Hot pot in Vancouver and Richmond: how it works and what to order

Hot pot is a meal you cook yourself, at the table, in a pot of simmering broth. You order plates of thinly sliced meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, dumplings and noodles, drop them into the pot, and fish them out when they are done. It is social, slow and very good on a cold or rainy night, which may be why Metro Vancouver has so many hot pot restaurants.

If you have never done it, here is how it works.

How does hot pot work?

1. Choose your broth. Most restaurants offer several, and many pots are divided so you can have two or more at once.
2. Order your ingredients, either à la carte plate by plate or as an all-you-can-eat set.
3. Make your dipping sauce, often at a sauce bar with sesame paste, soy sauce, garlic, chili oil, scallions, cilantro and more.
4. Cook as you go. Thin meat cooks in seconds; root vegetables and dumplings take longer.
5. Finish with noodles, cooked in the broth at the end when it is at its most flavourful.

Staff will usually explain the set-up the first time and adjust the heat for you.

What are the main types of hot pot?

Style	What it is like
Sichuan (mala)	Fiery chili oil and numbing Sichuan peppercorn, rich and intense
Clear or bone broth	Mild, lets the ingredients speak, good for beginners
Tomato	Tangy and gentle, popular with kids
Mushroom	Earthy, often vegetarian
Taiwanese-style individual pots	One small pot per person, often a set meal
Cantonese-style	Lighter broths, emphasis on fresh seafood

A split pot with one spicy and one mild broth is the easiest way to please a mixed table.

Where are the hot pot restaurants in Metro Vancouver?

Hot pot restaurants cluster where Vancouver's Chinese and Taiwanese communities are largest:

• Richmond, especially along No. 3 Road and around Golden Village, has the most choice, from large chain hot pot restaurants to small family-run places.
• Burnaby, around Metrotown and along Kingsway, has many more.
• Downtown and Robson Street have several, popular with students.
• East Vancouver, along Kingsway and Main, has neighbourhood options.

What should you order at hot pot?

A good spread for four people might include:

• Thinly sliced beef and lamb, the classics.
• Seafood, such as shrimp, fish slices and squid.
• Meatballs and fish balls, often house-made.
• Tofu, including fried tofu puffs and tofu skin, which soak up broth.
• Leafy greens, mushrooms and corn.
• Dumplings and noodles to finish.

Order a little at first and add more as you go. Over-ordering is the most common beginner mistake, especially with all-you-can-eat sets.

What is good hot pot etiquette?

Hot pot is relaxed, but a few habits keep the meal safe and pleasant for everyone at the table:

• Use the serving chopsticks or ladle for raw meat and seafood, and your own chopsticks only for cooked food, so raw juices do not end up in your mouth.
• Cook meat fully. Thin slices take seconds, but chicken, pork and seafood need longer.
• Do not leave food to drift. Fish out what you put in, or tell the table it is there.
• Turn the heat down between rounds so the broth does not boil away, and ask staff to top it up rather than letting it run dry.
• Mix your dipping sauce once at the start, at the sauce bar if there is one, then add to it as you go.

At all-you-can-eat places, order in small rounds. Many charge for large amounts of food left uneaten.

Is all-you-can-eat hot pot worth it?

It can be, especially for big eaters and groups. All-you-can-eat sets usually have a time limit, often around 90 minutes to two hours, and some charge extra for food left uneaten, so order in rounds. À la carte is often better if you want premium cuts or seafood, or if you are not that hungry. Check what is included: drinks, sauces and some premium items are often extra.

Is hot pot good for vegetarians and people with allergies?

Hot pot can work well for vegetarians if you choose a vegetable or mushroom broth and order tofu, vegetables, mushrooms and noodles. Ask whether the broth is genuinely meat-free. For allergies, be careful: shared pots, shared sauce bars and shellfish in the same broth make cross-contact likely. If someone at the table has a serious allergy, consider individual pots, and talk to the staff before ordering.

How much does hot pot cost and do you tip?

Prices vary from casual individual-pot sets to premium seafood hot pot. All-you-can-eat sets usually have a fixed price per person, often higher on weekend evenings. BC menu prices do not include tax: 5 percent GST is added to food, and alcohol also carries 10 percent PST. Hot pot is table service, so tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax amount.

How to plan a hot pot night

Book ahead for a group, especially on weekends and in winter, when hot pot restaurants are busiest. Wear clothes you do not mind smelling of broth. And go hungry.

On Mosey, you can rate the hot pot places you tried and the broths and dishes you ordered, with photos, and see where friends you follow went. When someone suggests hot pot, you will already know which spot made the broth worth drinking.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• How to get a table at a busy Vancouver restaurant
• How to rate a restaurant fairly: a guide for Vancouver diners

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.