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Best place for flavor and value if you're in the mood for mala! Anytime a friend visits from out of town, they request that we go here. Our favorite items to order are the bbq, the dry pot and the crabs. But honestly, you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The service isn't the best as they will try to rush you out of your table during busy hours but they're nice about it.
Came on a very busy Sunday night but managed to get seated with no wait. However, it took an entire hour for our food to come out which was a bit frustrating given the lack of communication about any delays. However, the dry spicy pot was great (though a bit too greasy to have often) and the food was tasty overall. I would probably come back, but order takeout to avoid the long wait from dining in.
We often come here for authentic tingling spice Chinese cuisine! Food always comes out very fast and fresh, with large portions! Service is friendly, although ordering is done through a specific QR code at your table. They offer a 5% cash discount on your tab, so definitely bring cash if you can! There are plenty of tables and dining space, usually isn't too much of a wait unless you go during peak times. Overall, great value for what you get and it's delicious! Amongst all the options within Allston, this is a must try!
Mala Restaurant might be the best Chinese spot in the Allston area, especially in terms of value. I came here with some friends and we were seated right away. The dry pot is an absolute must try. You can customize your bowl with whatever proteins and vegetables you want, and choose your spice level. Don't take the spice lightly. The fish fillet is probably my favorite protein. It's fried perfectly and so addicting that I usually order a large portion. The spicy wontons and dumplings are solid as well. I haven't explored much of the menu yet, but I'm sure everything else is also delicious.
This place seriously gets better and better. Most please kind of fizzle out, but not this place. This place is so consistently yummy and affordable. I still enjoy going there, as well as getting take out from there. The flavors are unmatched, and I definitely crave this place pretty frequently. Some friends and I recently got takeout from here, and I just wanted to give another shoutout to Mala for their delicious food. Thank you for providing consistency, especially in a time where that's not considered important. The service is always good here and despite being a small place, it's very comfortable and cozy. Will continue to support this restaurant and crave its yumminess!!!
Walked in to this casual restaurant in Allston. Tried the Roast Beef Tendon w/ Chili Sauce, Chili & Cumin Lamb (my favorite), Double Cooked Bacon, Stir Fried Pea Shoots (a bit overly salty today), Stir Fried Chicken, and Shrimp & Pork Soup Dumplings (tasted better than they looked). There was loud dinging throughout the meal from notifications at the check in counter. We also walked in to see them cleaning green beans on one of the empty tables. Definitely a more casual and homey place, and the total was not bad!
The food was not bad but the service was horrible. We went during dinner time expecting it to be really busy but surprisingly, it was only half full. They sat us (2) at the table nearest to the kitchen/front desk/bathroom, and I saw that there were open tables further towards the window. So I asked if we can sit by the window instead. Those tables are bigger and seats 4 people. The waitress turns to another worker and tells her in Chinese that we wanted to sit by the window in which this worker responds with "两个人还想坐窗边" (Two people and they want to sit by the window seat?!) in a sassy tone and then she scoffs. Mind you, this whole time we've only spoken in English but I am fluent in Chinese so I understood everything. The waitress turns back to us and just shakes her head no without any explanation. At that point, I was just like okay, they probably expects the restaurant to get busy and wants to keep the tables open. But guess what, there's literally two people sitting by the window who happens to be Chinese aunties and they were chatting it up with the waitresses and being all friendly. It was giving special treatment. The whole time we were there, they would put food down on our table and not even acknowledge us even when we would say thank you. It's almost like "here damn" when they put our food down. No eye contact, no smile, no your welcome, no "enjoy your food". And the whole time, I couldn't figure out who's actually our server because random people would give us the food and fill our water. And the whole time, that window seat was open. So I'm genuinely so confused. And it ruined my mood for the rest of the meal. Now for the food, it was what you'd expect, packed with flavor and spices. Though the dry pot was very salty and it was very confusing ordering it because it doesn't really say if it comes with vegetables and we also couldn't order any vegetables using the 3 meat option. The egg plants were really good. The soup dumplings were alright, a little dry and greasy for my liking. The skewers were my favorite. The chili wontons were flavorful, I love the sauce, but the wontons themselves taste kind of old/not fresh. We wouldn't come back again just because the food is not unique, you can find it at any Chinese restaurant like mountain house down the street. The service however seemed like it's consistently bad seeing the other reviews. And if you're going to expect a 15% minimum tip then at least act like you like your job and serve your customers with a good attitude.
