Not bad but not great. We ordered 9 ingredients and asked for the medium spicy level. The presentation was fine but unfortunately the flavor was not great. It was too salty and not spicy enough. We were looking for that numbing sensation and never got it. The place was pretty packed on a weekend lunch but the service was still great! The waitress took our order back twice 1) to bump up the spice level and then 2) reheat the food (after we had eaten the food for a while). Unfortunately, it still wasn't spicy enough for us and we don't even have a high spice tolerance! For a party of 2 at lunch, the total came out to about $60 before tip. I would recommend checking this place out to try dry pot but I don't think I'll be coming back soon. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (Build Your Own/Build To Share): pork intestines, tripe, rice cake, cabbage, enoki, beef eye of round, etc. - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Indoor dining: very cozy and nice for date night. I usually get takeout, but tried out indoor dining at this location for the first time. The interior is very nice and comfortable. There was plenty of space for seating inside, and each table was spread out enough that I didn't feel cramped. We came around 6pm and were seated immediately, though by the time we left there was a line almost to the door. Ordering was a breeze. You can order on your phone or with the waiter. Since we were getting the dry pot, it was easier to just use the online ordering form. Some dry pot places use paper checklists, but online ordering makes sense these days (especially with covid). We shared a spicy dry pot. The food came out super quickly with plenty for both of us. The spice definitely builds and I was sniffling by the end of the meal. I still think the East Village location is a little spicier, but I guess I will just have to try it again for a full comparison. :) read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Dry pot - shrimp, fish cake, sweet potato, five spice tofu - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

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Basically hotpot without the broth, which is perfect for hotpot lovers on those hot summer days. My friend and I got delivery and ordered the 'Build Your Own Mala Dry Pot' with medium spice. We chose 13 different items plus one order of the purple rice. I thought the amount of spice was good although the spice level tasted more mild than medium. The purple rice was interesting and flavorful (it even had small pieces of dates in it)! My favorite ingredients were the quail eggs and lotus root and my least favorite were the taro and fish fillet (the fish fillet was fried, but with the sauce it wasn't crispy anymore. I would prefer if the fillet were not fried). Food was definitely pricey. With delivery fee and tax, the total came out to be around $40 per person. read more

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

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Does it taste good? Yea pretty good. Is it authentic, not really. Was way too oily and not spicy enough. The spicy is more like below a mild at other places. The best stuff to add was definitely the frog legs and fish filet, both were pretty bomb. read more

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

First time trying dry hot pot and it was so good. Can't wait to come back again! Also I loved the bean curd. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

In the city for work and took my team here for lunch. It didn't disappoint. I didn't know what to order so asked the waiter to recommend. I thoroughly enjoyed the food. Portion is very big. read more

I work nearby and occasionally go in for an $18 lunch special. Today I went in, found my item on the menu, and ordered it--only to be told there's a special price of $32 because it's Veterans Day. I won't be going back. What a bizarre way to honor our veterans. read more

Super tasty, friendly staff, amazing portion, and great vibes! Glad to have found this place! read more

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

Rating: 3.5/5. We made reservations via Resy, doesn't have a card hold and generally has openings. They also helped us move reservations to another location via call because we were stuck in traffic. We tried mala peanuts (nice!), scallion pancakes (decent, have had better/fresh), mala pot vegetarian (so good, medium spice is hot enough! do not go dare devil, you will die in pain, I've great spice tolerance,trust me). Drinks were alright, we tried my strawberry nights and air china. It's not too bad on the pocket considering the giant portion sizes of the pot, which I assume are meant to be shared and those items were split by 4. Overall: Solid food, not high on ambience, ok service read more

My friends and I ordered the lamb pot at spicy level, which was our big mistake. When they say spicy, they REALLY mean it. We were all absolutely dying from the heat. I definitely recommend getting medium or mild spice here! We also got the dan dan noodles and spicy popcorn chicken, which were both pretty good and served as solid distractions from the too-spicy dry pot. We came by at happy hour and were able to take advantage of special cocktail prices ($10). The cocktails are INCREDIBLY strong here and less on the sweet side -- combined with the flaming lamb pot, this made for an interesting dining experience with my friends. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - The Lamb, Dan Dan Noodle, Spicy Popcorn Chicken - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

My friends who live in NYC say this is one of their fav spots. I came here when visiting and tried their build your own mala dry pot. I got fish fillets, rice cakes, bok choy, and enoki mushrooms - you can choose between mild to spicy (beware that the spicy is not for the faint of heart!) the flavors were amazing and the ingredients were fresh. Would highly recommend for a solid dinner out. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Can someone say spicy?! This place knows how to turn up the heat and I'm okay with it! So many amazing options to choose from and friendly waitstaff! read more

