Honey
The broth is so so good! šThis place is quite small therefore thereās always a queue outside the shop. You can sit outside the shop but itās quite cold during winter as thereās no heater stand outside there .
Lots of varieties to choose for your own hotpot! They charged according to weight.
I spent $36 for an entire big signature bowl which is more than enough for 2 persons.
Value for money! Staff are efficient and dining area are clean and well maintained. šš»
Tan T
Always liked dragon hot pot, itās never disappointing. Had the mala stir fry with fire hot level and it was absolutely amazing. It also came our with complementary hot soup, was so tasty too. Cold days soup is the best and hot days stir fry is perfect. Would definitely recommend. The best thing about this hot pot is that you can add what you want and how much you want.
Harry McGoldrick
Great hot pot place and we love the system of choosing your ingredients and just paying by weight.
Be careful on your spice order as it can get hot real quick. Delicious broth though and ingredients are decent quality.
Definitely a go to hotpot!
Vivian
The meat was very fatty. Broth was quite spicy even though I got the Mild spicy one. Itās a quick weekday dinner but thatās it.
Adoskimo _
Dragon Hot pot I a very strange environment. Whilst you are seated and you assess and obverse your environment you begin to notice that everybody is eating in a very profound manner. It is not for the faint of heart. Enjoy, fellow hot pot lovers
Chris Ho
The broth was flavoursome and the ingredient selections were plentiful. The location itself was in conveniently located near Chinatown. 8/10
rage quit
Just dropped 2 stars. Paid $35 for takeaway and got a 20% full container of soup. Really disappointing. I think they go heavy on the sichuan pepper even when you choose mild. The ingredients are the freshest I've found compared to the other restaurants in the city including this brand at other locations
Regina Siena (resatriel)
Mind blown! Collagen soup was so amazing. Big portion, generous sauce on the dry mala, crunchy chinese doughnut ( cakue ) was amazing. No wonder itās a hype here.
Nicole Kellam
A wide selection of meats, seafood, fresh veggies, noodles and other ingredients to add to the already flavoursome soup. <br/><br/>All round a really fun, different and unique experience, getting to pick and choose the ingredients that go into your hot pot.
Audrey Limas
Always my go-to whenever I visit Melbourne. The best soup base from all other malatang Iāve tried before, plus thereās a wide range of items to choose from. Price point is slightly more expensive, but itās worth it. They open till late night, but I always go at odd hours to avoid the queue and the crowd.
Peking Duck
Definitely my go to after uni!!
DamoForce Food
Came here with another blogger. Got in before the rush. Great range of ingrdients, flavour is spot on. Couldn;t fault it. Will go back to more of the venues.
Timinmelbourne
This place is awesome. I had dinner here with my partner and the fact that you can create your own hot pot is fantastic. <br/><br/>None of this mo, I don't want thus ingredient or that, or that you have a food allergy for a particular type of food. <br/><br/>You just pick what ingredients you want! Woo hoo! Too easy!!<br/><br/>As you walk into this restaurant there is cold lamb and beef in seperate fridges. <br/><br/>Then there is an open fridge with lots of vegetables, different types of noodles such as yummy glutinous thick rice noodles or egg noodles etc. There is a lot of choices. <br/><br/>Then there is seafood such as fish such as barramundi which was delicious or prawns etc. <br/>There was soo many options to make your own hot pot. <br/><br/>You then get to pick your choice of broth, and we shared the Signature Ma La Tang Fire Hot broth, was delicious tasty which was spicy woo hoo hahaha. <br/><br/>We had a really large bowl to share or you can opt for a small individual bowl.<br/><br/>This place rocks. The food was all so fresh, the ingredients so tasty and the broth, rich, thick and w a great amount of spice.<br/><br/>The minimum you can get is 3.38/100 grams and I believe that the minimum was 400g from memory.<br/><br/>Overall this place is a must visit. It's a great concept and like many other places that I've reviewed, I will go back here.<br/><br/>Thanks to the owners for extending an invitation for me to visit.
Nesscessities_gluttonness
I was pleased with the selection available and I don't bother to expect any more than 'adequate' for staff (ie. Does their job in a timely manner, smiles not mandatory) at these sorts of places, so thus, I enjoyed Dragon hot pot before it multiplied. My partner didn't believe the broth was up to scratch though, so I've not been back. Yet.
Ashlyn Kemper
We were waiting outside to be seated, neither us not the people infront of us were acknowledged at all. Went in to see the wait time but was not even greeter but rudely told to go outside and not even given an estimate. I asked for the wait time and was 15 minutes then a walk in got a seat before us and the people waiting infront of us.
