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Good Food is Good Mood at Mala Tang - Mala Tang, Arlington, VA

Mala Tang

4.4

4.4

529 Reviews

$31 to $50

Asian

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 18, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 5 times today

Great for brunch
Charming
Fancy

The inspiration behind Mala Tang is the street food of Chengdu.. Here you'll find the streets filled with diners sitting at tables gathering around bubbling hot pots, in which dozens of dried chilies bob up and down in an oily red broth, Mala Bites which is the popular skewered dish and the authentic Sichuan stir fried dishes.

Our Spicy Pork Wontons won Arlington's Best Appetizer.

Our Sauce Bar is available nightly for those who like to create their dipping sauces.

We are conveniently located near VA Square Metro Station and a 5-minute walk from Clarendon Area.

Order delivery or takeout

Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Asian, Chinese, Sichuan
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri–Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm
Phone number
(703) 243-2381
Website
http://www.mala-tang.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Chef Peter
Catering
On site and off site Catering is available.
Private party facilities
You and your guests will feel as if you're dining in Chengdu, the home of Sichuan Peppercorns and the inspiration for Mala Tang. Choose from several group menus crafted for large parties or let us create a menu designed just for you.
Private party contact
Restaurant Manager: (703) 243-2381

Location
3434 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201
Neighbourhood
Arlington
Cross Street
Terwilliger Apartment
Parking details
COMPLIMENTARY VALIDATED PARKING for 1.5-HOURS MAX at the Garage Adjacent to Mala Tang.
Public transit
From Virginia Square Metro - turn left at N Monroe Street than turn right on Washington Blvd.
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

Appetizers

Spring Roll (2)US$2.95
Juicy Pork BunsUS$6.00
Vegetable BunsUS$6.00
Yolk BunsUS$6.00
Golden Buns with Sweet CreamUS$6.00
Chengdu Fried Beef DumplingsUS$6.00
Chengdu Steamed Beef DumplingsUS$6.00
Green Onion PancakeUS$4.00
Zhong's Pork DumplingsUS$6.00
Dan Dan NoodlesUS$7.00
Spicy Szechuan Pork WontonsUS$6.00
Wooden Earl Mushroom SaladUS$7.00
Spicy Shredded PorkUS$7.95
Spicy Cold NoodlesUS$7.00
Cold Mung Bean NoodlesUS$6.00
Spicy Cucumber SaladUS$6.00
Sweet Cucumber SaladUS$6.00
Szechuan Pickled VegetablesUS$3.50
Spicy Dried Beef (Beef Jerky)US$7.95
Chengdu Marinated ChickenUS$7.95
Beef and Beef Tripe with Spicy SauceUS$8.95
Spicy Szechuan Beef TendonUS$7.95
Dried Bean Curd with PeanutsUS$6.95
Smoked Duck (1/4 Duck)US$8.95

Soups & Chowder

Hot and Sour Soup (cup)US$2.50
Chicken Corn Chowder (for 2)US$6.95
Bean Curd with Vegetable Soup (for 2)US$6.95
Beef Egg Drop Soup with Cilantro (for 2)US$7.95
Hot and Sour Seafood Chowder (for 2)US$8.95
Seafood Bean Curd Soup (for 2)US$8.95
Fish Filet with Sour Mustard Soup (for 2)US$8.95

Beef and Lamb

Traditional Szechuan Cuisine. Served with White Rice by default. Extra white rice for $1.50 or substitute to fried rice for $1.50

Cumin LambUS$13.95
Mongolian LambUS$13.95
Stir Fried Strip Beef with CeleryUS$12.95
Mongolian BeefUS$13.95
Cumin BeefUS$13.95
Crispy Shredded Beef Szechuan StyleUS$13.95
Stir Fried Beef with Pickled Hot PepperUS$11.95
Twice Cooked BeefUS$11.95
Beef with Garlic SauceUS$11.95
Kung Pso Beef with PeanutsUS$12.95
Beef Cubes with Spicy Dry Chili PeppersUS$14.95
Beef with Vegetable in Peppery BrothUS$14.95
Stir Fried Shredded Beef with Dried Bean CurdUS$11.95
Shredded Beef with Chinese CeleryUS$11.95
Shredded Beef with Bamboo ShootsUS$11.95

