Round Pot 围炉花胶鸡火锅 — Restaurant in Richmond

I came here with my bf since I saw this on Instagram and I saw all the good reviews.

We ordered a half and half pot with spicy and fish maw soup base. The fish maw I heard was very good, but it had absolutely no flavor. Waitress told us it’d take a while for it to heat up since there’s a lot of soup. I’m assuming they diluted it? Everything we cooked in that soup base has no flavour. After sitting for an hour and having it boil down only then could you start tasting a hint of the flavor. I even tried just drinking the soup but barely any flavor. The spicy was somewhat spicy but salty like most spicy broth, nothing special. There’s better spicy broths out there. It was very disappointing.

We decided to get the $1.99 meat promotion. The meat was okay, not bad, but haidilaos $1.99 beef plates for summer is still much better.

There’s no sauce bar here, no side dishes, everything is a la carte. Sauces are limited, just soy sauce, some shrimp sauce(?), garlic, green onion and cilantro at your table. I had cooked my noodles in the fish maw and I had the saddest meal of my life since it came out so bland. Probably the worst hotpot experience I’ve had. It was such a sad meal that I thought to myself that eating instant noodles at home was much more flavourful and much more worth it for the price and I’d enjoy my meal much more. At the end I just wanted to stop eating cuz of how bland the food was and how tired I was from eating and the thing is, I love food and get excited but this was not it.

Since I ate here, my bf and I had been having loose stool. Anything we eat we would end up crapping it out. The only common thing we ate together recently was round pot. So I’m guessing it’s that the food we had there was not fresh or properly prepared. I know it’s not from undercooked meat as we ensured the beef were always fully cooked, all the chicken was fully cooked before we added anything else into the pot (we didn’t eat the chicken). It has now been 3 days and our stomachs are still messed up. Sometimes just drinking water would cause us a trip to the washroom which we assume is probably food poisoning at this point.

Service though was decent. We went at 11:30pm, the place was empty except one other table. The staff kindly explained the menu and the promotions, how we can only pick one of the two. The waitress then took the iPad we ordered on away as they were getting ready to close. We were informed if we wanted anything else we can ask for it back or just tell them. However, the waitresses weren’t usually walking around but prepping for closing so sometimes it was difficult to get their attention. I think it’d be a good idea to install buttons at the table to call for service.

I liked the design of the place. Atmosphere would be pretty good but was quite empty when I was there but...

First ROUND…

I noticed this place when I tried the Little Karp restaurant beside it (and I do recommend the Little Karp btw). Decided to give this place a go since I was craving some chicken pot and soup.

This restaurant is located on the east end of the Alexandria restaurant strip. It’s one of the new trendy building with a parking lot at the back. Inside is nicely furnished and decorated with that modern Chinese theme. Everything looks pleasing except for the middle section tables being side by side without any divider.

One of the server provided me an iPad and explained the specials to me in Chinese (what happens if I didn’t know Chinese? lol). Anyways here were the food I ordered;

Signature golden soup fish maw chicken pot. When the pot arrived, the dried fish maw were added and reboil for another 10-15mins. Before moving onto the hot pot’ing, the server served the soup for tasting first. Very tasty and flavourful, could tell it wasn’t one of those fast boiled soup. Nice and rich! However the fish maw needs to be boiled a lot longer. Round pot special rice bowl. It was okay, if the luncheon meat was cut into small pieces it might be better. Sliced AAA angus beef. It was fresh and tender, a couple of dollar more than some places. Fatty angus beef slices. Maybe the slices are thicker than the AAA angus beef because it was somewhat chewy. Grass feed lamb slices. 8pcs for $12? Quality or cost of inflation? Hokkaido scallops. Pretty tasty. Quail eggs, napa cabbage, bamboo fungus, frozen tofu, shrimp balls with salted duck egg, tong ho, bean curbs. All basic hot pot items available at most places.

Overall, the service was okay, I know they were trying but maybe I am spoiled by the services at Haidilao and the Dolar shop. Actually using the iPad to order reminded me of them, I assume a lot of places are doing that nowadays.

The place was clean and new so it gave that comfort and relaxing atmosphere but would be nicer if spacing between tables were better.

I enjoyed the chicken soup, it was rich and tasty, especially from a person like me who seldom drink the hot pot soup. As for the rest of the food, they were okay and pretty basic. I would return for a SECOND ROUND just because of the...

The newly opened RoundPot Chicken Hot Pot is truly an exceptional experience. First and foremost, the quality of their products is impeccable. They specialize in one broth, which is said to be a chicken broth simmered for 6-8 hours and combined with frozen pumpkin puree. When you sip it, it's incredibly comforting and warms you up instantly. It's simply synonymous with deliciousness. Every bite is filled with fresh and unique flavors, making it an absolute feast for the taste buds.

The service is also impressively top-notch. The staff is exceptionally friendly and eager to answer questions. They patiently introduce the menu and offer advice on sauce combinations. They always ensure that our dining experience goes smoothly. Their professionalism and warm service make you feel right at home.

After the meal, they even offer complimentary ice cream, and it's fresh milk ice cream, which is incredibly delicious.

As for the prices, I find them very reasonable, especially considering the quality and quantity of the dishes. You truly get great value for your money.

In summary, the Flower Essence Chicken Hot Pot restaurant not only provides high-quality food but also delivers an unforgettable dining experience. Whether you're dining with family, friends, or colleagues, it's a...