Mala Tang

Sichuan hot pot is the speciality at Mala Tang.
Photo courtesy Mala Tang

The owner of Virginia's Uncle Liu's Hot Pot and Hong Kong Palace, Liu Chaosheng has opened a more upscale Chinese restaurant with Mala Tang in Arlington.

The chef's hometown of Chengdu informs much of the menu. Mala Tang specializes in spicy Sichuan hot pot that guests can customize with proteins, broth and vegetables, as well as Chinese street fare from Chengdu.

As the name implies, chef Liu's cooking highlights the famous ma la peppercorn, which has a pleasantly numbing effect on the mouth (that is if you like heat).

Read about the hot pot experience at Uncle Liu's in this previous Metrocurean article.

Mala Tang
3434 Washington Blvd., Arlington