Vibe/ambiance: quick eats, casual Service: standard Reservation: walked in without a wait Items ordered: Build your own dry pot 8.5/10 read more

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

Ordered the veggie dumplings (steamed), house noodles with chicken and the hot pot with the little spicy sauce (fish cakes, tofu skin and Choy sum). I really loved the sauce of the dry pot I have to say and that's probably what makes this place so famous - that sichuan spice and flavor. The fish cakes were interesting . But the tofu skin and choy sum were very good. There were also fresh sichuan peppers corns in the sauce which were so yum. I tried the noodles and the dumplings and honestly both were very doughy for my taste. The dumpling wrappers were thick and so chewy - not in a good way. Service is really good and friendly. Ambience is alright - works for the price point. I'd go again when I am in the mood for their dry hot pot - that I highly recommend read more

Mala Project is always so good if you're craving spicy sichuan food. It's casual, great for sharing with friends and I like catching them during happy hour where you can get apps for less. It's a bit pricey but their pots are super filling and it's always fun to order different combos. I love their lamb, quail eggs, tofu skins, and lotus roots. The dry pot is spicy and flavorful without being too salty or oily. Solid spot for a Sichuan food in Midtown. read more

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One of the yummiest scallion pancakes I've had. The duck tacos were yummy too and the dry pot was delicious. We added in a nice variety from veg to meat to rice to tofu. The serving was generous and we still had plenty to take home for leftovers. We got the 0 spicy - I'm sure it gets quite hot! read more

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Delicious! I have been to their other locations before, and I've always enjoyed the food. My friend and I came last Wednesday around 1 PM for lunch. It was pretty packed, but people were leaving, so we got in line to be seated. Somehow they seated someone that came after us first, so I was pretty disappointed at first because we were waiting a while. The hostess apologized and offered us 10% off our meal which was very kind. She also gave us free spicy peanuts. I ordered the XiangXi Fried Rice without the bacon which was delicious. I would highly recommend trying this fried rice. The pickled green beans are packed with flavor and really make the dish unique. The inside has a pretty standard look, nothing fancy, more like a casual lunch/dinner vibe. read more

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Came here on a sunday at 3 PM, and were seated immediately since it was quite empty. The server recommended 4-5 ingredients per person for the dry pot, but we found 2-3 to be sufficient. The spices and herbs were very fragrant and tasty, with just the right spice level. I enjoyed the eye of round and the napa cabbage the most. I tried frog legs for the first time as well, and didn't know they would come fried. A tasty spot for customizable dry pot, but I found it to be overpriced for what it was. read more

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

I thought the dry pot was okay. Maybe it's this specific location but it didn't feel like some of the vegetables were cooked properly and the sauce and seasoning were a little bit bland. The meats (fish filet, beef tenderloin) were quite good but they would be better if the sauce had more flavor. The mapo tofu was pretty bad. I don't know if it's normally on the menu because it was made specifically for my vegetarian friend but definitely don't get it if it is. The sweet lotus root was okay. It was a little bit too sweet but it had a nice texture. I don't usually talk about service in my reviews too deeply but I was quite frustrated with the staff because my friend, who's vegetarian, doesn't eat garlic and onion. We asked the waiter if the chef could cook the dry pot without the house sauce by using just regular soy sauce. He said it was not possible which didn't make much sense to me. Thankfully they compensated my friend with the complementary dish of mapo tofu but I think the lack of flexibility when they easily could be accomodating is a bit concerning. Overall ambience of the restaurant is quite chill, it's not super packed like a lot of other spots in the area which is certainly preferable for a casual lunch with a friend. 4.0/5 read more

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First time trying the Dry Pot and didn't know what to expect. But wow... it was delicious! The portion could be for 2 people (sorry, forgot to take the pic, too shock to see the portion lol) I started with spicy popcorn chicken and marinated cucumbers. Love them very much! For the mala dry pot, I chose the beef tenderloin, bean curd sheet, glass noodle, bamboo shoot, shiitake mushroom, choy sum. I wasn't sure how they charged the price of the dry pot, because it was about $44 for that dry pot while if I calculated the items that I picked, the total was less than $44. The service was great and I found the ambiance was cute. read more

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It was my first time here with a group of friends and we loved it. Very simple concept, you choose the topping you want and they basically stir fry everything in the dry pot. The popcorn chicken was pretty good too. Some toppings we liked were the lotus root, fish meatball with roe, tendon, bok choy, and fish filet. Service was pretty quick and we were lucky enough to sit under the heater inside the restaurant so it was warm and comfortable. Would definitely go back. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - A combo of our favs plus sweet potato noodles and Spicy Popcorn Chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

