Must-try Queued Delicacy for Foodies: Ultra-Taiwanese Style DIY Stone Pot Hotpot

Photos & Text by Scenic Spots Expert Liao Weiren
 
When it’s meal time, the covered walkway outside the store is always bustling with a long queue of diners. This Songjiang DIY Stone Pot Hotpot is touted as a must-eat Taiwanese-style hotpot for food connoisseurs. With its distinctive stone pot broth and fresh ingredients, it tantalizes the taste buds of foodies and is also one of the must-visit hotpot restaurants for many Japanese and Korean independent travelers visiting Taiwan.

Songjiang DIY Stone Pot Hotpot City is located at the intersection of Songjiang Road and Minquan East Road, right across from Xingtian Temple. Meal times here definitely see long lines, with crowds so thick you’ll know which place it is without even looking. But the restaurant has plenty of tables and a fairly quick turnover, so even if you have to wait in line, it won’t be for too long.

Upon entering the restaurant, the chefs warmly greet you and quickly ask how many people are in your party, what kind of meat you want, and what ingredients you’d like stir-fried. The chefs then add basic aromatics like green onions, garlic, and onions, along with the ingredients customers pick themselves. After a short stir-fry, the premium broth is poured in, and instantly, the unique aroma of the stone pot hotpot wafts out, incredibly fragrant.

As the name suggests, this is a DIY hotpot. The restaurant has a main ingredient area stocked with a variety of fresh items for diners to choose from. Prices are clearly displayed on the wall. The most thoughtful touch is that each type of ingredient is separated by a piece of plastic wrap, ensuring high hygiene standards. There's also a wide selection of ingredients—whatever you’re in the mood for, you can just take it, offering great freedom and minimizing waste.

The sauce station is nestled between the ingredient areas, and the variety on offer is surprisingly extensive—more than what this editor expected. After all, it’s increasingly rare to find restaurants that provide such a complete range of sauces. This is definitely a plus. Aside from the basics like green onions, garlic, chili, satay sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar, there’s also cilantro, chili oil, peanut powder, and sugar. It’s essentially the ultimate Taiwanese-style hotpot sauce station of childhood memories—pure nostalgia.