Haidilao: Fresh, Fun and Friendly Hot Pot Dining

This May I had the pleasure of visiting Haidilao’s Birmingham branch. Away from the new cluster of hot pot places in London, I was a little worried that the experience would be rather “phoned in”, but I was pleased to discover it was anything but. While I’ve grown up with Cantonese hot pot, and had plenty of other regional versions in restaurants as well as home-cooked in Chinese households, I’ve always wanted to try Haidilao, one of the most well-known chains of hotpot restaurants, both in China and now the UK. Being an adventurous eater, and knowing that not everyone will enter with the same open mindedness, I attended with a British friend in tow whose culinary needs are usually met by the stereotypical “Treats Of Beige” School of freezer foods and chips. A very different perspective to my own.

Birmingham’s Haidilao is situated a walk away from the city’s Chinese Quarter, right at the centre of the Bull Ring shopping centre, opposite the cathedral and overlooking the fresh food market. As we walked through the spacious foyer, and past the children’s play area, we were given a go on a spin-the-wheel game at the bar. The showmanship of the place had started immediately. With our winnings (a few crispy snacks), we entered a large, bright and airy dining area – which made a change from the usual crowded, steamy and pungent environments of hot pot restaurants, and were greeted warmly in Chinese by the receptionist, and every member of the waiting staff who passed us. This instantly created a feeling of welcome.

The seating was arranged in four rows of large booths, with wide walkways between, so it never felt like there were intrusive neighbours, or that you’d jostle anyone, if you needed to get up. We settled into our comfy sofa seats, and a specific server was assigned to our table, introducing themselves by name, and presenting us with menu, the large selection of which being visible on a tablet, making it super easy to click through and order. There was a considerable range of hot pot bases, including the laowai fail-safe of a Tomato Soup Base which my friend gladly locked in on. I was relieved to be spared of the forced menu tour (which has often been foisted on me). Perhaps because my server could tell my familiarity with hot pot, but I felt that if I were a newbie, she’d have been more than happy to help me through it. She recommended the herbal Three Delicacies Base, which was pretty spot on for me.

We opted for a selection of standard dishes across the main range, as well as some fresh vegetables and one of the non-hot-pot dishes. Neither of us were very keen on the pork slices marinated in sauce which, whilst the taste was good, had a coagulated texture that made it hard to separate the pieces, or tell when the meat was cooked through. Although I enjoyed the Haidilao-styled beef, and we both thought the sirloin steak strips were excellent. I wanted the smaller shrimps rather than the large prawns on the menu and Stephanie suggested the prawn paste, which she helpfully rolled into balls for me so they could be dropped into the broth in good portions. I was sceptical at first, always preferring lightly flavoured fresh tastes and whole pieces of food in their natural form, but the delicious taste soon dispelled my doubts. The beef balls were crunchy as they should be and satisfyingly large, and the baby squids were a delight.

Some dishes were below my expectations, but I understood the reasoning. Rather than fresh lotus pieces, we had a defrosted portion, but I could tell the challenges of keeping whole lotus fresh when only a small segment might be ordered at a time, and perhaps not again for days. My friend enjoyed her deep-fried mantou, and I loved my fresh pea shoots and tonghao, Chinese vegetables I don’t usually get to have. Hot pot is a tasty but greasy affair, which is why I appreciated the salad and dessert bar at the far end of the restaurant, that dining customers can help themselves to. Dessert sometimes just means fruit to the Chinese, something that westerners might need to get used to, but after a big protein-filled meal cooked in rich broth, pineapple and oranges might be just the thing you need, and honestly, even the brief walk from the table to the buffet felt like a necessity to allow the generous portions to settle.

It’s an old stalwart of reviews to say “it’s a sign of quality when most of the diners at a Chinese restaurant are Chinese or Asian”, but the restaurant seemed to understand that we’ve all got hot pots at home, and have clearly taken great pains to make the Haidilao experience not just about the food. The goals of comfort and convenience were immediately apparent, as well as cleanliness. Not a speck of red soup could be spotted on the cream sofa seats or tables (I personally have to make sure I don’t even wear light-coloured outfits when I go for hot pot!). As soon as we finished ordering, our coats and bags were tucked away into  the big drawers under the seats, meaning we could confidently focus all our attention on the food, and we were offered single-use aprons (which did make it tricky to distinguish between the staff and the customers), and as we both have long hair, complimentary hair ties were provided to help us avoid ending up in the soup! The mains were placed on the table, along with pitchers of water, for those whose chilli tolerance doesn’t match their hubris, while side dishes were neatly stored in tiered shelves to one side of the table, along with boxes of tissues.

Apart from ensuring a comfortable, splash free meal, effort has obviously been put into making the dining environment a fun, friendly and welcoming one to all kinds of customers. For those dining alone, there was an array of large plush toys to serve as your ‘dining companions’, and a row of brightly coloured glass bottles sat for anyone who wanted to have a go at perfume making. Pet owners (it’s a pet friendly dining experience), could dress their furry friends up from a row of tiny outfits, just to make the whole thing even more Instagramable.

The vibe is definitely celebratory, and family-oriented, and in just the length of our meal, we saw at least four kids having their birthdays celebrated by staff dancing and singing along to birthday songs played on mobile speakers. Whilst we did find the dance-beat music across the restaurant a little overwhelming, especially as we tried to converse over the wide tables, I couldn’t help but be impressed with the live hand-pulled noodle-making, carried out at the tables, which I’d usually only see on the streets in the heart of China, but here the long and supple threads of dough are gracefully thrown in the air and spun round by well-trained chefs of many different heritage. In contrast to this display of traditional culinary craftsmanship, trolley-shaped robots with childlike voices delivered our food, adding a cutting-edge feel to the service, while plenty of staff were there to provide the human touch, checking in, and topping up both broth and drinks.

If there were any doubt that Haidilao was trying to channel the theme park mentality, I’ve seen very few restaurants outside Planet Hollywood, that had a gift shop. I left a fluffy white and orange hand bag sewn with the Haidilao logo, a fluffy traditional lion-head purse, some more snacks, and I may have been tempted to pick up some soup base too, if I didn’t have to consider the weight dragging it back home with me.

It’s not a cheap eat, and whilst we did dine to excess and with a celebratory air, trying the best of the dishes, our bill came to about £60 a head, but there are all-you-can-eat offers which start from around £30 (check with the branch when you book).  Still, I highly recommend Haidilao for hotpot lovers and newbies alike, especially if you’re going in a group that can split the cost of a large order. Some British customers may find the hospitality a little overwhelming, but Haidilao sets out to be the good traditional Chinese host, who can only do too much, never too little, bringing you the best they can while also making sure you feel at home. It’s a friendly, comfortable environment, with an excellent range of dishes to suit most palates, but maybe should be saved for that large gathering or special occasion, with guest even slightly on the neurospicy range being reminded to pack their loops, and buckle in for an ambush on all five senses.

 

 

 


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