I'm first time here and I'm very impressed with the food quality and the service is great.

love this place amazing food and soups. I would come back every time because it has great food selections

Ambiance: a lot of space good for 9 people Service: service was great! Food $$: pick your own mala and the mild was good. Maybe I would do medium next time. Also free rice Audience: Solo Trip [X] Family Friendly [ X] Friends [X] Date Spot [X] Recommendations/tips: I recommend read more

A few friends were in the mood for dry pot and we originally had another spot planned, but one of them saw a reel of Mala Panda, so we changed locations. We came in around 6:30pm on a Thursday and there were no seats in the main restaurant, so we were seated in the adjacent Japanese restaurant, which I guess they also own? Staff were very nice and accommodating. The selection of items for dry pot / malatang were adundant. I don't think I've ever seen so many options before. Prices were fair and I definitely ate my weight in dry pot. There's a sauce bar, which had a fine selection of sauces. I only wish they had satay sauce! There's also free unlimited rice for those dining in and my friend definitely made good use of that perk. The best part! They have a no spice option, which is a savory garlic sauce that was absolutely divine. I wish all dry pot spots that this option! read more

NYC FOOD RUN This weekend we hit @malapandanyc and went FULL send ‍ Flaming Potato - holy HOT (worth the sweat) Steamed Dumplings - always a yes DIY BOWLS = MAIN EVENT You pick 1+ lb of ingredients, choose your vibe (malatang, dry pot, or spicy mix), set the spice level , and they cook it up fresh. Over 100 ingredients to choose from--your bowl, your rules. Tubby 1 - pork bone malatang (mild spice) bok choy, tofu, crab + lobster balls, rice noodles, mushrooms, crab roll, udon, bean sprouts, soup dumplings Tubby 2 - dry pot (no spice) beef, chicken, shrimp balls, rice noodles, bok choy, bean sprouts, soup dumplings DIY heaven, custom bowls, and flavors that HIT. Would you go spicy or play it safe? read more

Horrible service: A brutally honest review from someone who got burned by buying a membership card | The service was so bad I wanted to cancel my card immediately and never come back, but they wouldn't let me Who else understands this? You buy a membership card thinking you're getting convenience, but instead you become the person who gets treated poorly by the store! The service at this place has hit rock bottom. I sincerely want to warn anyone thinking about getting a membership card: please stay away! I've had two terrible experiences recently, and both times the membership card issue turned into a complete nightmare during checkout. The first time, the staff told me their system had been upgraded. Processing my membership took a full 15 minutes. They made me enter my phone number over and over again--five or six times. When they got annoyed, they even asked me to write my number down by hand so they could enter it themselves. My food was already cooking, and I didn't want to make things difficult, so I stayed patient and said nothing. I thought, "Fine, maybe it was just a technical issue." Then today, my second time coming back, I clearly told them right when I walked in that I had a membership card. The employee completely ignored it and kept aggressively gesturing for me to just pay by card. I got so frustrated that I asked right there if I could cancel my membership. The experience was honestly beyond tolerable. Ever since the previous cashier--the girl with glasses--left, the new employees have been doing one ridiculous thing after another. The previous cashier was genuinely thoughtful. She remembered my preferences and would proactively deduct my membership balance when I checked out. I'm not asking employees to memorize my personal habits. I'm simply asking them to pay a little attention and do their jobs properly. Is that really too much? The explanation from the employee was even more ridiculous: "There aren't many customers with membership cards, so we don't remember." I actually laughed when I heard that. If there are fewer membership customers, shouldn't they be easier to remember? And besides, I literally told them in my first sentence when I entered that I had a membership card. Did they just not hear me? What's even more frustrating is that this same cashier remembered before that I had loaded money onto my card with cash. But today, she suddenly acted like she had no idea I even had a membership card--after I had already told her! The double standard is unbelievable. Is it really that hard to take responsibility? Just admit it was a mistake. It wouldn't have taken much, and it wouldn't have upset a regular customer. Previously, the restaurant even made my food incorrectly. I didn't complain or lose my temper at all. They fixed it by making another portion and giving me a free drink, and I was kind enough not to make an issue out of it. Looking back now, that was probably the moment I should have avoided this place completely. Instead, I foolishly reloaded my membership card and basically paid to give myself more frustration. Clearly, they don't care about regular customers at all. The hypocrisy is honestly unbelievable: They are extremely careful about checking student IDs and student emails--no mistakes there, no laziness whatsoever. But their explanations don't even match. Last time, the same cashier said she remembered my cash top-up. Today, she suddenly claimed she had absolutely no memory of me having a membership. The contrast is honestly ridiculous. On top of the service issues, I also encountered food safety problems. The self-service rice bowl I got had foreign objects inside, and the food hygiene standards are questionable. This restaurant has even been temporarily closed before due to health department violations and required corrective action. The management problem here is huge. One cashier is expected to serve customers, greet guests, receive deliveries, and do miscellaneous work all at the same time. The staffing arrangement is clearly unreasonable. But why should paying customers become the target of their frustration? I pay money to enjoy a meal and relax--not to pay money to leave with a stomach full of anger and frustration. Once I finish using the remaining balance on my card, I'm permanently done with this place. I will never step inside again. For anyone considering buying a prepaid membership card: think carefully. A restaurant that can't even manage its own membership system is absolutely not worth trusting with your money. read more

