Mala King Hot Pot

You just know when something gets super popular, there will be copycats.  Now, I'm not trying to say that in a derogatory manner.  In fact, as things evolve, newer versions of the original often become better and come up with new ways of doing things.  We've all seen that with bubble tea and its never-ending metamorphosis from what it was in the 90's.  You'd think that the market would be saturated (well, maybe to a degree), resulting in a collapse of sorts.  Well that hasn't happened.  Now take the DIY hot pot craze that started with Big Way locally.  There have been a slew of imitators but Big Way itself was a copycat of something that started in Australia.  We have the latest one in the GVRD in Malaking Hot Pot out in Surrey.  The name seems to mirror Malatown out in California.  So everything is a mish-mash of everything else.  Jackie and I checked out Malaking to see their version of this current craze.

Located in the former Pho Tam spot (so sad its gone), Malaking's setup is pretty typical of the genre.  Upon entering, there are bowls and tongs ready for you to pick your items.  There is a varied selection including seafood, meats, veggies, tofu products, meatballs and noodles.  Like I've said before, do not load up on meatballs, things with shells and heavy noodles.  You might have a nasty surprise in terms of cost otherwise.  But if you stick to lighter items, you can have hearty bowl for around $20.00.  You proceed to the counter and have your bowl weighed, then pick a broth (which is included).

In case you didn't only want to drink water with your hot pot, there is a selection of drinks available.  We sampled a few of them including Mango Slush, Avocado Slush, Piña Colada Slush and Thai Iced Tea.  You can choose your sweetness and add things like coconut jelly and pearls.  I really liked the piña colada as it was fruity and aromatic.  Nice tang on the mango and the avocado was smooth.  Of course the Thai iced tea   was sweet, but it was still balanced with enough tea flavour.  Right next to the counter is the Sauce Lab where you can create your own dip.  Pretty standard ingredients here.  They have self-service to go containers and paper bags underneath.

We sampled a nice selection of their broths including the Classic Ma La Tang.  Unlike some versions I've had at other places, this one was definitely spicy, yet not mind-blowing.  It had a nice viscosity where it wasn't thin.  There was some pleasant sweetness to compliment too.  I normally do not combine seafood with this, but I did this time and it was good.  The brininess of the razor clams, scallops and abalone paired well with the spicy broth.  The buttery snakefish was especially good with the spice.

Another delicious broth with aromatic creaminess along with some spice, the Laksa paired well with seafood (as expected).  The combination of the natural sweetness of the seafood and the broth made each spoonful delicious.  Soaking up the broth, the non-fried noodles were properly cooked where it had some chew left.  I think the fatty beef we had in this was good, but maybe some chicken would pair better with this broth.

The most impactful broth, other than the spicy mala, was the Japanese Black Garlic.  Resembling a rich tonkotsu ramen broth, this had the silkiness of collagen and fermented pungency of black garlic.  This was the best example of their 8-hour broths as it showed depth and thickness.  This an excellent compliment to the meats I chose (pork and beef) as well as mushrooms, veggies and quail's eggs.

One broth that we though needed something extra was the one-note Coconut Curry Broth.  It was definitely creamy with the goodness of coconut milk, but it did not have enough curry flavour.  We decided to combine the Mala with it and boom, it was so much more impactful.  Maybe next time we'll just ask for Coconut Mala mix.  We went for a predominantly seafood forward mix of items and although it added more sweetness to the broth, it all turned out to be quite muted.

The last broth we tried was the Tom Yum and that was another fantastic option.  It really did exhibit all the great flavours in Tom Yum including lemongrass, the tanginess of lime and some spice from the peppers.  The broth was pretty concentrated and held up to the excess moisture released by the veggies.  It helped flavour the noodles as well as the meat.  I would say this was right up there with the mala and black garlic.

Of course at the end of the meal, we were served the complimentary Soft-Serve Ice Cream in a waffle cone.  Like everywhere else, this was not the creamiest soft-serve, but definitely appreciated after hot pot.  Overall, Malaking Hot Pot fits in quite nicely into the DIY hot pot landscape in the GVRD.  I think their broths are some of the best (Coconut Curry withstanding) where they are impactful and do not dilute with the moisture of the components.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Impactful broths that are concentrated enough to stand up to the moisture from the components

- Solid drinks

- Free parking (albeit very narrow spots)

The Bad:

- Coconut Curry broth needs more spice

- As mentioned, there is free parking, but those spots are incredibly tight

Upstairs Hot Pot

I'm sure most people have noticed the "pick your own ingredients" and get it weighed hot pot craze.  That started with Big Way Hot Pot locally and places like Malatown in California.  But before that, it was just traditional hot pot where we would order things to cook in a communal pot.  Then, in more recent times, we found the AYCE concept where we could order as much as we could eat at one inclusive price.  In between all this, we also had pre-constructed personal hot pots at various price points at places like Boiling Point.  That type of hot pot restaurant has gotten lost in the shuffle and it was quite the surprise when I found out about Upstairs Hot Pot in Richmond.