Ann T
Great selection of ingredients to add to your hot pot. Seating was very tight and there wasnāt much privacy. Wait time was average. Pricing is good!
YaYa Chang
Even the fish is raw and the waiter has so bad attitude
Doublefatasians
Have always enjoyed Dragonās food! However, tonight we went in for dinner. There wasnāt crowd and we met a friend and told the waitress that we want 4 seats instead, so we can sit together. One of the female waitress (with very short hair-boy cut) rudely, impolite and unfriendly replied to us. Rather than her helping us to find a table, she angrily and yelled us to find our own table. She rudely left. The food is good but unfortunately staff service is bad.
Daisy
Very convenient way of enjoying hot pot. There is a good variety of ingredients and the soup is tasty. The food is reasonably priced but it can be hard to estimate how much to put in your pot and pay more than you planned. The restaurant is very small so it's best to be decisive when choosing ingredients. It also means squeezing onto small tables with strangers and waiting for a seat most of the time.
@eat.wit.chu
First time visiting, very different feel to what I expected when my friends said let's have hot pot!<br/><br/>LOVED:<br/>šøLove the variety of meat, mushrooms and noodles available<br/>šøTasty bone broth and chilli ones that will appeal to my spicy friends š¶ļøš¶ļø<br/>šøFairly reasonably priced, even though I over ordered, I think I should aim for about $16 of food<br/><br/>TIPS/FEEDBACK<br/>š¹VERY EASY TO OVER ORDER! You will regret everything when it comes out with soup<br/>š¹Don't jump too high in the spice level because it is quite something, and you want to actually enjoy your food<br/>š¹Be quick to get your food because it's like an assembly line and the space is small!
Giang Thai Ngan
Food is acceptable with that affordable price. However, there was nothing really special and makes me want to go back again šššššššššš
Vivien šš
4.5. Expect to always be squished in and seated next to randoms but overall I love this place!! I go often with friends and it is always tasty. Gets a bit pricey if you dont watch how much you put in but with a large group it's great. Meats are just frozen meats, not fresh, but it's still really tasty. I especially LOVE the range of fish balls/ seafood balls available for selection.
YUMLINGS Food Explorers
Ok, trying dragon hot pot pretty much kick launched my obsession with malatang hot pot.<br/><br/>The best thing that dragon hotpot has is the huge variety of toppings that you can have from different kinds of fish balls, meat, greens, seafood, noodles, etc<br/><br/>Pro Tip: get your own individual bowl, and get WHATEVER you want! and be mindful with the weight of whatever you're getting
Rod
Great place for a quick and deliciously tasty soup. Lots of fresh ingredients to choose from and the spicy broth was delicious.
M3lissa____
Rain or shine there is always a que at this hot pot joint. The soup base here is amazing and the ingredients were really fresh. Go mild if you are not a spicy fan as they can get quite spicy
Jenny Choi
Everything is good and the hot pot is incredible! But this place is too busy at lunch and dinner time so I got some uncomfortable experience for sometimes.. Strongly recommended when itās not busy. Avoid lunch and dinner time:)
Vincent Nguyen
This place killed my friend's sister. She is allergic to peanuts, she constantly reminded the waiter for no peanuts and even paid the restaurant to make a new batch of noodles. Yet they did not listen. I don't know if the waiter didn't give a damn about his job that day or if it was just the poor communication between the waiter and chef. She ended up collapsing on the train and did not have her epi pen with her. She is now currently on life support and is brain dead.Ā <br/><br/>I would give this restaurant a zero if there was.
Hinh Ho
A bad place with bad waiters who don't care about their customers. There was recently a girl who had went to this place and died because of a serious allergic reaction after she told the waiter to not include peanuts. What did the waiter do? He told them to put in Peanuts. The girl ended up dying and being brain dead and the restuarunt didn't even do anything but take their money.
Taylor
I guess it is kind of fun picking up your ingredients, but it wasn't cheap as we thought. The soup was not bad, but I didn't feel like eating it again anytime soon.<br/>Also, the little cockroach was running around on the wall and it came onto our table.
Eat Good Melbourne
I was here on a Sunday night with family. Although there was a line outside as usual we only waited about 10 minutes for a table of 5 which I thought was quite reasonable considering it was a larger group. The first thing I noticed was there were less options compared to the Elizabeth street store. Not sure if itās always like this or they were out of stock. I also noticed my mild malatang was considerably less spicy than at Elizabeth st. Normally even a mild is full of spicy oil but this time there was barely any. They also didnāt offer coriander. Overall it was still delicious but I would prefer the Elizabeth street store.
