Gong Yuan Ma La Tang

Gong Yuan Ma La Tang
204 Hougang Street 21
#02-15 Heartland Mall

3 Gateway Drive
#04-07 Westgate

437 Orchard Road
#B1-27 Orchard XChange

3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-176 Suntec City

107 North Bridge Road
#B2-09 Funan

5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#B1-51 Changi City Point

https://www.instagram.com/gongyuansg/

Mala Soup With Egg (SGD $13.50 for 434g)

Casual, Comforting Soup

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 5
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 5
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $9 per person.


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Established in June 2017, Gong Yuan Ma La Tang is a casual dining eatery specialising in the uncommon mala soup, with a range of other Asian style soups / broths. Like the counterpart mala xiang guo / stir-fried spicy hot pot, you choose from a range of ingredients, but instead of tossing with Chinese spices, it's cooked with a choice of soup / broth instead.

Ambience at Gong Yuan Ma La Tang is casual and functional. Clean lines abound in the warmly lit place, neatly lined with sturdy modern casual wooden furniture. Generally buzzing with a crowd, this is an eat-and-go type of place, not meant for lingering. There is a faint odour of cooking spices lingering in the air. I like that the chilled ingredient display is kept mostly covered, though more temperature control would be preferred.

Service at Gong Yuan Ma La Tang is efficient but transactional. Interaction with staff is kept to a minimum, and they can be fairly brusque, exhibiting impatience. I note they clean up quickly when diners leave, turning around tables for the next set of customers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they offered solely takeaway, with orders fulfilled quickly. But their packaging could be improved with tighter lids to prevent minor spillage.

Food at Gong Yuan Ma La Tang is focused on Chinese cuisine, specifically the Sichuan / Szechuan mala hot pot in soup / broth version. Ingredients are generally fresh, though I note inconsistency across several visits. I like that each of their soups / broths are hearty and comforting in taste, especially good on cold days. Portions are large, and should be shared. Prices are determined by weight and variety of ingredients, budget about SGD $9 per person.


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Gong Yuan Ma La Tang Facade

Gong Yuan Ma La Tang Menu

Instructions

Ingredients Display

The Variety Of Ingredients here has a good range of options, from seafood, to meat, to vegetables, to other sides. I typically select our favourites, which is usually some combination of the following: spinach, broccoli, kai-lan / Chinese kale / Chinese broccoli, nai bai / milk cabbage, lotus root, black fungus / cloud ear fungus, oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms, sliced pork, Taiwanese pork sausage, pork luncheon meat / spam, pork balls, black pepper chicken sausage, chicken cheese balls, sliced beef, original tofu beancurd, tofu beancurd with fish cake, tofu beancurd strips, tofu puffs, sweet potato noodles, fish balls, calamari squid, squid balls, or crab stick.

Variety Of Ingredients

Variety Of Ingredients

Variety Of Ingredients

The Mala Soup (SGD $15.50 for 538g) is a pleasantly drinkable counterpart of mala xiang guo / stir-fried spicy hot pot. Choose from small, medium, or large spicy heat - I usually get medium or large. The mala soup / broth has the fragrant aroma of mala peppercorn and spices, with a bold savoury sweet salty spicy flavour that isn't overly salty or oily. Really filling too. Good!

Mala Soup (SGD $15.50 for 538g)

Mala Soup

The Mala Soup With Egg (SGD $13.50 for 434g) is exactly the same soup base, but with the addition of a beaten egg within. This results in a much more sweet eggy flavour, taming a bit of the savoury salty spicy notes. I actually prefer this over the other versions. Highly recommended!

Mala Soup With Egg (SGD $13.50 for 434g)

The Pickled Vegetables Soup (SGD $10.35 for 360g) is decent enough. Rather thin in texture, this has a mild vegetal earthy salty sweet flavour that holds an alright taste... but doesn't make you crave more. I would have liked this to actually be more salty and sour, which would be more addictive. Could be improved.

Pickled Vegetables Soup (SGD $10.35 for 360g)

Pickled Vegetables Soup

The Mushroom Soup (SGD $10.70 or 372g) was great. Rich, tasty, and bold in taste, this has a deep earthy herbal sweet savoury flavour. It comes with a few chunks of bouncy shimeiji or straw mushrooms within. The warm soup / broth is pure comfort on cold or rainy days. Highly recommended!

Mushroom Soup (SGD $10.70 or 372g)

Mushroom Soup

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Update Jul-2021: Slightly more than 1 year on, returned to Gong Yuan Ma La Tang now that dine-in is an option. While they've introduced more technology such as self-service kiosks, the ambience, service, and food at Gong Yuan Ma La Tang remains largely the same as before. However, they no longer offer mushroom soup as one of the choices for the soup base.

Gong Yuan Ma La Tang Ordering Kiosk

Variety Of Ingredients

The Mala Soup With Egg (SGD $13.50 for 434g) has really grown on me, with the beaten egg lending a wispy texture and eggy sweet flavour, complementing the bold savoury sweet salty spicy flavour of the mala peppercorn and spices. The warm soup / broth really entices, and the fresh ingredients make this a bowl of happiness. This visit, I chose broccoli, nai bai / milk cabbage, sliced pork, sliced beef, original tofu beancurd, tofu beancurd strips, fish balls, squid balls, and crab stick. The ingredients are tender crisp bouncy soft in texture, with vegetal meaty sweet savoury grainy spice flavour. Good!

Mala Soup With Egg (SGD $13.50 for 434g)

Mala Soup With Egg

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