Hai Di Lao at 313 Somerset

I'm honestly not a fan of steamboat. Most of the time you end up hot and sweaty and with your hair smelling really gross. Also, when dining out, most steamboat places offer pretty much the same selection and they are usually frozen items that have been thawed like meatballs, crabsticks etc. which are super unhealthy!

Well, now I'm a convert! Okay, that's only if we dine at..Hai Di Lao! Their first outlet is located at Clarke Quay and they have recently opened at 313 Somerset! Hooray :D So much more accessible and in the middle of all the shops.

I've read rave reviews of Hai Di Lao and decided to bring Daddy Li and Kaitlin to try it out. Daddy Li likes steamboat and with such good reviews, I was pretty sure that he would like it and well even before we got to the table he was pretty impressed already!

We got there just before the dinner crowd and though we had to wait for a table..it was only 5-10 minutes which passed by really fast because...

Yes. They have a mini indoor playground just for kids! A padded play area which I think is great for toddlers and a small activity zone with some toys and also a television. It isn't a big area but I think having an area to entertain the kids is pretty awesome already. There's also a staff stationed there which I think is great cos you don't have to worry about safety issues esp if you have older kids whom you are leaving there while you eat. 

Besides an area for the kids, there's also a manicure area for the ladies :D All you have to do is leave down your number and they will contact you when it's your turn. It was quite a pity cos I left my number when we reached and totally forgot about it when we left and it was only after I left that it was my turn so I ended up with no manicure, but a happy tummy!

If you are feeling peckish while waiting, fret not! Hai Di Lao also snacks which you can have while waiting for your turn. They've got tables and seats as well.

We were quite surprised when they told us it was our turn cos we were just getting comfy at the waiting area while Kaitlin was playing.

All orders are taken via the iPad provided at each table. We chose to have the Double Flavour Hot Pot so that we could try out two soups. The quality of the food items are really good and they have a couple of unique items on the menu like their speciality fish and meat balls and ninja noodle.

A staff would come to your table and do a short handmade noodle performance and then drop it into the boiling soup. It makes for pretty good entertainment for kids and adults and in fact, we really like the noodles! Kaitlin liked the noodles so much she finished most of it and wanted more. Daddy Li preferred the beef, and I enjoyed the mussels! The seafood served was fresh and clean which I really liked.

They've got snacks that you can order as well. However, we couldn't eat that much so we didn't get to try those but they looked pretty yummy! They've got xlbs, fried rice and noodles.

There's a self-service area with seasonings, condiments and dessert that you can top up at $4. Lots of options were available and apart from the usual soya sauce, vinegar, spring onions and chives, there was also beef sauce and seafood sauce. For dessert, there was fruits and a warm dessert soup. If that's not enough or doesn't tickle your fancy you can order desserts like mango pudding and ice kachang.

We really enjoyed our dinner at Hai Di Lao. No doubt it is a little more pricey than most other steamboat eateries but you get what you are paying for. The ingredients are of good quality and there's a wide selection to choose from. What's better is the service by the staff. They were very attentive and it wasn't difficult to get their attention when we needed help. Not forgetting the extras - aprons so you won't dirty your clothes, zip lock bags to protect your phones, rubberbands to tie your hair and spectacle cloth for when your glasses get foggy!

Oh yeah! This post is in no way a sponsored post, Hai Di Lao really did impress us with their food and service :)