Withaknifeandfork
We loved š<br/>Great selection or hot pot items !<br/>We also loved the different kinds of noodles here - we tend to over order so be careful!<br/><br/>We disliked š<br/>There is always a queue outside. It took us about 20 minutes to get in on a Thursday night but I would imagine it to be longer on the weekend or Fridays.
FoodiePete
Great experience to dine here, the flavour of the hot pot is always on point and the chili soup is unreal and highly recommended! Worth dining here š
A
Love the signature malatang here and how you are able to choose what you would like to eat. Itās quite affordable, and a great meal when the weather is cold. Only downside are the shared tables and the customer service is quite bad.
Whatdoyafeellike
Wow. Really liked dragon hot pot. It's $3.20 per 100g and you can choose anything you like so it's good value especially if you're sharing. We went for the original malatang broth in "hot". We were expecting a medium level of spice but it's quite spicy so go for mild if you're unsure. Very flavoursome broth. We'll definitely be back here.
Ellen T
This is definitely my favourite malatang restaurant here in Melbourne. I thought the flavours are just incredible and I cannot stop myself from going there again and again! <br/><br/>The ingredients are always so fresh and the range of variety is just huge!
Ling Yap
Love it...had lots of seafood, no carbs, mushrooms, bean puffs...at $13.90. The signature malatang mild is more than spicy for me...u can add more chilli later. If u are peanut allergy, make sure u do ask them. Lots to pick...less crowded than the Swanston St outlet.
Kristynguyen77
Food is always good! Price is a bit pricey though! Efficient service! Small place so a bit squashy sometimes! Overall, 4/5! Definitely come back!
ļ¼Ŗļ¼Æļ¼„ļ¼¬ļ¼¬ļ¼„
2,5<br/>THE Hot pot joint.Ā <br/><br/>The place is definitely very small, and wasn't kept very well. There were lines 90% of the time but we were fortunate enough to score a seat at 2am (5 of us). The staffs were not the friendliest and our food took a while. There were no tissues nor cutlery, we had to go ask for them, including the water.<br/><br/>There were quite a lot of ingredients to choose from, though not the most varied. Had the mild and medium spiciness and I felt like the mild was hotter than the medium, though the medium had more mala (tingling) sensation which was really annoying. The ingredients were not cooked equally either, but it was understandable with the variety in the bowl. The soup itself was okay but lacked flavour imo, the one on swanston and elizabeth was surprisingly better, with the right spiciness level too.<br/><br/>Overall, im not sure it was just my luck, but it wasn't a very pleasant experience.<br/><br/>( follow for more!āØ)<br/><br/>ļ½ļ½ļ¼ļ½ļ½ļ½
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Jessica T Nguyen
Its so raved about which is why i was so excited to go, pretty small for how packed it is and also their chilli amounts are inconsistent and is different every time, their mild was like flaming hot for me and i couldnt even eat it at all after one bite or so. I would go again to give it another shot and get bone broth but sometimes id rather go to a different place to eat !! Not bad though :)
Cookielessvee
One of the busiest hot pot chains. The food is constantly being changed as it's quite busy. Build your own hotpot with your own choice of soup base. A nice place to go.
Jie Yee
3.5, to be exact.<br/><br/>Advice: stick to their signature š² <br/><br/>Food: 6/10<br/>Service: 8/10 (busy Saturday night)<br/>Ambience 6/10<br/>Pricing: $<br/><br/>Yes, I am well aware that the Mala (éŗ»č¾£) Spicy broth is their signature, but this time we went for something else ā the Collagen Bone Broth (大éŖØęµę±¤) ā because weāve tried the Mala series before and we were curious. Ingredients were largely fresh except for the tofu puffs (č±č
å) that kind of went sour. A huge bummer because I really like tofu puffs. <br/><br/>The broth was, well, normal. Not too salty and not too bland. Pales (literally!) in comparison with their Mala broth selection.<br/><br/>Nevertheless still decent hot food for this winter weather.<br/><br/>Dragon Hotpot is also on Liven, an app that turns the money that you pay into cash, so you can use āem to pay for your next meal šš² š¤
Madhumathi Krishnan
A great hotpot place where you can choose the ingredients and the soup. Its a go-to place during winters and you never have to wait for long to get a table. <br/>There are 3 flavors of the soup available here and my personal favorite is Ma la tang.
