Hot pot’s new wave: How B.C. restaurants like Big Way are changing the tradition
Kirby Ip is a Vancouver-based influencer whose Instagram account @eatingwithkirby has more than 400,000 followers. A self-described “hot pot fanatic,” she grew up eating at Vancouver’s hot pot restaurants.
“It’s like dim sum, where you’re getting more food as time goes on,” Ip said. “It’s not like you get one plate, finish your meal and you’re done. Sessions of dim sum and hot pot can last many hours because you’re helping each other put in ingredients, you scoop it out for people — you scoop it out to your elders to show respect. You just keep talking and socializing.”
Hot pot is less a single dish than a style of eating. Diners cook their own ingredients in a pot of simmering broth — usually shared at the table. Thin slices of beef, seafood, tofu, mushrooms, noodles and greens are swished in the bubbling soup until cooked, then dipped in sauces. The result is something between a soup, a fondue and a social event, with everyone gathered around the heat.
At least, that is the traditional way of doing hot pot in restaurants like Landmark Hotpot House on Cambie Street, which opened in the late ’80s.
Restaurants like Landmark emerged during a period when large numbers of Hong Kong immigrants moved to Vancouver before the 1997 handover. Hot pot in this era tended to be seafood-heavy and Cantonese in style. In the 2000s and 2010s, more regional styles appeared, including spicy Chongqing and Sichuan hot pot, along with large buffet-style restaurants. Richmond in particular became a hub for these.
Now a new generation of restaurants is pushing the format in different directions, from fast-casual build-your-own bowls to more theatrical dining experiences.
One of the fastest-growing is Big Way, a Richmond-based chain that lets diners build their own bowl from a wall of ingredients before choosing a broth. The kitchen cooks the pot and serves it ready to eat — a faster, more casual approach than the traditional tabletop version.
“In Vancouver, they were the first company brand to create a concept where hot pot was more affordable and more accessible to a wider group of people,” Ip said.
“Some people would say it’s not even really hot pot, because traditionally hot pot is kept hot over a flame. They reimagined the term to mean having an infinite number of toppings — fresh vegetables, meat, carbs and everything in between — and giving the customer the opportunity to customize their own pot.”
Big Way removes much of the traditional social aspect, making hot pot more accessible to solo diners, small groups or people looking for a quick meal.
The result has been a true local success story. From its first location in Burnaby in 2021, Big Way has expanded to 13 outlets across Metro Vancouver, including three that opened in 2025 — in Brentwood, Olympic Village and Langley Township — as well as locations in Toronto/Scarborough and Los Angeles.
Ip says the chain has become popular because the soup bases resemble those used in traditional hot pot restaurants, the ingredients are kept fresh thanks to high demand, and diners control how much they spend by paying by weight.
“I’m trying not to eat too many carbs, so I load up with tons of veggies and meat,” Ip said. “I also eat less than my husband, so I can keep my bowl maybe around $12, while his might be closer to $20. It’s really cost-efficient for people who eat different amounts of food. I’ve also brought vegetarian friends.”
Another recent arrival is Loon Fong Hotpot, a Toronto restaurant that opened its first location outside Ontario in Richmond’s Empire Centre on Feb. 25.
The restaurant leans more toward traditional Hong Kong-style hot pot. Its decor is inspired by 1980s Hong Kong, with neon signs, movie posters and other nostalgic details, and even a hidden “speakeasy-style” entrance designed to resemble a Hong Kong alleyway.
At Loon Fong, the focus is on richer broth bases and seafood-heavy hot pots, including signature dishes like fish maw chicken pot — a collagen-heavy broth served with a whole chicken.
Ip says Big Way has even changed her own eating habits.
“Before, I went to a lot more of the traditional kind — the ones with the element that’s boiling,” she said. “But in the first one or two years after they opened, I ended up going to Big Way for most of my hot-pot needs. I think in 2023 and 2024 it was my most visited restaurant all year.”
As restaurants like Big Way reshape the format, Vancouver remains one of the places where hot pot continues to evolve.
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Source: vancouversun.com