My go to when I'm craving hot pot but don't want to commit to a big meal. Super affordable and they got the process down to a science. Your food comes out really quickly and the ingredients always look fresh. My personal favorite is the tom yum broth! read more

Mala Town - 1.5 Lb. Tom Yum Soup Base - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food seemed fresh and was tasty. However I would recommend being careful of weight and selecting things that don't weigh as much to maximize benefit. The beef bone broth was flavorful and there was an extensive sauce bar. 8 - food was fresh and tasted how it looked. Nothing spectacular but worth a visit. Need to be careful of weight. read more

We got the tom yum and the sichuan soup bases! The variety of ingredients were great, however the broths were a little lacking - the spicy soup base was mostly oil which left a bad feeling in the mouth and was definitely spicier than we'd like (that's probably more on us than them). Personally wouldn't go back as there are a couple other hot pot places I prefer but definitely good value! read more

Pay by weight mala tang place! They have a wide variety of veggies, noodles, meat, seafood and fish balls. The staff is always restocking the trays so there is always enough toppings to choose. You can also pick soup base/ dry mala base of your preference with desired spice level. Only thing to complain - it would be nice if the veggie and meat weight price is different. The broth is always tasty every time! -8/10 read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Tried this restaurant for the first time. An interesting concept similar to Shabu Shabu but different in that you pick the ingredients and they bring you the cooked pot. The spices were great. And great value for money. This is a small shop in a strip mall. Worth a visit. read more

I love the self-serve style of this hotpot. The only other restaurant in the area that does this is Kungfu Malatang, but the only thing I absolutely HATED about that place was the required 15% tip. So essentially, you pick your own ingredients that you want in your hotpot and then the workers will weigh your ingredients which will determine the cost. It's like froyo but with hotpot. They had a few options for broth. I went for the Sichuan broth and it was definitely spicy. Although, I think I would've loved it more of it had more flavor to it. One of the ingredients I loved was the flower fish tofu. It's so creamy and tastes so good. For my son, he literally only eats noodles, and I wasn't sure if they had a weight minimum like other places (usually has to be at least 1 lb), so I got like 3 noodle packs, which ended up being way too much for him. I got the beef bone broth for him, mild (as non-spicy as they could get). The broth is really good, even at mild there was a tinge of spice, just tiny smidge. Maybe that's why he went through 7 cups of water. If I knew they didn't have a minimum, I would've only gotten 1 pack of noodles for him. I felt so bad because we technically wasted food. They also had a sauce bar, a water dispenser, a tea dispenser, and some bottled and canned drinks for purchase. The tea was slightly sweet. I think that if I come next time, I'll try the beef bone broth spicy. I might like the flavor better. read more

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Mala town is quick and easy if you don't have a lot of time. The broth is amazing, I would recommend for those who don't eat too much because going to an ayce would be cheaper. The quality isn't the highest but it's good for a quick meal read more

Mala Town - Set with Tom Yum Soup Base 冬阴功汤底套餐 (Mild Spicy) - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ok I don't like how they unevenly cut their scallions so there's that but still taste good! read more

Mala Town - Beef bone - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What an incredible place!!! At first I was worried that the price paid per pound would be too much but it turned out to be okay - or as reasonable as I would expect for other restaurants! Just don't get too excited or greedy about piling up your bowl. A friend had treated our friend group, and I have been blessed over and over again. After choosing your soup base, vegetables, noodles/fish cakes, and meats, there is also a sauce station that features so many different sauces you can play around with. It reminded me of a kitchen! I appreciate the kind service. God bless you all! read more

Mala Town - 1.5 Lb. Sichuan Spicy Soup Base - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Mala town was quick, easy, affordable, and delicious- a combination that has been increasingly hard to find these days. They have an expansive menu, but we ordered the eggplant, kungpao chicken, and fried noodles. The service was incredibly quick and attentive. The eggplant was incredible, surprisingly the best thing I ate. It was flavorful, had a great texture, and just enough spice. The noodles were also fantastic, and I certainly would go back for them. They were the perfect warm dish that I needed on such a cold day. Looking forward to getting back here to try more of their menu! read more

