Mala Tang is great! One of the best hot pot places I have been to. My family have been several times. We really enjoyed the food. We also ordered the spicy fish which is amazing, but pricey. The sauce is really good, although I would like a few more ingredient choices and some instructions for people who are unfamiliar with how to eat hot pot. The restaurant has an upscale feel and is clean and well kept. The staff was very helpful and polite. A definite "must visit" for hot pot lovers. read more

Went to this place on a Saturday night. It was right next to where we were staying. It was something brand new to us. We have never been to a restaurant like this. But it was great. Server was very friendly. Cooking your own food at the table is something I don't do everyday. Good amount of food. read more

I had lunch at Mala Tang a couple of weeks ago with my parents, brother and sister. We lived in China when I was in high school, and I have to say, the food is pretty authentic. We sampled quite a few of the small plates. The scallion pancakes were yummy, as was the chicken salad, dan dan noodles, and the bean curd noodles. The hot pot was generally fine--we ordered the lunch special as opposed to the hot pot on the table. We misunderstood the waiter, so didn't order the little pots which was a little anti-climatic. However, dumplings in the hot pot were a delicious choice. My mother had the tofu in her hotpot and that was good as well. The spicy broth was full and flavorful. Overall, I like this restaurant and would go again. The food is tasty (especially the small plates) and different from the rest of the restaurants in my neighborhood. The decor is quite pretty. I was a bit disappointed by the service. The waiter was nice enough, but kind of scattered. He was no where to be found when we needed him (it wasn't crowded at all). I had to hunt him down for a water glass refill. And although I pulled him aside in advance to ask him to give me the check to settle, he gave the check to my dad. These are little things things that I would overlook at a cheap Chinese hole in the wall, but this place is not inexpensive. The service doesn't quite yet match the prices and ambiance (the check was about $125 for 5 people). read more

I went with a friend last night to try out our new local neighborhood restaurant. I was pretty excited, Arlington is a burger/pizza/cupcake wasteland and I am always hoping for more authentic ethnic restaurants (the Ravi Kabob of all other cuisines) - and this was not it. FOOD- scallion pancakes - were cold and had been sitting out for awhile. made me miss the real thing. One vegetarian hot pot, and one regular- both broths were highly bland and salty. I agree with an earlier poster that the food appears to have been westernized quite a bit, which results in a loss of flavor. Vegetable and chicken/shrimp dishes: Our server kept confusing me by telling us that the dishes were being cooked in the kitchen, and that is why they were taking so long. They were clean and fresh and well presented. Condiments: They were definitely spare and the least spicy version What resulted was a very salty hot pot that was bland in all other respects, there was no real flavor. SERVICE- Our server was completely well meaning, but apologetic that things were coming out so slowly. And they were quite slow on all counts. It does seem that the service staff is still trying to understand the concept themselves. We left with the desire to stop by McDonald's and grab a burger. The check at this restaurant is steep enough that we could easily go somewhere else and have quite a good meal. I do hope they rework the menu and service issues, but my own experience was so bland I wouldn't return otherwise. read more

I would not recommend this place for a hotpot restaurant. The waitress was good and the food was fine but the atmosphere and service was less than acceptable. They forgot part of our food and had the audacity to ask for a bigger tip. read more

A really really fun concept - the boy surprised me by bringing me here and I couldn't be happier - and we liked it more than fondue! Both of us were a little confused as how exactly to order, so our waiter Quinn was more than ready to explain how exactly we cook our food and choose our proteins and veggies. So we tried out the chicken in the not so spicy broth, and then sirloin in the spicy broth,along with a serving of American and one of Chinese vegetables. Neither of us tried the Chinese mushrooms, but everything else was nearly finished - the button mushrooms, sprouts, broccoli, potatoes, etc. The meats cooked really quickly in the broth and the potatoes got a little overcooked, but I think we just forgot about them in the pot. Kinda easy to do, they just got lost! But the portions were gigantic and we left Mala Tang pleasantly stuffed. I'm not too good with chopsticks, but somehow managed with the rice they gave us as well. A nice complement to the meal was a 'sauce bar' so we could mix cilantro, green onion, soy sauce, chinese barbecue, garlic (careful with that one, it ain't weak), and assorted other sauces. Mala Tang is a great and reasonably priced place to try out with a big group of friends, a date, and possibly a fun place to bring the parents when they come to visit. And oh yes - my glass of pinot grigio was filled to the brim. Succ-ess. read more

