MáLà Project 53rd St

“If you like szechuan pepper, unique flavors, and a fun, casual atmosphere, this place is the best! The menu is filled with all types of spicy fun dishes, but also there are options for people who can’t handle a lot of spice which I appreciate. I’ve only been here twice but the unique mala spice blend they use is so warm and tingly and delicious. Our server Sarah recognized us even though we only came in once before! That was such a sweet surprise. The service overall at this place is great, everyone is very present, open, and efficient. Can’t wait to come back!”

“We ordered the Dry Pot with beef round and other various add-ons. Although it does get pricier the more you add, the price was justified. It was my first time ordering but my servers Stephanie and Sarah were very welcoming and actually gave us recommendation’s ! The dry pot can serve more than 2 so we took the leftovers home.”

“I consider myself lucky to be local to this restaurant and a regular here! You MUST order the dry pot - it's all the flavors of a spicy Sichuan hot pot cooked into a delicious, fragrant, numbing, and salty oil that the chefs will fry any ingredient of your choice in (my friends and I always go with the eye of round (thin hot pot beef), chicken breast, bok choi, and enoki mushrooms. And don't miss out on the crunchy snap of a konjac noodle or the saucy chew of a rice cake! Now I'm craving Mala Project again...) Put 4-6 ingredients in a hot pot, get a side of white rice for everyone, and bring a friend to help you eat a delectable dinner that should cost WAY more than ~$25 per person. Mala Project is perfect for a sense of everyday luxury, or a fun and flirty date night out. The ambience is also excellent, a pink-tinged retro vibe inspired by 1980s Chinese television, and they're always spinning indie hits that my friends and I (roughly Gen Z) tend to recognize, which makes it a fun place to dine. It has lovely two-person tables (for sharing the aforementioned hot pot!) as well as spaces for larger groups, and I've seen families eat here frequently without issue. I also really appreciate the service here! I have a severe sesame allergy that would normally stop me from eating at this kind of restaurant, but Mala Project has always been extremely accommodating (they even remade my dry pot once when *I* forgot to mention my allergy, which was totally my fault!) I appreciate this allergy awareness SO much and it's a huge factor in why I come to this establishment over others in the area (that, and the delicious food.) There are two servers I can't remember the names of now (one who's a photographer and one who's always wearing an awesome alt outfit) who have been especially great to us, including every once in a while giving us an extra dessert if we're there near closing - nice gestures like that. A plate of silver and gold mantou is the perfect complement to the dry pot, if you have any room left! Some small pieces of advice for other customers: This branch does get quite busy on Friday and Saturday night, and on those nights you can expect to wait a little if you don't have a reservation and the service can get spottier (the main struggle at Mala Project is getting enough water to tide you through the spicy dry pot - they've recently started putting bottles of water on people's tables, which ameliorates the issue somewhat but still disappears almost instantly at a table of 3-4). Still, maybe choose another restaurant if you (like we once unwisely did) have a show to catch - you can expect to spend at least an hour here, and probably a little more. Don't put yourself in a situation where the wait for the check will be agonizing instead of barely noticed. Also, this location has a variety of fun, cute cocktails - except our tastes run more on the sweet side, and for a while Mala mixed their cocktails quite dry. If you, like us, prefer a cocktail that tastes less like alcohol, their recently added Ganbei and Banana Milk cocktails are perfect! I don't have too much experience with dishes outside of the dry pot, but the first time I came here I got the mapo tofu and was unimpressed (Sadly I didn't return for months after, missing out on many potential Mala Project visits! I'm glad I got the dry pot the second time.) You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't get the dry pot here - it's like going to a French restaurant and not trying the French onion soup. You won't regret it (unless you're a spice wimp, in which case still get the dry pot but try their soy-ginger sauce! It's very good.) Overall, this is a fun, romantic, and surprisingly affordable place for a night out with friends or a cute date night just between the two of you. It's allergy-friendly and just a lovely restaurant to have in the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!”

“What an amazing place - the food and service were amazing. Restaurant is clean, cozy and bright. Our servers were super friendly, attentive and helpful. Everything we ordered was served hot, freshly made from the kitchen. Each bite was packed with flavor (spice) and a hint of heat - just absolutely delicious. An absolute must is the customizable MáLà dry hot pot, you get to choose your spice level (extra spicy of course!) as well as a wonderful variety of protein and vegetables and the option to add a side. There's a couple of other locations in NY (unfortunately not yet on Long Island) worth checking out as well if you're in the mood for some really good, make your mouth & tummy happy, tingly (spicy), yummee Chinese food.”

“this is a solid meal, and I would come here again. solidly tasty. we got small spicy dry pot with two bowls of purple rice which fed four adult women perfectly. I recommend cauliflower (sleeper choice), fish roe balls, glass noodles / sweet potato noodles. you can get anything and it would be good inside. the meat portions aren’t that big though I think (which was fine for me, idc that much. might even be preferable this way)”