Big Way Hot Pot (New West)

Okay, I'm sure most of you have visited Big Way Hot Pot (or something similar) by now.  Unless you have been living under a rock, you would know that there has been an explosion of "build-your-own hot pot" restaurants in the Lower Mainland (and also other parts of North America).  You grab a bowl, pick your ingredients, get it weighed and pick a broth (or dry mix).  Food is brought to you when it has been cooked and when you are done eating, you can grab a to-go container.  Oh, and there is complimentary ice cream as well (with differing quality).  So I've been to the original Big Way location on Kingsway when it first opened.  Now I've made many visits to the large New West spot recently. 

As mentioned, this location at New West Station is large and spacious.  Situated in a former pub, it is a unique-looking dining room for hot pot (especially the crescent booth seating).  There is also much more space for the refrigerated display cases.  However, there is a bottleneck at the entrance and the start of the serve-yourself line.  You will find an tablet where you can put you name on a wait list.  Better yet, just do it online before you arrive.

After you grab your ingredients (you can save money, if you ease up on the meatballs, tofu and anything that has shells), you walk up to the till and have it weighed.  Pick your broth and take a number, it will be delivered to you shortly.  One of the more popular broth options is the Collagen Bone Broth.  This one is best for people who don't want anything too flavourful nor spicy.  It does have some meatiness and it is on the milder side.  I personally wouldn't pick this one though.

For me, the one to get is the Tomato Broth.  It isn't as concentrated as some of the competitors, but it does have the classic tangy sweetness.  It does taste like tomatoes and is properly seasoned in my opinion.  I find that this works well with meats as it is robust enough.  Furthermore, I like this broth with any noodles that will absorb a lot of moisture (such as dried noodles or instant noodles).  It takes on all of that flavour.  You can also have this in spicy and that is even more tasty.

So on the topic of spicy, there is the Signature Ma La Tang.  I've had this a few times and dependent on the time of day, it can be remarkably spicier or milder (you can also chose the spice level).  I think as the day goes on, the broth gets more concentrated?  Not sure, but there is some inconsistency.  When it is spicy, there is a real kick that lingers.  Underneath that spice, there is definitely some saltiness and sweetness.  I think this broth goes well with any of the sliced meats.  

Beyond the tomato broth, I also really enjoy their Miso Broth.  It is one of the more impactful soups where the saltiness does come through.  This goes really well with anything, but in particular tofu products.  It helps flavour them in a way that enhances the natural taste.  Noodles benefit from this broth as it adds the necessary seasoning.  Veggies do really well with this as well where it brings out the natural sweetness.

Finally, the most flavourful broth in my opinion is the Tom Yum Broth (with coconut).  It is super fragrant with a big hit of lemongrass as well as the galangal.  The coconut comes through with aromatics and the tanginess makes things super appetizing.  If you can imagine, this works well with both meat and seafood, but I find it compliments seafood the best.  The brininess pairs well with the Thai components of the broth.  Noodles do well too.

Of course, when you are done, complimentary Soft-Serve Ice Cream comes your way.  Depending on the day, you might find a vanilla, matcha or black sesame.  The picture here is the matcha.  This is not my favourite as it is quite gritty.  Tastes okay though, not too bitter.  The vanilla is the best in my opinion.  Now you won't confuse this with good soft serve such as Dairy Queen, but it is no extra charge.  So, is Big Way still the king of the hill after all of the copy cats have arrived?  I would say it is still one of the best and holds its own.  Other spots such as Datang may have more concentrated broths and at Jojo, lobster broth.  I do like this New West location as it has a parkade (paid though) and it is has lots of tables (and a view of the Fraser River).  

The Good:
- Spacious location
- Convenient, has parking and right at the Skytrain station
- Reliable eats

The Bad:
- Entrance is a bottleneck
- No validated parking