Tony Leung Approves Of This New Hotpot Restaurant—But Here’s What We Think

The Dolar Shop opens in Singapore with personal hotpot

Hotpot has long been a staple in Singapore, bringing people together over bubbling broths and fresh ingredients. Whether it’s a festive Chinese New Year feast or a late-night supper with friends, this comforting meal is perfect for any occasion. Among the many hotpot restaurants we have around the city, one that has been making waves recently is The Dolar Shop.

Founded in Shanghai in 2004, The Dolar Shop has several branches worldwide, including Seattle, Manhattan, Sydney, and now Singapore. According to the official press release, celebrities such as actors Tony Leung and Simu Liu are huge fans of this hotpot restaurant, which piqued our curiosity even more. We decided to visit and try their offerings to see if they’re really worth the hype. 

Food at The Dolar Shop

My colleague and I went for the Spring Set Menu that’s available from 11:30am to 5pm every day. The set allows us to select one broth flavour and a portion of meat, and it comes with a huge veggie basket, a portion of rice or la mian, and access to the Market Table, which is essentially an extensive condiment and dessert station. FYI: each diner gets a personal hotpot here, so there’s no need to share.

Soup options here include Tomato, Pork, and Spring Water—a clear broth made of spring water and red dates. Prices for the Spring Set Menu vary depending on the meat selection. It costs $19.90++ for the boneless chicken, pork shoulder, and lamb shoulder, and $29.90++ for more expensive options such as beef tongue, flat iron beef, and seafood.

BTW, if you stop by after lunch hours, individual broth prices start from just $9.90++ for the Spring Water broth, and you can top up $4.99++ for access to the Market Table.

We went with the signature bases: the Chef’s Creamy Pork Broth and the Black Truffle Mushroom Broth. The former, made by simmering pork bones for eight hours, is a creamy white broth served with raw pork tribe and chicken slices on the side for an added depth of flavour. 

The broth was extremely fragrant and rich in umami, and we appreciated that the creaminess was not too cloying. Here’s a tip: let the meat simmer in the broth for a good 10 to 15 minutes. This way, your soup becomes more robust and flavour-packed!

Moving on to the Black Truffle Mushroom Broth, this flavour has been on its menu since 2019. Made with free-range chicken meat and a variety of mushrooms such as tea tree and shiitake, this soup takes over three hours to prepare. Taste-wise, the truffle could have been a tad stronger, but we were satisfied nonetheless as the shiitake mushrooms helped to zhng up the flavour of the broth.

For proteins, we opted for the flat iron beef and pork belly. Both the beef and pork came thinly sliced and were neatly arranged for easy handling during cooking.

The tender pork belly had a good meat-to-fat ratio, offering a rich flavour to the broth that earned our nods of approval.

The la mian was just enough for one person. It was a good decision to get the noodles as we were impressed with their springy and chewy texture. 

Besides the hotpot, a key feature of The Dolar Shop is its massive Market Table. Expect a lavish spread featuring over 50 selections of house-made condiments, appetisers, and desserts.

For appetisers, there are kimchi, quail eggs and more. Our favourite was the mala king oyster mushrooms, as each piece was generously coated with a salty-spicy mala sauce.

For condiments, you’ll find must-haves such as soy sauce, chopped garlic, and red chilli to create your favourite dipping sauce.

When you’re done with your meal, you can DIY your bowl here at the dessert station.

The options are endless here, with toppings such as taro balls, osmanthus white jelly, condensed milk, mango, strawberry, brown sugar syrup, and adorable panda marshmallows, among others! 

We loved that the taro balls were well–cooked and chewy. The green jelly was equally delicious, with a subtle green apple flavour that made for a great dessert base. 

If you prefer something healthier, diced dragonfruit, watermelon, and rock melon are available as well.

Since we were already there, we decided to get some a la carte add-ons to try, such as the Salt and Pepper Tofu ($10.99++), which came in two variations. The orange-hued tofu was covered in a spicy-salty seasoning, while its black charcoal counterpart carried a smoky taste. Both variations were deep-fried to achieve a crispy exterior and melt-in-your-mouth soft interior.

For something sweet and savoury, consider the Durian Pancake ($13.99++), which features a prata-like pancake filled with sweet durian. The contrast between the chewy pancake skin and the creamy durian filling was irresistible, and we’ll definitely opt for it again on our next visit!

Ambience at The Dolar Shop

My colleague and I were amazed upon entering The Dolar Shop as the interiors were grand and vibrant, to say the least. The warm lighting, combined with the clean and classy aesthetic, created an inviting atmosphere perfect for dining with your loved ones. Plus, it’s a 200-seater restaurant with ample space between each table, so you don’t have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbour while slurping your la mian.

That’s not all—even the playlist is specially curated to suit the time of day. The song choice gets more upbeat as the day goes on, reaching its peak at 9pm to cater to the supper crowd.

To top it all off, the restaurant is just a five-minute walk from City Hall MRT Station, making it convenient to satisfy your hotpot cravings!

The Dolar Shop – Eatbook review

While The Dolar Shop offers great bang for your buck, we felt the food didn’t deliver that wow factor. But that’s not to say that it isn’t worth a visit; in fact, they’ve successfully created a well-rounded personal hotpot experience with their wide range of food options and thoughtful touches, such as the DIY dessert station and curated music. 

Overall, it’s an experience that blends good food with a great atmosphere, making it a solid choice for hotpot lovers.

For more food at CHIJMES, check out Daily Beer for famous Korean fried chicken and craft beer. Alternatively, if you’re in the area, read out City Hall food guide for $2++ oysters, handmade pasta and more.

Address: 30 Victoria Street, #B1-01/02, CHIJMES, Singapore 187996
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 11:30pm
Website
The Dolar Shop is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Marcus Neo.
This was a media tasting at The Dolar Shop.