MáLà Project: Delicious Chinese Dry Pot Food in NYC
A friend recommended Málà Project as one of the best places to get Chinese food in New York City, and I have to say that I agree. Off the bat, I loved that it has the vibes of your favorite and most trusted neighborhood Chinese spot, but the feel of a spacious, new-age restaurant.
Málà Project is evidently a popular spot — when we arrived there was a slow trickle of diners, but by the time we were leaving, there wasn’t an empty seat in the building, and there seemed to be a mix of new diners and regulars, which is always a good sign for me.
It is a very unique Chinese dining experience where you choose any number of ingredients to personalize your dish. For this reason, you could go several times, even often, and very well have a different experience each time if you’re the type of person that likes to experiment.
The most notable dry pot ingredient is the málà sauce that is a blend of 24 herbs and spices that is cooked for over six hours. This is the ingredient that unifies the dry pot, as the ingredients you select are wok-fried in this sauce.
Before I get to my personal dry pot, I’ll share my appetizer. We ordered the spicy popcorn chicken as an appetizer, and I really enjoyed it. To note, the chicken itself is not spicy, but the dipping sauce is.
Now, let’s talk main course. For my málà dry pot, I chose soy ginger as my spice level, which is the lowest level of spice. The menu suggests three to five ingredients, but the number you choose obviously depends on your preference and how hungry you are. I also will say that depending on how many ingredients you decide on, this dish can easily be shared between two or three people.
For my ingredients, I selected eye of round, which our waitress recommended, and then scallop and broccoli. I can say that this is easily one of the most dynamic dishes I have ever had. There were layers and layers of explosive flavor, and I just knew that I’d be most excited for the eye of round steak, but I was surprised that when I finished the dish, the broccoli marinated in the sauce was my absolute favorite.
If you’re in New York City and in the mood for Chinese food, you won’t regret landing at Málà Project. You can make a reservation, and in addition to the amazing food, the staff is both friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy with small details like tea light candles to dimly light the table and wall hooks for your coat and bags. This is a restaurant I would happily return to any time.