Suhujana
Create a costume hot pot that is going to be right in flavour and wholesome. Ingredients are fresh or frozen and there are three types of soups to choose from.
Melissa Wong
I went here with high expectations after reading the reviews. But the reality is not as good as I expected. The server were rude when we ask for a table of 4 and they made us wait outside when thereās a few waiting chair inside. We waited so long for everything, especially when asking for sauce dippers and sauce for the content. All the hype about the broth to find it just alright, would of given it 3 stars if it didnāt cost me $32 for an average meal.<br/>There was no service in this place, if anyone coming in here expecting any service then itās not the place for you. But if you just want to go and choose what meat and veggies you want and let them cook for you, then go for it.
BaymaxEats
One of my favourites! The queue used to be very long but with more shops open around the CBD now, the queue is well spread. Price is relatively affordable with various selections and a wonderful soup base.
Vivian
One of my favourite meals ! Dragon hotpot has become something familiar , love the variety of hotpot ingredients especially in this store , due to how busy it is the turnover of ingredients is really quick , this fresh
Quynh Le
Cold weather right now in Melb is just calling for this kind of food. I absolutely adore this place. You get to choose what you want in your hotpot. The soup is just so yummy and flavorful. The price is okay not cheap but affordable. Staffs are friendly, offer water while you wait for a table. This place can get quite busy at night but the wait is so worth it!
Caroline
Love love love love this place~~~~ quick and easy place to grab a meal. Not really a place to come in a group because their place is very small. You gotta eat and go straight away~
ćļø The Traveling Foodie
Went for lunch . Got a bowl of mix stuff and was charge $32. Really over price for the meal. <br/><br/>Was told 10 min to get serve.. took 18min ...taste was really average... better options elsewhere ..<br/>
Lily Tang
Nice place itās the same as any other dragon hotpot. Only difference is that this once has wontons which I didnāt end up liking. Wouldnāt come here again just because the city has so many other restaurants
Jophy Ye
Choices are quite enough. This bowl is for two people. We also got drinks. Not over $50. It's a common knowledge that Melbourn's MaLaTang is not spicy enough for us Asian. This soup is a bit close to sweet. All in all it was fine to try again.
Milly Wilson
They serve best in a kind. Been there for lunch during office hours and tried chicken rice bowls and they were delicious. would like to go there again.
Melbourne Foodie
Lined up for dinner in the cold for approx 45 minutes expecting out of the world food as all other reviews have mentioned. However the collagen bone broth was so-so. Selection of food OK.<br/>Restaurant was too small and cramped. Had 5 people lined up trying to grab food at the same time in the small fridges.Ā <br/>Disliked the minimum weight of 400g<br/>Service was good however.<br/>Would return if there was no line, but not worth the wait otherwise.<br/><br/>Food: 2.5/5<br/>Service: 4/5<br/>Ambiance: 3/5
Ellieeee
I'm not usually a fan of Chinese cuisine but this hot pot was so good I had to come back for it š¤¤ went a little crazy with the toppings and ended up being a bit pricey but was worth it
Thydafoodtour
Ohhh boy, this hot pot place need to be at the top of every foodie list. I was blown away by the service they provided. We were given free green tea to keep us warm while we wait for a table. When it started to rain, they hand out umbrellas to stay dry. The food experience was everything. ššš I highly recommended this place. They literally left me speechless and I will definitely go back for more. ššš
KC
Better of the 4 hot pot places we have been. All of them more less have same ingredients on offer, unless you have your favourite that you just have to have. What I liked about here was that they offer 3 different soup bases and I didnāt mind the collagen bone base. <br/>The place is tiny but seems popular, so if you enjoy hot pot, this place might be worth your visit. (Just be aware 400g is the minimum at $3.20/kg)
Ryan Han
A decent place for some Chinese hot pot. Great variety of ingredients including meat, seafood, and veggies that you can mix and match. Once you choose the soup base, the kitchen staff will cook the items you picked together with the soup. I wouldn't say the ingredients are the freshest as some of them are frozen. However, the hot pot tasted delicious and the service was prompt and friendly. Expect 10 to 15 minutes of lining up as the place gets busy during dinner time.
Serena
Food tasted good but for us, not all the ingredients we put in the pot got cooked so we paid more than we actually got :/ hoping itās not a regular thing. other than that, overall experience was good.
