This Sichuan hot pot restaurant is popular for both its hot pot and its spicy Sichuan dishes. I have eaten the hot pot here on a few occasions, the broth is quite rich, but the ingredients are fairly limited. The hot pots are individual, meaning each person gets their own–traditionally, everyone would share a large pot.
Personally, I prefer the dry pot dish at Mala Tang. You have a large choice of ingredients and the seasoning is spicy, numbing and delicious (although a little on the salty side). Many of the appetizers are also very authentic and worth a try. I would recommend trying the beef tripe in chili oil, spicy pork wontons and the cucumber salad (spicy). Overall, I would give Mala Tang a tasty/authenticity score of 7./10.
Washington D.C. Asian Food 