With the red-hot mala craze in NTU, our student reviewers bring you on a spice tour of mala xiang guo from two campus eateries. Suss out which one will fire up your taste buds

by Chrystal Chan

The go-to

Canteen 1 – Mala Talk

Vegetables are 70 cents each. Noodles are $1 a brick, a serving of meat costs $1 while seafood goes for $1.60 per serving.

Being one of the first few mala stalls in NTU, this stall’s reputation precedes its name. Mala expert Glen has heard of it, but his first taste did not match up to expectations.

“I can definitely taste the mala spices, but I personally prefer a stronger kick. However, the chicken is infused with flavour and the vegetables have retained their crunch,” says Glen, who tucks into the popular Sichuan-style stir-fry once or twice a week.

Even though Sejal has ordered from this mala stall before, she was less impressed with the taste of the food this time around: “The meat is not tender enough and is a little hard to chew. This is also too salty for my liking.”

Ibrahim found this to be the tastiest among the three reviewed and was won over by the tender-crisp vegetables: “I don’t usually eat vegetables, but I would eat these.”

The safe choice

Quad Café – Yong Tau Fu

Get this for a fixed price of $5.50 for eight items, which include noodles or rice. Pay extra for a serving of meat ($1 for chicken or $1.50 for beef) and additional items (50 cents each).

Well known for its stir-fried yong tau fu, this stall at the Quad Café at the School of Biological Sciences recently added mala xiang guo (which literally means “hot numbing fragrant pot”) to its menu. As this is one of the few halal mala options on campus, it’s the go-to choice for many fans of the chilli-laden cuisine.

Ibrahim was pleasantly taken aback upon his first bite: “Surprisingly, this is good even when it’s no longer piping hot. It is also the least spicy, which suits me. My favourite part of this is the carrots because they are so crunchy.”

Both Glen and Sejal, however, feel this stall’s mala lacks the authentic mala spices and flavour they’ve come to know and love.

Glen thought the mala sauce had some oomph, but more as a plate of stir-fry: “This actually reminds me of Indomie. It is sweeter than Canteen 1’s mala so if I’m looking to satisfy my mala craving, this won’t cut it.”

Sejal considers this mala to be the least impressive among the three. “I didn’t find the texture of the noodles ideal. It is a little too mushy for my liking. In terms of taste, this is not bad but not fabulous either.”

This story was published in the Aug-Sep 2019 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.