Chungking Malatang Restaurant Chinatown
By Lisa Nguyen | Published 30 October 2022
Does this spot match the hype?
TL; DR | Summary
Chungking is my go-to spot in the city for a delicious bowl of hearty soup. The bowls are completely customisable with 10 different bases and a vast range of ingredients and condiments, making it easy to satisfy any craving. Plus, there's a whole selection of milk tea to enjoy as a sweet treat with your meal.
Chungking Malatang Review
When you're in the mood for a comforting and nourishing bowl of soup, head to Chungking Malatang in Haymarket, Sydney.
If you're not already a fan, their tasty broth bases will convert you after one sip. The vibrant orange colour of the broth is packed with flavours and spices and will entice you back for more!
But how special could soup really be? Well, there are 11 broths to choose from, so you could visit 10 times and devour something new each time. You'll spend your work hours dreaming of the combinations you can create.
The broths include:
- Chef's Chilli (featured and recommended
) - Pickled Cabbage
- Pickled Pepper
- Bones Soup
- Tomato Soup
- Thai Tom Yum Soup
- Curry Laksa
- Japanese Curry
- Dry Spicy Mix
- Vegetarian Soup
- Hot & Spicy Stir Fry Pot
BUT WAIT, there's more! In addition to your typical Malatang selection, there is an extensive menu full of milk tea and fruity tea to accompany your meal. The range is so vast that you have nearly as many choices of drink as you do food!
A hearty bowl of noodle soup in the centre of Sydney
If you've never had Malatang before, it's a Sichuan-style soup that you can customise to your tastes.
First, you start by picking your noodles, vegetables, and protein. Next, you select your choice of broth. Lastly you can add sauces and toppings to further enhance your broth.
You can tell a broth is well-made if you can see the thin layer of skin. This can only be achieved by simmering chunks of bones long enough, so the collagen begins to form. The skin developed in 5 minutes whilst I was taking photos of this lovely bowl.
Ordering is quick and easy. There's a line that forms to gather ingredients and there's a buzzer number calling system in place to alert you when your order is ready to collect.
The restaurant is clean and spacious even though it gets quite busy. So, you can generally expect a good experience when you visit.
Unique ingredients for your noodle bowl
Aside from the usual Malatang selection, Chungking gives you rarely-seen options, including chicken breast, marinated chicken wings, pork ribs, all kinds of veggies, various types of tofu and dumplings. You can also get your seafood ingredients such as fish balls, abalone and squid. As Malatang establishments go, the variety here is pretty impressive!
Pricing
This Malatang restaurant is on the pricey side at $17.40 per 500g, compared to No.1 Malatang at the $13.50 per 500g mark. But, with more choice and quality broth – it's to be expected. Malatang is quite a cheap meal, so even $17.40 isn't bad in the grand scheme.
Their in-house milk tea is $5 for a tall cup which is pretty reasonable and worth getting as it's cheaper than standard milk tea stands.
Chef's Chilli Broth
The Chef's Chilli Broth is definitely one of the best Sichuan Malatang options Sydney has to offer. The bright and punchy orange broth looks good and tastes even better. It's got a good amount of chilli spice that complements the savoury notes. Be sure to order a milk tea to go with this soup to cool down your mouth from the heat.
Curry Laksa
A curry laksa is not something you would expect to see on a Malatang menu, so I was intrigued.
It's interesting how the two cuisines work together. The creamier Sichuan Malatang broth grew on me with each sip.
You can't taste the curry, but you can definitely detect a hint of laksa.
Milk Tea
There's a tonne of milk tea to choose from with lots of flavours that are different and exciting. I took a stab in the dark and ordered the Alpine green milk tea and it was pretty decent.
Personally, I have no complaints but don't expect anything spectacular. I'd be intrigued to try their pure tea and snow bubble varieties.
With the vast broth and tea flavours, it'll take more than a few visits to try everything on the menu.
RECOMMENDED
- Chef's Chilli broth
- Trying as many broths as possible
- Trying different milk tea flavours
Final thoughts
Chungking Malatang is a winner for several reasons: broth selection and quality, ingredient and condiment choice, and milk tea varieties. My experience at the Haymarket restaurant was so enjoyable that I now want to visit their sister restaurant located in Burwood. So I would strongly encourage you to add this one to your foodie list!
Where To Find Chungking Malatang Chinatown
Address
There's also a Chungking restaurant across the street so make sure you're visiting the correct Chungking Malatang!
Hours
- Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Phone
+61 2 8592 6247
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Oooo l got to give this Malatang place a go when l go past in Chinatown Haymarket if l am ever in the city.
It’s my favourite Malatang place with so many options + milk tea as well hehe