Mala Town - Kung pao chicken - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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was craving malatang and there's a few on this street but decided to try this one since it looked like it had more soup options! the self serve bar options is well stocked and clean, everything looked good but some of the greens were a little old and limp looking. they have a good beef selection but it was all chaotic and kinda all felt the same lol, interesting that they have chicken and a lot more proteins than most places i've been for malatang. i got the tom yum and the flavoring of tom yum was honestly really tame. it doesn't have a strong tom yum flavor but was still good! if it had a more traditional stronger flavor, it would've been nicer. the restaurant is quite tight and small with being able to fit a most like 5-6 people at their biggest table but you lose wiggle room for your arms haha. read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Solid mala spot where you pick your own ingredients. Plentiful ingredients and has a self service sauce bar. Can be quite busy and takes a while to get food when it is read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Low-key hot pot place on the corner of Harvard Ave. and Comm Ave. in Allston. We've come several times, usually on a Friday after 5 or mid-day on a weekend. Depending on the time/day it can be pretty busy and you may need to wait. The concept is indeed hotpot but not in the traditional sense where the boiling pot is in front of you. Instead, you pick out the raw ingredients you want in a big bowl, almost like a hot-bar style, and at the end of this "raw hot-bar" you pay by weight. You tell the guy the soup base you want and the level of spiciness (they have most of the standard flavors, nothing super unique or crazy) and they take your raw ingredients and do the hotpot-ing for you and maybe after 10-15 mins, they out to you the now-cooked ingredients in the broth you requested. In my opinion I love this sort of casual hotpot. You pay upfront, probably get about ~1lb of raw ingredient food (or however much you want), enjoy your meal, then just get up and leave! It just seems way less... commitment - if that makes any sense - and you don't come out with your clothes and hair breathing hotpot-ness. This doesn't replace your traditional hotpot experience, but if you're in the mood or craving for it but don't want to commit to a hotpot place, this is the perfect spot. They have most of your standard ingredients, napa cabbage, lots of different choi, variety of mushrooms, fish cakes, seaweed, different meats - lamb, beef, there's even a wagyu that you can get (not sure how they pull that off... nor would I do wagyu for hotpot... I digress). On the side they have a generous sauce bar and free sweet tea in a giant dispenser filled with ice. I usually get bone broth with medium spicy and about ~1lb of food. Comes out ~$20 which is fair, could be a little lower, but hey its 2025. tldr; super causal hotpot place that's low key that's gaining quite a bit of popularity lately. Go here if you want hot pot but don't want to commit to a 'full hotpot' experience. read more

Mala Town - Bone broth with medium spicy Bak choi, napa cabbage, lamb, beef, enoki mushroom, seaweed knots, and probably lots of other goodies - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Mala town is another pick-your-own ingredients hotpot/dry pot restaurant. They have a variety of ingredients and a sauce bar. They also have water and some sweet teas available for self-service. When I first came into the restaurant, I wasn't sure what to do--was I supposed to grab a seat? Nobody greeted me and told me what to do. Eventually, I figured out that I should a clear bowl and tongs and start grabbing the ingredients I want. Then, I give my bowl to the cashier to weigh and pay. Finally, they point in the general direction of where I should sit. Food was a little too salty and saucy for my liking. I didn't put too many ingredients in, but they still gave me an overwhelming amount of sauce. Despite that, I think the food was tasty--but definitely watch out for too much sauce. Restaurant is actually pretty spacious, but mostly has 2 seat or some 4 seat tables. read more

Mala Town - 1.5 Lb. Spicy Mix(with peanut sauce) - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is one of my favorite concepts! I love being able to choose my own ingredients and then pick my own soup to get it cooked. This is also how I get my veggies of the day. I got a variety of tofu puffs, veggies like bok choy and tong ho, udon and then beef slices. I didn't get any spicy in the beef bone soup cause I have a low spice tolerance. Overall, the soup was so good and I was extra full. Definitely recommend and will be back! Also my bowl was a little over $20, so it's also a very budget-friendly meal. The staff was friendly and you seat yourself and then grab a bowl and fill it with goodies. I also love that this spot is accessible by train. There is also parking available if you come early. read more

