A lovely space of lanterns and lattices, Tiger Hotpot first roared to life when its founders, Elbert and Sean, were strolling the streets of Shanghai last year and saw hordes of hotpot eateries brimming with enthusiastic patrons. They launched this restaurant in February 2020, offering their own take on steaming-hot flavoured broths and fresh ingredients with a twist or two.
A meal here is a comfortable, customisable affair. Every hotpot on each table is equipped with automated elevation strainer trays that can be activated with the touch of a button, enabling ingredients to be buoyed above the broth for convenient consumption.
Speaking of the soup base, Tiger Hotpot has eight to choose from, of which we tried four.
The lightest is the Bone Soup, cooked for six hours with a balance of pork bone, marrow and meat, brightened with turnips, radish, dates and goji berries for a wholesome-tasting recipe.
The Tomato is terrifically tasty, made with pure tomatoes for a rich, natural tang, not overly sour. The Spicy is mala at its most mouthwatering, a blend of Sichuan peppercorn with dried chillies and cili padi - fiery but not excessively so either, so the ingredient's own flavours won't be overpowered.
Our favourite is the best-seller - the Sichuan Pickled Veggie, pleasurably punchy. Other soup options include Mushroom, as well as daily specials of Sarawak Laksa (available Tuesdays and Wednesdays), Bak Kut Teh (Thursdays and Fridays) and ABC Soup (Saturdays and Sundays).
Prices for the refillable soup clock in at RM28 for a pot of one flavour, RM33.80 for a dual pot of two flavours, and RM38.80 for a quad pot of four flavours.
We appreciate how Tiger Hotpot tries to make many ingredients in its own kitchen to ensure optimum tastes and textures. These include the house-made fish paste, squid paste and prawn paste (RM18 each), blanketed with ebiko for extra crunch - our favourite is the prawn paste, with its juicy, genuine crustacean meat. The squid paste has a lovely fleshiness too, while the tenggiri fish paste is the smoothest of them all. The pastes are all made fresh, without being stored overnight.
Also check out the house-made dumplings, stuffed with a mix of minced pork with chives, as well as handmade noodles that remain firm without turning soggy, even after they've been dunked in the soup for several minutes.
Raw meat all meets the mark too - the premium pick is the Australian signature Angus sliced beef striploin, beautifully succulent (RM30), though if you're on a budget for beef, the regular Australian fresh sliced beef will do too (RM22). You'll also find sliced pork neck (RM18), sliced pork belly (RM20) and sliced Australian lamb (RM22) to satisfy your carnivorous cravings.
There's something for everyone, from bursting meatballs to lobster balls to cheese tofu, plus assortments of mushrooms such as enoki and king oysters, vegetables such as Chinese yam, lotus roots, corn, pumpkin and broccoli, and much, much more - over 60 different ingredients, encouraging multiple visits to explore the selection.
Savour them with sauces and condiments - our best bet is Tiger Hotpot's own special chilli sauce with secret ingredients that pack a rich flavour - and wash them down with a reviving beverage of chrysanthemum and goji berries (RM12 per jar).
Beyond hotpots, the restaurant also offers fast, fuss-free meals in rice sets, such as the ultra-comforting braised pork rice with egg (RM17.90), as well as braised beef rice and braised chicken with potatoes and rice. You'll also find fried fare that make for merry munching, including meatballs, fish cakes, chicken wings and dumplings.
Tiger Hotpot also offers various current promotions:
1. Lunch promo at 30% off for hotpot dine-in.
2. Ten seconds stopwatch challenge for a free meal.
3. Dice game to get a free dish for your birthday.
4. Monthly photograph challenge to win cash vouchers.
4. On Tuesday-Friday evening, 50% off for soup bases.
Tiger Hotpot also offers various current promotions:
1. Lunch promo at 30% off for hotpot dine-in.
2. Ten seconds stopwatch challenge for a free meal.
3. Dice game to get a free dish for your birthday.
4. Monthly photograph challenge to win cash vouchers.
4. On Tuesday-Friday evening, 50% off for soup bases.
Many thanks to Tiger Hotpot for a fun meal.
Tiger Hotpot
30, Jln 19/3, Seksyen 19, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Open Tuesday-Friday, 1130am-230pm, 5pm-10pm; Saturday-Sunday, 5pm-12am. Tel: 03-7491-6678
