Old Street Malatang

Old Street Malatang is a build-your-own Szechuan hot pot counter on Capitol Hill. In theory, that sounds great—but in reality, this place provides the freedom of customization with none of the hot pot fun. The industrial-size fridges are filled with lots of ingredient options like bok choy, rice cakes, and fish balls. Then, after you fill up your bowl with toppings and choose a broth, it’s unceremoniously whisked away to the kitchen to be cooked. There are no aprons, no sauce bar—not even a noodle dance . And while the broth here is pretty good (specifically the spicy beef), and the individual bowls convenient, we’d much rather head to one of the many other great hot pot spots in town. Did we mention there’s no noodle dance?