Yuan’s Hot Pot Richmond — Restaurant in Richmond

Yuan’s Hot Pot Richmond Address: Aberdeen Centre, 4151 Hazelbridge Way #2792, 2F, Richmond, BC V6X 4J7

Yuan’s Hot Pot offers a delightful introduction to traditional Chinese hot pot, with a vast selection of skewers and soup bases that cater to a wide range of tastes. For our meal, we opted for a split pot featuring both a tomato broth and a non-spicy soup base, providing us with an opportunity to experience both flavors.

Food

Tomato and Non-Spicy Soup Base Both soup bases were highly commendable, each offering its own distinct profile. The tomato broth was particularly aromatic, with a rich, savory depth that complemented the fresh ingredients perfectly. The non-spicy broth, while more understated, was delicately seasoned, offering a lighter contrast to the boldness of the tomato option. Both broths provided a flavorful foundation that allowed the ingredients to shine without overwhelming them. Rating: 9/10

Skewers We sampled an array of skewers, including pork intestines, spicy pork skin, black pepper beef, spiced beef (non-spicy), spicy pork tripe, pork kidney, spicy pork tenderloin, beef balls, beef tongue, beef tendon, numbing beef with cilantro, squid tentacles, squid carved sticks, shrimp, cuttlefish, and fish tofu. Each skewer was well-prepared and flavorful, with a good balance of spice and texture across the different options. While the portion sizes were on the smaller side, they were appropriately priced, making the overall experience feel like good value. The quality of the ingredients and variety offered make this a standout part of the meal. Rating: 8/10

Side Dishes We also ordered a variety of side dishes, including a vegetable platter, sliced lamb, sliced beef, and noodle soup with meat sauce. The portions were generous, though the vegetable platter offered limited variety. The noodle soup, however, stood out for its rich, satisfying flavor and was a highlight of the meal. Rating: 8/10

Drink

The cilantro lime tea was a pleasant surprise, offering a refreshing and flavorful complement to the meal. It’s a drink I would highly recommend to anyone dining here. Rating: 9/10

Service

The service at Yuan’s Hot Pot was exceptional. Our server was both knowledgeable and attentive, taking the time to thoroughly explain the menu and offer thoughtful recommendations. She regularly checked in on us to ensure we were enjoying our meal and even suggested we try the house-made sauces. The friendly and helpful demeanor of the entire staff enhanced the overall experience, making the service one of the restaurant’s strongest points.

Rating: 10/10

Ambiance

While the overall ambiance was clean and cozy, the experience was marred by the booth seating arrangement. The booths are connected, meaning that when the guests behind us moved, our seats shifted as well. This became a recurring annoyance throughout the meal and detracted from the comfort. Despite the appealing décor and warm atmosphere, this design flaw in the seating arrangement was a notable downside.

Rating: 5/10

Price

Despite the relatively small portions of the skewers, the pricing is quite reasonable for the quality and variety of the dishes offered. Yuan’s Hot Pot provides a good value, especially considering the rich flavors of the broths and the well-prepared skewers. It’s an affordable option for those seeking a satisfying hot pot experience in Richmond.

Verdict

Yuan’s Hot Pot delivers a solid dining experience, with well-balanced broths, a wide selection of skewers, and top-notch service. The attention to detail, particularly when refilling the broth with the exact type ordered rather than a generic broth or hot water, sets this restaurant apart from its competitors. However, the discomfort of the booth seating detracts from what could otherwise be an EXCEPTIONAL dining experience. Despite this flaw, Yuan’s Hot Pot remains a highly recommended option, and I look forward to returning to explore more...

We went there on their 24th Anniversary. The staff there was absolutely fantastic to us. From the moment we stepped into the door the staff were there to anticipate our needs before we realised we needed them. Upon being seated we were served tea and presented with an iPad along with detailed instructions on how to order with it. The waiter made some suggestions and advised us to place our soup and sauce order first so it could all be delivered to the table fast and the soup could start to heat up.

As soon as we finished ordering the soup another waiter came by and placed the hotpot on the table. He then demonstrated and stated to us that single use soup mix for the spicy soup was being opened and added. This may seem strange to someone who is unfamiliar with Chinese restaurant traditions and customs, but it serves a purpose. This is to show the customer that you are getting fresh food and your soup is not being reused from a previous customer.

No sooner had our soup been mixed than another waiter approached us with our sauce. He had all the veggies and herbs pre-diced in a bowl for each visitor and then again demonstrated that he was opening a single use can of sesame oil to add to the sauce for each of us. Again this is to show that past customers' unused sauces are not being given to you. Each waiter was friendly, professional, and polite, with smiles and care.

We had ordered some liquor, specifically a blueberry soju they had on their menu. The main waiter, who was also the manager, immediately came to ask what temperature we would like our soju served at and had the bottle icing in a carafe within one minute of our ordering. He also brought us aprons to keep our clothes safe from errant splashes of oil and soup.

By this time we were done ordering. We'd ordered a variety of meats, tofu/bean curd, mushrooms, and vegetables. The vegetable platter turned out bigger than expected, and so we had ordered too much vegetables since we had ordered more on top of the platter. The waitress (we had a total of 5 servers tending to our every need as soon as we lifted a finger) recognised that the amount of veggies was unbalanced and recommended that she exchange some with meat. We agreed as it was obvious we'd underestimated the quantity of vegetables. We were not charged extra for our own mistake, even though any restaurant would have the right to do so.

The entire order had arrived run within 5 minutes of ordering, and we started cooking our skewers. Everything was fantastic and we had no complaints about any food of anything. The spiced beef was excellent, the chicken skin was decadent, and duck gizzard was to die for, and the beef tongue was out of this world. The tofus were perfect and the mushrooms and veggies were fresh and delicious. Throughout our meal the waiters were there offering advice and tips, checking on us, bringing things we needed, and just generally being happy and pleasant.

After we were done the manager came to talk to us, asked how we liked things and asked if they could improve in any way. Then as we were packing up our waitress came and gave us 2 coupons for 24 free skewers each at our next visit. All in all it was a fantastic experience. Will...

As a couple, we regularly go out for hotpot to various restaurants in Richmond and Greater Vancouver (think Happy Lamb, Dolar Shop, Big Way, etc.). To date, Yuan's is my and my boyfriend's favourite pick to have a relaxing hotpot meal out, and we return to this store whenever we happen to be in Richmond. I'm not saying Yuan's beats everything else in all aspects (it's not ayce, it's not top notch ingredients or broth flavour) but it is the combination that makes Yuan the best value.

Food: The soup is a broth base, and if you have opted for spicy they mix in a packaged spicy base into it. It's got enough flavour that you don't need dipping sauce, and you also don't feel like you need to drink a gallon of water later in the night. Their specialty is that they sell the food on skewers to be cooked in the hotpot. Plated dishes are also available, but I recommend skewers! There is a decent selection of food, and I have never encountered anything being out of stock or anything that didn't seem fresh.

Service: I feel the service has consistently improved over the years instead of deteriorating, and while you do need to flag down a waiter every now and then, when they come they give you their undivided attention, they're friendly, and they regularly make the rounds to refill your soup stock.

Atmosphere: The restaurant is tucked into a corridor of the mall not readily visible to passersby, which is probably why it's never packed. There are many booths and tables with a comfortable distance between each, some of which have outlets for you to recharge your phones/tablets. It is suitable to have gatherings because the environment is bright, not noisy, and the waiters are not rushing you to finish your business.

Value: It looks like the restaurant doesn't put its promotions on its website. You'll have to look at their social media for its current deals. With the promotions is where the best value comes in, and is what makes this the overall best hotpot place...