Mala has taken Singapore by storm, and everyone is on the hunt for the best mala haunts around the country. Mala, meaning numb and spicy in Chinese, is typically found in the form of Mala Xiang Guo. It is a stir-fry of various ingredients that customers can usually pick and choose themselves. They are then passed to the chef who fries them together with twenty to thirty different herbs and spices, along with the kicker – Sichuan peppercorns – giving mala its signature numbing effect. However, many eateries have come up with new, innovative ways to incorporate Mala into their menu. So, stay tuned for the Top 10 Mala Spots in Singapore (in no particular order)!
Best Mala Xiang Guo & Fusion Dishes in Singapore
1. Chong Qing Grilled Fish
Famous for their grilled fish, did you know that Chong Qing Grilled Fish offers a Mala option? Dig into a fresh, nicely grilled fish that has been simmering in a Mala gravy! It ensures that the fish has absorbed all that Mala goodness so that there will be an explosion of flavours in your mouth.
If you’re feeling more adventurous, try their Dry Pot Bullfrog. The tender frog meat is fried in a Mala Xiang Guo style – a unique alternative to the usual pork, beef and chicken!
Chong Qing Grilled Fish (Serangoon Gardens)
Address:Â 2 Maju Avenue, Singapore 556680
Hours: Mon – Sun (12pm – 1:30am)
Phone: +65Â 6702 6680
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/cqgf.serangoon/
Chong Qing Grilled Fish (Bugis)
Address:Â 1 Liang Seah Street, #01-05/06, Singapore 189022
Hours:Â Mon – Sun (12pm – 1:30am)
Phone: +65Â 6333 9148
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/cqgf.liangseah/
Chong Qing Grilled Fish (Chinatown)
Address:Â 18 Mosque Street, Singapore 059498
Hours: Mon – Sun (12pm – 1:30am)
Phone: +65Â 6225 0087
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/cqgf.chinatown/
2. Hawker QSR
Hawker is the first all-asian fusion fast food restaurant so it’s no wonder that they would introduce a Mala burger to their menu! Grab their Szechuan Mala burger – a thick, crispy, deep-fried chicken patty, doused in a special Mala sauce between two burger buns. It’s fuss-free Mala in a burger!
Hawker QSR @ Esplanade Mall
Address: 8 Raffles Avenue, #01-13E, Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
Hours: Sun – Thurs & PH (10am – 10.30pm), Fri, Sat & Eve of PH (10am to 12am)
Phone:Â +65 6219 0161
Website:Â http://hawkerqsr.com.sg
Hawker @ Kent Ridge Center
Address: 1 Lower Kent Ridge Road, #04-19 & 20, One @ KENTRIDGE, Singapore 119082
Hours: Mon – Sun (7am – 10pm)
Contact:Â +65 6262 3843
Hawker @ Jewel
Address: 78 Airport Boulevard, #B2-263 Changi Airport, Singapore 819666
Hours: 24 Hours
3. Tino’s Pizza Cafe
Who doesn’t love pizza? Tino’s Pizza Café has created a fusion pizza of two hot favourites – pizza and Mala! Prepare for your taste buds to be tantalised by a spicy bedding of their special Mala sauce, topped with shrimp, chicken meatballs, cheese and salad. You can also choose from a normal, doughy crust, Napolenta or a thin crust, Romena. Tino’s Pizza Café serves up their modern fusion twists with a traditional dough-making and baking style, bringing you the best of both worlds.
Tino’s Pizza Café (Tiong Bahru)
Address:Â 302 Tiong Bahru Road, Singapore 168732
Hours: Mon – Sun (10am – 9:30pm)
Phone:Â +65 6352 7759
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/tinospizzacafesg/
Tino’s Pizza Café (The Centrepoint)
Address:Â #B1-13, The Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Road, Singapore 238843
Hours: Mon – Sun (11am – 9:30pm)
Phone: +65Â 6694 3713
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/tinospizzacafesg/
4. Top 1 Handmade Noodles
Want a super satisfying and shiok bowl of Mala mee? Top 1 Handmade Noodles serves their variety of handmade noodles in a spicy Mala broth. Like Mala Xiang Guo, your bowl of noodles will be customised to your tastes. You can choose your favourite noodle out of fine noodles, flat noodles, mee sua, bee hoon, ban mian etc. After which, you can choose what ingredients you want accompanying your noodles and broth – pork? Meatballs? Seafood? It really is whatever your heart desires!