Mala Town - DIY Hotpot with 1.5 Lb. Beef Bone Broth Base; Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Not a big fan of Mala Town. I went when it first opened and despite all the good ingredients to choose from, the broth was lacking and some of my items came out undercooked. The first time I went I got the spicy broth which tasted watery and was lacking a lot of flavor. And the next time I got spicy dry mix which was terrible. Extra spicy means they put an entire cup of chilis and peanuts in your bowl. The flavor was so heavy and peanutty and was difficult to eat. I personally like YGF much better even though they have less options, and the price is around the same. read more

Mala Town - spicy mix is bad - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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With so many mala places around, I finally got to try this one. I came here on a Friday night right before the rush started as there was no wait-list. We were able to get a table and grabbed a bowl to fill up on all the food. They have a great variety of fresh vegetables, meats, Seafoods, and noodles. After grabbing your food, it gets weighed and you choose a broth. When everything is cooked up, you get a perfect sized personal hotpot just for you. I got a mix of different vegetables, meats, and noodles. It was nice to be able to try one of everything that I wanted. I really loved the thick flat noodles that were super bouncy in texture. The medium spicy broth was great is you want a kick of spice in your meal. They have a $5 off deal on your next meal if you share a picture on social media. This place is definitely a great spot to check out on Harvard ave. read more

Mala Town - Medium beef bone broth ~1lb of food items - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Found this spot on a cold day so it was so good!! Lots of options for toppings and everything was fresh! Soup base is yummy and flavorful, it is pretty reasonable price. You would need to select the toppings (veggies, meats, noodles) and the soup base. There are few options for it and im sure they are all good! My Tom yum pot was $18 (based on the weight) and I was so full! Service was quick and the restaurant is clean, lots of space to seat and enjoy the hotpot. read more

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It was very expensive for basically hot pot. It is essentially a self service place, you go and pick your ingredients to be cooked in your mala tang and weigh it up front and pick your broth. My total came to $27, but I swear I barely got that much. I picked like 2 pieces of an assortment of veggies, and like 5 pieces of meat. I also got a little bit of noodle. I chose the signature beef broth in mild. It was delicious but not worth 27. It just tasted like a hot pot. But for $27, you might as well go eat AYCE hot pot. read more

Mala Town - Mala Tang - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Mala town is both a fun and delicious eating experience! It's a build your own hot pot bowl where you pay by weight, and my friends and I had lots of fun playing with the options. I was skeptical at first because I felt like I was being conservative with my choices because of the weight (my bowl came to $24) but I felt like it was more than enough and worth its price. I thought the selection included a bit of variety of everything I'd want for hot pot - meat, seafood, veggies, and sauce bar. The inside ambiance is both clean and casual and service was kind. read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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It is a hot pot place that they cook for you! Basically you will pick your own food, they weigh your food, you pay and they make the hotpot for you. Therefore I recommend to get just enough. I had a little extra to take home! The broth was yummy! You had options to choose which spice level. The service was fast. There was a line but they moved the line quickly! read more

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We recently tried Mala Town in California and were excited to hear that there's a branch in Boston as well. The ingredients they offered were similar, including a wide range of vegetables, seafood, noodles, and meats. We had the medium beef bone broth and mild savory dry mix. As a heads up, the mild savory dry mix was more peanut butter based rather than sichuan mala dry pot style. The medium beef bone broth was a comfortable level of spiciness. There's ample seating inside and it was relatively quiet on a Saturday afternoon. It was easy to find street parking in Allston, and the food came out quickly after ordering. Prices have gone up since the New Years (currently at $15.99/lb), but the meal was still well worth it. read more

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What a gem! Mala Town is the place to go if you're looking for customization and deliciousness. The restaurant is located next to Brighton's bustling restaurant scene, so there's so much to choose from. When you enter the restaurant, you grab a bowl and tongs and start putting ingredients that you want into your hot pot or dry pot. There is a lot to choose from when it comes to vegetables as well as seafood and meat products. At the end, you weigh your bowl to figure out how much it will cost. You also at that time choose what type of broth/seasoning you want in your pot. The service is pretty self-serve, which is nice because you don't have to wait for anybody to help you. The ambience is pretty standard with lots of tables and decor. read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Some of the labels didnt match the ingredients. Be careful if you have certain allergies. Otherwise, lots of ingredients and sauce options. Small place. Would not recommend with a big group. read more

Delicious broths. At least we get variety of broths. Good choices of food except sometimes they take stuff away. Good sauce bar.