MaLa always hits, I'm happy to see they opened up a location much closer to me. The food is delicious but the only gripe I have is the price. I paid $70 for one dry pot and nothing additional. Only drank water. That's insane if you really think about it. Would love to be a regular of MaLa but at that price point I don't think it's worth it. read more

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

Ordered some takeout for lunch and it was prepared within 10 min. The food was nice and spicy with a mix of lamb and vegetables. I got the regular spicy and it definitely needs to be paired with rice. The restaurant itself is fairly small with two main rows of tables. Service was quick for takeout read more

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

Came here with a friend before seeing a Broadway show. We were early and it was still busy! They have a pretty extensive cocktail menu, but we both forewent it for water. We shared - Dan Dàn Noodles - Eggplant with Roasted Garlic - Build your own Málà Dry Pot with broccoli, enoki mushrooms, pork belly, bok choy Everything was good. The dry pot was my favorite. Portions could've been bigger I thought. Service was fine. It's kinda cozy inside, very dark--is it mood lighting? read more

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This is the best place that I get lunch on a regular basis in Midtown. The product is always consistent and I actually crave it on the weekends. Mala Project is one of one and elite when it comes to hotpot. Wish there were more places like it in neighborhoods outside of Manhattan. read more

My partner and I walked in and were seated right away on a Friday around 5:15PM. Service was great and the vibe was very chill. We started with the cucumbers as an appetizer ($2 off for happy hour) and loved the vinegar-sweet taste to it. We did a BYO-bowl with potato noodles, fish ball with roe, lamb, Chinese cabbage, enoki, wood ear mushroom, and purple rice on the side. Everything was portioned well. The rice was nice to pair with the fattiness from the lamb and sauce in general. Would definitely recommend for a chill dinner. Reasonably priced for the portion and especially for the location. read more

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

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The food was really good and fast. I came here here with my coworkers for lunch. The spicy is actually pretty spicy. You've been warned. read more

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I returned recently with a friend and was seated at the bar. We ordered our usual dry pot with lamb, glass noodles, imitation crab sticks, lotus root, and added scallops this time. I'm not sure if we just got a bad batch, but my friend and I had intense stomach pains after. Still the food tasted great, just didn't feel great after. I'll be a little hesitant eating here again. read more

This place is a good dry pot place. It is soo good and the make your own bowl has a good portion that is good for two people. The service is good and the ambience is nice! I highly recommend and make sure you have a reservation! read more

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

Slightly expensive, but overall good food and service! Come with a friend :) Server was really nice read more

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

So many topping options to choose from, and everything feels unique and full of flavor. The dishes are tasty, interesting, and really addictive. There are also plenty of snacks and side dishes to try, which makes the experience even more fun. Definitely a place you should try read more

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

Got their popular dry pot for takeout lunch, and really liked the classic ben ben - the meat was tender, and liked the dry pot flavor. It's definitely a bit pricey for the portion, but a solid option if you're craving it. Service was quite fast too. 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

This spot gets a lot of hype, and IMO it lives up to it! It's tasty and very customizable (you choose your ingredients and spice level), and they stir fry it to perfection with MáLà spices. My friend and I split a pot with ~5 ingredients and two orders of rice which was plenty of food. My favorite ingredients include beef tendon (delish and great source of collagen) and the pork belly. Service is friendly and food comes out quickly! They also give you cute lil haw flakes as dessert with your check. read more

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

Very solid spot to grab a meal with friends. We made a reservation on a Tuesday night for a group of 5. It was decently busy inside but didn't feel too cramped. It was nice to customize the bowl and we opted to do a single large one with each of us picking 4-5 ingredients. This was a solid portion size that filled us up and with the spicy level it already had a good kick to and it was packed with flavor. The ben ben tea pot was an interesting drink to pair our meal with, but the alcohol was not too strong which was a plus. Service was friendly and efficient, I would return here again! read more

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

Came here before theater and we're not disappointed! What a great concept-order whatever you want and it gets stir fried as a dried pot. It's a hole in the wall place with brick walls. Service is quick. And I felt so good about myself eating so many veggies! We got the cold soba noodles and two pots, one vegan, one with chicken. Get the lotus and king oyster mushrooms . And rice cakes ! read more

