Nan Hotpot Albany — Restaurant in Upper Harbour

Great if you have friends to help, already know how it works, or perhaps if you are familiar with Chinese restaurant culture. As a vegetarian I didn't think that I would be able to experience hot pot but I was pleasantly surprised that it was possible and was excited to try hot pot for the first time. We got a half and half pot so that our meat eating friends could have meat on their side and my partner and I could have our veggie side. The food was great. It came out quickly and the portions were generous. The food was fresh and there was a good range of options to choose from. Because there was no waiter or waitress for the table, we just guessed and picked things that we thought might work or soak up the soup. It all tasted delicious and was really filling. We ordered via a QR code on the table and the only interaction with staff is when they drop food off. Because of this, if you need help, want basics like water for your table, or want to ask a question, it's up to you to go looking for someone. Don't expect any service to be provided apart from delivery of food and drinks.

A friend ordered dessert which took about 40 minutes to arrive - lucky she ordered early! It was worth the wait and lived up to the hype. Unfortunately after waiting an hour for my dessert, I asked a member of staff at about 10pm for an idea on how much longer it would take and they told me that the dessert I had ordered had sold out. They just removed it from the bill but didn't apologise that noone had informed us sooner, and didn't offer the option to swap for another dessert that was available. If I hadn't asked, I don't think anyone would have ever let us know that it had sold out. Upon payment, there was additional small charges for using the restaurant sauces which wasn't a problem, but would have been nice to know about before having it added to the bill at the end. Overall, I would recommend the restaurant but I think the problems reflect the huge downside to ordering through a QR code. All of the issues would have been avoided if a waiter or waitress had the time to...

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Nan Hot Pot is the best hot pot in Auckland. The broth is rich and flavorful, with the tomato pot being particularly fresh and the spicy pot having wonderfully fragrant chili. A standout feature is that they add a herbal tea to the spicy broth to balance the spicy flavour, and the tomato base seems to be made from a rich tomato soup, so it never loses its flavor even after extended cooking.

We tried a variety of specialty dishes, and our favorite was the tender beef—extremely tender and fresh. The dragon fruit fish roe shrimp paste was a refreshing mix of fruity and savory, and the beef tripe was exceptionally crispy and fresh.

A special shoutout to their desserts, which are truly superior to similar bubble tea and dessert shops. The portions are generous and the prices are reasonable. We ordered the green grape ice, which was a huge bowl for less than $20. It was the perfect end to a hot pot meal, leaving us feeling completely satisfied. The Panda Stack was also a massive drink that we couldn't even finish.

Our friends couldn't stop eating even after they were full, and we've already planned our next visit. It's been a long time since we've had such a satisfying and delicious hot pot. Keep up the great work, Nan Hot Pot! You're setting a high standard for dining...

Nobody greeted at door or any form of welcome. You had to seat yourself and scan the qr code to order. Atmosphere was ok, staff were busy clearing tables or serving orders but in general the store itself wasn’t busy as this was 9pm on a Sunday. Food came pretty fast but no spoons or water. Food itself was fresh but smaller portions compared to other hotpots i’ve been to. Soup base was the mushroom base and it was very bland. Took 30 minutes for desserts to be served. Desserts didn’t live up to the hype that tiktok made it out to be. Ordered the mango one with ice cream but the mango ice cream squares seemed freezer-burned, no mangoes lol just artificial tasting sugar syrup. Owner or manager (Chinese short hair lady) sat at the counter on her phone no greeting whatsoever. Overall, would be good for a first time to try it out but I wouldn’t go back as there are better places around that taste better with...