I have always found the idea of a conveyor belt rather hypnotic. There is something about watching plates of food glide past you that is rather intriguing. At first, it is the curiosity about what is coming next, but after a while, it is about when the stuff you actually want is coming!
So if you like conveyor belts and hotpots and you happen to live in the northern part of our little red dot, you would be glad to know that Joylion Buffet Hotpot 喜狮锅 has opened at Lentor Modern. Lisa and I had actually done a food trail for Lentor Modern before it was even built! We were thrilled to go back to see the complex already up and running.
While Joylion is not the first conveyor belt hotpot concept in Singapore, it is the first one in the heartlands. And they offer a wide variety of ingredients. Over 100 dishes both fresh and cooked, are conveyed past your seat for lunch. They tell us that they have around 130 items which they rotate between the different sessions!
The Concept
If you are familiar with individual-style hotpots, you would be very familiar with the setting. Each diner gets their own individual pot, and you get to choose the soup that you like. The big difference is that instead of having to go to the counter to pick your meats, seafood, and vegetables, you just need to pick them off the conveyor belt.
You do still need to make a trip to the counter for your drinks and sauces though. The belt itself loops around the restaurant, carrying everything from thinly sliced meats to dumplings, vegetables, seafood, cooked food and even desserts.
It is a 79-seater restaurant where most of the seats are for individual diners. They also have booth seats that can accommodate parties of up to four. Each person has his or her own individual hotpot, but the two seated at the sides will be responsible for taking the food off the moving belt.
Pricing and Recharge Program
Pricing is competitive for what you get. Weekday lunch starts from $22.90++. Weekday dinner, weekends and public holidays go up to $32.90++. You get 90 minutes access to unlimited ingredients, sauces, non-alcoholic drinks, fruits, and desserts.
Do note that dinner comes with a wider range of ingredients than lunch. So if you are going purely for the variety, the evening slot is where you will get the most mileage. Soup base is an additional $1.80++.
But if you join their recharge program, it is free*. It is essentially a top-up scheme, where you get bonus credit on top of what you recharge to your account. So if you think you will be a regular, it is worth signing up.
It is available in three tiers:
- Silver Tier: S$300 Top-Up
Receive S$50 in bonus credits and enjoy S$350 in total dining value. - Gold Tier: S$600 Top-Up
Receive S$120 in bonus credits and enjoy S$720 in total dining value. - Diamond Tier: S$900 Top-Up
Receive S$260 in bonus credits and enjoy S$1,160 in total dining value.
*Complimentary soup bases are available only when the recharged membership contains sufficient dining credits to cover the bill in full.
Soup Bases and Our Pick
Joylion offers a choice of seven soup bases including a signature mala butter and a tom yum, alongside options like tomato, mushroom, and a couple of bone broths. We went with the fish maw and chicken soup (Hua Jiao Chicken Soup). We like collagen-rich broth and it is the most versatile soup that would go well with most of the ingredients.
The Spread
Seafood, Frog Legs, Meats and more
Ingredient wise, there’s a good variety, so you should be able to find what you want. There’s a solid choice of seafood, with crabs, XL tiger prawns, fish slices, bamboo clams, scallops and clams all making an appearance on the belt. And and the usual meats, of beef, pork and chicken, round things out.
You wont get any wagyu or iberico pork here. The quality is about what you’d expect at this price point. But the unique offering here is Frog Legs!
They do put out more than one portion of the more popular items like the tiger prawns the sliced meats. So, you don’t have to wait too long for it to appear. Or you can always ask the staff for help.
Cooked Food and Dessert
You will find a variety of cooked food tempting you on the conveyor belt. There’s sushi, fried chicken karaage, fried fish skewers and even durian pizza and durian mille crepe. We much prefer the later.
Sauces
I’m sure you all have your own favourite sauce combination when it comes to hotpot. For me, the sauce bar has all the ingredients I need to whip up my own concoction. That is usually sesame paste, chilli oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, chopped coriander and spring onion, finished off with a spoon of mushroom sauce.
Location and convenience
Located at 1 Lentor Central, Joylion has direct access from Lentor MRT station, which makes it an easy stop whether you’re coming from work or just passing through the area. The restaurant is facing the road, so you will need to walk outside the mall to find it.
Conclusion
This is a good option for those seeking a quick, no fuss hotpot meal, especially if you’re dining alone. The conveyor belt format means you won’t have to get up to the buffet station to get your ingredients, however the main trade off is that you do have to wait for the specific item you want to roll past, so patience helps. The restaurant should appeal to those looking for convenience in a hotpot meal, and who like to engage in a bit of trainspotting!
Disclosure: this post is written in partnership with Joylion Hotpot Buffet. Opinions expressed are those of our own.