3.5 stars I will admit that I am not a huge fan of hotpot -- and my experience at Mala Tang didn't change that perception. There isn't much in terms of complexity of flavors -- it just spicy hot and not very interesting....and it also can get expensive. That all being said, I would go to Mala Tang again -- but would stick to the appetizers. I am not sure why they call them appetizers as many of them are actually entrees. The mapo tufo was a very generous serving. Tyler Cowen said it was the best in the area -- I thought it was good, but wouldn't share that same enthusiasm. The dan dan noodles were better -- as you would expect given that its from the same folks as Hong Kong Palace. Their dan dan noodles are by far the best, and these come close. Crunchy chicken was similar -- very good, not quite as good as Hong Kong Palace, but also a very generous serving. Spicy wontons were also good. Good service and I liked the atmosphere. Will return, but will pass on the hotpot... read more

Regular Menu (not hot pot): We live across the street from Sichuan Wok and have our favorite Chinese takeout dishes there, but thought we'd give this place a try to make sure we weren't missing anything. Long story short - if you're looking for Chinese takeout order from somewhere else. Overpriced and extremely disappointing. read more

Awful service. People are rude and cheap, they don't want to give you free upgrades that are on their menu, and treat you rude and extremely inattentive. Maybe because I am no Chinese? How rude was to tell me 'I don't want to go to another desk (10 meters) to validate your ticket' or 'You said spring roll over the phone' to deny me free upgrade that is on their menu even I asked about upgrades over the phone and he said 'I don't know anything about it'. read more

Average Chinese restaurant in North Arlington. There was nothing memorable about this meal except perhaps a slight MSG buzz afterward. The food is fine, just not delicious or special. Service was good, but not terribly attentive. read more

I have been craving the bitter tangy spiciness of Sichuan dishes, and was very excited to go to Mala Tang close to home, instead of trekking all the way to Flushing, NY. It is hard to find a good authentic Sichuan restaurant in the Washington DC area. Mala Tang is all we have, so I should be grateful. We ordered the cold noodle, mung bean noodle, and then an order of hotpot. The cold noodle was my least favorite. I don't like it at all. The noodles were too done or too old (I couldn't tell, but it was weird), and the sauce is too salty and sweet, not the spicy I was looking forward to. I was looking forward to the mung bean noodle the most, however I was disappointed. It was abundantly vinegary and gingery, missing the notes of the Sichuan spice Mala Tang is supposed to have. The hot pot was surprisingly better. Hit all the sour, peppery, and spicy notes. Could have been spicier, and could have had more broth, but it was still delicious. The meat was very tender and fresh, and a very generous serving of vegetables. I'll come back for hot pot only. read more

Saturday night, 8pm and glad we made a reservation. Overheard the host say wait time was 45 min but my husband and I were seated right away. Seems like a lot of people go there to celebrate as we were seated by many large, family style tables. Steamed dumplings very simple, but perfectly cooked. Wine marinated beef and flounder hot pots were tasty, just wish the greens on the sauce bar and enoki mushrooms were a little bit fresher. Our server, Frank, was fantastic. Great recommendations and he genuinely cared about our entire experience. We dine out a lot in the district and have to say that his service was just as good, if not better than most of the prestigious, more expensive restaurants we've tried lately. Husband excited to try again for the regular menu that is not served on Fridays and Saturdays. read more

So.freaking.good. I don't understand how people are rating this so poorly, but I don't go for the hot pot stuff....I go for twice cooked chicken and the garlic chicken with the oyster mushrooms read more

This place has the best hot pot in the area. You pick an individual hot pot with your choice of broth and meats/veggies. They have a variety of options, the Mala broth is my favorite, flavorful and spicy. Highly recommend. read more

