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    MáLà Project

    4.2 (999 reviews)
    ModerateSzechuan, Hot Pot
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Order MáLà Project Takeout or Delivery

    MáLà Project Photos

    Business Info

    MÁLÀ PROJECT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - MáLà Project

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    Rina D.

    My favorite location as the ambiance is the best and it's a bit less crowded! Friendly service, food comes out fast, and portion size is bigger than you think. I wasn't able to finish mine and got to have a second meal the next day! They were out of mocktails so I got this tea which was pretty herbal and interesting but paired well with the kick of the mala

    dry pot
    Jonah W.

    One of my favorite New York restaurants. The dry pot kicks ass and the 1000 year egg is very special. My friend loves the Málà peanuts very much. This place has its own flavor and it's a delicious one.

    Exterior
    Alan L.

    Delicious Dry Pot The restaurant is unassuming from the street. The interior is comfortable and can get crowded. The Happy Hour drinks are a good deal. The Dry Pot is very good. The Beef Tenderloin and Pork Belly were flavorful. We also enjoyed the Spicy Popcorn Chicken appetizer. The service was attentive.

    Dry hot pot, little spicy
    Tracy N.

    Went in a group of 4 and shared a dry hot pot bowl, little spicy. You choose whatever noodles, meat, and veggies you want in the bowl so it's easy to customize whatever you'd like and the portion size. We probably chose roughly 7 different items to put in the bowl and ordered 3 sides of rice The little spice level was a perfect amount of spice that you could taste, but didn't make it difficult to eat. This was also a good amount of food for 4 people to finish and be full

    Mala (NEW) ML Fries
    Anne C.

    I'm always on the hunt for a good dry mala pot place and this is it for me in NYC!! I love that you can fully customize what you want and your spice level. Yes it's on the pricier side for mala dry pot but it's NYC and I've accepted it. I love the multiple options for mushrooms and types of noodles as those are my favorite parts of mala dry pot. We also got the mala fries which were yummy and to top that off the waiters at the end were really nice and told us there were some mantous left over that would be going to waste and gave us a plate of them and they were delicious too! Would recommend and I'll be back! Only minor downside is it's pretty dim and loud inside which makes it hard to have a convo while eating but the food is solid.

    Mala dry pot
    Katherine G.

    I LOVE this place! We came for dinner without a reservation and were still able to get seated immediately on a Sunday night. You should definitely come with a group and share one giant pot since you pick ingredients and pay by that. We got around 10 items for the three of us, which was just the right amount of food. I loved the beef tenderloin, quail eggs, and fish fillet so much! Definitely recommend getting those. The sauce is so flavorful and everything soaks it up perfectly. Such a good trusty reliable spot!

    Peggy X.

    Came for dinner with a friend on a Monday night and had no trouble getting seated without a reservation. There's plenty of seating inside, and the restaurant is on the dimmer and more crowded end, but we could hear just fine. My friend and I split one big dry pot between us: we ordered the beef tenderloin, pork belly, lamb, firm tofu, potato noodle, lotus root, cauliflower, and bok choy, as well as two sides of white rice. The dry pot came out surprisingly fast, and the portion was huge! We got the normal spice level, which was actually spicier than I anticipated, but the spice mix was aromatic and savory and delicious in all the right ways. We ended up splitting leftovers to go, which was enough for both of our lunches, and the bill came out to ~$40/person, which I thought was pretty good for NYC and what came out to four meals!

    Mala ML Dry Pot (build your own combo)
    Vivienne C.

    We came here at first without a reservation for table of 2 but was still able to get seated right away which was great. This restaurant is so interesting to me because its essentially just mala dry pot that you can get at a Flushing food stand for a lot cheaper. But I guess because its in one of the most popping areas, the pot becomes a lot more expensive. We ordered the mala dry pot with small spice and broccoli, lamb, pork belly, rice cakes, bok choy, etc. and it was delicious. I love that there was still a bit of spice throughout the whole thing but it was very flavorful and I appreciated the garlic flavor throughout. I especially liked the lamb as it soaked up all the spices and we very well with rice. Honestly the flavors here are not bad at all but I just kept thinking about the fact that in Flushing it would be so much cheaper and I would feel a lot fuller. I did really appreciate the haw flakes that they passed out at the end, really reminded me of my childhood.

    MP Tofu // House Fried Noodle // Purple Rice // Eggplant with Roasted Garlic // Pork Belly With Preserved Mustard Greens
    Allison L.

    So yummy, I was so sad to have to share with as many people as we did. The mapo tofu and the house pulled noodles were the absolute favorites!! The improved lychee martini was also a fun and yummy happy hour favorite!! The staff were very fun and helpful! It was such a prime location to grab a bite after a show or between plans in the city!

    lychee martini
    Rochelle N.

    This was really good. We went as a group of 3 on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. Service was quick. The dry pot was great and they put in a good amount of glass noodles and meat. I loved the bok choy in it the most. One dry pot is enough for two people if that's the only item you're getting. I didn't get a picture of the mapo tofu but I think that was actually my favorite dish with their purple rice. The lychee martini was good and strong. Not as sweet as other lychee martinis I've had. Will come back!

