At Ajinomoto in Nishinari, there is Ma La Tang. The soup costs 200 yen, and the ingredients are 100 yen each. Meat is 220 yen each. This time, I had shimeji mushrooms, ice tofu, Chinese cabbage, cilantro, seasoned egg, and pork. You can choose the level of spiciness and numbness, ranging from 0 to 4. Level 4 is extremely spicy and numbing. When I tried the soup, it wasn't too spicy, but it was numbing. It gradually became stronger. My mouth started to tremble. It was a new sensation for me. The vegetables, pork, and seasoned egg were delicious with the spiciness and numbness. In summer, I guess it's all about extreme spiciness and numbness! I sweated a lot. Definitely check it out!

I became a lunch refugee and wandered around. I really wanted to eat sushi for lunch, but if I couldn't find a place to eat, it would affect my work later. For now, I decided to go here! I put my favorite ingredients in a bowl - coriander, seasoned egg, char siu, shrimp (I was supposed to choose 5 types but only chose 4, a small mistake). I chose two servings of egg noodles (one was a half serving, apparently). I took it to the counter and asked for a mild level of numbness and spiciness. I got a number tag and waited for my order. They boiled the noodles and chopped the ingredients. After waiting about 5-6 minutes, my dish arrived. A vivid light green bowl with a red glowing soup! I tasted my first-ever spicy Szechuan soup. What? Wow! I love it! It's delicious! If you like mapo tofu, you will definitely love this! Rice is a must-have item with this dish! You can get rice from the rice cooker yourself. Ah, it's so good. Why didn't I discover this sooner? I'm in love with this spicy Szechuan soup now! It warms you up during spa activities!

Located near Osaka Metro Dobutsuen-mae Station, just a short walk from JR Shin-Imamiya Station, this Sichuan hot pot restaurant opened on January 28, 2023. Upon entering, you will find a refrigerated shelf with products and a cashier near the entrance. Further inside, there are counter seats facing the kitchen and table seats behind them, totaling around 20 seats. The ordering process here is unique - you pick up noodles and ingredients from the shelf using a bowl and tongs, then specify the level of spiciness and numbness on a scale of 1 to 5. You will be given a number tag and your customized hot pot will be served to your table. The menu offers a wide variety of ingredients such as vegetables, mushrooms, dried tofu, meats, and more, as well as different types of noodles to choose from. I selected green leafy vegetables, enoki mushrooms, meatballs, lamb, and egg noodles with medium spiciness and numbness. The hot pot arrived quickly, with a flavorful and spicy broth filled with noodles and toppings. The soup was thin with a complex flavor profile of vegetables, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns. The noodles were chewy and paired well with the punchy soup. Be cautious of splashing soup on your clothes, as it can be messy. The vegetables and meats were cooked perfectly, with the lamb standing out for its excellent match with the broth. As I ate, I could feel myself sweating from the heat, which boosted my metabolism. The meal ended with a reasonable bill of 860 yen. The vast variety of options at this Sichuan hot pot restaurant has piqued my interest, and I look forward to returning to try more dishes soon.

For lunch on this day, I visited the restaurant "Ajino Moto Malatang" in front of the zoo. This is the second store of Ajino Moto, which also has a store in Okunimachi. The atmosphere inside the restaurant and the way of ordering are the same as the store in Okunimachi. The malatang is still delicious, but the recommended item is the "Rice 100 yen" with free refills. It's a self-service style where you can scoop rice from the rice cooker and eat it. This goes really well with the malatang. You can eat it as it is, but it's the best when you pour the soup over the rice at the end! Eating the malatang with rice will definitely fill you up! In fact, I could go with just the basic soup and rice (laughs). But I also ordered the malatang with 200 yen basic soup, 110 yen dry noodles, coriander, wood ear mushrooms, spring greens, and 220 yen pork, along with the rice, totaling 960 yen!! I enjoyed it deliciously while sweating. Thank you for the meal!!

The Chinese staff are very nice. They don't rush you and you can take your time. It's great that there are many options for spiciness. I will come back again.

The takeout soup was delicious.