To stand out in the crowded hot pot landscape, Upstairs hot pot focuses on healthier broths that are naturally flavoured and not reliant on artificial seasoning or excess salt or MSG.  Furthermore, they specialize in Chongqing noodles and also bring some of those influences their hot pots.  However, the best thing about Upstairs Hot Pot is their pricing.  Their Green Sichaun Pepper Pot is on special for only $9.99.  Yes, places like Big Way are sexier but you might find it hard to get a meal for that price, unless you are get the lightest ingredients.  Really enjoyed this slow-cooked broth made from chicken, beef and pork bones.  The green chili offered up some brightness and mild spice.  Good amount of varied components that were not overcooked, especially the veggies.

Now you cannot do anything Chongqing without some Mala right?  Their Signature Spicy Pot is exactly that and can be had in a variety of spice levels.  They gave us a mediumish version since Mijune was with me and they didn't want to give a pregnant lady the max spice level.  LOL.  This was still flavourful though.  It was earthy with a low-rumbling heat and rich fragrance.  We could choose the main protein and selected marbled beef slices.  It also came with a variety of veggies and other meat products.  Definitely hearty and reasonably-priced for $14.99.

With any hot pot place, there will be the standard Rich Pork Bone Broth.  Perfect for those who do not like spice and just want something soothing and clean.  This one was definitely clean with a milky white appearance.  There was definitely a silkiness to it due to the collagen.  Seasoning was mild and it wasn't too salty nor sweet. It was just right.  We had the tender pork slices for this one and added (for an extra $4.50) some fatty beef slices too.  There was some clams by default in this and it provided a subtle sweet brininess.

Excuse this picture of the Tomato Beef Hot Pot as it seemed to focus on Mijune's tummy rather than the beef.  Anyways, this was our favourite being naturally flavourful without the saltiness sometimes associated with tomato broth.  It was tangy and richly flavoured due to the use of fermented tomatoes.  The beef was the best part as they used collagen-rich pieces that were cooked slowly, rendering the fat and ensuring the meat and tendon were melt-in-our-mouths tender.  

Now that was our favourite hot pot, but the best thing we ate was the Chongqing Noodles.  These handmade noodles had such a nice texture to them.  They weren't firm, yet they weren't too soft either.  Rather, they were silky with a gentle chew to them.  On top we found some braised pork as well as some mashed peas.  Once again, the spice level was fairly mild-to-medium with a certain smokiness and savouriness.  Really delicious and I urge you to go try this!  Overall, the food at Upstairs Hot Pot is prepared carefully and the ingredients are good quality.  Pricing is super reasonable and the portion sizes are enough for most appetites.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Clean broths that are not overseasoned

- Quality ingredients

- Those Chongqing noodles!

The Bad:

- The parking lot is usually packed and the time limit is too short for most of the spaces

- Dumplings are average

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

 

Jojo Hot Pot

I'm sure most of you have either visited or heard of Big Way Hot Pot where you grab your own ingredients and are charged by weight.  There are a variety of broths available including some spicy ones.  Well, that concept took off and now we are beginning to see the competitors roll into the party.  I've tried Datang out in Richmond and now it is time to check out Jojo Hot Pot, in particular, the West Van location.  This is actually a rebrand of Grandma Liu Hot Pot.  Jess and I made our way to Ambleside where we found Jojo Hot Pot right on Marine Drive with its upstairs dining room.

Similar to all of the other build-your-own hot pot places, there was a selection of veggies, meats, fish meatballs, seafood, bean curd products and noodles.  Things definitely looked fresh and clean.  However, their labelling could improve as some items were not where they should have been.  I know what everything is, but for those who don't, it can be confusing.  If you look at my pot of raw ingredients, I put all of the veggies underneath and loaded up with lean pork belly, snakehead fish slices, fried bean curd, quail eggs, bean curd ribbons, lobster ball, razor clams, half-lobster, abalone and dried noodles (non-fried).  If you can believe it, this was only $37.00 even though it was quite heavy. 

