The beef short ribs plate at Wulao Hotpot (無老鍋) in Taipei runs 1098 NTD (~$34 USD) when it arrives, it takes up the entire table. The platter is enormous, layered with thinly sliced short ribs that fan out in overlapping rows. If you’re looking for meat, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ve been coming to Wulao for years and the reason I keep coming back isn’t just the meat. It’s that the whole meal feels lighter than a typical hotpot. The broths are tofu-based and simmered with Chinese spices rather than loaded with chili oil. Tofu and duck blood are unlimited and included. You leave full but not wrecked. It somehow feels healthier, which is what they market.
The Healthy Hot Pot Broth
There are a couple soup bases: Spicy Wulao Hotpot (NTD 159/person minimum, ~$5 USD), Layered Tofu Hotpot (NTD 159/person minimum), and Creamy Tofu Hotpot (NTD 189/person minimum, ~$6 USD). You can do a twin-side pot for an extra NTD 200 per table if you want two bases going at once. (This is what we usually do)
Layered Tofu Hotpot uses mixing chicken bones, pork bones, onions, green
onions, ginger, and garlic to stir out original flavors of these ingredients while
maintaining essence of the food. Then, it’ s added with herbal flavoring agents to grant the soup with sweet aftertaste effect. All these ingredients make Layered Tofu Hotpot an admiring choice for its unique soup flavor.
I usually go with the spicy. Fair warning: spicy here means peppery and aromatic, not the kind of mala heat that will hurt later. It’s gentle. I actually prefer it this way.
The Layered Tofu broth is the one that gets the most attention, and one of my go-to’s. Silky, almost milk-like in texture, rich from hours of bone simmering. It makes everything you drop into it taste more substantial than it is. Feels healthy too.
What to Order
Beyond the beef short ribs, the soybean roll goes in early, before the broth gets too busy. It picks up the flavor of whatever base you’re using and the texture stays firm. The white water snowflake cooks in seconds. Fried bread sticks go in last, let them absorb the broth for a few seconds before pulling them out.
If you eat lamb, the lamb shoulder plate (~NTD 428, ~$13 USD) is worth it. The Iberico pork shoulder plate is there for pork people. I’ve had the beef short plate (~NTD 538, ~$17 USD) when I’m not getting the short ribs, but the short ribs win.
The assorted fresh vegetables come out in a small basket. Don’t skip them. The tofu is unlimited. The duck blood is unlimited. Both are better here than at most hotpot spots.
If you’re craving just noodles, here’s a recommended noodle spot in YanJi Street.
The Drinks
Here’s the thing almost nobody mentions: the drinks menu at Wulao competes with Taipei’s dedicated tea shops. Most people order water or tea and move on. That’s a miss.
The wintermelon lemon smoothie is the one I always get. It’s cold, clean, and genuinely refreshing in a way that cuts through the heat of the broth. The sweetness is from the wintermelon, which is lighter than syrup-heavy drinks. After a gym session it’s exactly right.
Dessert
The rice cake with noncentrifugal sugar (黑糖麻糬) doesn’t go in the pot. You eat it as-is after the meal. It’s a soft mochi, gently sweet from the black sugar, with that slightly chewy pull that makes you want another piece before you’ve finished the first. I’ve been a little obsessed. It’s a small thing but it’s become the part of the meal I think about most.
Multiple Locations
One thing to note about Wulao is the incredible service. On par with Din Tai Fung. I go to the Xinyi branch when I’m coming from the gym. It’s tucked on the second floor of a quieter mall, smaller than the other branches, and there’s usually no wait even when other places in the area are packed. It’s the right call for a quick solo or two-person meal.
The Zhongshan branch on Section 2 of Zhongshan North Road is the one I’d bring a group to. Private rooms are available, the atmosphere is better, and the space handles multiple large plates without everything feeling cramped. That’s where the beef short ribs presentation really lands.
Both use the same menu. The choice is really about how you’re feeling that day.
📍 Wulao Hotpot 無老鍋 (Zhongshan Branch)
No. 36-1, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei
🕐 Hours: Daily 11:30am – 10:00pm (confirm on Google)
🔗 Reservations: https://www.wulao.com.tw/en/
💰 NTD 159-189/person soup base minimum + a la carte plates
📍 Wulao Hotpot 無老鍋 (Xinyi Branch)
Xinyi District, Taipei (second floor)
🕐 Hours: Daily 11:30am – 10:00pm
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