// TAIPEI 台北 / TAOYUAN 桃園 / CHIAYI 嘉義 / KAOHSIUNG 高雄 //
god guo 尬鍋
a punchy brand for modern taiwanese hot pot
Hot pot restaurants are aplenty in Taiwan, and come in dozens of varietals, from more Chinese to more Japanese and everything in between. God Guo sits in the Taiwanese category, a contemporary take that pays homage to Taiwanese flavors with chicken broth based hot pot, and the younger brand of the Wangpin restaurant portfolio that has blown up in popularity since its first opening in 2021.
The format is individual pot + protein order with an AYCE vegetable bar and self serve sides, dessert and drinks station. The soup bases range from classic Taiwanese flavors (chicken and mushroom, shacha) to less traditional (three cup chicken, tom yum) and there’s a range of meat and seafood options for the main. Each person selects a main protein (or a vegetarian option) and soup base, and then can add on with noodles or chicken rice (white rice is self serve) and a fried egg (because why not, I guess?).
The vegetable bar is abundant and well attended, with a solid variety of greens, other vegetables, tofu products, mushrooms, fish balls, tempura, pretty much all the hot pot usuals. The sauce bar is pretty standard. And ice cream (the icy soft serve that one can’t seem to escape in Asia) comes in soy milk and peanut flavors (very Taiwanese choices) with toppings like black sugar, mochi and mee teh (a toasted “wheat tea” powder with a nutty flavor). They also have some fun a la carte options like fried mochi (cutely named fried clouds) to round out the meal.
The accessible price point, family friendly format sure to fill up even the hungriest teenager, and Wangpin reputation of quality ingredients makes God Guo a solid choice among many many choices in the hot pot genre.
the details
| Address | 5 locations throughout Taiwan listed here |
| Website | https://www.godguo.com.tw/ |
| @godguohotpot | |
| Hours | 11am to midnight, or to 2am on Friday and Saturdays |
| Price | $$ – prices range from 279-459 NT (~$9-15) depending on the protein you choose, with add ons and side orders that are generally sub 100NT (~$3) |
| Aesthetic | contemporary, loud, bold, with a rooster as its mascot of sorts |
good to know
Go here for: a moderate effort hot pot meal (whenever that craving hits)
Order this: it’s a choose your own adventure kind of place, there’s plenty of unique soup base options (the peeled green chili one offers some light spice while the garlic clam adds stronger depth) but you really can’t go wrong with the classic chicken broth
Amount of time to spend: the dining time is 90 minutes
When to come: if you don’t have a reservation, weekday lunch usually doesn’t have a wait, otherwise opt for mid afternoon or late night weeknights to avoid a wait
Getting here (Taipei):
- Ximen: about a 5 minute walk from Ximen station (blue, green) exit 6
- Nanjing East: less than 5 minute walk from Zhongshan station (red, green) exit 2
Other things to note:
- Reservations are available via OpenTable
- Tourist Friendliness: you can ask for menus with English, Japanese or Korean translations, though for the self serve sections, labels are all in Chinese so you may need to use your best judgment (though if you’re familiar with hot pot fare, everything will be pretty familiar)
Last visited: January 2024
Last updated: April 2024
