6 Malatang Spots In Metro Manila For Your Spicy Hotpot Fix—Minus The Cooking

Love hotpot but want to switch things up? Whether you're catching up with friends, going on a casual date, or treating yourself to a solo food trip, malatang offers the same customizable, build-your-own fun of hotpot—minus the waiting around for your ingredients to cook. Compare ingredient picks with your friends, sneak bites from each other's bowls, or curate your perfect combination from a buffet of meats, veggies, hotpot balls, noodles, and mushrooms. You can get your own solo bowl or a huge one for sharing—but if you're not careful, your solo bowl can easily turn into a dish that's big enough to give you leftovers for the next day.

Originating from the Sichuan region of China, "malatang" comes from three Chinese words: 麻 (má) meaning "to numb," 辣 (là) meaning "spicy," and 烫 (tàng) meaning "to cook in scalding hot water." Put them together, and it means a "numbingly spicy, boiling hot" dish—a description anyone who's had the traditional version can attest to. 🥵

But you don't have to burn your tongue off to try malatang; most mala restaurants offer spice levels from 0 to 5, and even other broth flavors like tomato, mushroom, and laksa. Even if you're not craving broth, you don't have to miss out on the fun; most restaurants also offer malaxianguo, a dry stir-fry hotpot, or malaban, a saucy alternative coated in a special sesame-peanut sauce.

Hungry yet? We've listed down a list of malatang places in the Metro you can check out when the hotpot craving hits.

Location: See a list of Sichu Malatang branches

Hardcore malatang fans and their obsessed friends likely already have Sichu Malatang on their radar. Luckily, with branches scattered all over Metro Manila, getting your fix is incredibly easy whenever the craving hits.

At Sichu, they only offer the traditional mala flavor in three versions: Malatang (Hotpot), Malapan (Mixpot), and Mala Xiang Guo (Drypot), with spice levels from 1 to 5. You can get either a solo bowl (minimum 250 grams) and a sharing bowl (minimum 500 grams) as well. If the usual Mala Xiang Guo is a tad too oily for you, opt for their new Mala Xiang Guo Light which promises to be a lighter and less greasy version of their signature mixpot. Don't forget to save room for dessert because you can end your meal with a gelato or sorbet cup which comes in fun flavors like Mala Peanut Crumble and Watermelon Strawberry Sorbet.

Location: 4/F Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente Street, Binondo, Manila City

If you and your friends are craving more than just malatang, Honey Tang is one of your best bets. Aside from their signature Beef Malatang and Seafood Malatang soup bases, Honey Tang also offers rice meals like Roasted Chicken Rice, and snacks like Fried Siopao, Fried Dumplings, and Thai Spring Rolls. You can even have dessert and coffee here: Honey Tang also offers Buchi and Egg Coffee.

Location: The Zone Sports Center, 7224 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City; and Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari Road, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City

The best meal after a great pickleball or basketball sesh is a heaping bowl of malatang—luckily for regulars at The Zone Sports Center, you can easily get your fix at Mala Malatang right beside it. Aside from the classic Mala Hot Pot, Mixed Pot, and Dry Pot, Mala Malatang also offers Mushroom Hot Pot and Tomato Hot Pot, as well as Mala Fried Rice for your carb-loading needs. If you're starting to feel the heat, you can refresh your palate with a Cold Cucumber Salad, while if you're craving more spice, make sure to add a side order of their Mala Crispy Tofu.

Location: See a list of Mala House locations

Vegetarians don't have to miss out on the mala craze, thanks to Malaysia-born Mala House. Aside from signatures like Malatang, Tomato, and Herbal, Mala House also offers a Vegetarian option which is a mushroom broth. The best thing about malatang is how customizable it is, so you can easily build a meat-free bowl with this vegetarian base.

Aside from Malatang, Mala House also offers a Deep Fried option: Pick out your fave veggies and balls, then Mala House will deep fry them for you until golden and crispy. It's a great crunchy contrast to your soup.

Location: G/F, P. Faura Wing, Robinsons Manila, Pedro Gil corner Adriatico Street, Ermita, Manila City; G/F Greenhills Mall, Ortigas Avenue, San Juan City; G/F Tricom Building, Valdez Center, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte

When it comes to a wide variety of broth flavors, No. 1 Malatang has you covered with flavors like Tomyum, Laksa, Korean, Mushroom, Ox Bone, and many more. And for the times when building your own bowl just seems too daunting, you can also rely on No. 1 Malatang's pre-set bowls like their Tonkotsu that starts with a creamy pork-bone broth and topped with classic tonkotsu ramen toppings like jammy eggs, pork chasu and greens. Pair your bowl with crunchy sides like Chicken Poppers and Shrimp Tempura. 

Location: Arcovia City, 1604 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Pasig City

If you're just like us, you probably get nervous from ordering the wrong thing at a restaurant—because what if it doesn't taste as good as it looked on the menu? Mala King solves the problem by offering samplers of their broth flavors before you even enter the restaurant. Though with their six broth flavors—from the traditional spicy Malatang with an adjustable spice level or go for a creamy Ox Bone Broth or collagen-rich Golden Chicken Broth—your next problem might be choosing one. Whatever you decide on, make sure to get the Dino Cheese add-on or cheese torched on top of your bowl using a dino-head blowtorch for extra whimsy. And don't forget to claim your complimentary ice cream at the end of your meal!