麻辣 ($14.60)!
Wednesday mala — Sichuan mala hot pot $14.60. Spicy Sichuan-style hot pot at the casual tier.
Dinner: 麻辣 (mala), $14.60. The numbing-spicy fix. 😋🌶️
Mala (麻辣) literally means “numb and spicy”, and that’s exactly the sensation: the má (麻) numbing tingle from Sichuan peppercorns alongside the là (辣) heat from dried chillies, a one-two punch that no ordinary chilli can replicate. It’s the addictive, lip-buzzing flavour that took Singapore by storm.
This was the DIY mala format: you pick your own ingredients from the chiller (meats, seafood, noodles, mushrooms, tofu, vegetables), they’re weighed and priced, then cooked up in the mala spice mix, and you choose your spice level (小辣 / 中辣 / 大辣). My pile came back glossy with that fragrant chilli oil, coated in Sichuan peppercorn and sesame, everything tossed together so each bite carries that numbing, spicy, deeply savoury hit.
The beauty of it is the control: you build your own bowl exactly how you like it, as spicy or as loaded as you want. At $14.60 for a decent pile of ingredients, it’s a satisfying, customisable mid-week meal, comforting and a little bit of a thrill.
Overall: 4.6 / 5. 😋👍🏼 That signature numbing-spicy mala hit, fragrant with chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorn, and built exactly to taste. Would re-order.
