Newly Opened Steam Hotpot in Banqiao – Feast on Boston Lobster

Text and Photos /Maji Xiaotu

I previously had an absolutely delightful steam hotpot experience at a place in Donghu that left a deep impression and lingered in my memory. Back then, I exchanged LINE contacts with the handsome store manager and became friends. Recently, he informed me that a new branch called “Steam World Steam Hotpot” has opened in Banqiao and invited me to visit when I had the chance. Upon hearing about this new seafood steam hotpot restaurant, I immediately gathered my Banqiao-based colleague and our foodie group for a taste-testing adventure.

The Banqiao branch of “Steam World Steam Hotpot” is located on Hansheng East Road, right across from Banqiao Stadium. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from Banqiao Station, and there’s also underground parking available at Banqiao Sports Stadium for those driving – very convenient for locals in the Banqiao area.

The décor is quite refined, the space is spacious, and there are large private rooms that can accommodate at least 30 people, making it great for hosting gatherings or meals with colleagues. One of my coworkers even immediately suggested celebrating a birthday here.

Steam World emphasizes serving the freshest possible seafood and high-quality ingredients. Whether it’s lobster, Boston lobster, prawns, mantis shrimp, or female shrimp… you’ll find a wide variety of live seafood here.

In addition to seafood steam hotpot, they also offer refined seafood dishes such as sashimi and barbecue. Moreover, the owner has connections with trusted seafood suppliers, so you might even get to try special deep-sea fish or rare seafood varieties here. Seafood lovers should definitely ask the restaurant staff about the day’s specials.

[Longtailed Bird / Longtailed Grouper] Sashimi / Steamed Three-Way Set (1500 TWD, price subject to availability)

This time, we got to try a very rare deep-sea fish: the [Longtailed Bird (Longtailed Grouper)]. The restaurant prepared it as a three-way dish. Because it was so fresh, half of it was made into sashimi. The texture was refreshing, firm, and delightfully crisp. The moment it was served, it not only amazed us but was quickly devoured. The fish was genuinely delicious.

The second way it was prepared was steamed using our steam hotpot, so the essence also enriched the hotpot broth. The steamed fish was tender yet springy — a completely different and wonderful experience.

For the third preparation, the fish head and bones were added to the hotpot to further enhance the flavor of the broth.

Previously, what impressed me most was how reasonably priced the food was while still being incredibly fresh. For a group of five or six, around 3,000 TWD would leave everyone full and happy.

This time, we ordered the [Four-Person Premium Set (2680 TWD, includes Boston lobster)]. Actually, it’s not strictly limited to four people — you can order the set and add any other seafood you’d like. With six people, you can eat to your heart’s content for around 3,000 TWD.

Why didn’t we order the deluxe set back then??? It actually comes with [Sea Urchin Steamed Egg]!!!

Even later, when we saw the super huge clams and prawns, we really wanted to try them too, but we were just too full and had to give up — guess we’ll have to come back next time.

Those clams were amazingly huge — must try them next time.

The hotpot broth at Steam World is simmered with organic vegetables and fruits, so even before anything is cooked, the broth itself has a naturally sweet and savory taste.

Then, the staff will steam the various ingredients in your set one by one. For safety, there’s also table-side service, so you can just focus on enjoying your meal.

First up was a whole tray of [shrimp rolls and the like], clearly a gout-inducing spread… XDDD

I absolutely love these perfectly steamed squid — so fresh and bouncy. I could eat all of them myself without any problem.

The shrimp, of course, were also top-notch, equally sweet, fresh, and springy. Only truly fresh seafood can hold up to the steaming process.

The foodie group was thoroughly satisfied — especially those living in Banqiao, who finally have a great dining spot close to home.

The [Shellfish Selection] included blood clam, clam, and conch… The types of shellfish offered may vary depending on the daily supply.

The steamed shellfish released a rich, savory juice — juicy and tender to the bite.

A purine-overload hotpot — those with gout, beware!!

The four-person set lets you choose either a [Boston lobster] or a [mantis shrimp]. We went with the Boston lobster. The chef preps it for you, so no worries about complicated eating.

The lobster roe was insanely sweet — though it’s high in cholesterol, sharing a small bite among friends is thoroughly satisfying.

The best part of the Boston lobster is definitely the massive claws — the meat is incredibly flavorful.

Huh? WWWWW

【Steamed Vegetable Platter】I absolutely love this—baby corn, mushrooms, loofah... all my favorite veggies. Steamed to be so refreshing and naturally sweet.

【Mushroom and Squid Puree】—originally the restaurant was supposed to serve mushroom with pork, but that day they served mushroom with squid puree instead. It was so delicious and easy—I’m definitely trying to make it at home someday.

Pfft, during the steaming process, our foodie group’s bro Ge kept saying how fragrant everything was. Your expression is just too funny and adorable—I couldn’t help but post it XDDD

The set meal includes one serving of 【Meatball Puree】, but that day the restaurant served us two servings of 【handmade squid puree】—are they trying to feed a pig? QAQ

The scary part is we finished everything no matter what came out… (Hey!)

The portions were really generous—we couldn’t even finish the vegetable platter, but the soup we cooked was so sweet and tasty.

Had to console myself that eating more vegetables won’t make me gain weight… (covering face)

By the end, the soup turned out so sweet, all natural flavors, not needing any seasonings at all.

We all thought we were full, and then another plate of 【beef】 showed up!!!

The four-person set allows you to choose between 【Snowflake Beef】 or 【Spotted Pork】—both the spotted pork and snowflake beef were super delicious.

The staff briefly soaked the beef in egg mixture before cooking, making the beef incredibly tender and tasty.

Okay, the truly terrifying part was the final mixed congee… sigh.

They used the essence broth from all the seafood, vegetables, and beef from the meal to cook the porridge. The taste was super sweet. For carb lovers like us, how could we resist having a few more bowls…

After finishing the last few bowls of congee, we were all too full to move. We probably needed to go for a walk at the sports field across the street afterward.

Fresh, high-quality seafood ingredients cooked via steam hotpot bring out their most natural, sweet flavors. Although there are more and more steam hotpot places around, I personally don’t like the cheap ones with lots of stacked pots—especially for someone like me with allergies, I’m scared of anything not fresh.

Steam World slowly steams each carefully selected ingredient pot by pot, and savoring them slowly is a really nice experience (though I was too busy to eat everything). The biggest downside is probably that the four-person portion is way too much—you get way too full. Next time we’ll have to gather at least 5–6 friends to help eat it.

If you have any questions, you can also ask the manager of Banqiao Steam World.

Banqiao 【Steam World】 Steam Hotpot Seafood Restaurant
Official Fan Page
Address: No. 9, Lane 193, Hansheng East Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City
(Opposite Banqiao Stadium) MAP
About a 13–15 minute walk from Banqiao Station
Driving: Parking available at Banqiao First Sports Stadium Underground Parking
Phone: 02-8951-9538
Business Hours: 11:30–14:00, 17:00–22:00

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