China’s hot pot chain Haidilao to open in PH

MANILA, Philippines – One of China’s leading and most popular hot pot restaurants, Haidilao, is set to open its first branch in the Philippines in June, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced on Friday, May 27.

Details on the branch’s location and official opening date have not been confirmed yet, but the hot pot chain said that they plan to open more Philippine branches this year.

DTI said that Haidilao’s decision to break ground in the Philippines is to provide a “superior dining experience” of quality food to Filipinos at reasonable prices. They also plan to “fuse the Filipino taste” into the menu and highlight “Filipino core values” in the service.

The Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Hong Kong and Guangzhou worked with Haidilao to expand to the Philippines, which was a plan that began early 2020.

Haidilao opened its first hot pot branch in 1994 at Jianyang, Sichuan, and continued to expand to other provinces and cities in China. Its first international branch opened in Singapore in 2012, and since then, it has branched out to Los Angeles, Seoul, Taiwan, China, Japan, United Kingdom, Thailand, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Macau, and more. The brand now has over 1,000 restaurants globally.

Haidilao is known for its Sichuan-inspired spicy broths and soups using a variety of real Sichuan peppers. The broth is used to cook different vegetables, meats, and seafood. – Steph Arnaldo/Rappler.com