The hot pot craze is showing no signs of slowing down in Metro Vancouver.
The recent success of Piping Hot, which opened earlier this month across from Big Way Hot Pot, is proof that locals are still loving this cuisine.
And now, it looks like Richmond is getting yet another new hot pot spot.
We spotted the signage for Hi Panda Hot Pot going up at the old Blue Whale House Restaurant location.
Originally, Blue Whale House which opened in 2020 and closed in October 2024, announced that they were just renovating for a fresh new look, but clearly, this isn’t the case anymore.
Instead, it’s a complete change, with Hi Panda Hot Pot taking over the space.
Info on this new spot are incredibly scarce for now.
There is a BBQ and hot pot restaurant named Hi Panda in Vietnam, but it seems unlikely to be the same.
Another thing we noticed was that the logo for the upcoming Hi Panda resembles the one used by the popular milk tea chain Chagee.
But, imitating logos of popular brands is not entirely new.
HeyTea itself has a dozen smaller bubble tea shops that ripped their logo from.
A panda-themed hot pot restaurant isn’t quite novel either as Yuan’s Hot Pot in Aberdeen Centre has that aesthetic already.
It’s also unclear whether Hi Panda Hot Pot will go for the increasingly popular personalized hot pot concept or stick to a more traditional approach.
The renos are being done by YY Construction, who is also working on Bellwether and the Big Way Hot Pot at UBC.
Either way, they’ll have their work cut out for them.
The hot pot scene in Richmond is fiercely competitive, with Big Way Hot Pot still drawing in crowds, and new places like Piping Hot and ChoCho making waves.
Hopefully they’ll be bringing something new to the city!
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 8140 Leslie Rd #100, Richmond, BC V6X 4A8