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

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I have been to this location of Mala Project a few times, and I most recently went this past Sunday. It is smack dab in the middle of midtown, near Times Square and Bryant Park. The space itself is decorated in a standard way, with a good amount of tables. Service is always pretty good, no major issues. At my last trip here, I got the mouthwatering chicken, which was good -- not that spicy though, but a good amount of chicken that was very tender. I also got and love the dry pot here -- I always get a mix of items, usually with fish cake, a ton of mushrooms, tofu skin, and potato noodles. We got the pot medium spicy -- it was definitely on the lighter end of spicy, but was fine with supplemental chili oil. Overall, I think Mala Project is always a really good meal. Great place to share a meal and a conversation with friends. read more

3.5. This restaurant looks small on the outside but was in fact quite spacious indoors. I've only been to one other mala place and they served much bigger portions. I came here with two other people and we shared a small dish (eggplant with roasted garlic) and a mala dry pot. The eggplant dish is cold, as I believe is traditionally made. There was a generous dollop of garlic with it that I appreciated. I wish the dish was a bit bigger but it served well as an appetizer. For the mala dry pot, we got the Lamb, and I was a little surprised with it came out. I think a hungry person would be able to finish it on their own, but you can definitely share this with one other person, and finish without being too full. In my case, I shared it with two other people, both of who were not that hungry when they came. I requested medium spicy, but I feel like I could have done with full spicy since there wasn't as much numbing (mala) in the dry pot as I thought. Wouldn't mind coming back on my own if I ever craved a dry pot. Reasonable prices for Rockefeller/Bryant Park. read more

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Went here to get lunch with coworkers. This place is one of my fave dry pot spots. I usually order delivery from a different location but this was my first time dining in. I love getting the fish dry pot lunch special and adding potato noodles with the little spicy spice level. It gets really busy during lunch time so def recommend ordering in and picking up since it did take us some time to get our food while dining in. If you like dry pot, def recommend! read more

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First time customer and ordered the mala pot, dumplings and chicken and cucumber appetiser for delivery. this is pretty spicy food. Food was meh and oily, and when I called to tell them they had forgotten the rice, was told no one was available to deliver and she hung up. I live two blocks away. First and last time I will frequent. read more

My friend and I split the Build Your Own Mala Dry Pot with medium level spice, beef, pork, lotus root, enoki mushroom, broccoli, bok choy, and potato noodle. We ordered a side of rice, and this was the perfect amount for 2 people. Medium level spice is decently spicy, but it wasn't as mala as I expected. I really liked the beef, and I definitely recommend adding vegetables, even though they cost at least $4 each. I love potato noodles, but these were also not as chewy as I expected. Overall, our order came out to be $50, which is a bit pricey, but reasonable given that it is a dish that should be shared. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Build Your Own Mala Dry Pot: medium spice, beef, pork, lotus root, enoki mushroom, broccoli, bok choy, potato noodle - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Stumbled upon this place and it is a solid find! We ordered a custom mala dry hot pot and the flavors were delicious. The vegetables really soak up the spices and pairs well with a bowl of white rice. We ordered the chicken dish and it was on the dry side. It is crispy on the outside but the chicken was kind of bland. Overall, we would come back here for their signature dry hot pots! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Chinese Fried Chicken and custom dry pot - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Everything we ordered hit the spot! Our server recommended great dishes - the popcorn chicken, mala nuts, and dry pot with various add-ons. We ordered the highest spice level and absolutely loved it. 10/10 recommend! read more

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

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Got seated really quick for a saturday evening & me and a friend split a make your own dry pot! Ingredients all seemed super fresh & food was very flavorful. We ordered the pork belly, mushrooms, fishballs, and broccoli. Eventually the restaurant got busier, so was hard to flag down a waiter when we wanted to leave for the check, and would recommend making a reservation if you want to come later than 6:30/7 pm. Overall would rate the food 8/10! Would come back to try other combinations of dry pot. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (Build Your Own/Build To Share) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Came here for lunch on a weekend and ordered the build your own mala pot. The first time it came out it was WAY too salty, like overkill on my tastebuds. I can't remember the last time I sent anything back to the kitchen it might be a first for me. But this had to go back. The waiter totally understood and promptly got us a new order, the second one came out much better so I give this place a solid 4 for food and service. If I had one complaint it would be that the table for two is way too tight. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Custom MALA DRY POT (Build Your Own/Build To Share) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

