Piping Hot — Restaurant in Richmond

I ordered delivery on UberEats so I cannot comment on the service or atmosphere but gave them the benefit of the doubt with five stars on each. I’ve walked by the store a couple times and it always looks clean but didn’t really look into what type of food they served nor could tell from the exterior. (There was no signage or photos on the outside.) So I first discovered this store while browsing on UberEats then remembered it was the relatively new store I saw near Acroyd that took the place of the former Dinesty Lite location attached to the Starbucks (one of the lower quality Starbucks in Richmond - the Bridgeport one is cleaner and faster and friendlier)

The food however was excellent. It was a good hot pot; you can tell that they boiled pork bones for their collagen bone broth as it jellify when put in the fridge as it should (first photo). Gelatin used in jello is actually made from collagen; when it is heated it should be a liquid consistency but when cooled it should jellify as jello if there is truly collagen in the broth - and there appears to be mildly at Piping Hot. The other hot pot place that had this was The Meat Up on No 3 road but the most recent and last time I tried there, they seem to have taken a short cut since and stop using real broth and substituted with more msg and sugar. (For months it was one of my favourite hot pot option for a healthy meal however - then they seem to begin cutting corners for profit and convenience it seems.) When I tried the collagen bone broth at the nearby Big Way hot pot a while earlier, it didn’t jellify either.

So yeah the Collagen Bone broth at Piping Hot is legit.

I also ordered the Nanyang Curry broth which was also delicious. Now this one did not jellify when placed the left over in the fridge so they likely use a different broth base than the collagen which is unfortunate however it wasn’t advertised as a collagen broth so that’s fair. The curry taste was mild but delicious. I’ve read through some reviews before posting mine and some noted that it was diluted and indeed it is a bit but likely to suit local palates and to make it hot pot suitable (so it doesn’t overpower all the ingredients with a curry flavour). The curry flavour is very nostalgic of the type of curry you get in South East Asia namely Singapore and Malaysia. It’s not the South Asian pungent flavours but a nice mild almost coconut like flavour. It’s good. I’d order again. It’s a unique flavour compared to other hot pot places. Would be better and more nutritious if they used the real bone broth but then again it’s not advertised as collagen bone broth. However when I eat hot pot I tend to search for ones that use actual bone broth than msg and powdered soup as most do - so that it’s a healthy and nutritious meal than like instant noodles with ingredients I can make myself lol.

I had vermicelli (2.99) with the nanyang broth as the base. They don’t separate the noodles with the rest of the items as other hot pot places do - which is not a problem as long as you consume it quickly so it doesn’t get soggy. (Delivery was literally 10 minute or less from when it was prepared so it didn’t really make a big difference than as if you’d order and eat it right at the store. Just note it if you do choose to keep one for later to reheat that you take out the noodles if you ordered noodles.) All the ingredients were fresh and good quality and the portions advertised.

For the collagen bone broth it came in a slightly smaller container with rice on the side. I really liked the texture of the shiitake mushrooms but it’s likely the dried and rehydrated type - but done well. The fish tofu was more like fish cake in texture than typical fish tofu. Everything else was once again fresh and delicious.

Overall excellent hot pot, would try again but too many hot pot options in Richmond so I cycle through seeing which I prefer. Free bubble tea for orders over $20 (their happy hour deal but all the time since you’re not occupying a seat inside) on UberEats hence how I found it in promos section in the...

First time here after seeing videos online. It's nice that you can do deep fried and hotpot version at the same time. They have a happy hour from 11am-1am where if you spend $20 you can get a free drink (large) from a small selection. The free drink is already prepped so you cannot adjust sugar which is not good for people who need to monitor their blood sugar levels. The cup is also full of ice, even after finishing my meal my cup still had plenty of ice in it.

There is a wide variety of ingredients to choose from (a bit less for the deep fried section, but a lot more for the hotpot). Ingredients are fresh and are constantly replenished. There are more soup bases to choose from than other chains (BigWay). We tried their signature Mala (medium) but it wasn't spicy at all for us. The Mala is ok, but I think BigWay's has more flavor. We also tried the Laksa soup. Their style of Laksa is not very creamy, not much coconut milk flavor, more on the fishy side. We also tried their Tomyum soup. It's definitely flavorful and their style is to make it very sour and tangy. Overall our family preferred BigWay's soup bases over Piping Hot.

The deep fried is really good. They season it well and you can choose to have salt and pepper with or without seaweed. And you can also choose to add cumin powder and chili powder.

We came around 8pm and there was a short 5 minute wait for our table of 4. Afterwards it wasn't too busy and we got to enjoy our meal without other customers standing by our table and staring at us. The staff were very helpful and nice, and we did not feel rushed which is great.

The Taiyaki icecream today was coconut flavor and I believe the Taiyaki might have been chocolate or charcoal? Overall really yummy. I wish the icecream could go deeper into the Taiyaki because when you get into it, it is hollow without icecream inside.

I would come back if I was craving their deep fried, but for hotpot I would probably go back to Bigway just because of...

2025.09.26 Mondays-Fridays before 1700 with any hot soup order, add an order of rice and get a free upgrade to minced beef and pork. Minimum purchase of 100g at CAD 3.99 per 100g.

2025.08.31 Happy Hour Mondays-Thursdays 1130-0100, Fridays-Sundays after 2200, spend CAD 20, get one free drink. There is an condiments station near the entrance where customers go to get what they wish to add to flavor their food with after paying and before their order arrives. The cheerfulness of the staff makes the dining experience much more enjoyable.

2025.08.01 We stumbled upon this very popular hot pot place thinking it was another Chinese restaurant, right behind a Starbucks. You add your name in the queue and wait to be notified when it's your turn via your smartphone, and also they will call out by the entrance. You have five minutes to claim your table before the spot is given away to someone else.

Once your table is established, you go get a stainless steel bowl, one for deep fried foods, one for the hot pot. Tongs are provided to select the items desired. Each bowl is then weighed and charged. Select your spiciness level and which broth for the hot pot, and any drink(s) at this time. If you are a loyalty member, entered your registered phone number prior to payment. A number is given to take to your table. Several minutes pass by and your food order appears. At the finish of your meal, an ice cream is included if you desire. Air-conditioned, free WiFi with their telephone as the password, credit cards accepted.

Their hot pot comes out relatively fast. And it was a pleasant dining experience all around. We had both a hot pot and fried foods. The hot pot alone would have been enough, so we ordered way too much food by doing both fried food and a hot pot. They serve a lemon slice in a water pitcher, but it isn't desired and unnecessary as Vancouver water already tastes good by itself, without any alteration, serving it chilled...