The spicy dry pot is our usual dish and it never disappoints us. It's convenient to order food from your phone although service can be a bit edgy sometimes.
Food here is solid. There is a 10% discount if you pay with cash. We tipped based on the cash price and they chased us down for not tipping based on the card price... so beware of that... they'll go after you!! Knocked down a star because of that awkward interaction. My favorite was the spicy chicken appetizer 口水雞. Both appetizers of the chicken and pork wraps had really nice sauces that were sweet, garlicky, vinegary, soy-y, super yummy. My party of 5 got 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, and 4 bowls of rice and we had leftovers!
Mala Restaurant in Allston is one of my favorite places to go to when I'm craving Sichuan food! I absolutely LOVE getting their mala spicy pot 麻辣香锅 & like to change it up + pick different items on the list every time I visit; can pick a couple of different meats & veggies to add to the pot! Also, I always have to order the boiled fresh whole fish with special chili oil 沸腾活鱼片 OR the grilled whole fish with chef's special sauce 烤全鱼. Both are AMAZING, just one is grilled/fried & one is boiled ;) All dishes here pair super well with rice! (The fish with sour pickled veggies 酸菜活鱼片 is also CHEF'S KISS, cannot go wrong) Definitely try Mala Restaurant for authentic Sichuan food in Boston. Highly recommend!
Brighton ave, dinner time, just have to circle around and catch a parking spot. The spot was busy and definitely lively. We ordered the make your own mala pot (I prefer dry pot style might have to try that next time) but the lady liked it! We also got the fresh fish in the green pepper (sour / spicy) broth. That was really good and also drinkable like a soup (the broth I mean) Service was good, water cup was constantly being refilled. The ladies working were nice. The space is not that big but they make use of it and it gets packed especially during dinner rush / weekends.
We took a chance on this place as it looked the busiest out of the several restaurants nearing it. Folks kept going in and we took a chance. We are so glad we did! Food is superb and pricing is very reasonable. Food: Soup dumplings - these are smaller than traditional XLB's at other places, but they still taste pretty good and have an ok amount of soup inside. Some had more, some had less. These took a long time to come out, it was last. I'd give them a 3/5 rating. Chili cumen beef - Very good, give it a 4/5 rating. There is a good amount of beef with some green peppers. There are a TON of red peppers but I find that its mostly unedible as they are pretty dry and hard to chew. This dish is pretty dry. We got it spicy and it was perfect, and the mala flavor was not overpowering. You can also get this with lamb instead of beef. Shredded pork with dried bean curd - This was also a 4/5 rating. There are generous portions of meat and bean curd (sorta like firmer tofu?), along with some slices of green peppers. Flavor is spot on and this dish is not spicy. BBQ skewers - I thought this would be more popular here, but we were the only table to order these. They came out quick and had great flavor. There was a little crispness to the tentacles. The lamb was very tender and flavorful. The pork belly was just ok. Overall, I'd give skewers a 3/5 rating. This place has a sizeable dining area. I really liked that you order from your phone after scanning the QR code at your table. You can easily add on more items throughout your stay. I only wish they had more pictures for their menu items, as it would really help. Service was very good. Staff was friendly and there was someone going around constantly refilling water. They do tend to speak to you in chinese, but some can speak some english. Prices are very reasonable for the portions and quality of food. I think this definitely adds to the popularity of this place, as I'm also looking forward to a return visit soon. Keep up the great work! Lots of street parking spots around the area, but depending on day and time, could get challenging, be patient!