    Qi G.

    My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner at Mala project. The staff were friendly and able to seat us when we arrived earlier than our reservation time. The spice is no joke, we ordered the mild and found it more like somewhere between a medium/spicy level. The only con is that the amount of fish we received was very little, only 5 small pieces of fish.

    Crispy Mochi
    Ruby C.

    Málà Project is a highly rated spot for neo-Szechuan mala dry pot, aka a must visit for any spice lover. The space gives a funky and hipster vibe with neon light decors. I highly recommend building your own dry pot for the full experience. I am a sucker for dry mix pot and this one 100% satisfied my craving. They also offer mala dry pot lunch combo for $15-16. *Mala Project Dry Pot 麻辣香鍋 $75 *** First, don't be scared by the price--we literally had to split the whole dry pot into 4 servings lol (for small appetite girls). We splurged on the marbled beef ($22) which tasted like premium hot pot cut. The beef tenderloin was a cheaper option ($9) and it was very tender. Glass noodle is the perfect carb to absorb the flavorful sauce. We picked the spiciest soup base and it was really numbing (but yum). They also have soy ginger sauce and less spicy base available. *Eggplant with Roasted Garlic 蒜蓉茄子 $12 * My fav starter! They plopped minced garlic on top and vinegar as the sauce base. It was delicious to mix the eggplant into your dry pot and enjoy altogether. *Pig Ear in Chili Oil 紅油豬耳朵 $14 * SPICY ALERT. My friend has a high spice tolerance but the dish had her keep chugging water. We both still thought the pig ears were really good in terms of texture and flavor. *Hot & Sour Noodle Soup 酸辣粉 $18 The glass noodle was chewy and soaked up the vinegar-y broth. I liked the spicy and sour flavors, yet the broth was quite oily. It came with beef belly, lobster balls, tofu pockets, and bok choy. *Crispy Ube Mochi 紫薯餅 $9 I don't care how full you are--YOU NEED TO ORDER THIS DESSERT! It was crispy on the crust, chewy on the inside, served warm, and NOT TOO SWEET. *Herbal Jelly 燒仙草 $9 A cold, sweet dessert to cool down your numbing tongue after indulging in so much spicy food. It was on the sweeter side, and I loved the grass jelly and red bean.

    Lychee Martini
    Brandi H.

    We were looking for a dinner spot and randomly stumbled upon Mala Project. There was no wait so it was perfect. It seemed like a hip spot with a cute little courtyard outdoor seating situation in the back of the restaurant. I've never had dry pot so I was excited to try. First you choose your sauce base then you can pick as many toppings/ingredients as you want added into your pot. You also have a choice of sides. If you don't want to DIY, you can also order a dry pot combo. This isn't all you can eat so the ingredients definitely add up. We chose a little spicy and it was a good amount. Beef Wrap (4/5): The scallion pancake wrap was nice a crispy. It also had beef shank, cucumbers paired with a sweet bean sauce. Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables (3/5): This was super fatty and oily. It paired well with the veggies but was a little too much for me. Overall, it was a nice dinner spot. I really enjoyed the mala dry pot. We got a lychee martini too and it was very strong. Food was pricey but I enjoyed it.

    Spicy dry hot pot! With White Rice/Purple Rice

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    21 days ago

    Most delicious lychee martinis!!!!! Food is top tier. The sweet and sour ribs literally melt in your mouth

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    Page 1 of 25

    MáLà Project Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - MáLà Project

    I ordered a build your own dry pot the other day but it was missing the sliced eye of round. How do I get a refund for that item? It's $7.00

    Email them.

    Gluten free options?

    Yes. Most of the dry pot ingredients are gluten free, including vegetables, meat, fish. This is a great place for having gluten free meals since you pick ingredients and the rice is naturally gluten free!

    Does rice or purple rice cost extra?

    Purple rice costs $2

    Do they use MSG in their food?

    No, we don't use MSG! :)

    How much is the dry pot sauce?

    $6 for a small jar of the hot oil the use.

    Are there gluten-free options?

    Yup. All depends on what you order into the pot

    View All 12 Questions

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    Szechuan Mountain House

    Szechuan Mountain House

    4.3
    (911 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    We had a lovely birthday dinner here. The Szechuan fried noodles, and the stir-fried cabbage were…read moremy favorite, but everything was so good. The mapo tofu, green beans, twice cooked pork, and spicy (lazi) chicken were very flavorful. I thought the mala levels were just right, but it may be on a bit on the lighter side compared to authentic. The lamb spine came in a delicious broth, but it was a bit hard eating the lamb from the bone for not a lot of meat. The house steamed fish was also amazing. They don't take online reservations for groups over 5, so we called to make one for our group of 6. It was pretty busy Friday night, so would recommend. The service was great; they drew the cutest card when they found out it was my brother's birthday and let us bring a cake. And they also offered hair ties to the people with long hair. You order through an iPad which has a beautiful menu.

