Bigway Hotpot

Taking a toddler to a hot pot restaurant is an absolute extreme sport... but this setup might just give you a fighting chance! We hit up the Bigway Hotpot (📍3601 Shelbourne St.) to see if you can actually survive a hot pot craving with a little one in tow. If you haven't been yet, it’s a malatang-style setup where you grab a bowl and pick your exact ingredients from a display wall (veggies, noodles, sliced meats). They weigh it, cook it safely in the back kitchen for you, and bring it out in a ready-to-eat bowl. Because you pick your own ingredients, it is a great hack for picky eaters. You can grab plain noodles, broccoli, and chicken for them, and load your own bowl with all the spicy broth and gourmet ingredients you want. ⚠️The Golden Rule: I know it sounds obvious, but the soup base is still served steaming hot. Keep those tiny hands far away and keep a sharp eye out while it cools down! ----- ꕤ Table for Three Scorecard ꕤ 🚪 ACCESS: Plenty of parking right outside, and the restaurant layout is spacious enough to navigate a stroller to the tables without bumping into everyone. 🛋️ VIBE: Bright, modern, clean, and incredibly vibrant. It’s a bustling spot, meaning the background noise completely masks any loud toddler chatter or dropped spoons. 🚼 FACILITIES: High chairs are readily available, and the staff is welcoming to families. No changing pod tho. 🦖 CHAOS TOLERANCE: Medium to High. Since the kitchen does the cooking, there are no dangerous open flames or boiling hot plates built into the table (Just watch out for that hot soup bowl when it arrives!) for tiny hands to reach for. 🌿 WIND-DOWN SPOT: The complimentary soft-serve ice cream station. Every single bowl comes with a free ice cream cone at the end. It is the perfect sweet treat to reward them for surviving the meal (or to use as a strategic bribe to finish their dinner). ----- Go ahead and face the extreme sport, because you still deserve a proper spicy broth dinner, even if you're blowing on every noodle for five minutes first! Save this post for your next brave family dinner night, share it with your favorite foodie parents!