Address:Â Beauty World Centre #04-44, 144 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588177
Hours: Mon, Thurs – Sun (9am – 8:30pm)
Phone: +65 9648 2426
5. Joyful Palace Mala Xiang Guo
Joyful Palace Mala Xiang Guo is one of the best Mala Xiang Guo in the West! They carefully season the ingredients with lots of garlic and chilli, and their spice blend is impeccable, resulting in an extremely fragrant and flavourful bowl of Mala. You also get a wide variety of fresh ingredients to choose from whether it is vegetables, meat or seafood. However, be careful when picking your spiciness level – the spicy kick is real at Joyful Palace!
Address:Â 443 Clementi Avenue 3, Food Loft, Singapore 120443
6. Green On Earth
An all-vegetarian Mala stall is rare, but Green on Earth does it perfectly. Be sure to add in the must-have ingredients: lotus root, potato and tofu skin! The peppers used in their Mala is extra numbing and tingly, as they use a special type of pepper, hua jiao. It definitely elevates the spiciness to the next level! If you are still craving meat, not to worry, they offer vegetarian mock meat as well.
Address:Â 2 Phoenix Rd, Singapore 668156
Hours: Mon – Sun (11am – 9:30pm)
Phone: +65 6769 2230
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/GreenOnEarth/
7. Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant
Get ready for your taste buds to be on fire as you dive into the spicily delicious broth of chilli oil, pepper and other secret spices at Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine. Old Chengdu specialises in Mala soup, but they can cook it dry upon request as well. A hot recommendation is to order taupok (beancurd puff) as it sops up the spicy soup that explodes in your mouth as soon as you bite into it!
Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine (People’s Park Complex)
Address: 1 Park Road, #01-K99G, People’s Park Complex, Singapore 059108
Hours: Mon – Sun (10am – 9pm)
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/laochengdou
Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine (Pagoda Street)
Address:Â 80 Pagoda St, Singapore 059239
Hours: Mon – Sun (11am – 1:30am)
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/laochengdou
8. Formosa Delights
Formosa Delights is all about handmade noodles! You can choose to add a serving of handmade noodles into your Mala Xiang Guo, which they will fry up for you, or you can get a bowl of hearty handmade noodles in Mala soup. Both ways, the Mala gravy coats the thick, chewy noodles, giving them amazing taste and texture in your mouth! Formosa Delights also takes their spice seriously so brace yourself for the numbness and spiciness!
Address:Â 20 Clementi Road, Singapore 129749
Hours: Mon – Sun (Open 24 hours)
Phone:Â +65 67787398
Website:Â http://www.formosadelights.com/
9. 13 Stages
Bored of the usual hainanese chicken rice? 13 Stages has created a Mala variation of chicken rice which features chicken leg in a deep red Mala sauce, and garnished with roasted peanuts and beancurd skin. The colour of the sauce may look daunting. However, if you’re a spice novice, this is the Mala for you as it is said to be less spicy than xiaola, which is usually the least spicy option at Mala stalls.
Address: No. 1 Stadium Place #01-41 Kallang Wave Mall Singapore, Singapore, 397628 (in Kallang Wave Mall)
Hours: Mon – Sun (10am – 9pm)
Phone: +65Â 6384 0502
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Restaurant/13-Stages-100404353942702/
10. Be My Guest
All fans of Mala have to try Be My Guest’s Lion Prawn Mala Mee Kia! They add an interesting twist to the dish by sautéing capellini pasta and tiger prawns with garlic, chilli, Sichuan peppercorn and prawn roe! They serve the pasta with a generous serving of large tiger prawns, making the dish extra satisfying. Be warned that it is quite spicy, perfect for the Mala lover looking to satisfy some Mala cravings!
Address: 1 Irving Place #01-20, Commerze@Irving, Singapore 369546
Hours: Mon – Fri (11.30am – 10pm), Sat (11am – 9pm), Sun (11am – 7.30pm)
Phone: +65Â 9221 4405
Website:Â https://www.facebook.com/Bemyguestcafe/
Top 10 Mala Spots in Singapore!
The Mala craze in Singapore is going strong, and doesn’t seem like it’s going to stop any time soon! Well, we certainly can’t get enough of it! If you’re constantly looking for new Mala spots to satisfy your cravings, go ahead, check out these Top 10 Mala Spots on our list!
Also Read: Top 10 Best Nasi Lemak In Singapore To Try In 2019Â