Pork and Tofu

Traditional Szechuan Cuisine. Served with White Rice by default. Extra white rice for $1.50 or substitute to fried rice for $1.50

Ground Pork with Sweet Potato NoodlesUS$10.95
Mapo Tofu with PorkUS$10.95
Home Style Pork with TofuUS$10.95
Kung Pao Tofu with PeanutsUS$10.95
Twice Cooked Pork with Garlic LeavesUS$11.95
Pork Intestine with Chili PeppersUS$13.95
Pork Intestine with Smooth Tofu in Spicy SauceUS$13.95
Shredded Pork with Garlic SauceUS$11.95
Shredded Pork with Green Hot PeppersUS$11.95
Pork with Wooden Ear MushroomsUS$10.95
Shredded Pork with Chinese CeleryUS$10.95
Shredded Pork with Dry Bean CurdUS$10.95
Dong Po Braised PorkUS$15.95

Seafood

Traditional Szechuan Cuisine. Served with White Rice by default. Extra white rice for $1.50 or substitute to fried rice for $1.50

Sweet and Sour FishUS$14.95
Fresh Fish Filet with Spicy Bean SauceUS$15.95
Fresh Fish Filet with Vegetables in White SauceUS$14.95
Fresh Fish Filet in Special Hot Pot BrothUS$17.95
Flounder and Mixed Vegetables in Spicy BrothUS$13.95
Cumin FishUS$13.95
Fish and Smooth Tofu in Spicy BrothUS$14.95
Fried Flounder with GarlicUS$14.95
Fish and Mung Bean Noodles with Spicy BrothUS$15.95
Kung Pao Jumbo Shrimp with PeanutsUS$14.95
Jumbo Shrimp with Vegetable in White SauceUS$14.95
Jumbo Shrimp with Spicy Szechaun SauceUS$14.95
Jumbo Shrimp with Garlic SauceUS$14.95
Salt and Peppery ScallopsUS$14.95
Sauteed Jumbo Shrimp with Bok ChoyUS$14.95
Salt and Pepper Jumbo ShrimpUS$14.95
Stir Fried Surf Clam with Black Bean SauceUS$14.95
Stir Fried Clam with ginger and Green OnionUS$14.95
Salt and Pepper SquidUS$14.95
Stir Fried Squid with Pickled Hot PeppersUS$13.95
Stir Fried Lobster with Szechuan SauceUS$22.95
Stir Fried Lobster with Ginger and GarlicUS$22.95

Poultry

Traditional Szechuan Cuisine. Served with White Rice by default. Extra white rice for $1.50 or substitute to fried rice for $1.50

Stir Fried Shredded Chicken with CucumberUS$10.95
Cumin ChickenUS$12.95
Chicken with Garlic SauceUS$10.95
Chicken and Vegetable with Spicy BrothUS$12.95
Chicken with Mixed Hot PeppersUS$11.95
Shredded Chicken with Pickled Hot PeppersUS$11.95
Kung Pao Chicken with PeanutsUS$10.95
Twice Cooked ChickenUS$10.95
Chicken with Mixed Vegetables in White SauceUS$10.95
Diced Chicken with Hot Chili PeppersUS$12.95
Chengdu Olde Folk's Crispy DuckUS$15.95
Braised Duck with TaroUS$15.95
Braised Drunken Duck (cooked with Beef)US$15.95

Vegetables

Traditional Szechuan Cuisine. Served with White Rice by default. Extra white rice for $1.50 or substitute to fried rice for $1.50

