Haidilao

Review for our latest visit (Jan 2025); Made last minute dinner plans to celebrate mom's birthday (a few days early) last week. Our original reservation was for 8pm, but we canceled around 7:30pm thinking we would be a bit late. We joined the waiting list instead while on the road and only needed to wait less than 10 minutes after arrival. Was somewhat disappointed to find out that they no longer had our favorite wheat chips虎牙脆/锅巴 crispy crust snacks, but the mint candies (w/ Asian-inspired flavors) by the door were great too. Once seated, we were warmly greeted by our server, Alvin. He was very attentive and friendly throughout dinner. He even suggested a Cantonese rendition/birthday song for my mom when he found out that our family was from the same hometown. Aside from the birthday song (w/ a HDL paper crown & birthday backdrop sign), they also gifted her a Lucky persimmon dessert and a bag of goodies to take home. **You can only use one secret code/phrase per table. We asked for the "golden bricks" and got a plate of (4) fried mantou (steamed buns) with condensed milk-- which was delicious! Overall, we had a great time celebrating my mom and enjoyed the food & unlimited snacks/ mala cold side dishes. The soft serve machine is my personal favorite and definitely the cherry on top! Look forward to coming back soon. The service is always friendly and impeccable :-) Happy New Year!

I made a reservation for 6pm and was thankful they were able to get us seated 30-45 mins earlier than the reservation. When we arrived, we were seated almost immediately and shown how to use the iPad. It was our first time there so we weren't sure what to order. We decided on the combo for a party of 4. It was a lot of food for four people, but definitely a better deal than ordering individual items.We asked the waiter if they took secret codes and were told that they allow one per table. We tried a few and the waiter mentioned items being out so he offered another alternative.It was a neat experience and was cute to see all the happy birthday balloons and activities throughout dinner.

I only went to the Cupertino location for the first time a few months ago, and we had another group dinner at the Fremont one. They do reservations, which is great for a big group on a Friday night! This location was a bit smaller, and we were seated in the indoor patio section. They have the same snacks and sauces as the Cupertino location, and they had entertainment like the dancing noodles but not the face changing performer that night. We had 8 people, and they actually had a square table that could seat all of us, which was really nice for conversation. The last time we had a bigger party at the Cupertino location, we had a long table.For alcohol, we had Sapporo and sparkling sake. We also tried their lychee and lemon vodka drinks, which were big portions. No one seemed to care for their lychee ones, but the lemon vodka was ok - basically lemonade with a hint of vodka.For hot pot food, you order by iPad. We didn't do the dancing noodles or other prepared foods - we just stuck to the regular hotpot stuff. They had the robot servers to bring out food, but our human server was readily available and really nice. Ventilation was pretty good, so we didn't leave smelling like food. As we wrapped up dinner on the patio around 10pm, we realized it was maybe 80% full inside the restaurant. It turns out they're open until 2am and late night hot pot is a thing!

My first time at Haidilao! Had a reservation for 6 pm and was promptly seated. Inside is packed though, and by the time we left there was a huge wait so definitely recommend having a reservation or coming early.Ordered a bunch of things to share with lots of people, standouts include the ribeye, special tofu, and yam noodle. I also really liked the dancing noodle 拉面 performance, but thought the noodles themselves were fair. The soup bases are all delicious, tried the pork, spicy pork, tomato, and water. My favorite was the tomato- so flavorful! The dessert bar at the end is also a highlight, i love the ice jelly bar and Ube ice cream. Service is really 100% here, the servers and staff in general really go above and beyond to help you. At the end they brought out some free gifts- iykyk! Overall was a wonderful time, would definitely recommend!

This is my 5 year-old's absolute favorite place -- and trust me, he doesn't let me forget it. Every time we drive by, he's already plotting our next visit. Not that he eats much here (let's be honest, hotpot isn't exactly 5-year-old cuisine), but with free kids' meals that include chicken nuggets, an adorable rabbit-shaped bao, yakult drink, and a toy, Haidilao has figured out the perfect way to win over both kids and their paying parents. Their family-friendly approach clearly works because I'm here spending way more than I intended while my kid walks out grinning with his new toy, he's thrilled, and I'm already a silver member (yes, they got me).Now let's talk about the real star of the show: the service. Haidilao's customer service is on another level. From the moment you check in on their iPad to the time you leave, it's like you're being pampered at a five-star hotel, not a hotpot restaurant. While you wait, there's an array of snacks, hot tea, and even small toys to keep everyone happy (today, it was a pinwheel toy). Once seated, they offer aprons, phone screen wipe, and an iPad for ordering which is quick and seamless. The soup bases are the heart of the meal, and Haidilao doesn't disappoint. My absolute favorite is the Chongqing Spicy Beef Tallow -- it's a fiery, numbing mala experience that's packed with immense chili flavor. Fair warning, though: it's pretty oily, so if you want a similar but less oily experience, the regular Spicy Beef Tallow is a good alternative (though it's also less spicy, but it does have mala). For something more mellow, the Spicy Pork Bone Broth is an easy winner. It's comforting, clear, and flavorful enough to sip directly, unlike the Chongqing option, which is more about the heat than the broth itself.The food itself is fresh and high quality, with some veggies and meat variety that changes with the season, and the customizable dipping sauces are where you can really tailor the experience. My go-to sauce recipe is inspired by Dooby on YouTube, and it's packed with tangy, bold flavors:- 1 scoop of peanut sauce- 1 scoop of fermented soybeans- 1 scoop of green onions- 1 scoop of cilantro- 1 scoop of minced garlic- 1 scoop of homemade soy sauce- Double the soy sauce with black vinegar (8 teaspoons, roughly)- Finally, add a little spicy soup base directly into the mix.Haidilao is not just a meal -- it's an event. And the fact that they're open until 2 am? Huge win for those of us looking for a late-night spot when everything else closes by 8 or 9. Whether it's a family outing, a date night, or just a craving for exceptional hotpot, Haidilao delivers every time.

The service was good. The noodle performance was flying over my face. The line was long to get the free side dish and soup. The meat was fresh and good.

I've been here twice and will come again.Service was good. Food options were enough for all the picky eaters.Place is tidy. I highly recommend this location. It's on the pricy end suitable for celebrations.

Really the original spicy was the best soup base. Tomatoes base is not bad either. We decided to try four and it was kind expensive. Other than that everything else was great! Service was great!

Can always count on having fun here while paying a good price. We always end up paying 30% tip because the service is so good. There are meals for kids, toys for kids, performances and freebies and the staff is so patient and attentive. Free dessert, free ice cream, nearly free snacks and sauces from the sauce bar. We lot the fresh angus beef and lamp, chuck, napa cabbage, mushroom combo, yam wide noodles kuan fen, fish ball with roe, fish & shrimp combo (our cantonese friends loved it), normal fish balls ....For the soup base we ordered a quad : spicy traditional red chili pepper medium spicy (should have gotten hot), bone broth (our friends loved it), golden mushroom soup (we added mushrooms and meat to it and drank the soup without the oil), tomato soup.It was a really good experience as always and a good price

The service always exceeds here! At times the food and drinks get delayed but the workers hard to correct and make it right. This location has a wide range of snacks and ice cream along with a toppings bar station. This place can get pretty packed - reservations are quite helpful! I see a lot of celebrations and birthdays here as well.