Tai He Lou hot pot is more than just a meal – it’s an experience. Picture a bubbling pot of broth, a table full of fresh ingredients, and the freedom to cook everything just the way you like it. There are times when I resent having to cook my own food, but whether it’s a casual get-together with friends or a long, cosy dinner on a chilly evening, hot pot in Taipei is a must-try that can be just the thing you didn’t know was missing from your life.
With endless varieties, from spicy Sichuan to rich bone broth, there’s one flavour that stands out for its unique balance of sour and umami – pickled cabbage hot pot.
For those unfamiliar, pickled cabbage hot pot takes inspiration from northeastern Chinese cuisine, bringing a delightful tanginess that infuses deep into the tender meats and fresh seafood that balance with sweetness. Hot pot itself has a long history in China, dating back over 1,000 years to the Jin Dynasty or thereabouts, and it likely originated with Mongolian horsemen who used their helmets to simmer broth over open fires – can you imagine? As hot pot spread throughout China, different regions developed their variations, incorporating local ingredients and tastes.
Pickled cabbage hot pot starts with a slow-cooked base, infused with the deep flavours of fermented cabbage, creating a soup that is perfectly balanced between comforting and addictive. The real magic happens when traditional ingredients such as thinly sliced fatty pork, handmade meatballs, and seafood are swirled through the broth, soaking up that signature tang.
Table of Contents
Standing outside, you’ll get a good look at the prep area. While most people come here for the delicious hot pot, they also serve up a whole host of other dishes, too. For those who read Chinese, check out the picture on the left window – 鍋餅. It’s a dessert that I always get when I see it on the menu. Of course, I ordered it, so scroll down for what it is and why I love it so much.
This was pretty exciting for me to see, too. I love pretty much everything made using flour. So when I see them crafting what I guess is a layered scallion pancake, my mouth fills with saliva.
Restaurants serving up pickled cabbage hot pot in Taipei are abundant, but one of the best spots to try is Tai He Lou, an establishment well-loved for their mastered art of pickled cabbage hot pot. Known for its high-quality ingredients and rich broth, this restaurant draws in locals and travellers eager to dive into one of the most flavourful pickled cabbage hot pot in Taipei. Whether you’re a hot pot newbie or a seasoned pro, Tai He Lou offers a meal that’s equal parts tradition and indulgence.
So if you’re on the hunt for the ultimate hot pot in Taipei, don’t skip the pickled cabbage variety. It’s sour, savoury, and packed with flavour – everything a great hot pot should be.
If you aren’t sure how to order or what to do when you arrive at Tai He Lou pickled cabbage hot pot, then this is the post for you. See below for How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
The Menu at Tai He Lou
The menu displayed here is vast and therefore would be far too much to entirely introduce here. The paper menu above also comes with a larger menu book with pictures. You can also access the menu on Google Maps, and Uber Eats. Some of the key takeaways from above are:
- 開胃菜
- These are the appetizers. You should probably get a few if you come hungry and want to eat more than just the hot pot.
- 火鍋
- This is the hot pot area. Look no further than the pickled cabbage hot pot - 東北酸菜白肉鍋 - as that is what this place is very well-known for.
Pickled Cabbage Hot Pot
The pickled cabbage hot pot here comes with the hot pot base served in this classic copper pot, seafood, tofu, meatballs, and also a plate of pork, too. It's abundant, and is only $800!
Once it has all bubbled up for a few minutes nicely, then it's ready to eat. You're pretty much just waiting for the seafood to cook through, as most other bits are already cooked. Of course, exercise caution if you have a sensitive stomach and allow more cooking time if so.
This pork comes with the hot pot and is a classic accompaniment to this hot pot. It's fatty, porky, and wafer-thin. Therefore, it doesn't take very long to cook at all. To eat hot pot like a pro, here are a few do's and dont's:
- Do:
- Let the hot pot bubble before eating.
- Take a sip of the broth after it has boiled.
- Dip the thinly sliced meat into the broth and swish it around until the pink colour has disappeared, then chow down.
- Don't:
- Eat it straight away. It must cook first.
- Throw all the meat in the pot and let it boil up. This is a classic mistake that many make. Don't be that one. If you cook all of the meat at the same time, it will all be ready at the same time and will go cold before you can eat it. Cook it through one piece at a time.
- Finish the whole broth. That's not the point. It's a highly seasoned broth that is aimed to impart flavour, not to suffice as a stand-alone soup.
Perfect cooking on the fatty pork. The fat is chewy, yet silky smooth. The meat-to-fat ratio is spot-on, and it's sufficiently taken on the pickled flavour of this delicious hot pot. As with all hot pot restaurants, this place has its dipping sauce that you can put together, but as the pickled cabbage soup base is already quite a strong flavour, I wouldn't say that you need extra dipping sauce...
Here is the reason for that tangy delicious sour flavour that you're reading this post for - the pickled cabbage. Cut thinly and placed in copious abundance to let bubble away in the hot pot, it's well balanced between salty, sour, and fresh (perhaps leaning more into the salty flavour than others).
These little suckers (see what I did there?) are a welcomed addition to any soup or hot pot. They add a wonderful sweet sea flavour to all broths they are added into. If they are allowed to eject all of the sand before being cooked, they are a fantastic addition. These ones were plump, fresh, and very tasty.
And there is Mr. Crab before he was cooked through. I always find myself torn when it comes to eating crab. I have had some incredible experiences with eating amazing king crab and snow crab, but I find that I struggle to do justice to smaller crabs like this one. I just don't understand how to extract the meat without spending what feels like about an hour cutting, scraping, and chewing on a shell...
I also struggled with this crab, too... Although it was small, I did manage to extract some meat from the claw, and it was very tasty. However, I see the addition of the crab here to add more of a sweet shellfish flavour to the broth, if nothing else.
These handmade meatballs are always welcomed in pickled cabbage hot pot. Less of a thick and chewy meatball, but more a delicate meatball packed full of flavour taken on from the pickled soup base, they are delicious.
I've never had a pickled cabbage hot pot with oysters in it. Let alone oysters of this ridiculous size! Tai He Lou has really excelled with their seafood here. If there's another Taipei seafood hot pot that offers such seafood, then please let me know - I am very interested!
As for the flavour, they are some of the nicest oysters I have ever had. They are plump, fresh, sweet, and full of that oyster flavour that we are looking for when on the hunt for fresh seafood in Taipei. Note to self - oysters in pickled cabbage hot pot are Mega!
Mung Bean Pancake
I've had these pancakes again and again, but never have I had a mung bean-flavoured one. Oftentimes it's a smokey red bean or a sweetened taro filling that is sandwiched into the middle of the pancake and then dipped in sesame seeds before being pan-fried. But here, Mung Bean intrigued me enough to get involved.
I liked it a lot, but it was slightly on the sweeter side. Maybe it's what I needed after a salty and sour pickled cabbage hot pot, but I guess I maybe prefer a red bean offering.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Absolutely. In the colder months, hot pot in Taipei is where it's at. Pickled cabbage hot pot is a winter warmer, and this one by Tai He Lou is a great option.
What is the best dish? The pickled cabbage hot pot is a must-order.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of restaurants serving hot pot in Taipei, but not all of them offer pickled cabbage soup base done this well.