Want a meal with a little bit of everything? Malatang might be your answer. The Chinese street food is a spicy Sichuan-descended soup that combines ingredients with wild abandon. Fish cakes? Check. Taiwanese sausage? Check. Lotus? It’s got that, too.
It might not be the first thing you think of when heading to You Like Skewers, inside the K Market food court in Annandale. To be honest, the first thing will probably be the mochi doughnuts at the next stand. After that, the name will have you thinking of meat on a stick. And yes, you should get some of that as well. The lamb skewer alternates cubes of muscle and pure, bursting fat. If you like that sort of thing (don’t tell your cardiologist), this is a coup. If not, skip the lamb and go for leaner chicken or “squid legs.” Either way, they’ll be crusted in an earthy, spicy layer of cumin, chile powder, and sesame bound to hit the spot.
But back to the malatang. Besides the broth, I counted 15 different items in the soup. Diners choose beef, lamb, or Spam as the primary protein. The counter staffer guided me toward thinly sliced beef, and there was even more of it than appears in the picture, slowly imbued with the numbing spice of the broth. The bite is not insignificant–in fact, I don’t think my lips have been so numb and tingly since I last had a filling replaced.
Still, the soup’s greatest delight is its textural interplay. The thin, silky noodles against bouncy fish balls and marshmallow-y rice cakes; crunchy bok choy opposing chewy, wrinkly yuba. There’s admittedly a lot going on, but that’s why it’s so much fun to eat. Malatang, almost literally, has it all. 4239 John Marr Dr., Annandale
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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