Specializing in affordable live seafood ! Premium hot pot in Neihu with live lobsters and abalone

Text and photos byDaKou

The weather is gradually getting cooler—it’s the perfect time for hot pot ! Speaking of which, this time DaKou is taking you to a very special hot pot spot in Taipei’s Neihu area, located on Section 3 of Chenggong Road: “TuanYuan Premium Hot Pot.” What makes it special is that it offers super affordable live seafood, such as wild abalone for just NT$60 each, wild clams for NT$40 each, and Arctic surf clams for NT$30 each—yes, you read that right ! In addition, the store also offers Boston lobsters, live lobsters, large clams, king crabs, and Matsue clams, all still alive and kicking ! Aside from the fresh and affordable seafood, the beef in the restaurant is all Prime grade, and the pork, lamb, and chicken leg meat are also of a certain standard. There’s also the option to enjoy freshly shaken drinks. Such a high-quality hot pot experience simply must be introduced to you !

Located next to Jipabaipanglu and Luku, TuanYuan Premium Hot Pot is situated in the inner section of Neihu District, close to the intersection of Chenggong Road and Luku Road. It’s near two MRT stations, making it very convenient to get to.

Upon arriving here, you’ll first notice that there’s a parking lot—this isn’t a high-end restaurant or one that requires reservations.

Take a closer look inside the seafood tank, and you’ll find Boston lobsters, lobsters, large clams, abalone, wild clams, and Arctic surf clams, all of which are alive and active !

Customers can also choose to dine at the counter if they prefer a more casual experience.

There are also window seats available, so those who want a nice view while dining can also sit there.　

For those looking for an affordable option, you might want to consider this set meal. For just over NT$1,000 per person, you can enjoy a live Boston lobster or green crab (large clam), a beef and pork combo, live seafood, handmade squid paste, side dishes, freshly shaken drinks, and dessert. Add NT$400 to upgrade to a live lobster seafood platter. Currently, the special set meals are also 10% off, making it an incredibly good deal !

If you’re dining with a group, you could also go for the B set meal paired with another seafood set. For four people, the average cost is just over NT$800 per person, and you get to enjoy top-grade seafood and leave feeling super full !

The highlight here is definitely the seafood. For example, Taiwanese wild abalone is just NT$60 each, extra-large wild clams are NT$50, and extra-large Arctic surf clams are NT$40—such prices are truly generous. Not trying them would be a waste ! Some may wonder if they’re not fresh because they’re so cheap. Wrong ! Their seafood is all freshly caught and alive, as the restaurant works with fishing boats in Keelung, allowing them to offer such affordable prices to customers !

The premium options include premium seafood and premium beef. The aim is to let everyone experience the highest quality ingredients.

If you prefer premium beef, you can choose that. All their beef is selected as Prime grade, so beef lovers definitely shouldn’t miss out ! Here, DaKou recommends going for the set meal, which includes a vegetable plate, natural fruit enzyme drinks, side dishes, dessert, and a drink (choose any for under NT$50)—quite the good deal !

Those who don’t eat seafood can also choose from beef, pork, or chicken hot pot, all of which look very appetizing.　

By the way, if you’re a fan of salmon sashimi, you must try their fresh salmon slices. These are imported premium salmon from Norway and are of sashimi grade. Using it in hot pot is truly a luxury !

There are also other seafood options, all of which are fresh. The restaurant doesn’t offer frozen seafood, which is quite rare these days.

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First, the chef prepares vegetables, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and enoki mushrooms. Once boiled, they’re not too soft and still have some bite, which is really satisfying.

The enoki mushrooms are also added later, so they remain crunchy and not soggy, maintaining a great texture and taste.

The vegetables here are fresher than those in regular hot pot restaurants. Not only are they colorful, but they also retain a nice crunch.

Looking around, there are no processed meats here, nor any MSG. This makes everyone feel much more at ease while eating.

Another great soup base is the handmade kimchi base, which is also made in-house by the restaurant. It uses natural fermentation without added vinegar, so it doesn’t have that sour or harsh taste. Instead, it has a natural, mild acidity with a touch of sweet aftertaste !

Another very popular soup base is the one made with various Chinese herbs, dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried cuttlefish, and mushrooms. After simmering for a while, it becomes rich and flavorful without being too heavy. The restaurant also offers special sauces like egg yolk sesame sauce and fruit soy sauce, which you can choose based on your preference ! Side dishes include instant noodles, Sanuki udon (an additional NT$30 for the set meal), glass noodles, and we also ordered a chicken egg. Now it’s time to enjoy this delicious hot pot !

Among the meats, we first tried the Prime grade beef bacon. The marbling looks absolutely gorgeous !

The beef bacon has the right amount of fat and lean, along with a good thickness, and a nice chewiness.　

Next, we also tried the beef bacon again—it’s seriously so thick, and it looks super delicious !

The beef slices are also very fresh and red in color. We recommend going for medium-rare to enjoy the juiciness. The meat is sweet and not greasy at all, but rather has a refreshing sweetness ! For the meat, we suggest pairing it with the egg yolk sesame sauce, which adds a hint of sesame aroma, enhancing the flavor quite a bit !

Another great thing is that you can alternate between seafood and meat. We personally really like this method. The meat is tender and juicy, and just melts in your mouth, leaving a very satisfying aftertaste.　

