MáLà Project in NYC serves its Chinese dry pot, a version of the classic hot pot in which the items are stir-fried in plenty of spice-infused oil, with a combination of sliced beef short ribs, chicken wings, tilapia and prawns. You’ll start spooning it all over rice and wonder why you can’t stop.

Stir-frying the ingredients over high heat (read: you’ll need to work with hot oil), and seasoning it according to the level of spiciness which a customer ordered, takes skill. Lastly, the reason why Ma La Xiang Guo is so expensive is due to… Hype. Ma La Xiang Guo is one of the most hyped about food in Singapore today.

The Bottom Line The only similarity between shabu-shabu and hot pot is that both of them are cooked with somewhat similar veggies and meat slices. However, the shabu-shabu is only parboiled in the sauce and doesn’t require the egg dips. On the other hand, the hot pot is meant to be cooked thoroughly!

You can use white rice, but noodles are the more popular choice. There are lots of options, including ho fun (wide white noodles), needle noodles (which are transparent and shaped like thick needles), and rice stick noodles (also known as banh pho or fresh pho noodles).

The hot topic: Is spicy food bad for health? Mala sauce primarily contains spicy ingredients such as dried chilli peppers, chilli powder and Sichuan peppercorns. Chillies and pepper contain a combination of acids which can cause the walls of our stomachs to burn when consumed in larger amounts.

Malatang, or the Chinese spicy hot pot, is all the rage in South Korea. The name comes from the Chinese characters for numb (ma) and spicy (la). The result is a spicy and savory dish with a flavor unseen in typical Korean cuisine, which is also known for its zesty aromas.