Haidilao Hot Pot — Restaurant in Jurong East

Made a reservation 1-2 weeks ago prior to our lunch today for 10pax, to our surprise we were given a ‘C’ shape table. It was so squeeze, my chopstick even almost hit my daughter’s face which were seated next to me. Can you just imagine how squeeze is it?

When we tried checking with the staff if they could arrange a bigger table for us, instead of being apologetic for such an embarrassed situation since my guest has arrive, she was trying to downplay the situation by asking if we had a made reservation yesterday.

When I probed her to ask if this is acceptable, she even agreed to the fact that there are 10 people squeezing in a table like it’s the norms (FYI. Booking was made 2 weeks ago, I can totally accept the fact that if we walk in), and even suggested us to open 2 table instead. In my opinion, her service was really such a turn off to the whole meal. If it’s not because of my guest that was with us, I would have walk out of the shop for such a premium hotpot place, with such a poor service.

The manager then came into the picture by trying to inform us that she have tried calling us yesterday but were unable to get through, instead of pursuing further by dropping a message to confirm the reservation like BITP, they just let it go. After our work has ended, we tried returning the call to confirm the reservation but were unable to get through, only after 4th attempts then we managed to get through.

When we confirm the reservation, we were not being informed that there are no VIP room & no suggestions were given to separate into 2 tables instead. Lack of basic courtesy to inform customer.

If you have provided us a notice prior to our visit, we would totally understand as it is PH.

Manager immediately offer a 30% voucher on the spot trying to mediate the situation but to me, it is a basic courtesy to inform customer and yet your staff lacks of customer service training. Please relook into your reservation process to prevent the next angry customer.

It is definitely not my first time patronising IMM branch, in fact when they were one of the pioneer branch, our visit there is always a...

I typically really enjoy all my experiences at HaiDiLao, but this visit was really awful.

Although the restaurant was relatively empty with no more than 10 occupied tables, the staff that was supposed to be serving our table, Xiao Ming, simply left us unattended most of the time.

It was my friend’s birthday and we had requested for a bowl of longevity noodles. Xiao Ming acknowledged and told us that he will order it for us. After about 15 minutes of waiting, we finally got his attention again and asked him to expedite the order. He then said that he had yet to order the noodles and went off again. Eventually, the noodles came around 45 minutes after we had first requested for it and it was mediocre at best.

However, his abysmal service did not stop there. As he essentially neglected serving our table, I had to signal to the kitchen staff to help flip our pot around, request for the birthday fruit platter and more.

I even had to clear the dirty dishes myself because when I requested for him to assist us in clearing the table so that we could take pictures with just the birthday fruit & cake platter, he merely took a couple dishes away and never returned until over 5 mins later with the cake. As such, I got up, opened the staff cabinet and cleared all the dishes and wiped the table myself.

Additionally, the dessert freezer that is typically filled with many ice cream cups or sticks of various flavours had only 3 sticks left and 2 flavours. It took around half an hour for the staff to finally replenish it.

The food was typical haidilao standard, but as an establishment that prides itself in its exceptional service, this subpar experience was highly disappointing, and has tarnished my impression of HaiDiLao. I will not be returning to dine...

A visit to HaiDiLao is always more than just a meal, and our experience at the IMM branch was a perfect example of why they are in a league of their own. While the hot pot itself is excellent, it's the unparalleled service that truly makes it a 5-star experience. ​Let's talk about the food first. The ingredients, from the thinly sliced meats to the vegetables, were impeccably fresh. We chose a couple of their soup bases, and while they are on the pricey side (around $15-$16 each), the rich and flavourful broths are worth it. The real gem is the sauce and appetizer bar. For $4.80 per person, you get access to a massive array of condiments to create your perfect dipping sauce, alongside free-flow appetizers like a wonderful century egg porridge, fruits, and desserts including soft-serve ice cream and silky 豆花 (dou hua). ​However, the highlight of our visit was the service. It was my son's birthday, and the staff truly went above and beyond to make it special. They gathered around our table to sing a birthday song with infectious energy and even performed a small, fun dance for him. It completely made his day and created a memory we'll cherish. Throughout the meal, the waiters were incredibly attentive, refilling our drinks, clearing plates promptly, and always serving with a smile. ​Yes, HaiDiLao is a premium-priced hot pot restaurant. But you're not just paying for ingredients and soup. You're paying for an experience, for staff who genuinely seem to care about making your meal enjoyable, and for a lively atmosphere that's perfect for celebrations. For top-tier service that makes you feel truly pampered, it's worth every penny. Highly...