Imperial Taste — $19.90+ hotpot buffet with 28 ingredients & all-you-can-eat lok lok at Bedok
Nothing speaks of comfort like hotpot. Yes, even in this weather; as much as we Singaporeans complain about the sweltering heat, we just can’t resist a hearty hotpot meal even if it means sweating non-stop.
If you’re on the prowl for your next hotpot haunt to eat to your heart’s content, we have just the spot for you. Introducing Imperial Taste, a cosy eatery in Bedok with a hotpot buffet from just S$19.90+! Many more treats await you in-store, so read on.
Imperial Taste is a family-friendly steamboat buffet concept in the foodie paradise of Simpang Bedok. The restaurant’s front is adorned with a huge banner that beckons with its buffet offerings inscribed in bold alongside enticing visuals of the fare.
Oh, did I mention that it’s air-conditioned, too? Looks like the weather can no longer hold you back from hotpot happiness!
Imperial Taste is co-owned by power couple Cheney Chua and Sarah Tay. This isn’t their first rodeo, though. They are the masterminds behind the popular Peranakan restaurant, Nyonya Taste by Brew and Bar, which is situated just a few doors down.
Being tow kay of Imperial Taste isn’t the only hat Cheney dons; he’s also a professional model! As it turns out, he holds the title of Mr Worldwide Singapore 2023, which he clinched in a pageant last year.
As you can tell from the feature wall prominently displaying his swanky sashes and awards, he prides himself on his modelling accolades as much as he does his fervent love for hotpot.
Now, on to the food. Imperial Taste’s value-for-money steamboat buffet is priced at S$19.90+ and S$28.90+ from Mon to Thu, for lunch and dinner respectively. On the other hand, Fri to Sun lunch and dinner are priced at S$26.90+ and S$37.90+ respectively. Do note that weekend prices apply for Public Holidays and Public Holiday Eves.
With a total of 1.5 hours of dining time, all there’s left to do is go forth and conquer!
You’ll begin with a choice of 2 soup bases from a modest yet delicious range of 5, which includes the likes of Creamy Pork Broth, Milky Bak Kut Teh, Herbal, Tomato and Butter Mala. If you don’t know what to get, Cheney recommends the first two.
To spruce up your hotpot, indulge in as many ingredients as you want from their array of 21 side dishes.
These include carbs like instant noodles, chewy sweet potato noodles and even yee mee, along with fresh vegetables like Chinese cabbage, spinach and mushrooms. I found myself delighting the most in the variety of delectable fish paste products, such as Fuzhou fishballs, lobster balls and the crowd favourite cheese tofu.
What’s hotpot without some fresh meat? There’s a plentiful 7 types of proteins for you to choose from: Beef Shabu, Pork Belly, Pork Collar, Chicken Slice, Dory Fish, Prawns and Shrimp Paste. I appreciated how they were so neatly arranged on each platter.
In particular, I loved the presentation of Shrimp Paste. They’re shaped like little koi fish — perhaps a missed opportunity, but adorable nonetheless.
Before you dig in, don’t forget to create your own dipping sauce at the condiments bar. With a whopping 15 types of sauces, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Mine featured a mix of thick sesame peanut sauce, Teochew chilli, fried garlic and shallots for texture and coriander as the perfect cherry on top.
Hey, I’m no master sauce-mixer, but it tasted pretty good!
After all that’s done, it’s time to feast.
As a soup lover, I started off with a bowlful of each broth of our choice: Milky Bak Kut Teh and Tomato. I absolutely adored the former, which I can only describe as addictive. It was creamy yet light, with a robust umami lent by pork bones balanced out by herbal undertones. I couldn’t help but chug bowls of it on end.
The Tomato broth had a pleasant sweet-savoury profile with discernible hints of tangy tomato. Although I was a little less partial towards it, I do maintain that it was pretty delectable.
My favourite meats were definitely the Pork Belly and Pork Collar. Infused with the essence of the bubbling broth, these thick cuts were flavourful, tender and succulent. Not to mention, they paired wonderfully with my nutty dipping sauce.
Another stand-out was the Dory Fish, which I unfortunately did not get a good shot of. The hefty fish slices were perfectly soft and had a pleasantly sweet brine after they were cooked.
But, wait! Satisfied and stuffed as you may be after hotpot, that’s not all that Imperial Taste has to offer. During Fri to Sun dinners, you can stuff yourself senseless with all-you-can-eat lok lok.
While you’re helping yourself to the side dishes, keep an eye out for ingredients with a pink sticker. All you’ll have to do is pile a bowl with them and clip a wooden peg onto its edge. The kind staff will retrieve your selected ingredients, and soon you’ll have a fresh-fried plate of lightly-battered skewers drizzled with a moreish sweet sauce.
For a sweet finish to your meal, hop on over to the dessert bar. This delightful corner has containers of well-loved nostalgic snacks such as iced gem biscuits, eyeglass chocolate and mini mantous that you can happily munch on if you’re feeling peckish.
And finally, behold the most exciting fixture of the dessert bar — the glorious ice cream counter which features a colourful range of 7 ice cream flavours. My personal favourites were the cotton candy-esque Rainbow flavour, Lemon Sorbet and sweet, milky Vanilla. As a certified sweet tooth, I really did feel like a kid in a candy shop as I helped myself to scoop upon scoop.
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