If you're not used to mala or spicy food, beware! With that said... this is proper mala! A small but mighty eatery in the ever growing Asian restaurant strip around Harvard Ave in Allston. This place is usually packed and needs a wait during the school year when college kids are in, but we were able to get a table for 2 quickly on a Friday afternoon. Service is quick and prompt as there is a lot of foot traffic in the small bustling space. The team there seems really happy and tight knit, at least more so than other places I've been in. The food is nothing short of excellent - their mala is top notch and each dish had very distinct but wonderful taste, the chef knows his craft. We ordered the vegetable dry hot pot, fish fillet in spicy chili, and the double cooked bacon. Hot pot was alright, and served as a good buffer with the other more oily dishes. The bacon was delicious, with a bit of heat for a nice kick. But the star was 100% the fish. Yes it's spicy, but they throw in this whopping thing of garlic right in the middle and the flavor profile will absolutely blow your mind. Get the fish, you will not regret. Get a bowl of rice, you'll need the buffer. tldr; proper mala spot in Allston. Get the fish in chili sauce. That is all
11 years ago
This week, BACONS (Boston-area Chowhounds Nibbling on Saturday) visited MaLa Restaurant in Allston... I'm not sure why, but the Boston area just abounds in Sichuan restaurants. Perhaps it has something to do with the legendary Sichuan Gourmet having trained and inspired a legion of imitators, but it does make it easy to feed the (spicy) beast. Boston's latest entrant, MaLa in Allston opened sometime in June, on the same stretch of Brighton Ave that hosts Bon Chon and Jo Jo Taipei. The space was previously occupied by Afghani restaurant Ariana, which has recently relocated, and the remodeled interior is attractively modern-Asian, with white and blue fluorescent lighting and stenciled Panda art providing a bit of a hip vibe. Not to mention the dance music sound track, which I could easily have lived without (although, thankfully, MaLa lacks a laser light show, a la MDM Noodle). As one might expect, the half-full Saturday lunch crowd looked to be largely local Asian students. The relatively short menu (for a Chinese restaurant) features the usual Sichuan classics (Dan Dan noodles, twice-cooked pork, fuqi feipian...) as well as noodles, including "hand-pulled" noodles (although the latter were to be found in only two dishes). But the main focus is clearly on two things: BBQ skewers; and MaLa Pots (2 types). So for a Saturday lunch, we largely stuck with those: MALA CRAWFISH ($13.95) ~I was particularly excited to try this, and happy that it turned out to be a delicious, if messy, start to the meal. The ~20 crawfish (or more properly around here, crayfish) were on the smallish side and drowned in a spicy brown broth. We chose to go for "extra spicy", rather than "spicy" or "mild" (the 3 choices for all the pots), but I would have to say that although flavorful (and worth taking home to pour over something else), extra spicy wasn't really all that spicy. Amusingly (at least to me), we were provided with plastic gloves for the twist, peel, pinch and sucking process, but of course it was easier to do this without gloves (wipes were kindly provided). I enjoyed this dish (although the broth was a bit salty, I only noticed that when I tasted a couple of spoonfuls), but next time I'm getting a bowl all to myself. BARBEQUE MEAT ($1.50/skewer): Lamb, pork belly, and sausage. ~The lamb was the clear winner, tender, with a slightly cumin flavor. But on the whole, I wasn't particularly excited by these and would probably pass on all but the lamb next time. They also offer a wide variety of other meats (such as lamb kidney, frog, chicken gizzards, quail eggs, and assorted vegetables). MALA SPICY POT (custom ingredients, $22, YMMV): With lamb, sausage, beef tripe, pig blood, enoki, taro, lotus, potato, gluten, bok choy, served "spicy". ~Two types of hot pots are offered, "Mala Pot" which comes with broth; and "Mala Spicy Pot" without broth. We went with the latter, and chose the option of specifying our own ingredients (how to total up the price of the ingredients was a bit complex, but our waiter was able to explain it to us). Whereupon, we were presented with a giant bowl of "Mmmm...Chinese Comfort Food" (Homer Simpson's voice). Nothing complex, but this was still really well done, with all the ingredients cooked perfectly (although they forgot to include the