Kashii Kara Malatang

At Kashii Kara Malatang, your bowl begins with choosing ingredients one by one. Pick from vegetables, mushrooms, meat, seafood and noodles, then pay by weight. It is fun to try a little of everything, though the price depends on what you choose, so it is worth keeping your appetite—and your selections—in mind. Diners have praised the broth’s savoury depth and richness, balanced by a gentle numbing spice rather than heat alone. One person found level 4 out of 5 just right, and was already thinking about trying the maximum, 5, next time. Spice tolerance varies, of course, but being able to choose a level is welcome if you enjoy a little heat.

If you want noodles to take centre stage, the menu includes sweet potato vermicelli, potato and beef tendon noodles. One diner liked how the chewy potato vermicelli soaked up the broth; another enjoyed sweet potato vermicelli with a selection of mostly vegetables. Other diners favoured corn noodles or beef tendon noodles, so there is room to explore different textures and combinations. The menu also lists malatang with prawns and vegetables, as well as malatang with prawns. That makes it easy to build a bowl around vegetables and prawns, or to make prawns the focus.

For something sweet afterwards, the menu also features panda-shaped steamed buns with red bean filling. You can eat in or order takeaway, whether you want to enjoy the process of choosing your ingredients or take your meal to go.