I'm on Eater Talking Hot Pot

Hey guys! Sichuan hot pot has been the latest food trend these days, but locals know that west LA has never been the place to get authentic Chinese food. I’m on Eater today giving you the 411 on a restaurant that passes my test and that I highly recommend to those in Santa Monica/Sawtelle area. Click here to read and see photos.

After experiencing multiple delays, Mala Town will finally bring regional Chinese hot pots to Sawtelle Japantown on July 1. Chef Tiantian Qiu, who already has one of the most popular Sichuan restaurants in SGV at Hip Hot, is opening a regional Chinese hot pot restaurant in West LA. The Sawtelle area, which has historically featured Japanese restaurants but has since expanded to other Asian cuisines such as Filipino, Korean, and Chinese, is now home to the 1,200-square-foot hot pot specialist that seats just 25 people.

The restaurant’s name, ‘Mala Town (Tang)’ is a play on words that translates to ‘mouth-numbing spicy broth,’ but Qiu’s goal with Mala Town is to show others that Chinese food, particularly Sichuan dishes, isn’t just about the numbing spiciness that most have come to associate with the cuisine.

“There are so many dishes in Sichuan cuisine that aren’t spicy,” Qiu says. “I want diners to take a culinary journey of China by trying different hot pots and experience different Chinese cuisines. Think of Mala Town as a passport around China.”

Read my full article here: https://la.eater.com/2019/7/1/20677493/mala-town-sichuan-szechuan-hot-pot-sawtelle-restaurant-opening-los-angeles?fbclid=IwAR3jtGcYs8ykrfJrBIVcpmajXOjTTodx1cOrGc29lvMD3Nkd0tC3dKyMdek