A waiter at the Haidilao hotpot restaurant makes hand-pulled lao mian. [Zou Hong / China Daily]

A bowl full of mixed mushrooms. Fish and meat balls served on slices of cucumber.

The motto at Haidilao is "service first, customers first."

Sixteen years after the hotpot chain first started as a little-known shop in Sichuan province, it still lives up to its service promise. With 12 outlets and another opening in May on the west side of Beijing, hotpot lovers can find Haidilao all around Beijing.

The Hongmiao outlet, on Chaoyang Road between the East Third and Fourth Ring roads, looks unassuming from the outside. It's housed in Huanan Plaza, a stoic office building with a strictly business lobby. But step upstairs and you'll find a restaurant waiting area buzzing with the anticipation of eager diners.

While customers wait to be seated - and there is always a wait, so reservations are advised - smiling, crisply dressed staff tend to their needs. Trays of nibbles (cherry tomatoes, orange slices, shrimp chips) are proffered and drinks constantly refilled. You can even pick up a game of chess while your table is prepared.

When the hostess calls on the lucky ones, she leads them through ambient moody corridors decorated with carved wooden panels. This may be a hotpot restaurant, but it is neither tacky nor loud. Haidilao's interiors are tastefully appointed and, more importantly, impeccably clean.

Once seated, diners receive lavish attention. Hot towels, replenished four to six times, make regular appearances from beginning to end of the meal. (It may not be environmentally friendly, but it's certainly luxurious). Bottomless drinks - choose from herbal tea, lemon water and hot soy milk - are offered at only three yuan per person. The wait staff come by frequently to ask if "big sister" or "big brother" needs anything else.

On to the big question: is the food as good as the service? It certainly is.

The menu boasts 11 soup bases, priced from 28 to 100 yuan, quite of few of which come in spicy ma la or yuan yang splits. There is also an impressive selection of 12 types of handmade minced balls, such as the delectably tender shrimp balls (40 yuan) and the Western-style beef ball (32 yuan), which is beautifully presented as if it were beef tartare. Of course, there is the usual selection of meats - gingerly sliced rolls of Inner Mongolian mutton (25 yuan), no-frills beef (27 yuan), and the fancier marbled variety (78 yuan).

Haidilao also provides plenty of choices to satisfy more adventurous diners - beef tongue (22 yuan), bone marrow (26 yuan), and intestines (22 yuan), among other exotic parts. The "thousand layer" tripe (32 yuan) is a must-try, for the way it is sliced heightens the texture that tripe lovers enjoy. Hand-pulled lao mian (4 yuan) is made right at your table.

The meal is rounded out with a rich selection of condiments and side dishes. For 7 yuan per person, customers can choose from a buffet of 30 sauce ingredients, ranging from the predictable (sesame paste) to the posh (XO sauce). An open bar also provides unlimited sugared garlic, pickles, steamed corn and fresh fruit slices.

The best part about a Haidilao meal? The price. Haidilao's fresh ingredients rival those of more upscale chains, including Ding Ding Xiang, and its service level exceeds that of the latter. Yet, the average meal costs much less. Everything on the menu is available in half portions, making hotpot an affordable indulgence for two.