Living in Shanghai for two years, I got to try many amazing dishes from different regions of China. This was perhaps one of the funnest and best parts of spending extended time in China, learning about and getting to try lots of different food. A steaming bowl of Malatang on a chilly autumn/winter day is heaven
Much of it was new to me. Having grown up in the Midwest US, I was used to American-style Chinese food. Orange chicken, Sichuan Chicken, Chop Suey, egg rolls, fortune cookies and the like. It was a surprise to be at restaurants in Shanghai and to not see any of these familiar dishes on the menus at all.
Malatang is a dish that could change your life One of the dishes that became a favorite of mine, is called Malatang. Ma-La-Tahng.
“Malatang is named after its key ingredient, mala sauce, which is flavored with a combination of Sichuan pepper and dried chilli pepper. The word málà is composed of the Chinese characters for "numbing" (麻) and "spicy (hot)" (辣), referring to the feeling in the mouth after eating the sauce.”
Many vegetables and a variety of seafood, meat, tofu make Malatang a healthy and satisfying choice It reminded me a lot of hot pot, which groups of us would go out for at the school where I worked. With hot pot, you choose a variety of meats and vegetables, dumplings, and boil it in a broth right at your table.
When eating solo, and looking for a somewhat quick meal, the Malatang restaurant was the perfect choice. And it was wonderful on the damp, chilly autumn days, and the cold winter days, in Shanghai. When eating Malatang, you choose all of the ingredients, and the restaurant boils and flavors the soup for you. The fun part about eating Malatang is being able to choose all of the ingredients to put in your bowl of soup. You grab a large bowl and a pair of tongs, and fill the bowl with a variety of meats, tofu, and vegetables from a display case. Then you bring the bowl to the counter.
They will ask how spicy you want it. A few minutes later, the steaming bowl is brought to your table. I would usually ask for the medium-level of spiciness, expecting it to be several levels hotter than the “medium” I was used to back home. I soon learned the spice level wasn’t that extreme though, at least for my tastes. The medium-level had a little bit of a kick, but wasn’t unbearable. This was also a good chance to try speaking Mandarin, and try out phrases I’d been practicing. The people working in the restaurants always had a smile, were friendly and helpful. At the table was usually a peanut sauce and a spicy chili sauce to adjust the heat level of your soup, and get it to the flavor you like.
A bowl of Malatang is always bursting with many flavors, spicy, sweet, savory. Delicious and satisfying, and the perfect way to warm up after walking and exploring the city on a chilly day.
And a very healthy option with a variety of fresh vegetables, meats, and seafood to choose from. And economical as well. A large bowl was about $3-4 dollars US. A favorite noodle dish in the West Chinese (Xinjiang Province) style restaurant, with scrambled egg and vegetables
I came to recognize the style of Malatang restaurants (the foods arranged in a kind of display case near the restaurant entrance) wherever I happened to be in the city, and it was always a comfort to duck into one, and to know I would get a delicious meal there.
I've never seen this style of Chinese restaurant in the US, though I'm sure some kind of version must exist in places like New York's Chinatown. Along with my other favorite foods they became a staple of mine while living in Shanghai. Baozi, the steamed buns filled with meat, vegetables, or red bean paste. Xiao Long Bao, the savory dumplings filled with hot soup. And the variety of fresh hand-pulled noodles, which are absolutely amazing. Without a doubt the freshest and most delicious noodle dishes I've ever had.
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