potato). Interestingly, this time "spicy" turned out to be more spicy than our "extra spicy" crawfish, but still nothing to write home about. $22 and shared among 4, we still took home leftovers, so I thought this was a good deal. A big bowl of rice was $5 (grrrrr, not such a good deal!). A short list of generic beers are available. Service was not a particularly strong point at MaLa, since once we place our order and received our food, we were never visited again until we flagged a waiter down. Parking is of course abysmal around Brighton Ave, so go early and be prepared to drive around in circles for a few minutes. Not really a destination Sichuan restaurant like Sichuan Gourmet in Billerica (admittedly we didn't try any of the classics), but I really enjoyed this meal and will definitely return. read more
8 years ago
My review for Mala is strictly for the food itself. However, the service here is terrible!! You will be waving your hand endlessly until a server notices you and to even get water refills. There are long lines as well depending on the time and day you come. Mala was the first restaurant where I have tried Sichuan food. If you cannot handle spicy food, I wouldn't suggest coming here. But if you like spicy, definitely give this place a try! My friends and I ordered the Mala dried hotpot and got it mild ( and it was still pretty spicy). The hotpot is customizable which I really like about this place. It is hard to find dry hotpot around Boston that tastes good! The szechuan dan dan noodles had just the right taste to it. The skewers here are pretty bomb so make sure to order those with your meal as well. I will be back! read more
7 years ago
Wandering for food last night with my gym buddy looking to eat back up our calories, we stumbled onto this place by chance. A banner hung outside declaring its grand opening and we were sold, didn't even know what cuisine we were trying until we asked our server. We purely enjoy trying new places. Fortunately for us this restaurant was not a let down. The inside houses the typical mid/high class decor, complete with dim lighting, black furniture, booths, and a bar. The whole time we were there the restaurant blasted Kpop even though it was a Chinese eatery. One of the workers must've been a huge fan of BIGBANG because that's all he/she played. Not that I mind though. Onto the food/drinks. We ordered 2 bottles of soy milk, a fried shumai appetizer, and a spicy mala pot to share. You can either choose a preset pot from the main menu or make your own from the white print out they give you. We opted for the mild spicy customizable pot, adding in chicken wings, fish balls, tofu, mushrooms, and rice noodles. It came out to be a deliciously salty and spicy noodle dish. My friend thought it a bit too salty after a while, but I was fine. Maybe add less sodium next time. The shumai was good too, even better was the sauce that arrived with it. It all went down great with soy milk! The table next to us ordered soy milk after they saw us drinking it too. Definitely a must try. As for the service, the waiter was kind and patient in helping us put in our orders. Being our first time here, we were confused about the process. Overall he had a good sense of humor, laughing along with the table. Even offered us a discount to come back again! But I would've done that even without him saying so. read more
9 years ago
Love the food, great place to share a large portion of high quality food. Get ready for chili oil and peppercorns that numb your tongue, went with 4 friends and we split a large mala bowl with 3 veggies and 2 large meats. Beef and pork belly are go-to's, also love the lamb. Speaking of lamb, the lamb skewers are a must try, also we usually get the string beans, which is a huge portion of perfectly cooked salty and delicious greens. Also the dry stir fried chicken is pretty good, if you like something that packs a punch. The service can sometimes be a little shady, but that doesn't stop me from continually getting a mala fix. read more
10 years ago
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9 years ago
One of my favorite restaurants and the best Sichuan restaurant in the Boston area. I recommend getting the build your own mala pot, since you can customize it to your liking. The hot pots are also good, and I generally ignore the meat skewers since they're nothing special in my opinion. Atmosphere is a bit cramped at busy hours, but you shouldn't come here for the atmosphere anyways. If you can't handle spicy this place may not be to your liking. read more