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I was craving malatang when visiting NYC and this place came up on my search. Honestly, it's a great malatang establishment when it comes to fresh ingredients, but I'm giving it 4 stars because I asked how spicy was the medium and he said "if you can handle spicy it's not that spicy". I got the dry pot and I came with two others who got the hot pot. We all asked for medium spicy and it turns out, we all thought it was too spicy. Normally when I visit a new restaurant I err on the side of caution and get the mild, but I think something about being in the city made me feel like being a risk taker. I wanted to enjoy the dry pot but the heavy spices took away from the individual flavors of the ingredients I got. read more

Mala Panda - Hot pot and dry pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Portion sizes here can get massive especially if your eyes are bigger than your stomach. I got the drypot and the seasoning here is flavorful and yummy, but was a little watery the day I came--not sure if this was just a fluke. There's lots of options to choose from which I love and there's a tax-cut if you pay with cash! read more

Mala Panda - Dry Pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Nice quick casual place to grab malatang near midtown. They have a good selection of vegetables and meat, and there's a sauce station where you can mix your own dipping sauce. Solid place! read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Fresh ingredients. Can choose what you put in yourself. stir fry with medium spice option. there's also a build your own sauce bar

I love mala panda! Spicy dry pot is the best. Medium is pretty spicy but very worth it. Tomato soup is also awesome. Also the guy is goated read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Food is good fair priced and the service is fast. There's tons of seating and usually isn't crowded at peak times read more

Mala Panda - Beef Dry Pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Did a custom dry pot. Ended to be around $50 with tip which is a bit pricey for two people. However, food was great! It took 15 minutes before they got the food to us, and everything worked together well. There's also unlimited white rice which is a plus. -1 star for the price, but service and food was good! read more

Mala Panda - dry pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Omg, I wish this existed in Orlando!! I love Dry Pot and this is pretty much my heaven. Like most reviews have stated -- you can either order off a menu or create your own dry pot or malatang. We got one of each where I got the medium and my husband got the spicy. Trust me when I say it's HOT. The medium was perfect for me, but it packed a big punch. Both dishes were amazing, but I preferred the Dry Pot. It's $15/lb, but make sure that your eyes aren't bigger than your stomach! I finished my pound of food and was soooo stuffed. It's definitely good for take-home, but we were only visiting and didn't have a convenient way to reheat leftovers. Variety of meats, seafood, tofu, veggies, and more was really good! So many good options to choose from. We also ordered rice on the side to eat with the dishes. Service was good and attentive. The staff here are really friendly. The interior is bright, eclectic, and fun. Maybe it's good they're not near me because I would be here every week. Highly recommend! read more

