Mala Project

Having only eaten at malatang locations where you eat your own bowl, I loved that the build your own here allowed for a portion size large enough to share between 3-4 people. Although our meal ended up being more on the expensive side (around 40 pp), it was understandable because our party of 3 was so full by the end of the meal. The spicy option was pretty spicy for me considering I can eat the Samyang Black Buldak Ramen with ease, so use that to gauge spice level.The restaurant interior is intimately decked out with red (conversation tones), and service was good for the meal. They refilled our water frequently enough to account for my rapid spice dehydration, but it would have been nice to have just a little more frequent refills.

Overall rating: 4.7I stumbled on this place when I was looking up Chinese spots in the area. I wasn't able to snag a reso but I read a few reviews that suggested to walk-in. I'm glad I read them. When you arrive, they can't seat you until your full party is there. So I said I could sit at the bar with my date. The bar is not comfortable. Bad move. Fortunately when my date arrived 15 min later... we were able to grab a table. The server was nice and very attractive, but I found it odd that when we asked if he recommended anything - he couldn't give no any specifics or popular dishes. For an appetizer we had the duck tacos and they were not good. They are STUFFED with guacamole and then thinly sliced duck inside (see picture). Do not get. I've never had dry hotpot before so I was excited to give it a try. But is it basically just stir fry? I liked it, but did I love it? I don't know. Recommend giving it a try, but knowing what you want bc deciding is very hard.

I've been here a couple of times now, both in bigger groups with friends and with smaller, quicker work lunches given how close this location is to work! The first time I came here, I came with a group of 6 people and we went all veg family style! We got the Vegetable Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes, Dan Dan Noodles and Mapo Tofu. We had a reservation for Saturday lunch and the restaurant was not busy during that particular visit. The vegetable dumplings were average, nothing too special, could've been frozen dumplings for how they tasted. The Scallion Pancakes were better than the dumplings, flaky, crispy, chewy but a tad bit too oily. Loved the Mapo Tofu, probably one of the best I've ever had- which is definitely a high standard given I grew up in Hong Kong and lived in the Bay before moving to New York. The tofu was silky and the sauce was spicy and very flavorful without being too oily. The Dan Dan noodles were average, I've had better in New York so you can definitely skip it. We were so stuffed after all of this food that we decided to skip the dry pot which is what they are most famous for. My second visit, was with my father when he was visiting. The servers were super friendly and helpful and the service was quick which was ideal for a lunch break. This time, the restaurant was definitely busier and dad to wait a bit before getting seated. Definitely on the pricier side, so go on a weekday for lunch to make the most of their lunch deal. We got the classic bowl with wood eared mushrooms, broccoli, lotus roots, glass noodles, firm tofu, bean curd and bok choy. For spice level we chose medium which definitely does pack a punch! We got a side of rice to help with the spice. Although it was spicy, it was still very flavorful and I kept going back for more! For dessert we got the half and half custard buns- fried and steamed which are served with condensed milk to dip in. Loved the dessert- a perfect way to end the hot spicy meal! We had leftovers for both items which we took to go and made for a great meal the next day at work! I've also been to the East Village location a couple of times after and have always left very happy with the food, service and ambience of the restaurant. Definitely one of my top picks in the city for good Chinese food!

Mala Project is one of my all-time favorites in NYC. The food comes in large portions so it's definitely good for sharing with other people and still have leftovers. My go-to order (which I stole from my good friend) is the mala dry pot with eye of round, pork belly, fish fillet, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, rice cake, lotus root. If you're not a fan of very spicy foods, you can get mild spice and still have lots of flavor. Service is quick and never disappoints, and Mala Project is always a go-to casual spot for lunch or dinner.

Some positives about this place: reasonably priced for the area, quick service, good portion size, made to order, clean, and great staff.No complaints.I stopped by around 2 in the afternoon to order their lunch special. Thankfully, there weren't too many people in there since the lunch rush was over. I ordered the Beef Please lunch special, which is beef tenderloin, broccoli, lotus root, and enoki mushroom dry pot combo (comes with rice) and your selection of how spicy you want the meal to be. Within 10 minutes, my meal was ready. It was well packed and hot (as in just finished cooking). The flavor and the spiciness of my meal was on point for a great dry hot pot spot. The portion was large enough that I would say.. you can pack the rest for another meal (dinner). I will definitely be back for lunch and maybe even a customized dry pot meal.

Overall, I thought the Mala Project was tasty; however, I definitely didn't think it was worth the price. I'm a tourist from SF so perhaps my understanding of prices here are slightly skewed but we shared 2 dry pots with an average amount of ingredients (see photo) amongst 4 people and each had to pay $27. I didn't get that much food overall and was left hungry afterwards / could've definitely eaten more.Regardless, the food itself was good! It didn't feel like the ingredients were particularly higher quality but the food came out quickly and the space was well decorated.

Heard great things about Mala Project so had to check it out. Shared a mild mala dry pot and 2 bowls of rice with a friend and it was the perfect portion. Highly recommend the fried fish fillet and pork belly! If I were to come back, I wouldn't reorder the potatoes. They were thin and not cooked through enough. Overall, decor and ambience of this location is cute and cozy. Loved the pink accents. Service was great!

Never had dry hot pot before and glad it was here! Food was really tasty and was wonderful for sharing. I enjoyed being able to build our bowls and choose what we wanted and the spicy levels of each. Their other dishes are great accompaniments including the Dan Dan Noodles and Beef Rolls. The Eggplant was served chilled with paired well with the spicier dry hot pot bowl. I recommend getting bowls of plain rice on the side too since everything is pretty flavorful. For dessert, get their fried buns! Sweet and playful that is also good to share. Service was friendly and helpful and the ambiance was chill and comforting. Make reservations in advance since space is limited!

I've been to their East Village location many many years ago and got their Build-Your-Own spicy dry pot - remember it being good.I am bit late to the party but didn't realize that they expanded and have 3 different locations in the city now! I was excited to see the unique and hard to find dishes on their menu and just had to try them out!They did not disappoint!!! - The mere fact that they offer those dishes speaks to the authenticity of the place! The Eggplant With Roasted Garlic was sooo tender and the sauce was soooo flavorful with strong aroma of sesame oil that compliments the garlic and scallions well!The Beijing ChǎoBǐng was actually something I've been wanting to try forever after hearing about it from friends (apparently it's a quintessential northern Chinese thing!) but haven't found a place that offers it - loved it! I really wasn't sure what to expect, but the texture of ChǎoBǐng surprised me in the best way - it's light and fluffy and heavenly!The XiāngXī Fried Rice is super flavorful and imbued with Chinese sausage pieces, peppers, and other good stuff!

Fantastic dry pot place in ktown! We ordered the highest spice level and it was definitely spicy-- perfect for what I needed and wanted! Service was fast and ambiance was very casual.