% Our ¥400 set meal included a seafood combo (upgrade to fresh salmon slices for an extra ¥100), and we opted for squid paired with salmon. Let’s just say everyone went crazy for the salmon—our big fan of sashimi even wanted to eat it straight as is. Since it’s Japanese sashimi-grade Norwegian salmon, just a light blanching is enough to enjoy it, though the staff assured us it was fine to eat raw if we preferred. But let’s stay focused—we’re here for hotpot, not Japanese cuisine, so best to cook it properly. Still, since it’s meant for hotpot, the salmon slices were cut thicker, which made them even better after cooking. Just blanch until the outside is cooked but the inside stays rare, and it’s melt-in-your-mouth rich and tender. The signature handmade squid paste in our trio set was also generous, not only in portion size but with generously sized squid pieces too!

% This dish was another highlight, all premium-quality ingredients. The squid was cut into thick chunks, just a few seconds of blanching and it was ready—super chewy and firm with an incredibly fresh flavor.

% How could we not try their wild abalones and clams here? We ordered four wild abalones (¥60 each) and four wild clams (¥40 each) on top, just ¥100 per person—who could resist?!

% Speaking of which, how big are these wild clams? They’re almost the size of a palm—and those weren’t even the biggest. The northern scallops were pretty big too, only slightly smaller than the wild clams!

% Compared to regular clams, you can really see how huge these are. I’d say they’re about ten times the size (laughs)! This one clam almost filled up the whole bowl!

% For these big clams, just open them and blanch for about 10 seconds (adjust time to your taste), and the only word to describe the taste is “fresh”! The ocean flavor bursts in your mouth, sweet and delicious—we all couldn’t stop praising how tasty it was.

% As for the other abalones, they take about two minutes to cook, and the texture is super chewy, with a rich umami flavor. Being freshly caught, they’re truly delicious!

% The squid paste has that soft, chewy texture with lots of layers—you get plenty of actual squid meat, and it’s deliciously fresh.

% Other vegetables were also cooked to perfection with varied timing.

% Another great value combo we chose was the Trio Sea & Land Feast Set B (¥2199, upgrade to Boston lobster seafood platter for ¥100). Of course, we upgraded. It came with a whole Boston lobster, plus northern scallops, shrimp, clams, and snapper slices—absolutely loaded!　

% The sashimi-grade beef was huge, with beautifully marbled fat—we couldn’t wait to try a slice!

% The sashimi-grade beef is made from sirloin, ribeye, and other premium cuts, so one piece gives you three different textures—it’s such a treat.

% The sashimi-grade beef is bright red, meltingly tender and juicy with a bit of bounce—both flavor and texture are simply irresistible.

% Next, we tried another great trio deal. We opted for the Trio Sea & Land Feast Set B (¥2199, upgrade to Boston lobster seafood platter for ¥100), and naturally, we went for the upgrade. In addition to a whole Boston lobster, it included northern scallops, shrimp, clams, and snapper slices—just so much seafood!

% Most of the seafood arrived still alive before cooking, and now they were right in front of us. Most of the seafood was still alive before cooking, and now they were right in front of us. The difference between live and frozen is really noticeable when you eat it!

% The live seafood was incredibly fresh, with vibrant colors, firm textures, and lively appearances—just amazing.

% The clams are best cooked just until they open—then they’re bursting with sweet, juicy briny flavor!

% The clams tasted sweet and fresh, you can really tell they were super fresh!

% The Boston lobster was cut into three generous pieces by the staff, one for each of us—perfect portions!

% The lobster took about seven minutes, then we added butter, garlic, and lemon before digging in.

% The lobster meat was sweet, juicy, and incredibly tender—the flavor was amazing!

% The fish cake was another favorite. We kept the original fish cake shape—it absorbed the broth so well, and the soft, chewy texture was just lovely. Eating the whole thing was such a treat!

% And don’t forget the Prince Noodles—they have to be eaten with the medicinal spicy broth base. The noodles soaked up all the flavors, spicy with a hint of numbness, really satisfying. We also loved the udon—it was soft, smooth, and soaked up the broth perfectly for a bouncy, flavorful bite.

% The premium broth we ordered earlier had been brewing the whole time, and once the noodles were ready, we added more of the premium broth. The aroma was incredible, and it made everything taste even richer.

% Even though we were already so full, we still wanted more. The broth was just too good to stop at!

% Finally, we added some enoki mushrooms. The mushrooms absorbed all the rich seafood essence—so savory and delicious. We were fighting over the last bites!

% To finish, we had drinks: self-shaken Tuan Yuan milk tea, fresh milk tea, and the shop’s homemade plum juice. The milk teas weren’t overly sweet, smooth and creamy without being cloying, while the plum juice was lightly tangy and refreshing, perfect for cutting through the richness.

% Honestly, for what we got—so much fresh Boston lobster, various live seafood, and two types of prime-grade beef—for under ¥50 per person, it’s an incredible deal!

The “Tuan Yuan Premium Hotpot” restaurant has a stylish, high-quality dining environment with spacious, comfy seating. The live seafood is absolutely worth trying—whether it’s Boston lobster, regular lobster, or porgy, or more affordable live abalone, wild clams, and northern scallops—seafood lovers must come here. The meat quality is also top-notch, like the prime-grade beef shoulder, which is tender yet bouncy with a sweet, juicy flavor that everyone loved. The final mixed rice porridge is legendary—if you order Boston lobster or large porgy, the staff will cook it into congee, infused with the essence of the broth and seafood. It’s rich, smooth, and packed with umami. The shop is currently running an anniversary promotion: 15% off all sets, and additional 10% off special deals. Don’t miss out, everyone—go now!

Tuan Yuan Premium Hotpot
Address: No. 164, Section 3, Chenggong Road, Neihu District, Taipei City (between WenDe Station and Neihu Station on the MRT)
Phone: 02-87922392
Business Hours: 11:00–15:00, 17:00–22:00 (Monday to Sunday)
FB Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/t.yuan2014168

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