Haidilao HotPot Chicago Inc — Restaurant in Chicago

This review is coming from an amateur hot pot-ist. I was unprepared for Haidilao because frankly, I never had experienced anything quite like it as I am more-so familiar with Japanese and Korean cuisine. Even then, the hot pot I had with that kind of cuisine was so different. I would like to help others navigate this restaurant to prevent them looking like the mess I did. Firstly, the restaurant is BYOB so be prepared to bring some BOOZE. There is a store just across the street just in case. Secondly, although the service was OUTSTANDING, the type of cuisine isn't silverware friendly so better be advanced with your chopstick skills. We had dessert at the end but realized we didn't have anything to eat it with. The sweets were small, think dim sum size, so you could use your chop sticks or fingers. We asked for forks but they were plastic. Goes to show how Asian this place is!!! Needless to say, as a parent, I was absolutely pleased because this place is very kid friendly. Even the most established restaurants in Chicago aren't as kid friendly. The host greeted my toddler first and was extremely polite and professional. The waiting room had various snacks, small bites, and even refreshments. I thought that kind of ambiance goes a long way, and shows that there is a level of thoughtfulness to their guests. Minutes later, the table was ready and we were directed toward the second floor, where the main dining room is located. There was another greeter and he showed us to our table. My son was throwing a bit of a fit, and the greeter gave him a toy and it was just the sweetest gesture. Yes, parents, they give your children TOYS!

In seconds, a server helped my friend and I on how to make orders on a tablet. Be prepared to choose up to 4 broths, red meats, seafood, vegetables, and other specialities. The food comes out fast and they are of great quality. In terms of food, it is no joke that the level of spice is hardcore. If you're a weakling in spice, well you won't be able to handle it. Don't try to impress your date cause you will be sweatin' and DYING. Seriously, I love spicy food, but damn I wasn't prepared for that level of spice. The mushroom broth was what I ended up mostly having as my mouth was numb from the spicy broth. The broths were indeed very well made and super flavorful. The plate given to eat from is tiny so it could get messy. I learned that the idea is to eat a little at time from it. The next time I go, I will definitely try different broths and not order all at once to keep the meats fresh since they do come out fast anyway. In terms of the sauce station, I was a bit confused because there was so many to choose from and there isn't flavor profiles or suggested combinations given so you just have to experiment. Also, people go there like a buffet so get what you can and forget about any sort of line. First come, first serve! The idea is to mix the different garnishes and sauces depending on what you like in one small bowl which is provided below the sauces. Finally, can I just say that performances are spectacular! The dancing noodle man was so entertaining and you could tell he really enjoyed himself as well. He was so smooth! There is another dancer that comes out with traditional music and garments, but I'm pretty sure it is the same guy as the dancing noodle man. It was rather joyous and I highly encourage bringing cash to tip them!

A few other notes to give: the tables are small and a bit too far from the seats; particularly the booths. My son had to stand on the floor with his behind barely touching the seat. Maneuvering him was challenging. It gave me anxiety as I constantly had to move plates around as well. In addition, the togo containers are thin so ask for two. You don’t want a hot pot mess! All in all, food was delicious, hospitality and service was great. But of course the experience and entertainment was especially extraordinary. I can't wait...

Haidilao Hotpot was such an amazing experience. If you are debating making a reservation, you absolutely must make one! I attended the soft opening on Sunday and to say I was beyond impressed would be an understatement. As an American myself, I have not had much experience with many Chinese culinary experiences and I cannot wait to come back for my birthday! As soon as I stepped through the door, I was delightfully invited and this restaurant far exceeded any dining experience I have ever had. Since I dined here during the COVID-19 pandemic, extra safety measures were taken place. My temperature was taken twice at the entrance and hand sanitizer and towelettes were also available. The staff showed me and my guest to the elevator and as we walked through the restaurant, the atmosphere was dazzling. Our waiter, Liam, quickly showed us to our table and helped us navigate the menu on our private tablet. We ended up trying 4 different soup bases: Classic spicy, spicy, spicy pork, and pork bone broth (Our favorite was the spicy pork!) and they were all fantastically flavored with plenty of spices and vegetables. We ended up trying so many things on the menu since everything looked so delicious and tasty! Our favorites included the Pineapple juice, Lobster balls, fish balls, shrimp paste, cuttlefish paste, Baby Squid, Kobe beef, Napa Cabbage and radish! All of our favorites are a MUST-TRY when you go. I am surprised honestly, that some of the 1 star reviews (which were written before the restaurant was open) supposedly claimed that the food was sub-par. In the photos I took, you can clearly see the flavorful meat, the crisp vegetables, and fresh fish! The food was prepared super fast and we did not even have a chance to explore all of the sauces at one of two of the sauce bars before the food was delivered. Our food was delivered via this super cute robot and placed on the table by our waiter. He attended to us very diligently and was very knowledgeable about all of the food products. He also showed us various ways to make sauces at the sauce bar, where plastic golves for health and safety were supplied. We were also given food aprons and hair ties so that food would not get onto our clothing and our hair would not get in the way. He demonstrated the technique to cooking the Kobe beef and the meat was absolutely buttery and delicious. The staff was very attentive to our needs in general, and when I dropped my chopsticks, I was swiftly given a new pair. My guest and I enjoyed our hoptot culinary experience over 3 hours and in every minute, we were ensured the best service. We also enjoyed a fantastic display of entertainment including a theatrical performance of dance and the dancing noodle performance. Even during my trip to the toilet, I was impressed by the various amenities provided, such as mouth wash, towelettes, and a gorgeous bathroom all around. Overall, this was such a fantastic experience and I highly recommend making a reservation and attending this...

I never thought I would actually do this. I was so excited that Haidilao opened a new location in Chicago and I told so many of my friends that they would have to try it, not only for the great food, but also for the great service. I had been to Haidilao many times and was definitely amazed by their extraordinary service level. However, here is my experience in this Chicago location last weekend - Each item here deducts one star:

When we made the reservation, we were told CLEARLY that the table would only be kept for 10min so we HAVE TO arrive on time. But when we arrived there at the exact time that we scheduled, we were told that there is no table available and there are several groups of people who arrived earlier than us that need to be served first. We had to wait for another 30min to get a table - EVEN with the reservation - with a strict 10min window;

We ordered everything all at once using the iPad there, and the waiter confirmed that everything was good. However, we did NOT see any meat that we ordered after an hour in. We finished all the vegetables, seafoods, and everything else, then had to wait there with all the empty plates and the pot boiling in front of us… During the hour, the waiter did try a few times to get us the meat but it never worked. After an hour, we all felt disappointed and ready to leave, so we asked the waiter to cancel the meat for us and we were ready to go. Of course after a few minutes that we asked him to cancel, all the meat was served to us - with the wagyu beef looked ok, but the lamb was definitely not in good condition - pictures attached. We didn’t complain too much at the time and ate a few more pieces… Definitely not the experience we were looking for though…

The waiter didn’t seem to understand what Haidilao service was all about. Through the meal, we were in need of - public chopsticks, napkins, drinks, empty plates removed, and so on… Every time it required us to ask the waiter several times to get one thing done, which made the whole experience NOT anywhere enjoyable… Also, when we sit down, the waiter brought us some fruit - For 3 of us, he brought 2 pieces of melon…

The Kleenex box was empty from the beginning, we put the box right at the edge of the table on the server side to remind him to fill it… That box stayed there for the rest of our meal, even when it’s in the way of serving food, the waiter didn’t bother to do anything with it…

Probably will not come back… such a pity, I was sooooo looking...