Whenever you go to Jiuzhaigou, everyone will tell you that you must try yak hot pot. At first I planned to just pick any place nearby and eat to get the meal over with, but luckily the hotel owner pointed me to the Jiuzhaigou yak hot pot restaurant below. I went with no big expectations, and even now that I'm back home I still crave it!
Part of the independent Jiuzhaigou travel guide. Yak beef hotpot is dish number 1 on the what to eat in Jiuzhaigou list.
Restaurant name: 聚福源·牦牛肉汤锅(九寨沟店) · Jufuyuan Yak Meat Hot Pot (Jiuzhaigou Branch), a yak hotpot restaurant, Jiuzhaigou branch
Map: Open the restaurant's location on Amap
How to order: by set, priced per person
Price: a set of 168 yuan for 2 people (about 670,000₫, or about 84 yuan/person), dipping sauce included
The hotpot has only fresh yak beef and vegetables
What I like most is that this place doesn't sell a jumble of processed dipping items like other places. The pot comes out with just fresh yak beef and vegetables, so you can fully taste the natural fresh sweetness of the meat. The beef is fragrant and melt-in-your-mouth tender, not tough or gamey at all.
The broth is cooked with lots of kinds of mushrooms (so many unfamiliar ones I don't even know their names), and tastes naturally and lightly sweet. After days of greasy food and tongue-burning chili, sipping a bowl of the broth here felt like my stomach was truly "healing".
The greens grown in the cool highlands are crazy sweet and so addictive to eat.
Ordering and prices at the Jiuzhaigou yak hot pot restaurant
The restaurant serves by set, priced per person. There were 2 of us at my table, and we ordered the set at 168 yuan (about 670,000₫), dipping sauce included.
When it came out, the plate of meat looked small and I worried I wouldn't be full. But underneath it was packed with vegetables, plus a plate of thick noodles like Vietnamese banh canh. After eating I was so stuffed I could hardly breathe, and even trying hard I still couldn't finish the noodles.
Kind and lovable owners
A big extra plus is that the owner couple are super kind and lovable. Every now and then they came out with a warm smile to ask if we liked the food.
How to find it
- The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, with a white-lettered sign reading 松州聚福源牦牛肉汤锅, right below the yellow sign of the 东云阁酒店 hotel. The ground floor is a yak beef specialty shop.
- The fastest way: tap the restaurant's Amap link to open its location and directions directly.
- Or save the Chinese name 聚福源·牦牛肉汤锅(九寨沟店), then paste it into a Chinese map app (Amap/高德地图 or Baidu Maps) to find the way. In English-language apps like Trip.com, the restaurant is named Jufuyuan Yak Meat Hot Pot (Jiuzhaigou Branch).
- If you don't speak Chinese, just show the screen with the restaurant's name to the hotel receptionist or a driver.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Jiuzhaigou yak hot pot spicy?
Not at this restaurant. The broth is cooked with many kinds of mushrooms, naturally and lightly sweet, perfect when you're tired of Sichuan's numbing spice.
Is the Jiuzhaigou yak beef tough?
The beef at the restaurant I ate at is fragrant and melt-in-the-mouth tender, not tough at all and with no gamey smell.
About how much is it per person?
The restaurant serves set portions, priced per head. The set for 2 people is 168 yuan (about 670,000₫), roughly 84 yuan/person, dipping sauce included.
Is the set for 2 people enough to fill you up?
Yes, even too much. Underneath the plate of meat is a heap of vegetables, plus a plate of thick noodles. The two of us ate until we were stuffed and still had noodles left over.
How do I find the restaurant if I can't speak Chinese?
Open the restaurant's Amap link for directions, or show the Chinese name 聚福源·牦牛肉汤锅(九寨沟店) to the hotel reception or a driver.
If you're traveling independently and looking for a great Jiuzhaigou restaurant, save this and give it a try. To try other dishes too, see 7 dishes to try in Jiuzhaigou. If you haven't booked accommodation yet, check out 6 hotels near the Jiuzhaigou gate. As for everything else, from trains and tickets to itineraries, it's all in Jiuzhaigou independent travel guide 2026.