Jianne Yong
Itās 7.30, youāre hungry, youāre with your friends so where do you go? DRAGON HOT POT! Iconic for being one of Melbourneās gems and āmust-go-toāsā, they have earned themselves for being one of my very favourites too!<br/><br/>Like a mini buffet, you choose what youād like and it ranges from amazing noodles to different veges and little tidbits youād wanna fill your tummy up with! It truly is amazing for those āI canāt decideā times! <br/><br/>Dragon Hot Pot will remain to be one of my favourite things in the whole of Melbourneās food scene (yes, even overtaking many brunch places) and definitely Iād always wait 30 minutes in line just to fill my pot with their homemade noodles, taro and fishballs!
Linda
Guys I canāt even begin to express my love for this place. Itās my go-to; best comfort food. The waiters are always friendly. Iām just wondering why we canāt bring outside drinks in?
JSJJ
Good variety of ingredients. For $3.20 per 100grams, the price is quite reasonable. Similar to how the other Malatang places work, grab a bowl and pick your own ingredients ranging with different cuts of meat, seafood, veggies, eggs etc etc and then choose your broth - collagen, malatang or hot & sour. Then choose your level of spice. I just went for hot which wasn't too spicy at all. The malatang broth was superb. Seating was a bit cramped but will come back again to try the hot & sour broth.
Pupudding
I have been going dragon Hotpot a few times each week since it has opened and always enjoyed the meal. Today I went back to Russell st store ordered a mild soup base. When the food arrive it was extremely hot compare to every other time. I ask the waitress to help me add some clear soup to dilute the spicness so it is more enjoyable. Waitress/supervisor SHIRLEY T inform me it is not possible unless if I pay extra for the extra soup. I did not feel the charge is reasonable as I explained to her I am a regular customer and today soup is extra spicy. 0 care factor. It is interesting to see the characteristic of staff the restaurant is hiring. If you donāt care about ur customer pls do not look a customer service waitress job. <br/><br/>
Paul In OZ
Food 3/5<br/>Service 3/5<br/>environment 2/5<br/><br/>really small place but more than 20people crowded inside. No too many choices compared with some new hot pot shop. And you feel so thirsty after done which means too much MSG and salt in the soup. Also not too many vegs as well. The price also too high for lunch in CBD.
The City Lane
The number of Chinese hot pot venues in Melbourne has increased significantly in the past two years, and Dragon Hot Pot is one of the city’s favourites. They opened their first store in 2017, and now have five locations, with more on the way.
Melb_Belly
You know a place is good when there is another hot pot place 3 stores up and it's completely dead whilst this one has people queuing out front.<br/><br/>The concept behind this place is that you pick what you would like in your hotpot from the huge variety available. It ranged from frozen sliced meat, frozen seafood, veggies and a plethora of different fish balls. The charge is $3.20 per 100g and a minimum of 400g is required.<br/><br/>There are 2 different soup bases, ma la tang which is spicy and numbing and hot and sour. You can also opt to have a non spicy broth as well. The broths are flavoursome and moreish.<br/><br/>The restaurant is small and cramped, don't be surprised if you have to share your table, but even though it's busy and cramped the service is actually very good (quite surprising for a Chinese restaurant).
Vanessa
The noodle soup here is worth the wait and uncomfortable seating arrangements. As this store is very small, it only houses about 30 diners at a time. <br/><br/>The bonus though is that itās open 24/7 so you can visit any time youāre craving some D-I-Y style noodle soups. Just grab the ingredients you want, choose the level of spice and sit down after youāve paid and been given a table number. (Make sure that staff have pointed out where youāre going to be sitting before you start choosing your food though)<br/><br/>Pricing is based upon weight. $3.20/100g. Minimum of 400g.<br/><br/>Most people share which ends up saving a bit of money. Itās best to fill up one pot with all the ingredients and then ask (once they bring out your food) for extra bowls to eat separately with. Some people also order an extra bowl of rice to eat with the noodle soup.
DT3146
A really fun and delicious dining experience. The broth is excellent and flavoursome, with good spice levels. The best part is how customisable the whole meal is; really can cater to whatever takes your fancy.
Ester
I really enjoyed the food here! Take a bowl and fill it with what you want. One of the best mala broths Iāve had in Melbourne. Though a little heavy on msg, it was flavourful and balanced, nice & creamy from the beef bones, not too spicy like some malatang places. Couldnāt taste any numbing sichuan. I ordered mild and added my own chilli which is on all the tables. <br/>I prefer when they offer optional sides of sesame sauce, spring onions, vinegar & sesame oil, but didnāt really miss it. <br/>More seafood options than most places. Lots of vegetable options. <br/>My friend ended up with extra things in his soup that her never put in his bowl, which was very strange. <br/>Small little place with limited seating. Good for one to 4 people, but all ways full so probably wouldnāt come with a group. <br/>I would definitely come back.
