You’d be forgiven for walking into the main entrance of Soy House—a Vietnamese restaurant that’s been a staple in town for almost a decade— instead of the side entrance specifically reserved for hot pot seatings. But once you’re inside, it’s impossible to miss the vibrant decor, warm atmosphere, and enticing aromas of the bubbling dishes.
The original Soy House location was opened in 2008 on Bakerview by Tony Nguyen and expanded to its current Downtown Bellingham location in 2013. In order to adjust to the changing restaurant market, the two locations were ultimately consolidated into the downtown location, and the new hot pot expansion opened in July 2022.
Photo by Kris Washoe
“It’s always been a family business,” says Tam Bratt, front end manager and Nguyen’s sister. “Tony is the owner and our mom prepares all the traditional seasonings and sauces. My other brother and I also work here, so we want the customers to feel welcome like family too.”
That family philosophy was what led to them deciding to add hot pot to their menus. They noticed that the local community was looking for more options when it came to dietary restrictions. Hot pot is gluten- and dairy-free and can be made vegetarian or vegan. Additionally, a single order can accommodate both a meat and a vegetarian/vegan option with their pot dividers.
The Soy House style hot pot offers personalized options from a pick-and-choose menu. You choose your soup base ($5 per person) from pineapple coconut, tom yum (sweet and sour), red curry coconut, spicy Sichuan, house marrow broth, and house vegan broth. They also offer their Best of Both Worlds soup choice that allows for two different soup bases to be cooked side-by-side in a divided pot, letting you sample a variety of flavors and combinations. Then you choose as many meat, seafood, noodles and rice, vegetables, and tofu/ vegan meat add-ins as you want, with prices set per item. A trio of dipping sauces—anchovy, sweet bean, and housemade BBQ—round out the setting.
Photo by Kris Washoe
Then it’s time to start cooking and dig in. I selected the split tom yum and spicy Sichuan soup bases with Bone-in Roasted Duck ($15), Sliced Beef ($15), Egg Noodles ($3), Pork Wontons ($5), and the Combo Veggie Platter ($12). The flavors were delicate but distinctive and the dish was more than filling, with the experience feeling like a delightful mix of comfort food and fancy-night-out fare.
That was followed by a delectable chef-selected meat platter for the grill—including Rib-Eye ($35), Wild Caught Shrimp ($10), and A5 Japanese Wagyu ($25 per ounce)— and was rounded out with samples of the heavenly Coconut Cherry Panna Cotta ($10) and Vietnamese Creme Caramel Flan ($10). 400 W. Holly St., Bellingham, 360.393.4857, soyhouserestaurant.com