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This is my favorite restaurants in all of Manhattan. I have never tried anything here other than the dry pot . The mala dry pot is boldly flavorful. It is intense , crunchy & fresh . I prefer the extra spicy one but I ve seen majority order the medium spicy . The service is quick all of the servers always extend a beautiful smile . I love the fact that you can add veggies of your choosing , it's quantity and the spice level .Every visit to this restaurant I have received the same quality quantity & flavour.This restaurant is a must visit for everyone. P.S regulars do not forget to sign up for their loyalty program ! read more

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Kinda expensive for what it was, but still so delicious! This was my first time trying Dry hot pot, and I was really impressed with the customizability and ingredient variety. As well as the flavor! We ordered eye of round, pork belly, fish fillet, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, rice cake, lotus root. And even with three people, we had some leftovers. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Eye of round, pork belly, fish fillet, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, glass noodles, rice cake, lotus root - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

It really is that good. If you like Sichuan look no further for one of NYC's best! The flavors they add to their dry pots are unmatched, portions are generous and if you like spice you'll love this. I sat at the bar and had great service, they also participate in blackbird which was great! Laid back environment, they have multiple locations and I was happy at both midtown. read more

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

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In the past 24 years of my life, I can point to three defining moments that have truly shaped who I am today. The day I started college, the day I started dating my partner, and the day I first tried Mala Project. Mala Project is a spicy, sizzling triumph for lovers of dry pot and bold Sichuan flavors. The build-your-own dry pot is a flavor bomb, loaded with numbing mala spice, rice cakes, spam, and tender pork belly that soaks up every bit of the wok-charred goodness. The space is stylish yet casual, perfect for a lively dinner with friends, and the service is fast and friendly without rushing you. I have eaten here a countless amount of times, and I cannot wait for the next trip. read more

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I went to Mala Project this past summer with a group of friends before heading to the U.S. Open, and it was a great choice. Everything we ordered was delicious, and it was perfect for sharing. We tried a wide variety of dishes, including the spicy wings, and customized a mala bowl with beef, potato noodles, bok choy, a variety of mushrooms, lotus root, and several other toppings. The flavors were bold and really well balanced. We ordered the Medium spice level, and while it had a nice kick, it honestly was not too intense. Looking back, we probably should have gone with the Spicy level. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and the experience, and I would definitely come back again to try more dishes. Service was fast and attentive as well. read more

Spontaneous Mala Dry Hot Pot Adventure After finishing up a class in Manhattan, I was looking for somewhere to unwind and chat with a friend--and she recommended Mala Project. I hadn't been before, but it had good reviews. We had no reservations, so we showed up and were thankfully seated pretty quickly. Food: 5/5 Let me just say: I was not expecting to be this impressed. You can customize your pot, which is such a fun experience. I chose the Abalone and pork for a protein, my friend went for fish balls, and wood ear mushrooms--super hearty and flavorful. It came out as this huge, comforting bowl that we couldn't even finish. We also got the duck tacos--crispy fried wrappers filled with duck and topped with avocado. Definitely a unique twist and surprisingly rich. I loved that they brought out a little candy (Haw Flakes) at the end which was a sweet final touch! All of that,for $90 total for two in Midtown! That's a steal! Service: 4/5 They were surprisingly slow to kick us out, though we had no reservation. We had to actually flag them down to get our check! We didn't mind and outside of that it was pretty good! All in all, absolutely come back--especially with a group. The portions are generous, the flavors are bold, and the vibe is chill enough for a casual hang or even a slightly elevated dinner. Just make a reservation if you can, and come hungry--the bowls are no joke! read more

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Delicious Dry Pot The room is not very large, but the seating is comfortable. The cocktails are creative, with unique flavors. The Dry Pot is very good, we had a variety of proteins and Vegetables. The Chicken Fried Noodles were a tasty side dish. The service was helpful and attentive. read more

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I went to Mala Project for lunch and if I had to describe it in two words, I'd use "spicy" and "expensive". The restaurant itself is fairly bare-bones and casual; it was a decent ambiance for lunch purposes. I got a mild dish and I was pretty surprised at how hot I thought it was. My friend got the medium and he was actively sweating! If I went back, I would probably be forced to get the no spice option. That said, the food was very fresh and the portion size was reasonable, so I would be willing to try it again. read more

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

Delicious flavor, really enjoyed the build your own bowl so you can customize how spicy you want your food! The space is a bit cramped but food comes out super quick. Definitely added to the rotation of restaurants. read more

Came with a friend after our long trek back from the Rockaways (every good review needs some context) We opted for a medium and added spam, lotus root, beef brisket, and pork. I'm sure there's more but I can't remember. I did like the taste and flavor and thought it paired nicely with the purple/black rice. I love this stuff with ramen noodles as well. read more

