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The story
Mala Tang, the Chinese-style hot pot dish, is rapidly expanding across convenience stores and food courts. On 5ch’s livestream discussion board, some users questioned whether its surging popularity was being “artificially pushed” or a “Dentsu (Japan’s biggest ad agency) marketing campaign,” while others debated whether it counts as a hot pot dish or a noodle dish, and even compared it to the tapioca bubble tea boom.
What people said
How it caught on
Originally a hot pot dish born in Sichuan, China
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Originally a hot pot dish born in Sichuan, China
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Looks tasty
Re: #8
Gross
Looks like a photo of an open sink drain
Gross
Looks like a photo of an open sink drain
Re: #8
What even is this, so nasty
Looks like a drain
What even is this, so nasty
Looks like a drain
Re: #8
It's basically the same idea as miso nikomi udon, so why does this look so much less appetizing
It's basically the same idea as miso nikomi udon, so why does this look so much less appetizing
If it's actually popular, who cares
Kind of like tantanmen (spicy sesame noodles)?
Re: #23
Not even close
It's a hot pot dish, not a noodle dish
You just toss whatever ingredients you want into spicy Chinese broth
Not even close
It's a hot pot dish, not a noodle dish
You just toss whatever ingredients you want into spicy Chinese broth
Re: #33
Oh, so it's a hot pot
Oh, so it's a hot pot
Re: #40
The art on this is pretty badly drawn
The art on this is pretty badly drawn
Biryani's way better though
Re: #44
Biryani really is delicious
Biryani really is delicious
Re: #44
You can switch up the flavor all kinds of ways, plus the crispy scorched rice part is great — that's the one that should be trending
You can switch up the flavor all kinds of ways, plus the crispy scorched rice part is great — that's the one that should be trending
I always end up ordering the beef bone broth instead of the spicy one
Re: #53
I'd rather have mapo tofu and white rice than this
I'd rather have mapo tofu and white rice than this
I really love mala tang
The whole appeal of mala tang is the fun of picking your own ingredients like some kind of attraction, so you should actually go to a shop for it
They're popping up everywhere now
They're popping up everywhere now
Re: #64
That's exactly what makes it a hassle
Guys won't go for it unless the pricing is upfront and it's simple and fast
That's exactly what makes it a hassle
Guys won't go for it unless the pricing is upfront and it's simple and fast
Re: #1
That's a flat-out lie
Mala tang has obviously been around for decades
Marumiya put out their mala tang soup base back in 2012
That's a flat-out lie
Mala tang has obviously been around for decades
Marumiya put out their mala tang soup base back in 2012
Re: #77
Well sure, it's existed for a long time…
Well sure, it's existed for a long time…
"Honestly, women…"
while eating Ramen Jiro
lol this
while eating Ramen Jiro
lol this
Re: #79
These days that applies to Yamaokaya, not Jiro
These days that applies to Yamaokaya, not Jiro
What does it even taste like?
Some kind of numbing-spicy (shibikara) tantanmen?
Some kind of numbing-spicy (shibikara) tantanmen?
Re: #82
It's a single-serving, pre-cooked hot pot
It's a single-serving, pre-cooked hot pot
Re: #82
It's got cumin in it, so it's like curry-flavored tantanmen with vinegar mixed in
It's got cumin in it, so it's like curry-flavored tantanmen with vinegar mixed in
It doesn't even look like pig slop, it looks like a kitchen sink strainer basket — that's rough
Can't they do something about the presentation
Can't they do something about the presentation
Re: #122
Hot pot dishes don't really have 'presentation'
Hot pot dishes don't really have 'presentation'
If you're a 'chii-san' (5ch slang for an awkward, nerdy-looking guy, from the 'chiigyu' meme) who eats at Yamaokaya, you're in no position to mock this
Re: #128
Seriously
Anyone hitting up Yamaokaya right now might be an even bigger fool than this
Seriously
Anyone hitting up Yamaokaya right now might be an even bigger fool than this
Re: #124
That's a dish made from fixed ingredients the shop lines up and prepares
Mala tang is a hot pot variant where you dump whatever ingredients you picked yourself into the pot and boil them, so comparing the two doesn't make sense
That's a dish made from fixed ingredients the shop lines up and prepares
Mala tang is a hot pot variant where you dump whatever ingredients you picked yourself into the pot and boil them, so comparing the two doesn't make sense
Re: #130
You just moved the goalposts to 'hot pot,' didn't you?
You just moved the goalposts to 'hot pot,' didn't you?
This
Sorry, my ID changed but it's me, the OP
I was really frustrated seeing my favorite food get torn apart in both the article text and the comments on a matome (summary) site, so that's why I made this thread
Really sorry, everyone
I was really frustrated seeing my favorite food get torn apart in both the article text and the comments on a matome (summary) site, so that's why I made this thread
Really sorry, everyone
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Mala Tang Has Gotten So Popular People Are Calling It a ‘Forced Trend’ and a ‘Dentsu Marketing Ploy’.”
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