If you live in Malaysia, you’d know how much we adore spices. We don’t want any of that Ssamyang, Sriracha or even sambal tumbuk; we want something that’ll burn our tongue. Spiciness is undoubtedly a personal preference, but in this country, many start eating spices at a very young age.
Speaking of which, there’s a spot we tried out recently and it is to DIE for! If you’re a fan of spicy food but want to go beyond that danger limit, then you should definitely try out Mala Mala.
The Mala Mala outlet we visited is located in Mid Valley Megamall at Level 3. This eatery has two floors. If you’re coming with big crowds, it’s better to get seats on the upper floor. Interior wise, the store looks pretty cozy with minimal décor. What we love most is the aesthetic elements it has and it serves a good spot for Instagram pics!
As you enter the shop, you’ll notice a rattan wall and lights on your left. Even the colour scheme looks good. As of now, they have three outlets: Mid Valley Megamall, Melawati Mall and IOI City Mall in Putrajaya.
What is Mala?
The word “Ma la” alludes to the hot sauce that is used to prepare this dish and means “numbing spice.” To give its food the fiery flavour it has come to be known for, Mala Mala uses “Sichuan peppercorns,” a unique variety of black pepper imported from China. Therefore, the spicy is unique!
The ‘mala’s’ spicy flavour caused a stir at first, but regrettably, some people questioned whether it was halal or not. Fortunately, you don’t need to be concerned about halal issues because Mala Mala is appropriate for people of all races and ages as it only uses ingredients that come from halal food providers.
A Unique Pick and Mix
Mala Mala serves the stir-fried version of the traditional mala soup. You can choose your desired ingredients from a selection of more than 60 items (depending on what they have) when ordering.
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The interesting thing about the Mala Mala Restaurant is that you can customize your meal. There are several choices available here. You can choose from a variety of foods to fill your bowl, including seafood, fish balls, chicken, and veggies.
Mala Mala has a self-service ordering system, and you must assemble your own bowl of meat or veggies. Each ingredients is then weighed before cooking. Vegetable components cost RM4.50 (100g), and meat ingredients cost RM6.50 (100g). Also, they offer separate bowls for vegetable and meat, which we think is a good idea.
Now, here’s the best part. Once you’ve chosen you choice of meat and veggies, the next step is to choose your level of spiciness. Mala Mala offers 5 spice levels, namely:
- Rempah Jer (for a calm meal)
- Pedas Sikit (recommended for beginner level)
- Pedas Sangat (for those who wants a challenge)
- Pedas Giler
- Pedas Malatang (for those who’s got no soul or tastebuds!)
If you can’t handle spice but still want to feel that little numb feeling, get the “Rempah Je” (just spices) or “Pedas Sikit” (a little bit spicy). If you think you can take on the heat, then you should order “Pedas Sangat” (very spicy) or “Pedas Gila” (crazy spicy). And if you’re crazy, get the “Pedas Malatang”. Whichever level of spiciness you choose, just know this dish ain’t for the faint of heart.
Every dish is cooked to order when you eat at Mala Mala, which is their specialty. Therefore, everything of the meals you receive is hot and fresh. In fact, each of your ingredients is prepared separately because some need a longer cooking time than others. So, before everything is cooked at once to produce your meal, each component will be prepared in advance according to the cooking time.
If you want to, you can selected your proffered meal set. It comes with a choice of rice or noodles and soup of the day or green tea. We went with noodles and since we’re just humble beginners, we chose the “pedas sikit” level. Once our meal was ready, we had to collect it from the counter.
The food looks really presentable and vibrant with some green and peanut toppings but what we weren’t prepared for was the flavour we were about to taste. Even though the level of spicy was only a little moderate, we still went home with a numb tongue. It surely has another level of spiciness!
Despite that numb feeling, it was indeed a one-of-a-kind experience for us. The entire process of picking our meal and customizing it to eating it with lots of “hissing” sounds, was an enjoyable one. We’ll probably head back again but we might opt for the lowest level instead. Besides serving only food, Mala Mala also sells their highly demanded Mala Sauce and Mala Powder that is easy to use for home cooking.
So, if your palate is up for a test, why not stop by Mala Mala for a flaming meal? Invite your friends who also adore spicy food to join you in enjoying this spicy delight!
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