Considering hygiene, Haidilao no longer processes ingredients for customers, but they can still bring their own.

▲Haidilao allows customers to bring their own ingredients, but will no longer help process, chop, or plate them. (Photo provided by Hai Ba Wei Shi You Ying Ji, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Haidilao Hotpot, known for its over-the-top service, has recently allowed customers to bring their favorite ingredients to enhance their meal—whether food or drinks. However, due to hygiene concerns, Haidilao will no longer process, chop, or wash ingredients brought in by customers before serving them. Customers are still welcome to bring their own ingredients to enjoy at Haidilao.

After Haidilao Taiwan announced that all its outlets would allow customers to bring their favorite ingredients, one netizen bought boneless hot pot beef slices, frozen cooked scallops, a mushroom combo, and baby corn from Costco. Upon entering, the staff treated it as normal and even processed, washed, and plated the ingredients for the customer. Another netizen brought Boston lobster and champagne to dine.


▲Haidilao still allows you to bring ingredients like beef. (Photo provided byHua An and His Minions)

Although bringing your own ingredients should generally be fine, Haidilao is considering hygiene issues and the responsibility that comes with allowing kitchen access to outside food. Therefore, while customers are still welcome to bring their own ingredients, Haidilao restaurants will no longer process them—including chopping, washing, or plating.

Some competitors criticized Haidilao for breaking the “no outside food” industry rule, disrupting market standards, and spoiling customers. However, this service has been common in mainland China for years, though Haidilao Taiwan had not publicly announced it. As for concerns that customers might just eat their own food, Haidilao has faith in Taiwanese customers. Most people come to restaurants to enjoy meals with friends, and it’s unlikely anyone would actually bring whole dishes to a restaurant.

Haidilao continues to expand in Taiwan, with its Zhongxiao Jing Station No. 5 branch already open. The next planned locations are Taoyuan and Kaohsiung. The Taoyuan branch will be located in the Tonlin Department Store in front of Taoyuan Railway Station, with an expected opening in March 2018. With Haidilao now in Taipei, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Taichung, the next step is heading south. The first southern branch will be in Hanshin Dome, though the opening is tentatively scheduled for September 2018. Friends in Kaohsiung may need to wait a bit longer.