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I'm surprised that I haven't heard of this place before recently, considering how yummy it was! I was very impressed with the selection of ingredients available -- so many different types of fresh veggies, noodles, fish balls and the like, and a variety of cuts of meat. I did feel that the meats were just a tad lacking in terms of quality (just didn't taste the most tender), but also I didn't notice the frozen meats until I was nearly done assembling my ingredients (and I think they were better haha). You can choose if you want the type with broth (mala tang) or without (mala dry pot) and the price is based on the weight of your ingredients (I think $16/lb now). My order ended up being around 1.3lbs, which was super filling (and only around $20!) Other than the mala tang/dry pot, there's also a menu that you can order off of (hot pot, etc.). Prices are especially good, since there's also no tip (mostly self service) and no tax if you pay with cash. It also comes with unlimited rice for free (you just get it yourself as much as you want). Definitely super impressed at how tasty and affordable my meal here was -- will definitely be back :) read more

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Great atmosphere! I enjoy the selection of over 100 option that they have. Excited to try

Such a delicious but dangerous experience..... Kind of lost control my first time here and ate my entire 1.55lbs of food and was so full I had to stand 45 degrees while waiting for the train. They have a large variety of options for you to choose for your pot at $15.99 per pound which you can do dry or soup. I like the dry pot here: their sauce is full of flavor and I love the mala spice which actually leans more towards spicy than numbing. I find the mild still has a bit of a kick, and the medium was a bit overwhelming for me as someone who can do about 2.5-3/5 on the spicy scale. read more

Mala Panda - 1.55 lb - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Very cool concept! They allow you to pick your own vegetables and stuff. There's also a freezer of more meat options behind it on the other side which I didn't realize. I thought it was ice cream lol. The service was nice and she explained it after I paid read more

Mala Panda - Veggie bar - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Solid spot for your mala fix. Only downside is they close a little bit on the earlier side at 8:30 pm. Came here for dinner with a friend after searching for dry pot. This is a spot where you can choose your own ingredients and then have it cooked to order. There was a solid number of choices both on the meat, fish/meat balls, noodles, and veggies. However, I will note that at around 7:30 some of the ingredients were almost out (probably because they were closer to closing time). The cost is for total weight, which is typical but not always the greatest from a cost perspective if you like veggies. So I guess go for the beef? You can choose either to have it cooked dry or in a soup. I got the dry with medium spice + extra sichuan peppercorn and it was great! They also have free rice if you are dining in + a sauce bar. There's a variety of drinks at the front but the only beer option is Corona as far as I could tell. All in all a solid spot for a mala fix. I'd definitely come back. read more

From picking my favorite ingredients to crafting the ultimate custom sauce at the sauce bar, my dry mala bowl at hits every flavor note -- spicy, numbing, and totally addictive. You can build your own mala bowl exactly how you like for just $15.99/lb. Don't miss the crispy fried pork and fried tilapia, and finish it off with the brown sugar jelly that makes this spot even more irresistible. Follow me @foodie.elite on IG and TikTok for more! read more

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One of the best dry hot pot places I have been to in the city. Staff is very chill and restaurant is roomy and comfy. Selection of veggies and meats are great. Can't wait to come back read more

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I was craving mala dry pot and mushrooms so I decided to stop by this newly opened restaurant! Similar to places in China, they offer a fridge wide of ingredients for you to select and you pay by weight. I picked a whole 2.5 pounds which came out to about 45 dollars, which is on the pricey side for this type of food - but I'll take it because their sauce was flavorful and savory enough! Although I initially opted for medium spicy, the server advised to try mild first and I wish I didn't follow her recommendation. I appreciated how the ingredients were cooked thoroughly, even those with different cooking time (veggies vs potato glass noodles). Loved the variety of ingredients like fish balls, noodles, veggies. Their meat was also solid! The beef pieces were very tender. I would be interested to try their malatang next time! I would like to point out that the counter space and tables weren't the most clean (just some grease on surfaces or unwashed herb). Staff were nice and diligent. Good amount of seating. Food came out quick! read more