Stir Fried Spinach with Fresh GarlicUS$10.95
Stir Fried Watercress with Fresh GarlicUS$10.95
Stir Fried Dry Bean Crud a Chinese CeleryUS$10.95
Stir Fried Shanghai Green and Shiitake MushroomUS$10.95
Stir Fried Celery and Wooden Ear MushroomUS$9.95
Stir Fried String BeansUS$10.95
Stir Fried ChrysanthemumUS$10.95
Eggplant with Spicy Garlic SauceUS$9.95
Eggplant with Chinese BBQ SauceUS$9.95
Tiger Skin Hot PepperyUS$10.95
Shredded Potato Cooked with Green PepperyUS$8.95

Fried Rice

Brown RiceUS$2.00
Egg Fried RiceUS$8.95
Yang Zhou Fried RiceUS$9.95
Combo Fried RiceUS$9.95

Noodles

Braised Beef Noodles SoupUS$8.95
Pork with Pickled Vegetable Noodles SoupUS$8.95
Triple Delight Noodles SoupUS$8.95

Mala Dry Pot

An ala Carte Menu - pick two vegetable and starch for $3.5 extra each. Side dish selection will be $5 extra

Lamb Mala Dry PotUS$9.00
Sirloin Mala Dry PotUS$9.00
Flank Steak Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Lobster Mala Dry PotUS$20.00
Flounder Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Fish Tofu Mala Dry PotUS$9.00
Prawns in Shell Mala Dry PotUS$9.00
Prawns in Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Chicken Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Squid Mala Dry PotUS$8.00
Scallops Mala Dry PotUS$9.00
Surf Clam Mala Dry PotUS$8.00
Crab Stick Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Fish Ball Mala Dry PotUS$6.00
Shrimp Ball Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Lobster Ball Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
OX Triple Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Pork Rib Tips Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Frog Legs Mala Dry PotUS$7.00
Duck Tongue Mala Dry PotUS$17.00
Chicken Gizzards Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Duck Gizzards Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Duck Feet Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Goose Feet Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Duck Intestine Mala Dry PotUS$10.00
Goose Intestine Mala Dry PotUS$10.00

Side Order

Brown RiceUS$2.00
Extra White Rice (Lg)US$3.00
Extra White Rice (Sm)US$1.50
Jasmine Iced TeaUS$2.50
SodaUS$2.50
Wang Lo Ji HerbalUS$3.00

What 529 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.5Service
4Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

