Welcome to Mala Mini

“ The malatang here is really good, and the service is great. There are a lot of options to choose from, so it’s easy to customize your bowl. They offer free froyo if you pay cash, and they also include a Yakult regardless of payment method, which is a nice touch. Definitely a place I’d recommend! ”

“ Comparing the Mala from New York City, would say it is not the true Mala flavor but the flavor itself is still great. I can still taste some raw flavors on some of the food esp on vege. I think, because it wasn’t cooked with much chili oil. The pot is cooked very dry, so the flavor didn’t penetrate into the food. ”

“ My husband and I love a good choose-your-own-adventure type of meal, and this looked right up our alley. We felt a little turned around since everyone else seemed to know what to do and it was clearly our first time, but the guy at the counter was quick to explain how things work: Grab a clean pair of tongs and a bin to collect all of the fixings. There's lots to choose from - veggies, noodles, frozen seafood, and meats. When you've finished making your selection of add-ins, they'll weigh it at the front (it needs to be a minimum of one pound; every half pound thereafter exacts an added surcharge). From there, they'll ask about your preferred spice level and whether you want your meal 'wet' or 'dry' - 'wet' meaning in a broth and dry meaning stir fried. A note on heat levels: Beware of overestimating your personal spice tolerance. The spice levels range from 0 to 3 (which can be narrowed down to halves), and since I love some heat, I asked for a level 2. The guy taking my order hesitated and asked, "Are you sure? That's pretty spicy." When I marked it down to a 1.5, he nodded with relief and said, "That's probably better." When I got my meal and had my first bites, I was immediately grateful for his intervention. A 1.5 had plenty of that signature Szechuan numbing heat and I was feeling that fire in my belly for hours afterwards. My husband's brothy choice (with a more conservative spice level of 1) was far more muted. The nutty broth, along with the side dish of peanut dipping sauce, was a rich and tasty swimming pool for his ingredients of choice. A few random notes and tips: - 'Dry' meals will also come with a bowl of rice. There were tiny specks of egg throughout the bowl, which I considered a nice touch. - Curiously, the check is squared at the end of the meal rather than upon point of order (most self-serve spots will have you pay first). Those paying in cash get a tiny dessert at the end. The cash prize used to be tanghulu - a skewer of candied fruits - but now it seems to be a tiny serving of soft serve. - There's also something of an honor system at work. I watched people freely get up during their meals to grab their own drinks from the fridge, and everything somehow got totaled up at the end. - Remember that noodles bloat. I thought I chose a small amount of noodles and was surprised by how much they thickened after cooking and couldn't finish my meal. - Finding parking is a beast of a task in this area. There are a few spots available in front, but it's shared with the cafe next door. Sometimes you can find spots along adjacent streets - we lucked out with a spot in one of these. ”

“ Jeremy at the register noticed it was our first time at the restaurant, and he took great care us and gave us very helpful suggestions. The food was absolutely delicious with a nice level of spiciness. I ordered level 1, and it was good enough for me. Others in my group wanted even spicier so Jeremy brought more on the side. We were very impressed with the soup, but the stir fry looks amazing too, so we’ll likely try that next time. The restaurant has a simple atmosphere but was very clean. There was a constant turnover of customers. If you pay with cash, you get a free little ice cream. ”

“ The broth was rich and flavorful, and there were so many toppings to choose from! Everything tasted fresh and delicious. Definitely one of the best Malatang places I’ve tried! ”

“ Hot pots—some like them dry, some like them wet. Regardless, here, you can have it any way you want. There are plenty of ingredients to choose from, ranging from fresh vegetables, noodles, and fishballs, to packages of thinly sliced meat. Just be aware, whatever you choose, you must have a pound's worth for them to prepare it as a dry pot or in a broth. I focused on tofu and seafood, so I had to have mine in a broth. You then choose your spice level. My skin has an aversion to spice, so I had mine at level 0.5. The others had theirs at levels 1 and 3. They opted for the dry pot, which was stir-fried. They offer cold beverages at the average going cost to help put out the fire. My House Malatang was delicious and had a nice sesame taste. I opted for plenty of seafood, from razorback clams to oysters and fishballs, along with potato noodles, tofu, and veggies galore. For those who opt for the dry pot, it comes with a bowl of rice. As an appetizer, they give you a small plate of pickled radishes. This helps cool you down should your spice level be too much for you. If you're worried about accidentally splashing your clothes as you eat, they provide a black bib to wear. At the end, you just hand it back, and the guy collects and refolds them, good as new. That part surprised me, and I wished they threw them away for sanitary purposes. They have very limited parking in the front and surrounding area. There are two bathrooms, men's and women's, and the restaurant can host anywhere from a single person to a larger group for dining. ”

“ Real good Mala food at a convenience location. Food was fresh, made ready to order at the spot. Clean and well kept. Definitely going back again ”

“ I can’t really eat spicy food so I tried level 1 the first time and it was still too spicy for me. I asked for not spicy the 2nd time and I liked it a lot as the broth has a hint of peanut favor. You can ask for some spicy sauce on the side. Minimum 1 pound of veggies/meat. The place was clean and service was good. It might be hard to find parking though ”