Overview
Fans of malatang will now find it even easier to get their hands on their favourite Sichuan-style street food, as local masters Dragon Hot Pot open the doors to two more Melbourne restaurants.
Heroing the popular Chinese cuisine that's essentially a customised hot pot for one, Dragon has set up shop both at Box Hill Central's North Precinct and within QV Melbourne in the CBD. These follow current outposts on Russell Street, Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street in the city, as well as one in Glen Waverley, which have all opened within the past year.
The hot pot newcomers are offering the same pick-and-mix scenario as their siblings: diners select fresh ingredients from over 100 different options, with each choice priced at $3.20 per 100 grams. You'll need to clock in at a minimum of 400 grams — though, with a dizzying array of meat, noodles, seafood, offal, tofu and fresh veggies, that's probably not going to be a hard task.
To match the wide range of add-ons, Dragon Hot Pot offers five different flavour-packed base stocks, including the signature Ma La Tang number, a thick, rich stock made to an ancient Sichuan recipe, cooked with over 24 varieties of wild herb sourced from China's Mount Emei. Of course, diners also have a choice of spiciness, with four levels ranging from mild, to the fiery 'dragon hot'.
Found yourself hooked? Luckily, Dragon Hot Pot offers 24-hour service at its Russell Street outpost, and plans to roll it out at all of its CBD spots — QV included — by the end of 2019.
Find Dragon Hot Pot's newest restaurants at FC54 Box Hill Central North, 17-21 Market Street, Box Hill, and Shop 27-01, QV, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Images: Griffin Simm.