Going To Taichung or Taipei, Taiwan?  In this installment of our Taiwan Travel Guide Series, join us on a sumptuous hotpot in Taichung.

Cheap and Good Hot Pot in Taichung – 18 Single Hotpot (18独享锅)

There are plenty of fantastic street food in Fengjia Night Market, which we will cover in detail in another article, but the little cafes and shops around Fengjia Night Market are also worth a try.

On our first day at Taichung, we came across this shop called 18 Single Hotpot near Fengjia University. What caught our eyes was the price at NT150 (about SGD$6.60) per pot which looked like quite a good deal for a hotpot restaurant.

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Why 18 Single Hotpot?

The shop name is derived from the fact that customers can choose from any of the 18 soup bases in a single personal pot.  This concept is great for those who are concerned about the level of personal hygiene in sharing a pot.

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How to order at 18 Single Hotpot?

Ordering looked quite complex in the beginning when we were presented with a Chinese menu. When we finally managed to figure it out, we find that it is actually quite simple.

The first step is to choose the soup base from the 18 selections available.

There are 4 varieties of classic soup bases, 2 varieties of classic mala, 2 varieties of korean flavors, 5 varieties of milk-based soup, 3 varieties of Asian spicy flavours, and finally, 2 varieties of vegetarian flavours.

Each personal pot already comes with their set ingredients and a choice of white rice or noodles.  However, you also can choose to top up or exchange ingredients at a cost.  The soup base options are listed vertically while the additions are listed horizontally.

Check the options that you want and place the orders at the counter.  Then you are done!

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What to expect at 18 Single Hotpot?

Do expect that all your ingredients are already cooked and served in the pot.  It’s rather like eating from a bowl of hot soup rather than cooking your own ingredients in a boiling pot.

18 Single Original Flavour (原味鍋)

This is the original flavour (原味鍋) which is a little too bland for my liking.  It is however, stuffed to the brim with ingredients that makes for a very full meal. There are slices of pork, prawns, vegetables and a whole lot of other stuff that we couldn’t even finish.

18 Single Herbal Soup Base (癢身藥膳鍋)

This is the herbal soup base pot (癢身藥膳鍋).  It is really aromatic and a much better choice than the original flavour, assuming that you like herbal soups.  It is however, also a little too bland and dilute.  The ingredients looked to be almost the same between the 2 pots.

There is also a range of condiments that you can choose and mix and match yourself.

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Overall, this was a great meal at a great value, although there could still be room for improvement.  If you are looking for something other than street food, do give 18 Singles hotpot a try.

18 Singles Hot Pot
No. 8號, Fengjia Road,
Xitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan 407
http://18single.com.tw/

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We hope you find this article useful in your trip planning.  We love to hear from you.  Please drop us your comments in the comments box below.

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