Coconut Seasons is a hot pot restaurant in Scarborough with a twist: its main offering is a soup base that uses a combination of coconut and chicken.

The restaurant is spacious with plenty of room between tables - always appreciated in an environment where things can get a little steamy.

The menu includes a number of combo options that are great for groups. We get the Combo for Four ($138) which comes with a full complement of ingredients, including a serving of Vancouver clams.

The hot pot here is different than other places. First, a special house-made broth made of coconut meat and water from two whole coconuts is boiled at your table. After simmering for a while, a third coconut is cracked open and mixed in. 

Next, a generous portion of Wenchang chicken is mixed in to cook with the broth. This specific chicken is a Hainanese specialty - which is where this style of hotpot originates from.

Soon after, you can start dunking the ingredients into the soup. My advice is to start drinking some of the unadulterated soup before mixing  in the other components, so you get a pure hit of that sweet and slightly savoury broth.

The combo comes with your choice of three meats, of which my favourite is the fatty Pork Jowl meat.

The other two we select are the AAA Beef Slice and the New Zealand Lamb Slice. 

For dipping, don't miss the restaurant's homemade soy sauce. It's sweet and only lightly salty. Toss in a few cut chili peppers, and you're set.

The Handmade Dumplings that come with the combo are filled with pork and vegetables and made in-house.

Also included in the meal are Hand-Pulled Noodles. They have a chewy texture after you cook them in the broth that's just right.