I'm not a big fan of hot pot, but it is certainly a fun dining experience for those who aren't used to it, and it a visit to Sichaun without a hot pot meal is comparable to a visit to Beijing without trying Peking Duck (also a cuisine that not everyone enjoys, but is steeped in tradition).

The thing is, bad hot pot places are prevalent throughout China, and the concepts of popularity and price aren't always useful with respect to avoiding them. (Well, the price thing is a bit tricky; if it costs Y10,000 per head, and still manages to attract customers, you can be sure that it's not "bad", but you can be equally sure that it's not worth Y10,000 per head.)

In Shanghai, we usually just go to Hot Pot King, which isn't fancy, but is a big step up from 小肥羊, and is always enjoyable.