I went for the Jojo Broth which was pork bone-based.  This was pretty impactful with a meaty umaminess.  It was bordering on salty, but I thought that was necessary to keep the flavour while dealing with the excess moisture from the components (such as the veggies and meat).  As for the ingredients, they cooked it nicely as the spinach was not mushy while the seafood retained their optimal texture.  Of course the broth took on some of the natural sweetness and brininess.

Jess had the Lobster Broth and yes, it tasted exactly how I would've imagined it to be.  Fragrant, briny, sweet and lobstery, this had depth and helped flavour all of the other components.  Oddly enough, she didn't pile on as many things as I did, but still ended up to be roughly the same amount as me.  I think it was the fact she had corn and a bunch of fish ball products, which are some of the heaviest things available.  Whatever the case, she still enjoyed it and the broth was excellent.

We had one more option at the table and it was the Miso Broth.  I thought this was quite impactful with the rich saltiness of the miso being front and centre.  Now it wasn't salty though.  The fermented flavour was dominant and it helped season all of the components.  That was especially true with the wide noodles.  Sure, you could dunk everything into the custom dip you make at the sauce bar, but things would be flavourful on its own.

On the topic of the Sauce Bar, it was simple but had all of the necessary items to create your custom dip.  We also had some of their drinks including the Passion Fruit Tea and Cloud Milk Tea.  I really liked the passion fruit tea because it was light and refreshing.  Perfect compliment to the hot pot.  The cloud milk tea was good too being just sweet enough while being creamy with nice tea flavour.  I liked it by itself, but probably not with my hot pot.  In the end, Jojo hot pot was solid with flavourful broths including lobster.  This is a great alternative to Big Way.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- Flavourful broths

- They have lobster broth!

- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:

- This particular location has limited space, especially in the ingredients line

Datang

We've been through many food crazes in and around Metro Vancouver over the decades.  There has been bubble tea (still going on apparently), poke and more recently, "build-you-own-hot pot".  Big Way started the trend and in fact, it was a copy of something that started in Australia. The concept gives the individual the ability to select their own ingredients and then pay for the hot pot by weight.  Broth is included and there are many options (even dry mix without broth is available).  Soft-serve ice cream is also usually included at the end.  So you know that Big Way wouldn't have a monopoly for long since copycats would arrive on the scene.  One of the newest is Datang in Richmond.

Unique to this location, Datang is a stand-alone restaurant with its own parking lot.  Since it was a Greek restaurant many years ago, the renovated dining space is both spacious and modern.  Jackie and I were invited to try the place out where we decided to try 4 different broth combinations.   The selection of ingredients was quite extensive and things looked fresh.  It was easy going back and forth between items as there was a decent amount of space to walk around.

The great part of the broths is that you choose your base (pork, beef, fish, mushroom or tomato), and then the flavour (Mala, Tomato, Tom Yum, Laksa, Korean Kimchi, Thai Curry, Pickled Mustard or Original).  The first one we tried was the Malaysian Laksa Fish Broth.  Combined with the seafood-heavy selection that I chose along with the usual things you see in Laksa, this was impactful and flavourful.  Nice creamy sweetness to the broth with a touch of spice.  With the added seafood, it upped the brininess quotient as well.

Another intensely-impactful broth was the Tom Yum Pork Bone Broth.  If I had to compare with Big Way, I think the one at Datang is less sour and more fragrant.  That in itself made it more appealing.  With the right items (such as shrimp, tofu and mushrooms) in the mix, it really gave Thai soup vibes.  Nice lemongrass aroma going with a balanced amount of tang and brininess.  I particularly enjoyed the noodles that soaked up the broth.

As for the Tomato Broth, it looked a little on the light side in terms of colour.  Again, if I had to compare, it looked a lot like the one at Big Way, but it did taste more impactful at the same time.  I felt it could've been a tad more salty, but in the end, it did taste like tangy tomato with appealing sweetness.  This broth went best with veggies, tofu and beef.  The tomato helped enhance the natural sweetness of the veggies.

The last broth that we tried was the Spicy Mala Pork Bone Broth.  I really enjoyed this one as there was a good amount of heat while not being painful.  The numbing spice was appealing and this was great with meat, in particular, lamb slices.  Even some seafood worked well with this, including snakehead fish slices.  I enjoyed the noodles in this broth, but for those who are sensitive to that, I would recommend against putting any noodles in this.

Now Datang is more than just hot pot as they have a selection of cooked items as well.  I found the Crispy Chinese Burger filled with chicken to be one of the better things I've eaten lately.  Super flaky and crispy with a savoury and tender meat filling.  Their Lamb & Beef Skewers were also pretty solid with a slightly spicy (can be mild or spicy) and earthy seasoning mix.  The meats were tender with a balancing amount of fat.