Excited to have another diy malatang place open up in Boston! They have a large selection of meats, seafood (even including abalone), tofu, veggies, and other items. Staff were also frequently refilling everything so it was all quite fresh. You can choose between different soup bases or a dry mix type pot. It is a bit pricey at $14.99/lb (both of our bowls came out around $25 each), but this is comparable to other diy malatang places in the area. There's not too many tables inside but they turn around quickly so there wasn't any wait when we went. A great place for a casual meal with friends. read more

Mala Town - Signature beef bone broth - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Super clean super yummy, they were out of the Tom Yum broth but still very good. Would definitely go back. read more

Mala Town - So yum. They were out of the Tom Yum broth but still a success - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This meal was such an experience- from making my own pot to sweating while consuming the soup. New to Allston, this restaurant offers build-your-own hotpot! It'ssimple really- you grab a bowl, fill it up with whatever you like, weigh the bowl, pick a soup base, and pay by weight! There's endless options of vegetables, toppings, and meat. We were not shy with our bowls! There's also a huge sauce cart where you can mix and match your own sauce. After you make your bowl, you bring it up to the counter and they weigh it and deliver the bowl to your table! It's also so clean inside. I ordered the beef broth with medium spice and it was perfect for someone who is bad with spice aka me. The beef added a great umami and the broth warmed my soul. The vegetables and toppings are great quality and the meat is too! My favorite meat was the lamb and pork belly. I love that this restaurant can be for everyone no matter your dietary restrictions! Next time I want to try the dry mix! read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Service was okay, our reservation was skipped because the people behind us were standing up closer to the kiosk. In the future, please respect waitlist order. Otherwise, food was great. We both got medium beef bone broth as a base, and it had a good amount of spice. The enoki mushrooms and seafood options were great. The sauce bar had great options and was well kept. The place itself was well maintained and had a good atmosphere. Clean buffet and nice space. read more

Mala Town - Medium Beef Bone Broth Base - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Great food selections and very extensive sauce bar! The beef soup is delicious, the food comes very quickly, and it's a pretty good price (don't need that much food to be full). This is a fave spot for me and my husband. read more

Employee seeing you walk in And still walking out. It is unfortunate to be feeling unwelcome. Employees there clearly doesn't want you there and does want to serve as they were hired to do. Very good food but unfortunately awful service. read more

I was craving a good Mala experience, and this place delivered! There were so many options to build your own hot pot with and also so many soup base/flavors to choose from. We got the dry mix and beef bone broth this time but will definitely come back again to try the other flavors! read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time trying Malatang. There's a lot of seating and the stations are clean. Super affordable at $15 per pound and they have abalone! I tried the mild broth, medium broth and spicy dry pot. They have free jasmine tea and during the soft opening, you can get a free soda. I'm already thinking of when to return because you can customize it to whatever you're craving. Can't wait to return! read more

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A new Malatang place open in Allston area. I tried the no-spicy broth flavor. It was ok. The food is very fresh but the taste can be improved. read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food was excellent and attractively served. The wait staff were attentive and cordial. The decor is attractive. read more

"Absolutely love MalaTown! The spice level is perfect -- so flavorful and numbing in the best way. The staff is super friendly, and the vibes feel just like a real Sichuan street spot. Highly recommend the Tumyum and hot pot!Will definitely come back with friends. " read more

Nice experience to pick the food and make your own pot. the space looks clean and the people is friendl. read more

Mala Town - Chinese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time in this place, and the staff just stared without helping. We stood by the door for a good minute (with the employees staring at us), unsure if we were supposed to seat ourselves, didn't want to be rude, but ended up leaving. It'll be our last time. We were excited to try the food but came out in disappointment. There are better restaurants around the area WITH better customer service. :) read more

Best malatang in boston, does not skimp out on portion size. Shared between 2 ppl. Definitely recommend

Great service great foods great vibe! A nice place to hangout with friends. Great service great foods great vibe! A nice place to hangout with friends. read more