@twogoodtoresist
we absolutely loved our first hot pot experience! With the ability to choose what you put in, the level of spice and whether you want a soup or stir fry, there is something for everyone and a lot of fun to be had! PSA: we didnāt realise how big they are so definitely get some advice or you may end up with a 1.5 kilo stir fry! The good news is they let you take Tupperwareās with you (we left with 5!). The line outside is well worth the wait and seems to move quickly too!
Gece
My top three go to place for spicy stew! They have several branches, and Iāve come to all of them. The one in the city has stir fry option but I always go for the broth one! I can handle hot to dragon hot spiciness, but hot is probably the best.<br/><br/>So, you pick whatever ingredients you want in your stew, put them in a pot, weight it, and pay. Seafood, meat, veggies, everything!! Seafood and meat arenāt that fresh but heck the broth is the key!! My favorite are shrimp, tripe, chrysanthemum leaf and ābanana blossomā (?), itās super good!
Jaci
Ive been here 3 times and each time was amazing! Having the freedom to choose your ingredients and the amount of it makes the dish so personalised and allows more variety. The food arrived quickly and was still hot but not too hot. <br/>The only downside is having to share tables with strangers, especially when you have to squeeze through to get to your seat thats against the wall.
Bella
Perfect post-drink/hangover food. Quite pricey but compared to some hotpots, this is still fairly priced. The level of spicyness isn't too crazy. Comfort food.
Kerli Kerli Kerli
Iāve been here a few times and I have also went to other places for malatang (hot pot), I still find that the soup base here is the best among those that I have tried.. I have tried all the heat ratings including mild, medium & hot.. the one in photos is the hot rating & the spicy ness is still acceptable for me.. I still think that will go for dragon hot pot when I want malatang.. the main downside to the experience is that the restaurant is pretty small and it feels very cramped..
LingT
The first dragon hot pot restaurant that opened up. Really liked the concept of having "hot pot" at an affordable price. Will regularly visit the franchise
Christine Le
My second time having dragon hot pot. The first time I went was at Swanston street and in my opinion, the broth tasted better there. Probably would go again in a couple years time but not anytime soon. They are open 24/hours so a good way to satisfying a late night craving. The restaurant is really packed as well but the wait shouldnāt be that long.
JANEJIS
The food is okay but the staff was horrible. I ordered the food, pay for it and waiting for my food to serve. I waiting for my food for about half an hour. I asked the staff twice why my food is taking too long and she said just wait a moment weāre cooking for you. So I wait wait and wait but the food still not coming. Then I walked to the cashier to tell them I can't wait anymore and I want to get my money back and they found my food is finished but they put to the takeaway section. Then they open the takeaway box, throw in the bowl and serve me!!!!!!! The noodle was sluggish and not look good for eating. So they don't cook the new one for me just offer me a free soft drink! I will never go back again.
Quince And Cheese
Went here on a Liven promotion and waited 30+ minutes in line. There's a good selection of noodles, veg and other interesting extras (soy egg, fried taro, "fibre noodles", rice cake, etc.) But my experience was tainted when I picked out various "tofus" that turned out to be fish cake. I tried to eat around them once I realised, but it still ended up making my whole bowl taste like fish. Also left a greasy film on the roof of my mouth. It's a fine hot pot spot, and relatively cheap, but nowhere near the best.
Elle Lamar
This outlet is the worst, low variety that they don't replenish despite being 24 hours and they stack the pots on top of each other after you've picked your food whilst they wait to be cooked. Gross.
Patty Nguyen
First time I came here it was 4am and I was drunk. Me and my friends always like to grab a quick bite on a night out and one of them suggested we try dragon hot pot out. Iām so glad I tried it! It was delicious. The BEST type of food to end a night on. Soup is spicy but thatās how I like it! I enjoy the fact that you are able to control what you want in your bowl, it gives a wide range of options to choose from! Me and my sisters and friends made a custom bowl to share, price depends on the weight so ours turned out to be about $40 which is okay split between three ppl. Pretty affordable š The only downside is the customer service could improve when communicating with customers waiting outside in the cold, and the wait it takes to get inside is a short while as there arenāt many seats and they are very popular. Nonetheless, the food is worth the wait! Iām going back this weekend for sure.