This is honestly one of the best hot pot places I have ever been to! The ingredients were fresh and the broth was delicious. I like spicy food, but don't have a very high spicy tolerance. Being wary of the "spicy" broth, I opted for medium spicy instead of the "mild" broth (medium spicy is an option that is not advertised in the menu!) In the end, I decided I could've gone with the "spicy" broth, because my medium spicy was totally doable. So for all you spicy enthusiasts out there, the "spicy" broth might disappoint. However, you can totally add more spicy oil yourself, from their extensive sauce bar. You choose the broth you want for your very own personal pot and it comes with either Chinese vegetables (Chinese cabbage, wood ear fungus, and lotus root) or American vegetables (sliced potatoes, broccoli, and white button mushrooms). The price of your hot pot is dependent on what you choose for your protein, which ranges from sirloin, to pork, to prawn. You can also add other hot pot ingredients a la carte, which I highly recommend because an order of pork in addition to the complementary vegetables was definitely not enough for one person. Luckily, everyone in my party ordered additional a la carte items, and we all shared each others' ingredients. The service is great and the wait staff is very attentive, continuously coming over to refill your pot with broth so that it doesn't burn. The only reason Mala Tang does not get 5 stars is because of the quantity of food for the price. If each entree came with more meat, then Mala Tang would get 5+ stars! Keep up the good work, guys!! Also a word of warning, don't expect to find any taxis near the restaurant. It's kind of out of the way... read more

I made a delivery trough DoorDash, I got the mongolian beef it was completely uneatable. It made me lost my appetite. I tasted just like fat. I'm not picky at all, But I literally couldn't swallowed it. The worse part is I contacted the app and they took a long time to get back to me, when they finally did they said they couldn't do anything about it. read more

One of the best Chinese restaurants in the DMV and one of the best for Szechuan food. I've never had hot pot here but all of the Szechuan dishes I've had from here have been delicious. The decor in the restaurant isn't great, but personally I care a lot more about good food and service. read more

My first Sichuan hot pot restaurant, so I don't have much more to compare. As a restaurant it's pretty good. Plenty of menu items to choose from, and each person actually get an individual hot pot. Which is great if you're in a group with varying spice levels or with those who are germaphobes and don't like other people touching their food. They also had an extensive sauce bar, with a plethora of condiments and other ingredients you can use to customize your dipping sauce. As with any hot pot dinners, be prepared to smell like your dinner when you come out. read more

Place was clean, service was good. Cumin fish was delish.We had it mild and spicy. Fried rice was just mediocre but good.

First of all, if I could give half stars, I would give this place 3.5 stars! The biggest downfall may be the location - kind of in no man's land between Clarendon and Ballston - but definitely walkable if needed. I had never had hot pot before and after eating at Mala Tang, I can't wait to have it again. I went with a group of friends who have also never been.. so I'll warn you now, you do not need 4 entrees (1 per person) - we had way too much food. It wouldn't even fit on the table! Our waitress had a pretty thick accent so she wasn't the best at explaining how to do it, but it was still delicious food. We all got versions of the surf and turf - I had the sirloin and shrimp. You get the option of spicy or mild broth, american or chinese vegetables (basically potatoes/broccoli vs. mushrooms/cabbage), and then there is a sauce bar! Our waitress made us a concoction of different flavors and it went very well with the food. You can make everything as spicy as you like - which is a big plus when eating with friends who have different palates. All in all - great place. Good drinks, good food and something different! read more

I was coming down with a cold when I had Mala Tang hot pot. Loved it. You want authentic hot pot? Make it at home. That's really the only true way. You want good hot pot without all the mess? Come here. it's that simple. Not really Sophie's Choice, folks... Anyway, I thought it was tasty--loved the sauce bar. The dumplings were insanely good. If it wasn't so far away I'd go back sooner. Also, the parking is a boondoggle, that's the only negative. read more

Came here lay night with a group. As my gf would put it. ... it's the Chinese version of hot pot. The only hit pot ive tried was Hot Spot in Fairfax which is owned by Korean ppl. Mala Tang was good but I think Hot Spot is better. Here you get an individual sized hot pot which you should order spicy bc it really isn't spicy but it comes with great taste! We ordered mala beef, tripe, milk beef, wine beef and of course a bunch of different veggies. All the meats were delicious and tender! The thing I liked was the mala beef... great spices on the beef itself. They also have baby corn!! I love baby corn. Also if you have a bday here they will give u a free piece of cake. Chocolate cake was delicious and not too sweet! read more

