Chuan Taizi Mala Tang 川太子麻辣烫 at Alexandra Retail Centre

Sichuan mala tang stall at Alexandra Village where diners pick ingredients for a fiery, numbing broth that hits all the right notes.

Chuan Taizi Mala Tang (川太子麻辣烫) brings the fiery, numbing flavours of Sichuan mala tang to Alexandra Village Food Centre. The concept is interactive: diners select their own ingredients from a spread of vegetables, mushrooms, tofu, meat, and noodles, which are then cooked in a bubbling, chilli-oil-rich broth infused with Sichuan peppercorns and aromatics.

The result is a customisable bowl that is as spicy and mouth-numbing as you dare. The stall caters to the growing demand for mala xiang guo and mala tang in Singapore, offering the single-bowl soup format that is less intimidating than the stir-fry version. The broth is robust and aromatic, with layers of heat, fragrance, and that distinctive ma la (numbing-spicy) sensation.

It is a sweaty, satisfying affair best suited to those who enjoy bold, assertive flavours. If you are at Alexandra Village and your palate craves that Sichuan fire, Chuan Taizi Mala Tang delivers the burn and the flavour in equal measure. It is mala magic, bowl by bowl.