我身邊的很多人都喜歡吃麻辣鍋，當那一鍋色澤鮮紅、香氣四溢的麻辣鍋端上桌，再看到滾燙的鍋內的牛肉、羊肉、丸子、豆腐、鴨血及新鮮蔬菜後，立刻讓人開始動筷，即使吃得滿頭大汗，甚至鼻尖微紅，不過，人們還是忍不住一口接一口，享受又麻又辣的口感，關於吃辣的能力上，我沒辦法吃太辣的，小辣是我可以接受的辣度，我可不想辣屁股啊！
這家以麻辣食堂為名的店家，主打的是四川風味的餐點，主要分成煲類跟鍋類兩系列的餐點，煲類算是個人鍋，而鍋類則是適合多人分食的，我就點份小辣的肥腸臭豆腐煲，來試試風味，臭豆腐還蠻大塊的，而且滷得蠻透的，湯汁吸得滿滿的，好吃，肥腸也很好吃，軟軟嫩嫩的口感，也滷得很入味，鴨血孔隙細幼，光滑嫩口，但是咬下也是會爆出麻辣湯汁，總之，算是好吃的煲。
話說，店內座位區都用隔板與對面座位的隔開，我不確定是不是疫情後，才這樣的，在疫情過後的現在，小吃店幾乎都把隔板拿掉，回復為以往的開放空間，居然這家店還保留隔板，真是奇怪。
事後，和朋友閒聊時，他提到，這家店的麻辣滷肉拌飯是他的最愛，滷肉的肥瘦比例剛剛好，吃起來膠質感很重，嘴唇會感到黏黏的，香麻且帶點辣的口感，拌著飯一起吃真的好香，聽他這樣介紹，下次有機會再拜訪時，我也要試試看麻辣滷肉拌飯。
A lot of people around me really love eating spicy hot pot. When that pot of bright red, super fragrant broth gets placed on the table, and you see all the beef, lamb, meatballs, tofu, duck blood, and fresh veggies boiling inside, you just can’t wait to start eating. Even if you end up sweating like crazy and your nose turns red, you still can’t stop and you just keep going, enjoying that numbing, spicy kick. As for me, I’m not great with spicy food. Mild spice is about my limit. I definitely don’t want to deal with the after-effects later, if you know what I mean.
This place I went to is called a “mala canteen”, and it mainly serves Sichuan-style dishes. Their menu is split into two types: clay pot dishes and hot pot dishes. The clay pots are more like individual portions, while the hot pots are meant for sharing. I ordered a mildly spicy pork intestine and stinky tofu clay pot to try it out. The stinky tofu pieces were pretty big and really well-braised. They soaked up all the broth and tasted great. The pork intestine was also delicious, super soft and tender, and full of flavor. The duck blood had a smooth, delicate texture, and when you bite into it, it kind of bursts with spicy broth. Overall, it was a really tasty dish.
One thing I noticed, though, was that the seating area still had partitions between tables. I’m not sure if they added those because of the pandemic, but most small restaurants have already removed them and gone back to an open layout. It felt kind of strange that this place still keeps them.
Later, while chatting with a friend, he told me that their spicy braised pork rice is his favorite. He said the fat-to-lean ratio is just right, and it has this rich, gelatinous texture that kind of makes your lips feel sticky. It’s savory, a little spicy, and super fragrant when mixed with rice. After hearing him describe it like that, I definitely want to try the spicy braised pork rice next time I visit.