Hai Di Lao Taiwan No. 1 Store Officially Opens on the 20th, Staying Open Until 4 AM the Next Day

▲ Hai Di Lao Taiwan No. 1 Store began trial operations on the 14th.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

The well-known mainland hot pot chain Hai Di Lao began trial operations on September 14. During the trial period, only half of the seats—approximately 20 groups of customers (with one-third also available for phone reservations)—were open, and operating hours were limited to two time slots: from 11 AM to 2:30 PM and from 5 PM to 10 PM. A Hai Di Lao staff member stated that reservation slots during the trial period have been fully booked, and only walk-in customers are currently being accepted. Hai Di Lao is set to officially open on September 20, with operating hours from 11 AM to 4 AM the next day, without any breaks.

Hai Di Lao operates on an à la carte basis—you pay for what you order, with no minimum spend and no service charge. There are four types of broth: spicy, mushroom, tomato, and seafood, with large pots priced at NT$480, NT$420, NT$480, and NT$420 respectively, while individual pots cost NT$130, NT$110, NT$130, and NT$110. The most expensive meat is Australian wagyu, at NT$980 per serving, followed by American premium sirloin at NT$650 per serving, top-grade boneless beef short ribs at NT$490, and the cheapest option being pork belly at NT$180.

▲ Seating area inside the store.

Other menu items include seafood (the most expensive being abalone at NT$400), various types of “nine-slides,” mushrooms, vegetables, combo platters, blanched marinated dishes, bean noodles, snacks, as well as signature dishes. Signature items include Lao Pai Thousand-Layer Tripe (NT$270), Sichuan Crispy Pork (NT$190), Duck Intestines (NT$190), Lao Pai Tender Beef Slices (NT$320), and the famous Hand-Pulled Noodles (NT$60). Except for snacks—which cannot be ordered in halves—all other items can be ordered as half portions (indicated as 0.5 on the order form). For full portions, write “1,” for two portions, write “2,” and so on.

As for waiting services, the Taiwan Hai Di Lao branch is not very large—after all, the Taiwan No. 1 Store is only one-fifth the size of a typical mainland location. The on-site waiting area includes only a manicure station, massage chairs, and two waiting sofas. A somewhat unique feature is the supervised children’s area, which includes a small ball pit. Additionally, the Taiwan Hai Di Lao has VIP private rooms, but these are not open during the trial period.


▲ Children’s play area.

Hai Di Lao Hot Pot, Taiwan No. 1 Store
Address: 6F, No. 12, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City
Trial Operation: Starting September 14, 2015, 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, 5:00 PM–10:00 PM
Official Operation: 11:00 AM–4:00 AM the Next Day
Phone: 02-77431855 / 02-77431899

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