Zhang Liang Mala Tang 张亮麻辣烫, Far East Plaza – Sichuan Restaurant from China

26 November 2023 Gwendolyn

Zhang Liang Mala Tang 张亮麻辣烫, which originates from China, has recently opened at Far East Plaza, level one. The Sichuan hotpot-style restaurant has other outlets in Singapore, namely Bugis, Chinatown, Tampines, Paya Lebar Quarter and Dhoby Ghaut.

Everything is self-service here. You get to pick your own ingredients which are calculated by weight and also mix the condiments for yourself.

There are six types of soup base available – Mala Soup, Tomato Soup, Spicy Hot Pot, Mushroom Soup, Tom Yam Soup and Rattan Pepper Mala.

Ingredients are aplenty.

There are various meat (beef tripe, chicken slices, pig skin), seafood (clams, prawns, scallops, Toman fish), vegetables, mushrooms, classic hotpot items (lobster ball, fried eggs, cuttle fish ball, sotong squid ball) and noodles (buckwheat, udon, sweet potato noodle, pan mee), to name a few.

It is priced at $3.60 per 100g with a minimum weight of 300g required.

The condiments section comprise of an interesting selection of fried golden beans, spicy chilli oil, minced garlic, oyster sauce, sesame sauce and Sichuan pepper oil.

My bowl cost around $15.59 (after new opening discount), one of the priciest malatang I ever had. Nonetheless, I took a lot more ingredients than usual, such as fish, lobster balls, crab sticks, clams and vegetables.

The mala soup is rich and creamy with moderate spiciness and numbing sensation. Fortunately, the chilli sauce from the condiment section is spicy enough to elevate the flavour.