Restaurant serves fiery, fragrant Sichuanese dish


Mala xiangguo ― a Sichuanese dish that is all the rage in Beijing ― lives up to its name.

According to Mala Xiangguo owner-chef Ko Young-yun, “ma” means “tongue-numbing.” “la” means “spicy.” “xiang” means “fragrant” and “delicious;” and “guo” means “pot.”

In short, mala xiangguo is an incredibly fiery, delectable jumble of ingredients served up in a large pot. 

The version served at Ko’s hanok-housed Chinese restaurant in Tongin-dong, Seoul, achieves an addictive combination of fire and fragrance with Sichuan peppercorns, various dried chili peppers and 18 Asian medicinal herbs.

A total of 14 ingredients ― long strips of bean curd skin, glassy, chewy noodles, lotus root and more ― form the base of this hodge-podge dish.

The dish is available mild, medium or hot (mild is recommended for newcomers), and if the basic 14 ingredients are not enough, meat, vegetables and other ingredients can be added for an additional charge.

Once all the decision-making is over, two to three (one order is huge) can gather round the table with bowls of glistening, white rice and dig in. Chopsticks work nimbly to remove peppercorns and chili peppers from fried shrimp (all tangy and chewy), cloud ear mushrooms and cabbage.

Any attempt to avoid the inevitable numbing, burning sensation that envelops one’s tongue is futile. It is all part of the experience, and though the spiciness of the dish might give one reason to pause, it is so delicious that one cannot help but continue to dip into that big pot at the center of the table.

The furnace-like blast of the chilies and peppercorns, the pungent fragrances of star anise and cinnamon, coupled together with the crunch and chew of noodles and vegetables are what make mala xiangguo such a pleasure to eat. 

Mala xiangguo fever first hit Beijing about five to six years ago, according to owner-chef Ko, who was staying there at the time.

A restaurant chain opened in the city and people would line up for a taste of the dish. Ko wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

“It was so tasty,” the 37-year-old chef said of the first time she tried mala xiangguo.

After completing her culinary studies in Beijing, Ko ― armed with a certificate in Chinese cuisine ― headed home to open Mala Xiangguo in Seoul with her sister. 

The restaurant opened last year.

Business was slow in the beginning, but “some people who had been to China and missed mala xiangguo” found out about the place and started coming.

Now, customers gather in pairs or trios around tables, adding an order of lamb to the dish or some other delicacy, a huge bottle of beer to help stave off the heat, and bowls of rice.

The spiciness of the dish makes long, relaxed meals a must, as patrons slowly eat, chatting and cooling off before taking another bite.

Under the dwindling rays of the sun, in a quiet corner of street, it all works: the good food, good company and good conversation.

By Jean Oh (oh_jean@heraldcorp.com)

Mala Xiangguo; 147-15, Tongin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul; (02) 723-8653; open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily; mala xiangguo costs 28,000 won