8 affordable mala xiang guo stores for a bowl under S$10

Any mala xiang guo (stir-fried spicy hotpot in English) fan worth their salt has a go-to stall for when the craving strikes.

But such bowls can rack up quite the bill, especially when you go with friends and order a big portion for sharing.

Some places have a minimum number of ingredients or spend per bowl, which means most bowls can cost you upwards of S$15 per person. That’s why it often makes the most sense to go in groups of two or more.

We worked out eight cheap mala xiang guo Singapore places where you can get a pretty decent bowl of mala xiang guo for under S$10 per person, even as a solo diner.

This will be the list to pull up the next time you’re think to yourself: I’m craving for some good, affordable mala xiang guo near me.

For this article, we are estimating a minimum of two vegetables or mushrooms, one meat, and a carbohydrate for each bowl. Of course, if you have a bigger stomach, more ingredients can be added, albeit at a higher price.

Some places charge by weight, so in these cases, we advise avoiding heavier items that retain water — tofu, fishcakes and the like. Do also expect some variations in the prices, which can fluctuate depending on the size and weight of your chosen food item.

Beef and seafood items tend to be pricier, too, so chicken or pork is a more affordable alternative.

Here’s where you can go if you’re looking for a satisfying and reasonably priced bowl of mala xiang guo in Singapore.

8 places for cheap mala xiang guo in Singapore for a bowl under S$10

1. Spicy Garden Mala Hotpot Grill Fish • Steamboat

Aperia Mall, 02-16 Stall R2, 12 Kallang Avenue
Nearest MRT station: Lavender
Open: Monday to Sunday (12pm to 9pm)

Why visit? At this corner stall in Aperia Mall, you’ll find the usual mala stall suspects — grilled fish, sliced fish sauerkraut soup and the like. 

Mala xiang guo ingredients go for S$2.20 for 100g — one of the cheapest mala xiang guo in Singapore we’ve seen thus far. Since the stall charges by weight, we picked a traditionally pricier meat — beef. Throw in some broccoli, enoki mushrooms and a slab of instant noodles in the mix, and our bowl cost us S$8.50.

Price range: $

2. Labula Mala Hotpot Chinese Cuisine

822 Tampines Street 81, 01-196
Nearest MRT station: Tampines West
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.30am to 4.15am)

740 Bedok Reservoir Road, 01-3145
Nearest MRT station: Bedok North
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.30am to 4am)

Block 683 Hougang Avenue 8, 01-923
Nearest MRT station: Hougang
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.15am to 4.30am)

Why visit? Here, customers are given an order chit to tick off their desired ingredients for their Sichuan dry hotpot. Vegetables cost S$1.20 per portion, while most meats such as pork and chicken cost S$2.20. You can splurge on premium meat options such as beef and fish from S$3.20.

If you’re not in the mood to wait, you can even place your orders online for easy pick-up at the store.

A bowl of Chinese cabbage, lotus root, luncheon meat and rice will set you back S$6.80.

Price range: $

3. Three Kingdoms Mala Hotpot

165 Bukit Merah Central, 01-3683
Nearest MRT station: Redhill
Open: Monday to Friday (6pm to 10pm), Saturday and Sunday (11am to 10pm)

539 Bedok North Street 3, 01-593
Nearest MRT station: Bedok
Open: Monday to Friday (6pm to 10pm), Saturday and Sunday (11am to 10pm)

10E Sixth Avenue, 01-01/02
Nearest MRT station: Sixth Avenue
Open: Monday to Friday (6pm to 10pm), Saturday and Sunday (11am to 10pm)

Why visit? This chain of stalls just opened its latest Sixth Avenue outlet earlier this April. If you’re a lok lok fan, you can also get sticks at just S$1 each, with a minimum order of S$6 for dine-in customers only.

It earns its cheap mala xiang guo in Singapore title for charging a reasonable S$2.38/100g, with a minimum order of S$6, regardless of your choice of ingredients.