  

They also have a selection of drinks and we tried 4 of them including the Cheese Foam Osmanthus Milk Tea, Lemon Lychee Green Tea, Floral Trio Milk Green Tea and Panda Milk Tea.  If I had to choose again, I'd go for the first one as it was creamy, cheesy and full of sweet jelly.  The floral trio was good too being milky, aromatic and lightly sweet.  Of course we ended off our meal with a Strawberry Soft-Serve Ice Cream.  This was a bit sweet for me, but a nice finish anyways as my mouth was still feeling the spicy mala broth.  Overall, the broths at Datang were great and more flavourful in comparison to Big Way.  Definitely a good alternative.  Hope they open more locations.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Flavourful broths and lots of combinations
- Ingredients were fresh and refilled quickly
- Loved the hot food, in particular, the Crispy Burger

The Bad:
- A little bit of a bottleneck near the sauce bar
- I think the ice cream should be served instead of self-serve, it got messy and people used it when the ice cream wasn't ready

Malatown

So I'm sure you are now well-versed with the build-your-own-hot-pot joints that are popping up all over North America.  The trend started in Australia and now you can find these places in most major cities.  Back home in Vancouver, we have Big Way Hot Pot as well as some copy cats (mind you Big Way is a copy cat too), but since we were in the Bay Area, the place to be is Malatown.  As its name suggests, they do have spicy Mala broth (Szechuan) as well as many other choices.

We made 2 trips to 2 different Malatown locations including Union City and Milpitas.  The picture of the front and the self-serve areas are from the Milpitas location.  For me, I think the older Union City location is more cramped (even though they seem the same size) and this time around, didn't have the broth options that the Milpitas store had.  The parking situation seem to be roughly the same with Milpitas having possibly a few more spots available.

Before I discuss the broth options, there is a trick to keep the cost down since they weigh the items that you choose.  Try to stay away from wet things like many of the meatballs, things with shells, tofu and udon.  Thinly sliced meats, leafy greens and dried noodles are the lightest options.  Being the most popular choice, the Beef Bone Broth Base is mild, meaty and great for those who do not want spicy or anything too strong.  Perfect for adding your favourite meats and noodles.  There is a good salt level to the broth too.

Their second most popular soup base is the Szechaun Spicy Soup Base, which by the way, is in their namesake aka Mala spice.  As such, this broth is full of impact with Szechuan peppercorns.  The numbing and spiciness from the broth is extra hot if you ask for the spiciest level.  This goes real well with sliced meats, tofu skins, tripe and mushrooms.  If you do add noodles to this mix, beware, it soaks up the soup and it gets pretty spicy.  Be prepared to blow your nose often.

Their 3rd most popular broth is the Chicken Broth Base.  It is just as mild as the beef, yet has more sweetness and is super clean.  Definitely can taste the chicken in there and goes really well with any noodles you choose.  If you enjoy having seafood in your hot pot, this is probably the broth to go for as it doesn't overwhelm anything and the sweetness from the seafood is able to stand out.  Veggies go well with this too as it impact the natural flavours.

One of my personal favorites is the Tomato Flavored Broth, which happens to be their vegan option.  Interestingly, the one at Union City is much more impactful, tangy and full-flavored than the one we had at Milpitas.  However, it might have to do with the fact we visited Union City at dinner and Milpitas for lunch.  It might've been reduced by the time we at at Union City.  This broth goes well with anything really and provides plenty of tangy sweetness where you would not need any sauces.

One of exclusive broths that we can only find in Milpitas is the Sukiyaki Nabe.  This has all of the great things about Sukiyaki including sweetness and saltiness.  Hence, adding sliced beef or pork with noodles and some veggies is the way to emulate a true Sukiyaki experience.  In the picture, you can see that this was the case here with only some fish tofu and quail eggs to compliment.  Yep, this would be my son's hot pot as he enjoys Sukiyaki!

Another exclusive broth to Milpitas is the Chicken & Fish Maw Broth.  Not sure how much fish maw they used, but you do get some silkiness and aromatics from the broth.  In addition, you get all of the good things in the chicken broth as well.  So good for seafood and any noodle you choose.  In the end, both locations of Malatown do the job and is satisfying.  Pricing is fair and if you are smart with your choices, it can be downright cheap.  Just beware it gets busy, so go early or get on the waitlist.

The Good:

- Tasty broths (especially so in Union City)

- Can be inexpensive (if you are smart)

- Fresh ingredients

The Bad:

- Can be expensive if you are not careful with your choices

- Super busy