Ma La Restaurant

No shortage of Asian in Allston but Ma La brings the spicy hot pot into a place of its own. The spice is moderately intense with plentiful Sichuan peppercorns and chilis. You can order mild, spicy, or extra spicy. To note, the spicy is pretty hot with a decent amount of peppercorns and chilis. Start the meal with a few skewers. Choice of meats and vegetables with adventurous options. If you like cumin, these skewers are for you. The sausage is sweet with hints of a mini hot dog. The shitaki mushroom is thick and meaty. The squid resembles chicken and a little chewy.

After a few skewers, the main courses are enough to share. Served in big bowls the custom hot pots give you the choice of many different meat or vegetable combinations. A solid choice is three vegetables and one meat. There is a decent amount of meat in a small portion. The flavor is heavy on cumin, peppercorn, and chili at the spicy level with a little sesame.

The highlight is not surprisingly the beef or lamb hot pot. With a zesty broth and loads of vegetables (potato, cabbage), cellophane noodles, tofu, and either beef or lamb, the spicy soup is enough for at least two people to share.