"Hot pot" covers a whole family of dishes. Some you cook yourself at the table, some the kitchen cooks for you, and some don't have soup at all. Here's how the main Sichuan-style ones differ.
Communal hot pot (火锅)
The classic sit-down version. A pot of broth simmers on the table and everyone cooks raw ingredients in it, often with a split pot (鸳鸯锅) so one side can be spicy and the other mild. It's a long, social meal. Ace Hot Pot doesn't do table-top hot pot.
Malatang (麻辣烫)
You pick raw ingredients from the fridges into a bowl, then the kitchen cooks them in broth and brings out your own bowl. It's quick, you only pay for what you choose, and everyone at the table can have a different soup. At Ace Hot Pot it's $4.68 per 100g with nine soup bases. How malatang works.
Maocai (冒菜)
Often called hot pot for one. Ingredients are simmered in a rich, spicy Sichuan broth and served in a bowl, usually with rice. Ace Hot Pot's maocai includes spicy roasted duck, tender beef and sliced black fish, from $22.80 with free rice. See our maocai.
Mala xiang guo (麻辣香锅)
The "dry pot". Instead of soup, your ingredients are stir-fried in a wok with ma la spices. At Ace Hot Pot it's one of the nine malatang bases, Mala Stir Fry, and it comes in four spice levels, from mild to ace hot.
Ma la ban (麻辣拌)
Cooked ingredients tossed in a saucy ma la dressing rather than served in broth. It's especially good with noodles. Mala Ban is also one of our malatang bases.
Which one should I try?
- Want control over every ingredient? Malatang.
- Want a bold, ready-made Sichuan dish? Maocai.
- Don't want soup? Mala Stir Fry or Mala Ban.