First time getting food from here. My local place is no longer local so I had been trying to find a location that offers Dry Pot and Mala Project did not disappoint. I was able to get my order as close as i could and it was delicious. I got the medium spice dry pit. I think i could have gotten it spicier but it was still delicious. I ordered online through their website and it was ready within 10 minutes of the order (not 30 like they had stated). When picking up it was quick and easy. I told the staff my name and the food was handed immediately. The food was delicious amd very filling. I will definitely return soon. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Build Your Own Mala Dry Pot Broccoli Potato Bean sprouts Pork belly Medium spice and side of rice - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Was very excited to try. The ambiance and service was good. I only try the mala so can't say for rest of the menu. Found portion to be quite small and also pricey. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

Solid dry pot! Mala Project is open for to-go/ takeout as well as limited indoor dining, following social distancing guidelines. If you choose to dine in, there's a QR code at each table so you can view the menu and order online. I tried the Classic, which came with sliced eye of round, potato, cauliflower, and five spice firm tofu with mild spiciness. I thought it had a great flavor and would've even liked to try the more spicy level. I think it's a good size for one person and can even be split by two if you're not super hungry. They also had an option to build your own dry pot if you don't happen to like any of the fixed options. The prices seemed pretty reasonable as well. Would recommend stopping by if you're in the mood for some good dry pot! read more

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

7.18.2023 * Lunch combo no. 2 (beef tenderloin, broccoli, lotus root, firm tofu, enochi mushroom) (3/5) The mala flavor is not there and the mix of spices was not enough. I got the spicy flavor, but it was not spicy. There's also no wok hei and it's watered down. The ingredients used taste fresh and cooked well with good texture. The broccoli and lotus root was nice and crunchy. The beef was tender with some pieces that were slightly over cooked with tendon. The firm tofu reminded me of fish tofu, where it has a slightly bouncy texture and didn't have a bean taste. Overall, I wouldn't come again as it tasted very authentic. read more

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

We visited Mala Project East Village location a few years ago when they just opened and it wasn't a memorable experience. However, we did see the improvement with their service and food this time. We had Eggplant With Roasted Garlic and Build Your Own Mala Dry Pot to share between two of us and the portion was decent with reasonable price. Their food was overall flavorful and delicate especially the eggplant. read more

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I've heard about this place so much and finally got to try it out. I love hot pot so it was only a matter of time before I came here. I ordered their Eggplant with Roasted Garlic as an appetizer. It was recommended by their staff. I like this dish in general and was satisfied with their version. For the dry pot ingredients, I included many of my favorites from hot pot. The differentiator of dry pot was definitely the flavor. I ordered 'little spicy' in the beginning to be cautious but upgraded to 'spicy' in the middle. I was surprised it wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be. For people who love spicy foods, there's definitely room to bump the spice levels up a notch. After trying out their dry pot I have no complaints but I still prefer hot pot. It was a good experience. read more

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Where do I begin? Great drinks, food that is soooooo flavorful and service that is exceptional. Shout out to Fagamo (sp?) who rocks! Looking forward to returning soon for more of the happy hour nibbles to be followed by a dry pot! read more

Mala Project is one of my go-to spots for visitors to introduce them to dry pot! It's such a fun dining experience picking out the individual ingredients and enjoying it with their flavorful, delicious spicy sauce. Even if you can handle some spice, I would recommend the mild level. Last time I had the medium level, I felt like my mouth was on fire (but maybe I am just weak). I came here with a group of 6 on a Sunday evening with out-of-town guests. I typically visit the East Village location, which is more spacious and lively. For large parties (6+), I had to email for a reservation and only the Midtown West location had availability. It was a cozier and quieter dining experience. For small plates, I would recommend the liangfen of happy tears, a refreshing mung bean jelly noodle dish with chili oil sauce. For the mala dry pot, it's all about personal preference and customization - all ingredients are high-quality and fresh. We did 28 items for 6 people (they recommend 4-6 ingredients per person) and were uncomfortably full. I would recommend the beef (eye of round or tenderloin), quail eggs, lotus root, tofu pockets, enoki mushrooms, taro, and glass noodles. Note that it is automatic 20% gratuity for large parties. After doubling up on some of the items, it ended up being $220 for 6 people (~$37pp). With winter upon us, I will definitely be returning for more comforting, mouth-watering food. read more

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The food here is delicious. It's seasoned to perfection. The best accidental find, angry for not knowing about it sooner! Mell has been my server 3 times now and she's so amazing. The host as well, I forget her name. She's very warm and inviting every time my coworker and I arrive. I highly recommend! read more

