Came here on a short trip and it genuinely makes me upset that they do not have a location in socal. I love mala spicy, this place really hit the spot. I ordered the dry pot with glass noodles, eye of round beef, and enoki mushroom at the spicest level with a bowl of rice. Amazing flavor, portions were enough for two meals, maybe a tad bit pricey if you pick 2+ ingredients for your bowl but honestly worth it. Everyone working was also very friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was nice. Would love to come back here next time I'm in ny :) read more

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Came here for a group dinner and grateful we made a reservation because it was pretty packed. The atmosphere was loud, moody, and red. We built our own Mala combo and all I can say is that the prices of each item/ingredient are way overpriced (maybe because of the area we're in???) They were stingy with the fish tofu, it was $6 and they sliced it into thirds?!? So it was less for more money. Also the combo didn't come with rice (why is this separate?!) The cocktails were okay. The service wasn't that great, they didn't check up on us after giving us our food. Busy place and there are much better options in Chinatown or elsewhere if you just want Mala at a more reasonable price, rice included! Overall experience here was just okay read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Happy together cocktail - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Good food - I like the dry pots, which taste authentic. Unfortunately, eat in midtown = pay midtown prices. The price quickly adds up when the # of ingredients you pick goes up. Judging by the wait lines it's also not deterring other people. Waiters at a dry pot place aren't really necessary, but I suppose it makes the experience less intimidating for people who are new to this type of food. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Pickled veggies - pretty good - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a wonderful lunch spot during the middle of work hours. We went right at 12 and the place got busy pretty quick. The lunch special prices are very affordable in comparison to the portions. I got the Year of the Pork Belly lunch special with mild spice and the spice flavor was amazing! The portions were so generous, I finished only half of it and it comes with a small bowl of rice. The sliced potatos were delicious (I thought it was ginger at first haha) and the pork belly was rich in spices! This place is not anything extraordinary, but a great place to pit stop great food for work on a busy work day as the service was fast! I don't eat out for lunch often, but I will be coming back here should I not feel like making my own lunch. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - CLASSIC BENBEN Sliced Eye of Round, Potato, Cauliflower, Five Spice Firm Tofu. - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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No res on a Friday evening, they did seat us but we had to be out in an hour Food came out quickly and was great! Well seasoned but I found the sauces slightly lacking. Appetizers were better than the main somehow. read more

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I got little spicy since I usually can't handle spicy, but the little spicy is really mild. I got the rice on the side and it's overcooked.Personally just really average for the price. read more

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. read more

My impression of this restaurant is definitely positive. All workers greeted us with remarkable cheer. My approach involves trying a new dish each time. The cooking stands out while prices remain fair. Raising a drink to this place! read more

This is one of my favorite dry pot places. I've both dined in and gotten take out and would say they're equally good. My favorite proteins are the sliced beef and the fish. The fish is perfectly crispy. For vegetables, I like broccoli and the Napa cabbage. It is definitely spicy so I try to go for the mild. It doesn't come with rice and you have to order it separately read more

Take out Chinese, with a lunch special that was an entree with rice, soup or spring roll or drink. Hot and sour lacked substance, with the soup being too much corn starch and not enough white pepper. Pork and bamboo sauteed was good, though I would've cut the ginger differently, it periodically cropped up in a bite and made it really difficult to eat unimpeded. Overall not a bad deal for local area, lunch for around $10 and delivered to the building. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Hot and sour - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Each bite feels like traveling without leaving town. The intimate setting comes at everyday costs. The workers are genuinely nice people. Their servers and dishes maintain quality. To sum up, it was an outstanding dining experience. read more

The restaurant maintains the quality that earned its reputation. This restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and interesting clientele. Every dish we ordered was excellent, looked beautiful and showed thought in pairing. The employees delivered better than we imagined. I'm directing everyone I know here. read more

Arriving creates momentary confusion. We didn't plan to eat here but are happy we did. Employees delivered service with expertise and grace. The meal features new ingredients arranged thoughtfully. I'm definitely planning my return already. read more

The spice level was a true Chinese spicy, very satisfying. In fact, I would caution others to not get the max spice level cuz I was dying a little and i usually get the most spicy at other places! The portion size was huge, food came really fast as well! I did think it was a bit overpriced but overall great spot! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

It's nice to have a good dry pot place near the office. We came at 1:30 on a weekday and it was relatively quiet. We each ordered the Beef Please a little spicy which came with Beef Tenderloin, Broccoli, Lotus Root, Enoki Mushroom. It took about 10 min for our order maybe less. I've been here when it's busy and took much longer. You can also order ahead and pickup. The beef was very tender and veggies crispy. The rice helped tamp down the heat. The portion size is generous for lunch but not quite big enough to split into two. It was the first time my friend tried dried pot and he really enjoyed it too. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - BEEF PLEASE Beef Tenderloin, Broccoli, Lotus Root, Enoki Mushroom. - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