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When you walk in, grab a bowl, and fill your bowl with ingredients. There's a huge wall with different meats, veggies, seafood, and noodles. Then bring your bowl to the register and pay by the weight and choose the flavors/spice level. They take your bowl to the back to cook and you can head to the back seating area. The dry pot here really hit the spot! I enjoyed my meal dine in but did notice a few flies flying around. read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Wide selection of ingredients and sauce options. The broth was really good and just the right spice level for me. read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Cool experience - the space itself is casual and has plenty of seating for groups of 2-6, with fun art all over the wall. Upon walking in, you grab a tray and a pair of tongs and pick out all the ingredients you want in your dish. There are a lot of choices, particularly for proteins. I was surprised by the variety! One thing to note is that they have a 1lb purchase minimum, which I didn't hit at first but was allowed to grab more ingredients before checking out. At the time I went, they only allowed us to do the hot pot option, which was a bit of a bummer because I was really hoping to try the dry pot. It took about 20 minutes to receive my dish after making it, my friend an extra 5 minutes or so. The spice level is accurate - the medium definitely had a kick to it! They had a customizable sauce bar with the basics, along with complimentary rice for dine in. All in all, a fun experience, but not necessarily rushing back. read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

I was craving dry mala and saw this place on TikTok, it's $14.99/lb and self serve. Their variety is great and their flavor is super super mala, so if you're a fan of that you'll love this place, there were sooo many peppercorns They also have free rice and their water has lemon soda in it to help offset the mala LOL Instagram - @joangela.eats read more

Mala Panda - Dry pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Always love the food when I come to Mala Panda - the right level of spice and taste. Service is really quick, and vibes are great too!

Mala Panda specializes in flaming spicy Ma La Tang (soupy spicy numbing vats of food) or dry hot pot, with a buffet style wall of options to customize your dish. Great for solo diners or parties with very different spice tolerances. First, grab a tray and load up on all your favorites. Second, weigh your tray and pay (discounts for cash). Select a beverage Third, get a seat. Make your sauces. Wait for 10 minutes. Eat! read more

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Came here to try the hotpot and drypot. I will say, both dishes were delicious, but I personally really liked the dry pot. The food selection is a la carte style, so you get to choose and pick what you want in your dish. The options vary with a wide range of meat to seafood, vegetables, noodles, etc. price was around $20-24/person. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for drypot & hotpot! read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

this place you can get as much as you want or as little as you want. they have a lot of options to choose from. great selection of veggies and meat. the service is also great. read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Good sauce taste for dry pot. Large variety of ingredients to use for DIY. The DIY is minimum 1lb. If you get less it's still the same price. Server was nice. Bathroom is kind of dirty, I just washed my hands and didn't touch anything else. read more

Mala Panda - 1 lb dry pot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Mala Panda is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, opening up earlier this month right across the street from my building. I came in on a cloudy Tuesday evening, craving something spicy and tingly to knock some sense back into my allergies. For the uninitiated, the setup here can be a bit intimidating: luckily, staff was very friendly and eager to help. You're charged by the pound, with a 1lb (as of today, $14.99) minimum. Grab your tray and start piling up fresh ingredients from the huge refrigerated shelves and, if you want, thin slices of frozen meat (lamb, beef, fish, et al) from the freezer chest. The shelves have a few dozen vegetable, dim sum, noodle, and meat options to pick from. Take your tray to the cashier, choose your style (malatang: hot pot soup, dry pot: stir fry, or spicy mix) and heat level (no spice to extra spice). Pay for your meal and staff will take your tray to the cook. It was a struggle finding enough to build a sensible sized tray and my order for malatang got put through as dry pot, but this was some of the best Szechuan cuisine I've had (besting Chengdu in Jersey City). My dry pot had sweet potato noodles, 3 types of mushrooms, two types of bok choi, tofu, calamari, shrimp dumplings, and sliced lamb. The cashier cautioned me that my order of "medium" was very hot and...it certainly packs a punch, though not steamy enough to keep me from devouring the plate. While there was definitely some bite from chilis, it didn't overpower the coriander and Szechuan pepper. Sauces can be added to your cooked bowl and rice is free if you're eating in. I'll be back to get malatang and see just how potent the "extra spicy" is read more