I never left a good review for this restaurant because the food itself is edible but not exquisite for the price tag. But what made me leave a bad review is that the chef/owner/preparer is extremely stingy towards a repeating customer like me. I ordered two entrees so I was expecting two white rice boxes. Because they have forgotten many times before, I always leave a note saying please include two boxes. And Mala Tang decides to give me two boxes of half box of rice. Nice! Just see how much I have spent on this restaurant and this is how they treat me read more

Mala Tang - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Everyone gets their own little hot pot! :) read more

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Honestly speaking Mala Tang is a glorified chinese "hot pot" location. Their menu choices are pretty selective, they serve personalized hot pot bowls for individuals charging a lot more than necessary, food is over priced, taste wise is average, and selection is limited. That being said, atmosphere is fantastic, definitely feels like a modern style fusion restaurant. Service is ok, I can't see myself going here often. There's a hot pot place in falls church that actually has better tasting food and more selection. I think this restaurant is just for the looks. Heh, funny thing is it's the same owner for both restaurants. read more

Really fun date or outing with friends spot. It's a little expensive, BUT this restaurant is quite an experience and definitely worth it. When you sit down you choose what kind of boiling broth you'd like, spicy or mild, vegetarian or with meat broth. You then pick 2 or 3 items off the menu, usually a veggie, a protein, and a starch. I only needed two items. They bring you the ingredients raw, which you then cook in your boiling soup. Kind of along the lines of Korean bbq. Takes a few minutes to cook the items, only 5 ish minutes, during which time you go mix your own dipping sauces. At the end you can drink your soup, which is delicious. I took off one star because I didn't like the veggie "tempura", which was more of a pre-made, reheated fish cake and not tempura at all. If you get this item, ask to see the ingredients, because it was very fish cake-like. read more

The hot pots were a bit small from what I am use to and you can't do the split pot that you can at most traditional chinese hot pot places. Besides those minus - I thought the food was OKAY from the small amount of selection they had. If you're in Arlington and need a quick hot pot fixing this will do the trick. Their DAN DAN noodles was actually really good - would def recommend getting that. read more

I've ventured to Mala Tang a handful of times, once after they first opened and a few times after. I've gone in large parties (15 or so), with other couples and also just with my SO and I've always enjoyed it, but not for the Hot Pot. I know, this seems odd, this after all is a Hot Pot restaurant, right? Well, it is and that's they're "specialty" but each time I've gone, myself and others have never really been that impressed with the Hot Pot. It's expensive, somewhat challenging to figure out how to order/what's included, slow to cook and bottom line, just NOT THAT GOOD. Other things on the menu are great and after my fifth trip there, I've decided I'm done giving the Hot Pot a shot and just sticking to the other menu items that are delicious. Those items are the Zhong Dumplings, Spicy Cold Noodles and Water Buns (Pork are my favorite). Overall, it's a great place, reasonable, delicious food and interesting drink selections (no liquor - every mixed drink is made with Sake). Just don't go expecting the Hot Pot to be the best thing. read more

Delicious and fun. As others have pointed out, you get to choose between a normal or a spicy broth as the base item. Otherwise, you get a wide assortment of veggie and protein choices to add to your broth. A side table provides additional delicious sauces and accoutrements. The appetizers didn't interest us enough as the actual hot pot entree is food enough for anyone. Good place to bring out of town guests interested in trying something new. read more

This was a very fun and interesting restaurant! I got the dry pot here with lamb which was delicious and pretty unique! While I've had hot pot before, the dry pot was new to me. It's essentially a make your own dish with one meat, two veggies, and a starch if you wish (with options like dumplings and fish cake, it's definitely worth). Your choices are all fried together in the restaurant's special spice mix and the mala spice. The portions were also very generous! read more

I've ordered their hot pot a few times, never have I thought it was worth the money. Cooking your own raw meat and vegetables in a "broth" (I can't tell the difference between the Mala and the Mild, and I doubt I could tell the difference if it was plain boiling water) is fun at first, and then it just gets annoying and messy, but never is it particularly tasty. We ordered the wine-marinated beef, it came out as just the plain beef surrounding a separate container of wine. no marinating involved until after you do it yourself. In my opinion it's a gimmick, overcharging you for a pot of boiling water and raw items and letting you try to make something decent yourself. read more

