Cheap mala hotpot in Bangkok
The word mala means “numbingly spicy” and is what you feel once your lips so much as touch the chopsticks. The mala soup at Mala Chuan Chuan is no slouch in making your taste buds and nose burn up.
The mala soup is spicy on all levels
The two smaller bowls include beef tripe and shirataki noodles with high spiciness
First, you first grab ingredients you want from the fridge and place them into the basket. You can choose between three spice levels: mild, medium, or high – the main difference is the spice’s thickness and intensity. The basket of ingredients then disappear into the kitchen and come back, braised in mala soup.
They told us that the mild mala is spicier than Thai green papaya salad (som tam), so we went with medium-level for a balance. The mala still kicks pretty hard. After the first sip, you’ll feel a numbing, slow burn of mala making its way back up – when I had it, my nose cleared and the toothache was also gone. The smaller bowls, which were high-levels, had a thicker but slightly bitter spiciness to them, but tongues were already numb from the medium-level mala, so it didn’t feel any hotter.
For ingredients with solo skewers, it is ฿5 each, while ones with twin skewers are ฿10 each. The vegetable trays are ฿20 each and the mala soup itself is only ฿128.
The special trays include shirataki noodles and beef tripes, both ฿60. These are served separately from the hot pot, so you can ask for different spice levels as well.
Genuine Sichuan mala recipe
You won’t have to fly all the way to China to get a taste of Sichuan spice. If you want to try mala soup that tastes genuinely Sichuan that doesn’t blow your budget, Mala Chuan Chuan’s mala soup will make you breathe fire a couple of hours after your meal.
Aroi Sure Mala Chuan Chuan (อร่อยชัวร์หม่าล่าช่วนช่วน สาขา 8)
Address: Ramintra’s Walking Market, Ramintra Rd, Bangkok 10230
Opening Hours: 2:00PM-Midnight, Daily
Telephone: +66 84 878 0483
Aroi Sure Mala Chuan Chuan (อร่อยชัวร์หม่าล่าช่วนช่วน สาขา 2)
Address: 170 1 Pracha Rat Bamphen Road, Khwaeng Huai Khwang, Huai Khwang, Bangkok 10310
Opening Hours: 2:00PM-Midnight, Daily
Telephone: 08 8252 8509
Enjoying The Smart Local Thailand? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all things Thailand