Hot pot chain known for dancing noodle staff opens new concept in Toronto

One of the world's longest-running and leading hot pot restaurant chains has just opened a brand-new concept in downtown Toronto.

When it comes to hot pot in Toronto (and around the world, for that matter), the name Haidilao is as synonymous with the stuff as you can get.

Home of the infamous Dancing Noodles, which arrive at your table by way of dancing servers, the chain — founded in Jianyang, China, back in 1994 — has since grown its footprint to include over 2,000 locations worldwide, including a handful in the GTA.

As of Saturday, Aug. 23, Haidilao's Toronto fleet also includes something entirely new.

The chain has officially launched a brand-new self-serve hot pot concept (a la Big Way Hot Pot, which is due to open a location in downtown Toronto soon) called Hi Bowl Malatang.

Where, at Hai Di Lao, you order your food the old-fashioned way by telling your servers what you want and having it delivered to your table, Hi Bowl allows diners to take matters into their own hands.

Customers can peruse an extensive selection of over 100 different meats, fish, vegetables and other fun mix-ins, adding whatever they like (and however much of it they choose) to their bowl.

The bowl is then weighed to calculate the total price of the hot pot, and diners choose from a selection of 13 different soup bases, which run the gamut from miso and their signature spicy broth to Tom Yum and satay.

The hot pot experience typically includes some major negotiation between you and your party: what soup bases to get, what toppings to include — it can cause some serious rifts. This concept completely remedies the issue.

It also allows you to enjoy your hot pot without sharing it with anyone else. Seems like a win-win.

The inaugural Toronto location of Hi Bowl Malatang can be found in the Yonge and Wellesley area at 517 Yonge St., but if it's half the hit we think it's going to be, you can anticipate more locations popping up in the near future