Cathy
DIY hot pot and stir fry in top form š„ You can't go wrong with their collagen broth soup. Personally, this packs way more flavour than their classic malatang spicy broth.<br/><br/>I got the stir fried option with a "Hot" spice level. The balance is mouthwatering. throw in your favourite herbs and voilĆ š
Anna May
Don't want to remember the time in my life without ma la tang. It's definitely cheaper when you make it at home, but some days you don't have the time to have all the ingredients on hand or bother about cooking time ā Dragon Hot Pot will do a dang good job at satisfying your hunger.<br/><br/>I eat pretty spicy, so I always go Dragon Hot level. Inconsistent in spiciness each visit. Sometimes it's barely spicy, sometimes I tear involuntarily. Either way still so tasty!
Naomi Wu
It sucks that the minimum is 400g because i dont eat that much but the dragon spicy is quite delicious with multiple choices of toppings. It's a good restaurant for visitor
Jasmine
Had to come experience the hype of Dragon Hotpot<br/><br/>Ordered:<br/>š² ~1kg Dragon hotpot (hot): vermicelli noodles, instant noodles, fish balls, tofu skin, fish, wagyu beef, marinated beef, pork, enoki mushroom, fish cake ($40.50)Ā <br/><br/>Review:<br/>It was a lot. A delicious amount of spice that left eyes watery, nose runny while triggering inane laughter from the heat travelling down your throat.<br/>Ā <br/>Loved the selection of things we could throw into our pot, but hated how the ingredients in the malatang were cooked unevenly. The beef became too well done so it became too chewy.<br/>Experience of picking out your food was fun though.<br/><br/>Would recommend it for the novelty, and a great experience to bond with friends as you get to select ingredients together and die together as the spice levels overwhelm you.
Ayapom
First time trying out this place after hearing how good it was for a few months from the misses. The selection was decent the broth was not bad but itās prob not worth the money for what I got. But for spicy hotpot lovers this would be the best place to enjoy hot soup.
Xihuahua š¶
The taste is same as itās new branch but the dining room is soooooo tiny ... and the donāt have as many choice as the new branch. <br/><br/>But except of the space and choice, the food are fresh and the taste is the same~ service is friendly and efficient as well.
Leo
Wanted to try this after seeing a line outside the joint. Today at 12:30 pm there were no line.<br/><br/>When you are inside, it can get confusing - do you take a seat first or pick your food. The steps are pick raw ingredients, weigh and pay for it. Minimum 400g. I picked the hot spicy soup.<br/><br/>Should have picked the most spicy because the soup is not spicy at all in comparison to a hot pot restaurant like David's Hotpot or Dainty Sichuan hotpot. See my reviews.<br/><br/>Overall soup is tasty and the ingredients fresh. I have picked mainly seafood, beef and lamb. Did not pick any carbs. Total cost about $12.80.
Flytonewyork
Enjoyed the food here and its very fun. Its a quick and cheaper alterntive to regular hot pot and the serving sizes are huge! Its so easy to over fill your bowl so try and be on the conservative side if you're not in for a feast. The broth is not bad but not the best, and they charge by weight so I avoid loading up on carbs. Definitely worth a try if you haven't already.
Happyley
The food here is ok but the selection of food is generally all processed food you can buy at Asian supermarkets for a lot less. The spicy soup base is nice but the rest are flavourless or unpleasant. It is a good place to visit if you are hungry and hungover as it is open 24 hours. I won't go when I am sober though.
I'm Batman
Would rate this 4.5/5 if it wasn't for Zomato's inflexible rating system.<br/><br/>Dragon hot pot is a 24 hour joint, basically identical to Chadstone's Ma La kitchen.<br/><br/>Broth was good, toppings were good, can't really complain about noodles (given that you could also get instant noodles over rice and egg noodles), maybe they could expand their greens but that ain't the star. There are a multitude of proteins available.<br/><br/>I'd come back, maybe next time for breakfast.
Hangry Jules
Finally went to this popular yellow bowl hot pot place! There were actually so many people waiting at Russell Street so I went to 251 SWANSTON STREET Dragon Hot pot instead! I think they have everything the same except that there will be no tea for you while you wait at Swanston street šµā <br/><br/>Nonetheless, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! Such a brilliant idea to pick whatever you want and you get so many choices! I must warn though, don't expect mild to be *mild* it will be SPICY (if you don't usually eat sichuan food that is!)šµš¦š¦ <br/><br/>Bear in mind staff works so busy here and they might forget about what you asked from time to time- but try not to be mad about it, we are all friends hereš<br/><br/>Definitely coming back here but probs try glen one instead next time (same price) with my famā¤ļø
MissCat
This is my first time trying this noodle and I like it. We have to choose the ingredients, the spicy level, weigh and pay for the noodles before they cook/ serve to us. The only setback is the restaurant is too small, making it uncomfortable for us to dine in. It is also not kids friendly, family with kids are not recommended to dine in. Unfortunately my partner who has ordered a mild level has been served hot, he didnāt return it as he was too hungry and couldnāt wait anymore. So, after the meal he is sweating like crazy lol. We heard that there is another branch opened at Swanston Street, and there are more selection on the broth, we will go there to try one day!
