Ri Ri Hong vs. Ma-La – who is Chinatown’s mala champion?
Same Same But Different is a new investigative series where we compare and review the same type of dish from different food stalls in the same vicinity to find out which is more worth it.
Mala in Chinatown. Almost immediately, Ri Ri Hong Mala Hot Pot at People’s Park Food Centre comes to mind, but is it really worth the long queue when our time is oh so precious?
Another authentic mala stall is just a couple of stalls away with way shorter queues – Ma-La Hot Pot – so our mala-crazed writers made a trip down to find out just whose mala is truly worth our sweat, swollen lips, money, and time:
*Judging requirement: To be numbingly spicy and to spoil us with a wide variety of fresh ingredients.
Note: Both orders will contain the same ingredients and a spice level of medium.
Presentation
Left: Ma-La Hot Pot, Right: Ri Ri Hong Mala Hot Pot
Our order: chicken, lotus root, bamboo shoot, broccoli, beancurd skin, king oyster mushroom, instant noodles.
The taste test
The mala flavour
The ingredients
The Price Point
The verdict
People’s Park Food Centre
Address: 32 New Market Rd, Singapore 050032
Ri Ri Hong Mala Hot Pot
Unit: #01-1036 & #01-1152
Opening Hours: Daily | 11AM – 9.30PM
Ma-La Hot Pot
Unit: #01-1060A
Opening Hours: Daily | 11AM – 9PM
