If you haven’t already heard of Spice World Hotpot, maybe the image of Barbie in a dress made of meat, or a little spicy butter sculpture of Hello Kitty or a Teddy Bear would jolt your memories. Making headlines earlier this year, Spice World Hotpot serves up authentic Sichuan flavour that’s equal parts mind-numbingly hot and incredibly mouth-watering.

While some might say the decor of the place might be incredibly over the top, the almost overwhelmingly ornate interior and dishes makes for that perfect touch of extra, regardless of a dinner occasion or just to settle some post-clubbing cravings.

Widely known for their adorable Teddy Bear Spicy Butter (S$9.90) soup base, you get to begin your meal by watching the cute little mascot disintegrate into its own juices. There are only limited mascots available each day, so we’d suggest pre-ordering them when you make your reservations.

Before you get to indulging on the main hot pot, why not consider some of their cooked dishes as well?

Their Deep Fried Pork Slices (S$12.90) was rather flavourful without being dry, as most cooked pork run the risk of doing so. Another satisfying appetiser would also be their Glutinous Rice Cake with Brown Sugar (S$7.90)

 Despite some of us being particularly squeamish towards eating any form of internal organs, we bit the bullet and took a bite of their Pig’s Brain (S$15.90) and to our surprise, it was devoid of any particular foul or weird taste we were expecting, but instead tasted like a creamy version of the soup it was cooked in.

Other innards also include Air Flown Beef Tripe (S$15.90) and Fresh Aorta (S$16.90) — pig arteries, for the uninitiated — all of which are freshly sourced and painstakingly prepared before being air-flown over to best maintain quality and freshness.

What people normally come in for, too, is their Premium Barbie Wagyu Beef (S$38.90) — a Barbie doll wrapped in thin slices of beef akin to Lady Gaga’s meat dress.

Our favourite though definitely had to be their One Meter Mutton Slices (S$28.90), its heady game meat flavour complementing the umami of the broth.

Whether you’d prefer freshly mixed Shrimp Paste (S$18.90) scooped into little balls in front of you, Pork Belly Balls (S$12.90) served on a stairway to heaven, Tiger Prawns (S$14.90) strung up in a bouquet or even Quail Eggs (S$5.90) presented to you in a basket laid upon a labourer’s shoulders, there’s definitely something for everyone.

While it seems rather gimmicky at first, the quality of the ingredients and dishes served makes the presentation just the cherry on top.

If you’re ever in the area, or even if you’re not, we’d definitely recommend making a trip down just for them. After all, Sichuan-style hot pot doesn’t get much more legitimate than this.

Spice World HotPot
River Valley Road
Clarke Quay #01-06/07 3B
Singapore 179021
Sun to Thurs: 10.30am – 4am
Fri to Sun: 10.30am – 6am
Nearest Station: Fort Canning