It also has set meals for S$6.50 per person, which includes two portions of meat, two vegetables, one mushroom, with a helping of rice. There are also options for two- (S$13.50) and three-person (S$17.50) set meals, too.

If you think you can take the heat, you’re invited to take up its Devil King Mala challenge and be inducted into its hall of fame.

Price range: $

4. Tian Tian Xiang Shang Spicy Ma La Hotpot

16 Bedok South Road, 01-13
Nearest MRT station: Bedok
Open: Tuesday to Sunday (11am to 2.30pm, 5pm to 9pm)

Why visit? This stall had its origins in Pasir Ris Central and figured prominently on many foodies’ go-to lists on where to eat mala xiang guo in Singapore.

It moved to Bedok early in 2022 and continues to dish out affordable and tasty bowls of mala xiang guo. This stall charges by portion, so a bowl of bean sprouts, bitter gourd, kuan fen (broad vermicelli) with some pork belly will cost S$6.50.

A breakdown by portions: From S$1 for vegetables and mushrooms, S$1.50 for carbs and from S$2.50 for meats.

Price range: $

5. Three Bowl Good Taste

151 Serangoon North Avenue 2, 01-41
Nearest MRT station: Hougang
Open: Monday to Sunday (10.30am to 9.30am)

Why visit? According to the stall, it serves up authentic Sichuan cuisine cooked up by Sichuan chefs, and has been around since 2018.

You can even get pork dumplings here, too, at S$5 for 10 pieces. And if you really love its food, it also offers catering services for functions and events.

Depending on what you choose, its mala xiang guo can be affordable. Vegetables start from S$1.20, but can run up to S$4.40 for options such as broccoli. You can also get cheap meats from S$2 in the form of chicken sausages, but be prepared to shell out more for dory fish and luncheon meat, which costs S$5. 

For example, you can tuck into some yee mee, chicken slices, tofu and bean sprouts for S$9.70.

Price range: $

6. Chuan Wei Ma La Hot Pot

Multiple outlets islandwide
Operating hours vary across stores

Why visit? Chuan Wei prides itself on serving up traditional and authentic Sichuan mala. It’s got several outlets across the island, too.

Vegetables start from S$2.30 per portion, while meats start from S$3.20. The ingredients here are a little pricier, but if you’re looking to scrimp, you can get yourself a bowl at S$9.80, comprising brinjal, black fungus, chicken sausage and a portion of instant noodles.

Price range: $

7. Mala Version 2 by Xiao Man Niu Mala Hotpot

Multiple stores islandwide
Operating hours vary across stores

Why visit? This mala xiang guo chain has opened a spate of stores islandwide in the last six months, with outposts in Sengkang’s Kopitiam Square, Hougang Mall and JEM in Jurong. It charges by portion, although the prices seem to vary a little depending on which stall you’re at.

The stall we visited at Sengkang had a minimum order of S$6, and charged S$1 to S$2.20 for vegetables and S$2.20 for meat. If you’re looking to splurge, there are premium beef, duck and seafood options at S$3.80.

You can also get a set for one at S$6.80, or for two persons at S$18.80, with more premium meat options included in the latter.

Price range: $

8. Xing Le Mala Hotpot

Multiple stores islandwide
Operating hours vary across stores

Why visit? There’s a pretty good chance that you’ve got a Xing Le outlet near your house. The mala xiang guo chain has eight stores islandwide in Singapore, serving up mala xiang guo in addition to various zi char dishes.

Here, ingredients start from S$1.30 per vegetable, and from S$3 for meats.

We estimate that a bowl of oyster mushrooms, potatoes, chicken and cellophane noodles run up to S$9.95 — just under our S$10 cap!

Price range: $

For more affordable eats, check out our guide on affordable Japanese eateries for under S$25 per diner.

All of the stores in this list are on the GrabFood delivery service and offer free delivery (up to S$3 off) with GrabUnlimited. Alternatively, book a ride to its stores.