This place is my go-to when I am craving dry pot. There are a lot of ingredients that you can choose from, and the food comes out pretty fast. Wish rice came included but you have to order separately ): Make sure to take a good look at the check if you go as a group because they automatically include gratuity with large groups. Highly recommend getting the gold & silver manto as it gives a good balance between the spices! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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First time visiting - didn't expect a Midtown Chinese Dry Hotpot would be this authentic!! We ordered beef tenderloin, beef tendon, beef trip, fish fillet, lotus root, Chinese cabbage, tofu skin, and king oyster mushroom Highly recommend beef tendon! It's not common to see in dry hotpot in NYC (I remember I only had it at a hotpot place in Brooklyn) The sauce/flavor is very authentic, very similar to the home taste!! Portion wise - it's not small. For the items ordered, we two didn't finish and had a to-go box. It's around three people portion in my view. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

I've been here for lunch once, and I'd probably go back for lunch since it's a bit more affordable with their lunch specials and lunch pricing for certain options for dry pot. For dinner, I got the dry pot to share between the 2 of us ($38): eye of round, quail egg, homemade shrimp ball, lobster ball, king oyster mushroom, and chinese cabbage. They were all good options, but I especially enjoyed the eye of round and the homemade shrimp balls and would recommend those. We got the mild sauce since my partner can't handle spice at all, it had a good flavoring to it. The next time I get dry pot, I might add noodles so that it absorbs the sauce that's collected in the bottom. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dry pot - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Really good dry pot spot! We grabbed dinner here before our show. Got the dry pot with glass noods, beef tenderloin, tofu, fish cakes, lotus root, and beef eye rib. We also got 2 bowls of the purple rice to accompany our meal. This was really good and full of flavor! The service was average. We only saw someone to take our order and then we had to ask for the check. It's a no frills place that's simple and chill. We also started off with the scallion pancake and that was tasty! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Purple Rice - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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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! read more

Incredible dry pot restaurant. If you can handle spicy definitely recommend the highest spice level. Meat options are great and get the bean curd sheet as an add on. Service is also fantastic our food came out almost immediately after ordering. read more

The mala dry pot gets 5 stars! So delicious. Also got the popcorn chicken with chili powder, dumplings, and chicken with cucumber. These weren't as good, i recommend sticking to the dry pot. Get lots of ingredients and make that a meal by itself to share. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Takeout lunch, order before you arrive as it's a restaurant. Fried noodles were lush and tasty, some of the best noodles I've had in Midtown. Dumplings were filled poorly and were a crappy value compared to Silky Kitchen. read more

We stopped by recently because we were really craving dry pot. My first impression wasn't great; the manager was quite rude and dismissive, and it felt like he didn't want us there. I also saw him completely wave off a delivery driver, which certainly rubbed me the wrong way. We started with the liang fen, and it was pretty good! The sauce was super delicious, a really nice balance of vinegar, sweet, and a tiny bit of kick. The liang fen itself wasn't the most traditional; it's usually got in long strips, and a bit more tender than what we got. We also got a dry pot at the highest spice level. It wasn't super spicy, and the numbing part of the dish was definitely a bit lacking for the highest level of spice. Overall, it was cooked well and had good flavors, but some of the ingredients felt a bit lower quality/weren't prepared very well. For example, the tripe was left in huge slices, the tendon in big chunks, and the beef round was quite fatty. Definitely satisfies a craving, but wouldn't go out of my way to come back! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here on a whim because we were nearby. Everything was excellent overall! No complaints here. Got custom dry pot with around 5-7 ingredients (perfect for 2 people), and fried seaweed fish fritters. Everything was fresh and delicious. I have never tried anything like the seaweed fish fritters before. Highly recommend as it was super crispy and a unique flavor. The dry pot was very good as well, we got the spicy one and it was perfect for our palette. Service was good, attentive staff and ambiance was nice and cozy. Lights went out around 4-5pm making it a more dinner-like atmosphere. Would come again! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Seaweed Fish Fritters - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Great cocktail and a great dry pot place where it's not so intimidating for non-Chinese speaking people. Spicy, but it is addictive spiciness. They have better pricing for lunch, but it is an excellent place to share the meal with friends. You can create a Dry Pot and share the meal. Pretty reasonable. read more

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I've had this place bookmarked forever and finally tried it before a show at Radio City Music Hall. First off, this is a great option for a pre-dinner show there because it is within 5 minute walk in an area devoid of many good and reasonable dinner options. We loved our dry pot combination! For 3 people, we ordered 11 items off the menu (4 meat, 4 veggie, 3 other) and felt that was a good portion for 3 people. I'd say about 4 items per person is the right range. Everything was delicious in the pot and the medium spice range was good for novice spice palates. I'm definitely going to return, likely before my next show at RCMH. They also have 2 other locations so check them out! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Dry pot Mala for lunch @ Bryant Park location. Did not have a high expectation since I am not a big fan, but it was a quite pleasant lunch I must say. Spicy ....Too spicy for me. We ordered Spicy one with beef tenderloin, lamb, potato, lotus root, bean sprout. No noodle. Medium one with eye of round, beef tenderloin, lotus root, Chinese cabbage, woodear mushroom, Taro, bean sprout & glass noodle. The Mala spice was much better than any other- according to other two friends who are big on Mala. Since "Spicy" was a but too much for me, I mixed the ingredients from both plates to add some kick to it. The only complaint is that the ome of the Taro was spoiled/stale, and we ended up leaving them untouched. Meat portion was generous, worth what we paid. The bill came to $85 before tip. read more

