re unsure where to start. The food quality itself was good—fresh vegetables and good cuts of meat—but the excessive saltiness of the broth made it a bit hard to fully enjoy.

They also offer some small extras like grapes and oranges, which was a nice touch. However, the kimchi was disappointing—too salty and not spicy at all. At the end of the meal, they offer ice cream in a few flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and mango, which was a nice way to finish.

One highlight of the experience was the entertainment. There were two shows: a noodle performance, where a chef stretches and dances with the noodles before serving them, though this costs an additional 10 CAD, and a traditional Chinese dance performance, which was enjoyable and added a unique touch to the meal.

Price-wise, it’s not the most budget-friendly option—our bill for two people came to about 130 CAD with tax and tip. Given the overall experience, I’d say it’s a decent place, but the excessive saltiness left me feeling a bit overwhelmed by the end. Worth trying for the atmosphere and quality ingredients, but I’d recommend choosing a milder broth to avoid the...