This is such a nice laid back spot to get some spicy dry-pot. The dry pot was soooo good. I will say tho that the 夫妻肺片 starter was not amazing and only decent, but the dry pot makes up for it. read more

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

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I tried this place for the first time a few years ago and it was my first time trying Mala. I remember it being good but not this good! We got a huge dry hot pot to share between 4 adults. The seasoning and cook of the meats and vegetables were perfect. This definitely beast SoriMara in my opinion. Although a little pricy, I'm always more than happy to pay more for better quality. The space has pretty limited seating so I highly recommend making a reservation. We also had an infant with us but they were great in accommodating and even made space for us to put her stroller. read more

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

Mala Project is bustling and fairly loud inside, with a well used bar, decent service (not enough staff), and decent food. I got a banana milk cocktail, which was quite good, and a dry pot. Unfortunately, the dry pot was not the best. The fish fillet was fried in a way where it is hard and not at all crispy, as well as being cut too thick to take advantage of the sauce. Would not get again. The pork belly has skin on, which is fine. Broccoli and bok choy also suffered from being cut too large. Add on the fact that many of the spices are whole (mildly inconvenient, though not inherently bad given the type of food), this just wasn't worth the price tag. Overall, the prices reflect that this is midtown Manhattan (very expensive) but the food preparation is just too coarse. For a restaurant dedicating half of their regular menu to dry pot, you'd hope their dry pot was better. You can get far better dry pot for half the price elsewhere in the city. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Banana Milk and Dry Pot - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Every visit to Manhattan means one dinner at Mala project. We love the dry pot We ordered extra spicy veg dry pot with multiple veggies and it was great The purple rice was sweet so do not order it if you do not like sweet Service was friendly and good. Ambiance is ok but you come here for food and not ambiance. Thoroughly enjoyed, will come back again. read more

The food was okay. The server forgot the chili oil. Everything came out quickly. It was very crowded and sitting next to the wall was uncomfortable. read more

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

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Oh man, this was good. I was in town for a conference, a local colleague made the reservations. The place was packed out on a Thursday night and we only could get reservations at 8pm which is way later than I usually eat dinner, but it was so worth it. It's tiny so if you come early, you probably want to wait outside. We ordered drinks and dinner. My drink (Moscow Mule) was fine, but it was the food that stood out. I try to order what a place is known for so I got a dry pot. I ordered it "a little spicy" and it was, to my taste, just a little more than a little spicy. Where I live in MD it would have been considered super hot but those folks can't handle three shakes of a black pepper canister. Where I used to live in Texas it would have been "medium" spicy. The spicy and super spicy are bound to be as described. So be warned if you don't like a good amount of spice to get the mildest option. I would absolutely order "a little spicy" again as it was pretty perfect. I added glass noodles, scallops, homemade shrimp balls, bok choy, and broccoli to my bowl. I ate it over three meals. They will try to offer you rice for "on the side" of the dry pot but if you added noodles this is totally unnecessary. One coworker thought he was getting a "side" of fried rice and got a massive portion that we all could have shared. I'm not sure if it was a mistake and they thought he ordered an entree fried rice or not, it's possible. The scallops were good sized, not the massive king size but also not the tiny ones you usually see on sushi rolls. About an inch in diameter. They were also properly cooked. I loved the homemade shrimp balls and honestly I loved everything about this bowl. I am sad I don't have anywhere locally to order this dish again because it was so fresh and delicious and I'm going to crave it for a long time. I also had a bite of my coworker's eggplant appetizer, it was very good. I hope to come back to NYC sometime in future and will absolutely return when I do, but I'll make my reservations WAY in advance. read more

I had a very nice dinner at MáLà Project on a Saturday night. We made a reservation ahead of time and were seated as soon as we arrived. Funnily enough, my mom's name is Mala and she joked about it to the host. They were kind enough to bring out complimentary Mala peanuts for her! It's a very homey place, a nice spot for dinner with friends or family. We ordered the Happy Tears appetizer and a spicy dry pot with lamb, enoki mushrooms, woodear mushrooms, tofu, and bokchoy. For our side, we got both white rice and purple rice. The Happy Tears was such a special dish! I will definitely order again. The dry pot is their signature dish and it's a must have. We were able to split between the two of us and still have leftovers but serving size will depend on how many ingredients you add to your dry pot and how hungry you are. Overall, we had a great dinner at Mala Project. I will be coming back! It's a good place to take NYC visitors for a unique food experience without breaking the bank. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - LingFn of Happy Tears - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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