    The restaurant is beautiful! I love the nature theme~ it feels like a peaceful escape from the…read morehectic nyc streets. The beef rib served with pancakes was tender and very smoky. I wish the sauce was sweeter though since the flavor was more j spicy/ salty. I think a different sauce like a hoisin chili combo would make the dish a lot tastier. They have a variety of sichuan dishes. I wasn't a huge fan of the swing pork belly since it's served cold and mostly tastes like cucumber- it was lacking flavor for me even with the red sauce/oil. The sour cabbage beef soup was interesting! It tasted nice and beefy, but was a bit too sour for me. The lemon dessert was my favorite! It was a cheesecake mousse with lemon curd in the middle~ so pretty and tasty! Service was top tier! I'd recommend coming here for the vibes!

    Photos
    Swing Pork Belly - IG @bougiefoodieboi
    Swing Pork Belly - IG @bougiefoodieboi
    Mapo Ma-Po Tofu 麻婆豆腐
    Mapo Ma-Po Tofu 麻婆豆腐
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    Mala prawn
    OOHU

    OOHU

    4.5
    (98 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    I did not expect to find a sit down Cantonese & Sichuan Restaurant in the heart of Herald Square…read more For sure a hidden gem worth trying. Came here with two other friends for dinner and we pigged out. We started off with Scallion Pancake with Shredded Duck ($15), which tasted amazing. The pancake was flaky and not overly soaked in oil, while the duck meat enhanced the taste. I think everything should order this for the table. We also got the Dan Dan Noodles w Minced Pork ($8), which is a staple dish in Sichuan cuisine. Make sure you stir the bowl to mix the sauce and minced pork. For veggies, we got the Sautéed Green Beans With Eggplant ($18), which tasted great. I usually get sautéed pea shoots for a veggie dish, but this was worth ordering as the eggplant tasted great along with the green beans. For entrees, we got the Spicy Green Pepper Fish Filet ($28 for filet). A classic Cantonese dish that comes with bok choy, so it turns out I didn't really need to order a veggie dish. Delicious. We also tried the OOHU Mao Xue Wang ($34), which may be one of the most spiciest dish available on the menu. This dish combines blood curd from a duck, tripe, and chicken gizzards along with other organs into a simmered broth containing chilis and peppercorns. They also use spam, vermicelli noodles, mushroom, and other things. If you're adventurous and you like spicy, I would recommend this. Best eaten with a cup of rice. Service is great as our server made good recommends and was overall friendly. They also have a party room you can book, which sounded pretty affordable. Don't recall what their minimum spend was, but it was super reasonable compared to a lot of other spots in Chinatown and Flushing.

    I came here for a large dinner party where we got seated in the private room in the back. The space…read morefits three large tables although we only used two. We ordered multiple dishes which came out one after the other. Some of the standouts for me were the Pork Intestine Dry Pot ($20.95), Crispy Tofu with Salty Egg Yolk ($23.95), and Sauteed String Beans ($16.95). Many spicy food options since this is a Szechuan spot afterall. Some dishes were a bit too salty and spicy, which they did discount after we brought it to their attention. Overall, decent spot and good for large groups. Otherwise, I didn't find this spot to be too memorable (not bad, not great).

    Photos
    Crispy cucumber in scallion pesto
    Crispy cucumber in scallion pesto
    Chongqing chili fried chicken
    Chongqing chili fried chicken
    Double cooked pork

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    Double cooked pork
    CHILI

    CHILI

    4.6
    (994 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$
    Takes reservations
    Kid friendly

    In general I felt the meal was be spicier than Mountain House but it was still delicious…read more The pork in garlic dressing appetizer (not spicy) is phenomenal and a must order. Beats the Mountain House one by a lot. I quite liked the dry pot spicy carp although it is pretty spicy. The diced chicken with red chili peppers is super spicy so I'd skip that next time.

    Had a pretty good meal here with a group of co-workers. I tried the cucumber salad, mapo tofu,…read moreeggplant in garlic chili sauce, and scallion pancakes. I really liked the scallion pancake and eggplant. The pancake wasn't crispy/dry, but rather the exterior was crisp and the inside was still a little soft/fluffy. It's the first time I had a scallion pancake that wasn't just straight dough inside/outside, or so thin that it got crisped out. I really liked this texture profile though. The eggplant was 10/10; the eggplant was cooked well, so tender but not soggy. The sauce was really good too such that it was sufficient spice but not flaming. Would recommended. I enjoyed the cucumber salad and tofu as well, but have had better. Seasoning and prep were good though -- although the tofu was cooked so tender (or maybe was silken tofu to begin with) that the whole table was struggling with carrying it from plate to mouth -- heh. Food came out very quickly; staff were friendly, efficient, and helpful. Decent amount of seating with a cozy vibe. It was a good meal, not my favorite Szechuan spot, but definitely hit the spot.

    Photos
    Shrimp dumplings
    Shrimp dumplings
    Red style Chungking braised fish stew pairing with red wine
    Red style Chungking braised fish stew pairing with red wine
    Spicy truffle beef steak

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    Spicy truffle beef steak

    MáLà Project - szechuan - Updated June 2026

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