We ordered Mala bites to go, but only found that there was only ONE piece of locus root in there!! We spent about $30 on Mala bites but the quantity and quality of the food were way below our expectations. Other dishes we ordered were just okay. Won't go there again read more

Just brought my family there who are visiting from Sichuan and it turned out to be less than expected. There is free parking which is a good thing, although it took a while for us to figure out where the P1 level was and where the exit to the restaurant was (after mistakenly taking the office building elevator and then walking the wrong direction into the GMU building). The taste was not bad but I wouldn't call it super. They wouldn't provide us with a big pot for people to share and made us feel that we had to eat it and use utensils in a way that they wanted us to. The waitress (a very nice lady actually) was over-serving us by constantly and unnecessarily coming over to check on us and telling us all about how we should eat certain dishes -- we told her in the beginning that we were from Sichuan so we were very familiar with the whole concept so we didn't need much "education." Obviously the message wasn't conveyed effectively. We wanted to take home the white rice left on the table, but they just took it away without asking us if we wanted to bring it home. The price was too high for what we ate and experienced. It's not a bad restaurant, but it's not a place for everyone. For those used to and familiar with hot pot, its sister restaurant Uncle Liu's Hot Pot should be a better choice. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. If you like hotpot, or are interested in trying something new, head here. The spicy "mala" is my favorite broth and goes great with any of their fresh cuts of meat and veggies. Start the night with the cold sesame noodles or the dumplings and a spicy cucumber sake martini, you won't be disappointed. Theres a great sauce bar where you can make your own to accompany your selection, if you get stuck, as someone on staff they will be glad to help you create something. Speaking of staff, everyone I've encountered has been great! Courteous, prompt, helpful, and friendly my favorite waitress is Michelle (ask the hostess to sit in her section, you won't be disappointed). Michelle may be the best waitress I've ever had in this area. She adds extras to the experience (like fried rice instead of white, which she makes herself) extra chops to the sometimes too large veggies, and creative deserts. Parking is convenient in the adjacent garage and they validate so don't worry about fees. All and all, you can't go wrong with Mala Tang. The food is delicious, the restaurant is clean and modern, the staff is great and parking in convenient. What more could you want? read more

Low volume and high price comparing other Chinese restaurants. The food is just so so. I would not recommend it.

So I've been here twice. The hot pot is just not all that. At the little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot you get a hot pot with so many more fresh ingredients and just much better quality. This place cost about the same but I didn't like the ingredients etc. I do like the idea however that the hot pots are personal. read more

First off the food is not great on top of that the customer service is horrible. We went in for dinner and had the worst customer service experience ever. When the waiter took out order they asked us, would you like white or brown rice with our saying there will be a extra charge. When our bill came we were charges $4 dollars for 2 brown rice. I thought this was a bit odd because I didn't see brown rice as an extra charge on the menu. I asked the manager and the manager said that we don't tell our customers that the brown rice is an extra charge because we think they might get offended lol. I was like okay but atleast state it on your menu and she said well we don't have it on the menu. She kept arguing with me for the $4 so I just went ahead and paid it even though she was at fault. I will never go back there again. read more

Mala Tang - As evidence, brown rice is not listed on their menu! - Chinese Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Great food anhero111d very attentive wait staff. I arrived early and they accommodated me until my friends arrived. Our waiter Juret was friendly and helpful, explaining the menu, answering questions and showing up just when we wanted. Other staff also helped with the sauces. Liked the options on the menu for hot pot or Chinese food, for differing tastes among our party. Very tasty! read more

Mala Tang is somewhat of a guilty pleasure. It doesn't necessarily feel authentic, and I'm American so my judgement on what's authentic shouldn't be taken seriously, but the food is tasty and hits those spice notes that I want. All I've had at here is their hotpot but it's good, but definitely not as cheap as the delicious, but sketchy, sichuan places I've been to. Good place to go if you want to sweat a bit while eating, and it's good with groups so can order a good array of items to add to your broth and share! read more

A great quick lunch spot for easy pick up. The only thing I will say is that food is really salty to me, and lacked real flavor. I ordered the broccoli and chicken with white rice and a egg roll on the side (the egg roll was greasy), I couldn't finish my food. I will go back and try something else and give an updated response. read more