11 years ago
The Malta spicy pot tastes so good!! Quite similar to those back in my hometown Chengdu, Sichuan. read more
9 years ago
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10 years ago
AMAZING. I am a huge fan of anything 麻辣 and an authentic tasting restaurant like this is hard to come by. The best way to go about ordering here is to get the huge white bowl, pick a bunch of things you want, and share amongst friends. It's incredibly tasty--but make sure you can take the heat or else you may not enjoy the experience. read more
11 years ago
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11 years ago
As you can see in my photo I tried a lot here and it was all good. A lot of food for lunch specials. Great new flavors but very spicy if you can't handle spicy food don't come here. Cumin beef was extremely spicy but great. Tofu and shredded pork was amazing.... But best of all was the dumpling appetizer the sauce it was in was the best ever! read more
7 years ago
11 years ago
Quality and quantity! Beautifully presented dishes with fresh ingredients and such generous portion that makes one curious where do they do their grocery shopping!? Ideally located, great value, thoroughly satisfied my chinese spicy craving better than any places in town. read more
5 years ago
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9 years ago
Spicy food is not always my go-to-preference, but this restaurant takes it to a whole other level. Be aware that the level of spiciness / numbing spice can be adjusted based on your preference! I came here on a Saturday night around 9pm with a fairly large group. We were seated in 10-15 minutes at a corner table. I would say this place is great for groups! Water and straws we're immediately given to us, as well as menus with a dry erase marker. I shared the dish with my boyfriend and found that 3 large dishes and 2 small dishes were plenty. We also added vegetables in addition to what we ordered. When we received our meals, we were given 2 bowls of rice as well. The basket or bowl was mixed with the options we chose, along with peppercorns and chili peppers. We ordered the highest spice level. As for someone who is not used to eating peppercorns or this level of spice, I DO NOT RECOMMEND ordering at the highest. If anything, I would start mild to moderate. Even though my tolerance for the dish we ordered was low, I still enjoyed the food and service very much. The waitress continuously filled our waters and checked up to see how we were doing. Even though my mouth was on fire.. I still had a pleasant experience! I would definitely come back, but try a milder option next time. read more
8 years ago
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11 years ago
I absolutely love spicy food and have been to Sichuan, China before. The food was average for Sichuan food but good for the Boston area. We ordered extra spicy but it was not super spicy. The prices are pretty cheap for Boston, but we did not like the service at all. They paid little attention to us and when we paid with cash, they did not give back change which around 50% tip. When we asked for change back, it was supposed to be a couple of dollars but she gave back 90 cents. read more
7 years ago
This place is quite amazing. Any native Chinese person can tell you that this is very authentic spicy Chinese food, like how things are done in china! Nice flavors, good service, very very reasonable pricing. Will definitely come back and order more from the menu. Their barbecue skewers were delicious. We ordered from the dry pot menu but asked to be made into a soup, and they are very flexible with it. Love this place!! read more
11 years ago
7 years ago
Absolutely love this restaurant. As a fellow Chengdu-nese girl, I can say the spice hits the spot. My family and I came here several times and the most exciting thing is the variety of the menu options. Every time we get the mala spicy pot (dry). We absolutely love intestine and all that funky stuff so it's refreshing to see a restaurant offer less generic ingredients. It really reminds us of home. For those who have a more refined pallet, they also have a wide variety of vegetable and meat options (such as common vegetables like potatoes to Chinese veggies like black fungus). If you like spice, you'll like Mala Restaurant. read more
9 years ago
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Is mala bueno or mala?
The food is definitely bueno but the service can be mala 😂
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