MaLa Tang, web site, 3434 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA, 703-243-2381, adjoining the George Mason University School of Law buildings (with Mercatus and School of Public Policy and ICAR). (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Google | WaPo | Don Rockwell | Yelp]
It is real Sichuan hot pot, excellent flavors all around, reminiscent of Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot (same owner), superb cold dishes and appetizers, and the best MaPo Tofu in the entire area. They’ve made the decor chic, the wait staff “normal,” and you can just walk up to a counter and get ready-to-eat Sichuan street food to your heart’s content on a moment’s notice. I predict this will serve as a major breakthrough for real Sichuan food in northern Virginia and also in the United States.
This was a great tip. We ate dinner outside on the patio. Our kids (6 and 1 year old) both loved the onion pancakes. The special – chicken and peppers – was outstanding. Friendly service too.
Completely amazing. Most of the time I was eating I was saying “oh the flavors!” to myself. Had the milk marinated beef with bok choy with the spicy broth hot pot. Adding the red chili paste plus the sweeter sauce in the dipping sauce as the chef recommends was immensely flavorful. The dan dan noodles are delicious (although I’ve had a better version with hand shaved noodles in Seattle). I was there on a Sunday evening and there weren’t many people there (it felt kind of empty; some may like that).