SEMENYIH, Feb 27 — Whenever I join my friends for some hotpot, we will always order a yin-yang – half nourishing clear stock and half spicy Sichuan soup.More often than not, I will go for the latter; there is something about the numbing mala spice that goes so well with the heat. So much so that any ingredients we dip into the flaming broth seem almost like an afterthought; merely a vehicle for the liquid fire itself.But sometimes I am too lazy to keep dipping and waiting for ingredients to cook or heat up before fishing them out. Even then we have to rapidly blow at the steaming morsels of food before placing them in our mouths for fear of burning our throats.It all just seems too much work. YOLOxTAG Snack.Bar.Café has a small section selling imported snacks. — Picture by CK Lim Which is probably the same thought some wise cooks in Chongqing, China had a long time ago. Was there a way to get rid of the dip, cook, blow, eat, rinse-and-repeat ordeal?The solution they came up with is the mala xiang guo, which translates loosely from Mandarin as “numbing spicy fragrant pot”. Instead of a continuously simmering stock, all the ingredients – meat, seafood and vegetables – are stir fried then served at the table ready for eating.Perfect for the sloth in me. Thick cut lotus root. — Picture by CK Lim Beyond sheer convenience, however, a well executed mala xiang guo is a thing of wonder. A cornucopia of different flavours and textures, all bound by that lingering numbness on your taste buds associated with a generous use of Sichuan peppercorns.My current favourite is the version at YOLOxTAG Snack.Bar.Café in Semenyih, where the dish is simply called “Mala Dry Hotpot” on the menu.The shop is an unassuming mix-and-match establishment pairing a gastropub with a snack mart (there is a small section selling imported snacks), so perhaps this wouldn’t be the first place you’d think of when considering Chongqing food.Yet mala xiang guo has become a ubiquitous part of Chinese bar cuisine in recent years; its Sichuan style “numbing and piquant” flavours go very well with the Chinese beer drinking culture.YOLOxTAG Snack.Bar.Café’s version of mala xiang guo guarantees a hearty meal: First, a base of starchy carbohydrates (either rice or noodles), sliced potatoes, Chinese cabbage, thick cut lotus root and enoki mushrooms.Then a plethora of hotpot favourites such as meat balls, Taiwanese sausages, Korean luncheon meat, seafood tofu, fuzuk (crispy fried beancurd skin), crab sticks and sliced chicken. More than enough protein even for the most committed gym rat! The prawns are the crowning glory of the 'mala xiang guo'. — Picture by CK Lim The large prawns are the crowning glory of the mala xiang guo. Some crunchy fried wantans and aromatic sesame seeds complete the dish.It’s a lot but since each bite is a scintillating blend of savoury, spicy and salty, you’d naturally go slow to fully experience every mouthful.Given the amount of spice we were consuming, we had to cool down somehow between bites. Tempting as a couple of cold beers sounded, we opted for the shop’s Signature Aiyu Bowl with Honey and Passion Fruit. Crunchy fried wantans. — Picture by CK Lim Chilled with ice and citrusy from the lemon juice, this is half dessert and half beverage and 100 per cent refreshing. The wobbly slabs of aiyu jelly went down a treat... and then we were ready for more mala xiang guo.Truth be told, we could have gone for a basic mala xiang guo without the additional carbohydrates. No need for noodles or rice when there are so many ingredients already.But it would have been a shame not to have some starches to sop up the fiery sauce. Every last drop is a “torturous” delight – it hurts for a second and then you can’t help but go back for more! Signature Aiyu Bowls. — Picture by CK Lim YOLOxTAG Snack.Bar.Café23-1, Jalan Vista Valley 3, Semenyih, SelangorOpen daily 10am-10pmPhone: 014-329 9238*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.