Is This $35.90++ Hotpot Buffet In Pasir Ris Worth Travelling For? 

HaHaHotpot has an affordable halal buffet in Downtown East

When I first came across HaHaHotpot, they were a delivery-focused service that let customers enjoy hotpot from the comfort of their homes. So when I was tasked to check out their halal buffet, I was pleasantly surprised—not just by their brick-and-mortar concept, but also to find out they now have three outlets at Bugis, Jurong West, and Pasir Ris.

The 100% Muslim-owned restaurant positions itself as a premium halal hotpot buffet spot, with freshly cut meats, market-fresh seafood, a BBQ grill station, cooked mains, and even free-flow ice cream all under one roof. We headed down to HaHaHotpot’s Downtown East outlet on a weekday for their $35.90++ lunch buffet, to find out if it was worth travelling all the way to the other end of Singapore for.

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Food at HaHaHotpot

Before you start loading up your pot, the first decision is your soup base. HaHaHotpot offers seven broths: Authentic Sichuan Mala, Vegetarian Mala, Signature Mushroom, Tomato Soup, HaHa Collagen Soup, Seafood Soup, and Spicy Collagen Soup. We went with the HaHa Collagen Soup and the Authentic Sichuan Mala for a dual-flavour pot.

Being a huge fan of collagen soup, I knew exactly what I was looking for—that velvety richness that comes from hours of simmering bones. The one here was smooth and infused with dates for a natural, subtle sweetness. It leaned a little thin for a collagen broth, and I’d have liked it creamier, but its lightness also allowed for the meat and seafood flavours to come through.

If you want something with more kick, the Authentic Sichuan Mala broth is a must-order. It’s immediately spicy, with a numbing combination of red chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in a rich, not-too-oily base. I appreciated that the soup was numbingly spicy, with a distinctive tingling sensation on the lips and tongue that mala lovers will know well. We were perspiring from start to finish, but thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

On to the meats, and we were spoilt for choice—the selection was impressive for a buffet at this price point, spanning everything from Original Marinated Beef and Mala Beef to Australian Mutton Slices, Chicken Breast Slices, and Smoked Duck Breast.

As someone who loads up on beef at every hotpot, I went back for a few servings of the Short Plate Beef. Since it was thinly sliced, it cooked within seconds in the broth, coming out lean, tender, and not chewy at all. I preferred it in the mala, where the bold, spicy broth complemented the beefy flavour nicely.

The Australian Wagyu MB4/5 Eye Round was another highlight as it was tender with decent marbling that gave it a rich umami flavour. The fat also dissolved beautifully in the hot broth. I loved it in the mala broth, where the heat and spice brought out the flavour of the Wagyu without overwhelming it.

For something milder on the palate, the US Chuck Roll was a good contrast, with fatty bits that melted in the mouth and a mild, well-rounded beefy flavour that paired nicely with the milky collagen broth.

For those who aren’t fans of beef, there are also Lamb Slices, though I found them a tad dry on my visit. That said, they were free of any gamey flavour, which somewhat made up for it.

The seafood spread is also generous: Tiger Prawns, Flower Crabs, Baby Cuttlefish, Squid Flower, Black Mussels, Oyster Meat, and fish slices including Dory, Salmon, Patin and more.

The Baby Cuttlefish was my favourite of the lot. Delightfully springy and fresh with a mild flavour that mostly took on the broth, making them particularly good in the mala, where they soaked up the numbing base beautifully.

There’s also a solid spread of classic hotpot items: Lobster Ball, Fish Roe Ball, Cheese Tofu, Chicken Ngoh Hiang, Fuzhou Fish Ball, and Handmade Chicken Ball. I went all in, but the Swedish Meatballs were what I kept going back for. They featured a chicken and beef blend, with a sweet-savoury flavour and a bouncy texture that held up well in the broth.

There’s also a DIY condiment bar where you can whip up your own sauce from scratch, with options including light soy sauce, Thai dipping sauce, sambal kicap, sesame sauce and more.

The staff specially prepared their Signature Dipping Sauce of chilli, garlic, and coriander for us tableside. As a coriander lover, I was immediately sold. The sauce was garlicky and herbaceous, with a gentle kick from the chilli, complemented by the fresh flavour of coriander, which lifted the meat’s flavour and kept things from feeling jelak.

Beyond the hotpot itself, HaHaHotpot offers a cooked food station to load up on while waiting for the meats to cook. Special mention goes to the Beef Rendang—having had my fair share of good rendang before, I didn’t expect much from this version, but it proved to be a solid rendition. The meat was tender and properly spiced, while the gravy was rich with coconut milk, though we’d have liked the lemongrass flavour to come through more prominently.

My colleague was a fan of the Sambal Stingray, which was soft and not overly fishy, with a punchy sambal that had a good level of heat, though it lacked the char you’d get from a hawker stall.

The BBQ Grill station adds a bit more to the buffet, with Chicken Satay, Mutton Satay, and Beef Satay available by the stick. Both were well-marinated, though the chicken satay came out on top for its sweet marinade that worked well off the grill. The beef satay was unfortunately a little dry and clung to the wooden skewer with each bite, which made it less enjoyable.

Finally, end the meal with a Mingo ice cream cup and choose from four flavours: Chocolate, Mix Berry, Vanilla, and Lime. Drinks are free-flow throughout, with options including soft drinks, along with lemon tea, fruit punch, and lime juice. 

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Ambience at HaHaHotpot

HaHaHotpot sits on Level 2 of Downtown East, and the signage is hard to miss. Inside, the restaurant is spacious and bright, featuring wood-panelled walls and booth seating where individual hotpot stations are built into each table. A semi-open kitchen lets you watch the chefs at work, and if you manage to snag a window seat, you’ll have Wild Wild Wet as your backdrop.

HaHaHotpot is a 10 to 12-minute walk from Pasir Ris MRT Station.

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HaHaHotpot Buffet punches well above its price point for a halal hotpot restaurant. The meat selection, cooked food station, and mala broth are all genuine highlights, and the premium interior makes it feel like a special occasion even on a random weekday. There were some misses, though these were minor quibbles, and if I’m being honest, some of them might just come down to my lack of cooking skills. At $35.90++ per person for a weekday lunch, it’s hard to find a comparable halal buffet in Singapore at this standard.

Swensen’s also has an Unlimited Supper Buffet with free-flow prata and laksa till 2am, making it worth bookmarking for your next late-night craving. For those with a bigger budget, check out our list of best hotel buffets in Singapore.

Address: 02-333 Market Square, 1 Pasir Ris Cl, E! Avenue, 519599
Opening hours: Daily 12pm to 10pm
Tel: 8988 9929
Website
HaHaHotpot is Muslim-owned.

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Photos taken by Nivian Chiang.
This was a media tasting at HaHaHotpot.