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I've ordered from Mala for takeout many times but not had a chance to dine in. Recently, I took my friend there to introduce her to dry pot. We ordered an appetizer, entrees and dry pots. The array of spices and flavors were powerful in all the dishes. We tried the leftover fried rice (my all time favorite), sweet and sour spare ribs, and dry pots. There wasn't a long wait as we made reservation in advance but the restaurant was packed around lunchtime. I like the interior design; lofty space and unique menus; although the table was quite small for table of 2, the spacing between each table was sufficient enough to provide some privacy. The service was efficient and staff was friendly. We also thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Our dining experience was fantastic! We look forward to returning to sample more dishes and desserts. Mala is an absolute gem among the plethora of restaurants in midtown. I would highly recommend anyone passing by the neighborhood or if not please trek here for an amazing culinary experience. Your taste buds will thank you. read more

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The food was outstanding, though the ambiance was mediocre. The portions were generous enough to share with my partner. The flavors were good without being overly spicy. While there are similar places in LA, Mala Project stood out for its less oily dishes and use of fresher ingredients. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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The dry pot here gets all the basics right! Would highly recommend getting the mushrooms, beef tripe, and potato noodle to soak in the flavors of the dry pot. Baby corn was a bit of a miss, but overall, the bowl was so fragrant without being overly heavy or way too oily, and it really hits your cravings for warm chinese veggies! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - a plate of food on a table - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Some of New York's most seasoned palates are in love with Mala Project, and I was told I HAD to come. They were right, of course. The dry pots make a perfect meal. I got mine slightly spicy because the spirit is willing but the spice tolerance is weak. It's just enough burn to call it spice but not so much I couldn't see through the sweat. The fish fillet is amazing, fresh and golden-fried. I added tofu sheets for the sauce to stick to, lotus root for crunch, enoki because mushroom, and bok choy for the green. Love this combination, love that you can make your own bowl. A pretty generous portion and a fantastic deal at this price point. read more

For a place that calls itself Mala project, it was surprisingly not very spicy!! I have friends who swear otherwise and have only eaten at the East Village location, so it's possible that the lack of spice is just a problem with this location. I came here with a friend. We both self-report as being spice enthusiasts, but certainly not pros so we got the medium. However, we couldn't taste any spice, just salt. We even requested more spice to see if maybe we chose too low of a level, but we still didn't find it at all spicy. Despite this, the food was still pretty good (albeit very salty), and the service was very friendly. Would be open to coming again, but probably will try the EV location. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

I work nearby and occasionally go in for an $18 lunch special. Today I went in, found my item on the menu, and ordered it--only to be told there's a special price of $32 because it's Veterans Day. I won't be going back. What a bizarre way to honor our veterans. read more

In the city for work and took my team here for lunch. It didn't disappoint. I didn't know what to order so asked the waiter to recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed the food. Portion is very big. read more

Super tasty, friendly staff, amazing portion, and great vibes! Glad to have found this place! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

This restaurant is a bit hard to find at first because it is tucked away and the outside feels almost abandoned? But once you step inside, the whole place is warm and cozy and is just such a nice place to have dinner! There is plenty of seating and the mala spicy dry pot we got was delicious!!! My friend and I ended up splitting a bowl and just ordered a bunch of things in it. It's kind of a build your own vibe where you list the things you want in your pot and they will make it for you. I would love to come back here, the food was so yummy read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Not bad but not great. We ordered 9 ingredients and asked for the medium spicy level. The presentation was fine but unfortunately the flavor was not great. It was too salty and not spicy enough. We were looking for that numbing sensation and never got it. The place was pretty packed on a weekend lunch but the service was still great! The waitress took our order back twice 1) to bump up the spice level and then 2) reheat the food (after we had eaten the food for a while). Unfortunately, it still wasn't spicy enough for us and we don't even have a high spice tolerance! For a party of 2 at lunch, the total came out to about $60 before tip. I would recommend checking this place out to try dry pot but I don't think I'll be coming back soon. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (Build Your Own/Build To Share): pork intestines, tripe, rice cake, cabbage, enoki, beef eye of round, etc. - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Does it taste good? Yea pretty good. Is it authentic, not really. Was way too oily and not spicy enough. The spicy is more like below a mild at other places. The best stuff to add was definitely the frog legs and fish filet, both were pretty bomb. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Went here to get lunch with coworkers. This place is one of my fave dry pot spots. I usually order delivery from a different location but this was my first time dining in. I love getting the fish dry pot lunch special and adding potato noodles with the little spicy spice level. It gets really busy during lunch time so def recommend ordering in and picking up since it did take us some time to get our food while dining in. If you like dry pot, def recommend! read more

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