5
4
3
2
1

529 Reviews

D
Deepak
Washington DC
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined today
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
I had gone to Mala Tang 12-13years ago and then moved out of state, and once relocated back to the area went there yesterday evening for an anniversary dinner. The server was very dry (at least didn’t have a happy demeanor) and while was ok in terms of service, think they could be more welcoming to set the tone and be attentive (took us 15 minutes to settle our tab since no one came to see we were done). I did the hot pot which was good and how I remembered it, Mala beef simmered in the hot pot was the best out of the lot. My wife’s fish was in a very salty batter and almost inedible, so she mostly shared what we ordered for our son, which was the Lao Mein. The Lao Mein was good for what it is. The bill was $110, which we didn’t feel like we got what we paid for. Overall, my wife’s comment at the end was maybe we’ll try it in another 12-13years. That about sums it up. Fair, just not as good as I experienced long time ago.
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H
HETAL
Washington DC
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Substitutions were not welcome , but they did have a ton of choices
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M
Mark
VIP
Washington DC
5 reviews
3.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 4, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Place was freezing and a question asked of staff about food preparation was answered incorrectly. Food was fine but I had asked a question about the way it was served and was given a wrong answer. Disappointing.
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D
Dara
Houston
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on December 28, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is our favorite hot pot restaurant. Food is fresh and the sauce bar is great!
Is this helpful?
J
John
VIP
New York City
117 reviews
4.0
117 reviews
Dined on December 5, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
Mala needs to spruce up its facility. One waiter only. Poor guy running whole Place. He was very nice and as quick as possible. Terrible lighting and heat was lacking on a cold night. Kinda sad since the food was very good. Dark and cold last night.
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D
Debbie
Washington DC
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on November 2, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
This place was on my to do list for a year. Did not disappoint. We had one hot pot, it was okay. Person who ordered said he’d chose more tasteful broth then we realized there were condiment bar he could utilize. Server could have been more helpful in explaining how to eat hot pot. The rest of the dishes we shared family style. Sweet and sour fish was crunchy and soft, a hit with all 5 diners especially our 6 yr old. Braised pork belly with tofu delish and savory. Duck dish as very tasty but the bones were too numerous and dangerously slivered. We did not give to younger diner. Boy choy and shittake was tender, could have added some oyster sauce. Beef w/rice noodles a hot all around too. All in all we throughly enjoyed the food, took home some containers for lunches tomorrow. My husband and I will be back again to try hot pot on our next trips to visit family who live in area.
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A
Austin
VIP
New York City
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I have gone here numerous times and they have some of the best Chinese food in the area. Highly recommend.
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E
Edwina
VIP
Richmond
18 reviews
5.0
18 reviews
Dined on May 15, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food and prompt service. Friendly people. The restaurant validated the parking.
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D
Diner
Greater Boston
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 18, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
I liked this restaurant, especially the rice noodles I had. My daughters enjoyed the dry, hot pot, which is stir-fried. My wife had a tofu and green bean dish, which was much too salty for her. As for the service, they were very nice when they were paying attention; however, they said and then just forgot about us for 10 minutes, so I had to get up and find somebody to order a drink and some appetizers while I waited for my family to arrive. Then again, after my family arrived, they checked in once or twice while we were thinking about ordering and then just disappeared for 10 minutes. So I had to get up and find a server. This is not the end of the world, but doing it once isn’t a big deal. But having to get up a second time was just kind of like a WTF moment. There weren’t many people in there, like maybe ten total. So it was odd that they weren’t just paying attention to everybody. There was a gentleman who sat there on his phone. The female server was very nice but not very proactive. There is a sign that says they’re short-staffed, but that didn’t seem to be the problem to me. What else bugs me is my wife got up with two of my kids to get our car. My other daughter and I were sitting at the table as I finished my glass of wine, and my other daughter was picking at the food. And the busser came up and started clearing all the dishes in front of me, which was unnecessary. It was 9 p.m., in the restaurant didn’t have many patrons anymore. They should ask the busser to wait until we’ve left the table. I politely asked the busser to come back after we left.
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RP
RexP
Washington DC
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on April 18, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Avoid this place if vegetarian, food bland with minimal effort. Looks like frozen veggies were used, not fresh. Stingy on variety of veggies. Overpriced, meat dishes looked somewhat better but not worth it.
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FAQs

Mala Tang offers delivery in partnership with Postmates and Uber Eats. Mala Tang also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (703) 243-2381.

Mala Tang is rated 4.4 stars by 529 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 18, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 5 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Mala Tang

3434 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201

Additional information

Cross Street
Terwilliger Apartment
Neighbourhood
Arlington
Hours of Operation
Lunch Mon–Fri 11:30 am–4:00 pm Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri–Sun 4:00 pm–10:30 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Asian, Chinese, Sichuan
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
COMPLIMENTARY VALIDATED PARKING for 1.5-HOURS MAX at the Garage Adjacent to Mala Tang.
Public transit
From Virginia Square Metro - turn left at N Monroe Street than turn right on Washington Blvd.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Chef Peter
Additional
Beer, Corkage Fee, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.mala-tang.com/
Phone number
(703) 243-2381
Catering
On site and off site Catering is available.
Private party facilities
You and your guests will feel as if you're dining in Chengdu, the home of Sichuan Peppercorns and the inspiration for Mala Tang. Choose from several group menus crafted for large parties or let us create a menu designed just for you.
Private party contact
Restaurant Manager: (703) 243-2381

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