Mala Panda - Dry pot, medium spicy - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Incredible malatang! You order and pay at the front when you walk in (or make your dish with what you want and go up front to weigh it) and receive a buzzer. You can sit down and they will bring the food to you when the buzzer goes off. They have a decent amount of tables and a few staff members bringing out dishes from the kitchen, you can smell the food when you walk in. We ordered from the set menu. We tried the lamb malatang (medium spicy), dry pot chicken (medium spicy) and the soup dumplings. We enjoyed everything but the malatang was delicious! Very spicy which we loved (left your mouth and lips tingling) and super flavorful. I would make my own next time and add in more items to make it a bit more filling. The dry pot was tasty, albeit a little oily and on the smaller side. The soup dumplings were good but not really filled with soup. Overall a great meal and fairly priced. Would definitely go back. read more

The interior is very spacious and the space is cooled down very well. The staff are all very nice and the rest room is super clean. The food smells good and is very tasty! The ingredients are very fresh read more

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This place is spacious with multiple selections of meat, noodles and cabbage. All the workers here are nice and kind with offering help and seating is right away definitely come back read more

I love this casual malatang spot. They have lots of different options for pricing and the kind of meal you want to have. I did the $15.99/lb malatang, and I think it's a great deal. You can choose your own ingredients (they have a huge selection!), and each person needs to have at least one pound. There is a sauce bar and unlimited rice. The staff are friendly, the food came out fast, and it tasted delicious! read more

Mala Panda - malatang - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

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Nice environment and good service. There are many options to choose from and the food is fresh. read more

Mala Panda - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Food: I really enjoyed this restaurant! They offer mala tang and dry hot pot. There's an AYCE option for $48 or the DIY option that is charged by the pound. Rice is unlimited and self-served. For the DIY option, you select your ingredients and put it into a tray. They have a wide selection of items including veggies, meats, noodles, fish balls, seafood, and typical hot pot ingredients. I'm giving this place four stars instead of five because some of the ingredients they had didn't look very fresh such as the enoki mushrooms. After you finish collecting your items and putting it on the tray, you bring it to the cashier to be weighed and pay. The spice level is customizable and you let them know if you would like dry hot pot or mala tang. I selected try hot pot, but I definitely want to return to try the mala tang because it looked really good at other tables. There's also a sauce bar where you can make your own sauce. This was overall a very delicious meal and the unlimited rice was a plus. Service: Service was good. Staff are busy running around putting together takeout orders, but they still come around and refill your water and look around to see if you need anything. The staff member at the front was also friendly and took time to explain how everything works since it was our first time there. Ambiance: The restaurant is spacious and seating is comfortable. Most tables are for parties of four so it might not be ideal for large groups unless you sit at smaller tables next to each other. As soon as you walk in, you see the selection of ingredients displayed. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant and can't wait to return! read more

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Decently priced with large variety of ingredients!! I got the mild and it was wayy too spicy for me but the flavors they use are delicious!!! read more

Mala Panda - drypot - Chinese Near Me - New York, New York

Awesome new find and dry pot place in flatiron!! For $15.99/lb you can pick any mix of toppings you want, which gives you the ability to select exactly as much as you want. We got the mild and while I don't do that well with spice, it was the perfect level - but you can still customize it after with the sauce bar. My main regret is not realizing the pork belly was on a separate fridge until after I ordered - but will get it next time!! read more

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