Emily Gue
This is probably my most visited hot pot place in Melbourne. What I like about dragon hot pot is that you they offer heaps of ingredients for you to choose from. The ingredients are very fresh and they have some interesting options as well. <br/>It is also very reasonably priced at $3.20/100g. <br/><br/>My go-to order is the mild broth (å¾®č¾£) as I canāt handle spice well. The broth is really creamy and flavourful and and you can tell that it has been brewed for hours. <br/><br/>The only downside is probably the waiting time. The queue gets especially long during dinner time as this place is really popular. However the staff do offer you hot tea whilst youāre in line and the service is pretty quick as well.
StepiiGM
Never thought I would ever come by this place, as the thought of some peppercorn numbing your tongue is.. simply unpleasant. But I did! and glad I did :) We picked the noodles and toppings from the counter, get weighed and they will cook according to our chosen spicy level. Minimum order per pan is 400 gr including the pan, but you can always share this with your friends. For me, mild would be the best chose, it still give you the mala flavour without the numbing sensation.
Melbfoodlover
Really really busy place. Maratang is my favourite with mild soup. The price is reasonable. But I feel like different branch have different ways to weigh the pot. I always eat the same amount (same grams) but its cheaper at glen dragon hot pot.
Helen Cheok Pei Hong
The price is reasonable and the spicy level is acceptable..I tried on the fire hot level of spices and didn't feel crazily hot. I shall try the hottest and spiciest level on my next visit.
DuyD
It was fully packed during first couple months when they first opened. Now it gets slower during weekdays so I got a chance to try this spicy and numb kind of soup. I like the make your own idea which is not overwhelming for what you consume.
Fatboi
My pictures will probably look just like everybody elses but with different toppings I guess.<br/> I love dragon pot, and have been many times already since the opening of the store.<br/><br/>I love the buffet style, the choice of toppings, the broth, and especially how much more amazing it tastes whilst being drunk at 2 am at night.Ā <br/><br/>The price I generally pay is: $25 dollars for a full pot for myself and i go home stuffed & happy.<br/><br/>Like all the other reviews, the wait outside is very annoying as the footpath is always filled with people walking past, cold weather, and you can't even make a reservation. Although the staff do bring out the occasional cup of water or tea for people waiting.<br/><br/>The food at Dragon Hotpot is a solid 5 Star for me, I go here almost once a week (I live 30 minutes away from the city, and work fulltime. So I find it hard to have time to go.) Because of the atmosphere, stuffiness, it literally ruins the whole experience.Ā <br/><br/>What I mean by the atmosphere & stuffiness is how small the tables are, you are literally sitting on the same table as everybody else, touching elbows, absolutely no space at all.
Just Your Average Foodie
I have been here numerous times and don't see why I don't come back once in a while. The great thing about this restaurant is you choose what you want to eat and how much you want to eat. If you're super hungry, you just fill up your pot. They cook the food for you and there's a large variety of noodle options so essentially it's like eating noodle soup with whatever meat you wish you eat.Ā The soup is cooked in a mild chicken stock and you can increase the level of spice. However if you're someone who can't eat chilli, just ask for mild and specifically tell them to remove the chilly flakes they add because one time I forgot to mention it and they added some chilly flakes into my mild bowl and it was a bit too spicy for me. However the only downfall is that the restaurant is constantly busy and small so majority of the time you're sitting super close next to random people which is kind of outside my comfort zone.
Mustard
My first malatang and what better spot to go to than Dragon Hot Pot which were one of the establishments to lead the charge (if not the first). You could go all asian and just order all the pricy items as price is determined by weight. I wanted a rounded meal however, carb, protein and veg.<br/><br/>There is only one soup base with varying spice levels, I got mild (weakest) and found it to be just right. It was a pretty tasty broth, salty (did not drink it all), spicy and tingly. There's not much to say about the ingredients other than it was cooked well, it's pretty much what you customise to have in your bowl.<br/><br/>Overall cost for lunch was just under $15. Time to try out all the other places now and compare.
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