Mala Xiang Guo has been in Singapore for quite a number of years now and I was never drawn to it for 2 reasons; it was usually very crowded or the fridge was atrociously filthy. Seriously, I’ve even seen baby cockroaches walking across at one outlet. Some of them do not maintain the quality of ingredients and it can be really disgusting.
Since I moved into Kovan, I always walked around looking for food and when this store popped up, I was drawn to the brand new, squeaky-clean chiller! It was huge, clean and well-packed with fresh ingredients which didn’t look wilted. I tried it for the first time ever and it was love at first try.
One mistake I made was assuming I could handle the extra spicy level of heat due to my heritage. Boy was I wrong. Basically, these shops work just like how Youg Tau Fu shops work but they calculate based on weight instead of the number of pieces. You choose what you want, they weigh, you choose the level of spiciness and then pay and wait.
Ever since this first attempt, I have tried various other outlets and none of them, even some famous ones, can live up to the taste and fragrance you get from this stall! After you finish your meal here, you will NOT be left with an oil-filled bowl like other outlets. The ingredients are fast fried in high heat and do not feel overly greasy.
Overall, I have patronised this stall for maybe 4 to 5 years now and the standard is still always the same! Try it and share with me any other outlets you feel serve better Mala Xiang Guo as well.
La Mei Spicy Hotpot @ Kovan
Address: 210 Hougang St 21, Singapore 530210
Contact: 9761 8957
Opening hours:
Daily: 11am to 10pm, closed on some Wednesdays
Personal rating: 5/5 (clean, fresh, fragrant, tasty, spicy!)
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