Big Way Hot Pot, the viral Vancouver born sensation that has redefined the fast casual hot pot experience, is now open in Southern California. The restaurant’s first United States location has officially debuted in Rowland Heights, inviting local diners to explore a build your own hot pot concept that blends premium ingredients, bold design, and complete creative freedom.
Launched in Vancouver in 2022, Big Way quickly became a standout in the Canadian dining scene for its modern, self serve approach to traditional hot pot. Focused on individual dining, wellness minded broths, and a pay by weight model, the concept resonates with guests seeking customization, quality, and convenience in a casual yet elevated setting.
Now with 15 locations across Canada and more on the way, Big Way’s expansion into the United States marks a new chapter for a brand that is shaping the next generation of hot pot culture.
Your Pot, Your Way: How It Works
Every visit to Big Way Hot Pot begins with a simple but empowering concept: your bowl your rules. Guests start at the pot station, where they pick up a personal pot and tongs before moving through a sleek well organized self serve bar stocked with more than 80 fresh ingredients.
The meat selection includes beautifully marbled beef belly, tender lamb shoulder, and flavorful pork belly, all displayed and maintained with a sharp eye on freshness. In the seafood section, choices range from shrimp, squid, and octopus to crawfish, abalone, crab, and a rotating selection of house made fish balls that are soft, fresh, and never overly processed.
Vegetarian diners will find a bounty of produce options including bok choy, napa cabbage, lotus root, seaweed, enoki mushrooms, lettuce, bean curd, and more. Each item is crisp, vibrant, and replenished frequently, a testament to the kitchen’s focus on ingredient quality and turnover.
After building their bowl, guests place their pot on a scale to determine price and choose a broth or dry mix. Each pot is then prepared to order in the kitchen based on the selected cooking style.
Broths That Build Flavor, Not Heaviness
Big Way Hot Pot offers a variety of broths that cater to all palates. The signature bone broth is simmered for six to eight hours daily to develop a deep savory richness that supports rather than overwhelms the ingredients.
The tomato broth is bright and gently sweet, while the spicy Ma La Tang adds a fragrant heat layered with traditional spices. For more intensity, dry mixes like Szechuan and Tomato Mala allow guests to turn up the heat and customize their flavor experience even further.
Every broth is designed to be a foundation for flavor, elevating the fresh ingredients without masking their natural qualities.
What to Eat: Editor’s Picks
There are no wrong choices at Big Way, but a few ingredients deserve special mention.
While every bowl is unique, a few standout ingredients are worth seeking out. The abalone is silky, tender, and subtly briny, absorbing broth while maintaining its delicate texture. The house made fish balls are soft and springy with a mild seafood flavor, ideal for soaking up spicy or savory broths.
The shrimp, squid, and crab are exceptionally clean tasting and well prepped, and the vegetables especially lotus root, seaweed, and bean curd add satisfying texture and balance. Even simple selections like cabbage and bok choy feel elevated thanks to their quality and freshness.
Beyond the Bowl
Located in Rowland Heights, the 5000 square foot flagship is the brand’s most immersive concept yet. The interior design mixes traditional Chinese elements such as red tones inspired by the Forbidden City with contemporary touches like a Morandi color palette and a lush tropical tea lounge.
At the center of the dining room is a boba tea bar that doubles as an art installation, turning the space into a fully sensory experience. From lighting to layout, every detail reflects Big Way’s mission to bring together heritage and modernity in a way that feels both familiar and fresh.
To end the meal on a sweet note, every guest receives a complimentary soft serve cone.
Big Way Hot Pot Rowland Heights is open seven days a week from 11:00 AM to 1:30 AM, making it one of the few high quality late night dining spots in the region. Whether stopping in for a quick lunch, a leisurely dinner, or a post midnight feast, the experience is designed to meet cravings around the clock.
Big Way Hot Pot is more than a place to eat. It is a thoughtful reinvention of a beloved dining tradition rooted in quality, creativity, and community. With its Vancouver origins, dedication to freshness, and commitment to letting diners make the experience their own, Big Way offers a fresh take on hot pot that appeals to a wide range of tastes.
Big Way Hot Pot Rowland Heights
18904 Gale Avenue, Rowland Heights, California
Open daily from 11:00 AM to 1:30 AM
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