Surprise surprise—Richmond just got another hot pot spot.
Back in November 2024, we spotted signs for Hipanda Hotpot taking over the former Blue Whale unit.
At the time, there wasn’t much info except for a familiar logo that looked eerily similar to Chagee bubble tea.
Well, fast forward to this week, and the spot has finally soft-opened as Datang Hot Pot.
If you’re familiar with Big Way Hot Pot and its self-serve, weighted malatang concept, you’ll feel right at home here.
Although Big Way didn’t invent the model, it’s become the go-to reference for this kind of experience locally. So much that any spot that has the similar concept is considered a “Big Way dupe”.
So yes, Datang is essentially another Big Way dupe—but with some notable differences.
You start with a bowl and tongs, then head over to a massive wall of over 100 fresh ingredients to build your meal.
Most options will look familiar to self serve malatang fans, so if you have a go-to combo, you can likely recreate it here.
But the real difference is in the broth selection.
After weighing your bowl, you first choose from one of six signature broth bases: Japanese tonkotsu, Vietnamese beef bone broth (think pho vibes), fish maw chicken broth, tomato broth, mushroom broth, or fish broth.
Then, you customize even further by selecting one of eight seasoning blends, including Thai Tom Yum, Malaysian Laksa, Korean Kimchi, Thai Curry, and more.
With this setup, there are over 50 different possible broth combinations – which is kinda wild but interesting.
We went with the Japanese Tonkotsu base and Malaysian Laksa seasoning, which resulted in a rich, flavour-packed broth that leaned heavily into laksa territory.
For those who prefer a dry mix instead of broth, Datang offers three spicy dry mix options, adding even more variety to the experience.
Once your bowl is set, you can level up your meal with add-ons like Chinese burgers (Xi’an Roujiamo) or skewers.
During the soft opening, if you spend over $15, you even get one free Chinese burger OR a drink of the day.
Our bowl came to $20, so we grabbed the Chinese burger—because let’s be real, you don’t see that at other malatang spots around the city.
Beyond the food, Datang also has a pretty extensive drink menu, offering everything from tea-based drinks to fruit teas and milk teas.
The standout here?
If you order a hot drink, you get it served in a stylish cup that looks like a Chagee or Dior design dupe.
Or, if you’re like us and packed part of your bowl to go, their branded takeout bags come in the same sleek design.
Too pretty to pass up.
I now consider it my first Dior bag!
The interior of the spot is modern, bright, and airy, giving off luxury-esque vibes similar to Richmond’s Dolar Shop.
Think white and gold decor, clean lines, and a chic, polished feel that makes it a comfortable spot to dine in.
There’s also a fully stocked sauce bar with all the essentials, so you can customize your flavours even more.
And, of course, like any good hot pot spot, Datang offers complimentary ice cream with your meal.
But here’s the twist—at least in our late afternoon visit, the ice cream machine was completely self-serve, sitting next to the sauce bar.
We strolled right up, grabbed a charcoal cone, and poured our own strawberry soft serve.
A fun little experience for sure, but we can imagine it getting chaotic during peak hours.
Hot pot has been having a major moment over the last few years, with more and more self-serve malatang spots popping up.
Datang is the latest addition, now joining Big Way, Piping Hot, The Meat Up, and Grandma Liu in this ever-growing trend.
If you’re a malatang fan, this one might be worth adding to your list to try and discover which is the best in your opinion in Richmond.
Address: 8140 Leslie Rd, Richmond, BC