Probably one of the best mala I've tried. Lots of protein given and spices were on point! It wasn't too oily either but it was still super flavorful!! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - MALA DRY POT (build your own combo) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

I had my first dry pot experience here and it didn't disappoint! I was going through old photos and found this gem and can't believe I missed this spot in my list of places I wanted to review. Went here early 2020, maybe January, and there was quite a long line for dinner on a weekday night, but the food was well worth the wait. The inside was very cozy but didn't feel too cramped - had enough space to enjoy the spicy goodness. From what I read in more recent reviews, they are open for takeout orders and limited indoor seating! We ordered the pig ear in chili oil and 1 dry pot each. The pig ear is a cold appetizer with just enough chili oil to satiate the need for spice. It was just enough to warm us up for the actual dry pot as the main course. I love how you can customize what you get in the dry pot and you have a variety of meats, vegetables, seafood, and other things like tofu skin. They also have 3 different spice levels (i got the medium level) so you can customize it to your liking. The portion was good for the price & I had some left over to take home with me. If you're in the mood for some good mala, this is definitely the place to go! read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Custom dry pot with lotus root, several types of beef, mushroom, vegetables... - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

My favorite dry pot place!!!! I used to eat this all the time when I lived in the city. Then when I moved, I had this every time I went back to the city. It's so addicting, eat with caution! I add in a good amount of ingredients with my dry pot. My personal mix: bok choy, napa cabbage, eye round only for meat, fried bean curd, dried tofu skin, bamboo shoots, lotus, potato noodles. Amazing!!!! Also, I usually ask for no peppercorn because I just don't like chewing on them. The scallion pancake here is good too, but I usually just order the dry pot. It was a nice complement to the dry pot though. read more

MáLà Project Bryant Park - Make MALA DRY POT (Build Your Own/Build To Share) (top), Scallion Pancake (bottom) - Dim Sum Near Me - New York, New York

The food came out super quick, which was very much appreciated since we were super hungry. However, there was nothing special about the food in my opinion. We got the build your own bowls with the spicy sauce. It just wasn't super flavorful. read more

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Came here on a weekday after work for a quick dinner. The server was really nice and the food itself was great. The only thing I knocked off one star for was the price because you can find the same kind of drypot in Queens or Brooklyn for half the price. read more

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

I've been here twice at lunch, ordering once from the regular menu, and once from the lunch special. While the regular menu price is quite reasonable given the food quality, the lunch specials are really where this place shines in my opinion. $15 for a lunch special in midtown is not bad at all. And they have a large variety of proteins to choose from, ranging from lamb to squid. Each protein comes accompanies by 3 other items. I ordered lamb, which I really enjoyed. It was so flavorful, and garlicky. Spicy level was tolerable Note that rice is not included, but its only $1 extra. read more

Truly my favorite (and many other's) restaurant in the city. One of the three locations, but I've loyally followed it since 2016 from their humble East Village location. Their dry-pot is a must have. Pick your own (3+ recommended per person) ingredients from meats/mushrooms/veggies and they'll stir it in with some mala sauce (mild/medium/spicy levels). I personally ask for mild and some extra sauce on the side to add in as I wish. Each pot comes with free bowl of rice, but you can pay extra for purple rice. They have lunch special prices too where some ingredients are $1-3 cheaper than usual. My personal favorite choices are beef eye of round, pork belly, frog legs (not as weird as it sounds, think perfectly cooked chicken), lotus root, enoki mushroom (tho I'll warn that they're not super digestible). They have non-dry pot dishes as well. Tried the liangfen for the first time as a cold appetizer dish and it was a H I T. Beef wrap was pretty good too, the rest are so-so. Most of the servers are great, no complaints there. S/o to the Bryant park Asian-ish lady. She's the nicest! But management pls fix the AC so customers and staff aren't mildly warm the entire time. Overall, this lengthy review should indicate how much I love the place. As much as I hate increasing traffic at my fav restaurant, I will give credit where credit is due. 11/10 food. read more

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Came here on a week day to meet with a friend after work. I love getting to choose my own ingredients in the dry pot (perfect for picky eaters). We each made our own dish so that we didn't have to fight each other for our fav pieces. Vibes were good and service was super attentive and friendly! read more

Used to be very good place for lunch pre Covid, now the food is salty and things are pricy, I'm only giving three star because I got a good service. Would not go again or recommend anyone else to go. read more

Shrinkflation is indeed real!! We've ordered from this place three times over the course of three months, and each time, the portion size gets smaller and smaller. This is what you get for over $60 today LOL, barely enough for one person. read more

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