Dunsan-dong hotpot for four with Galleria-view seats: Bantiannyao

Anyone here who loves mala? Anyone who loves hotpot? If you're obsessed with mala, you have to check out Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch!!

Where is Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon, and what are its hours?

Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch is at 13 Dunsan-ro 31beon-gil, 2nd floor, Unit 1, Seo-gu, Daejeon, open 11:00–22:30. In short, it's directly across from Galleria Timeworld, and if you cross over from Zara it's on the 2nd floor above Gong Cha, so it's super accessible. Climb the stairs and...

Wow~ this huge, spacious restaurant appears, and even at a glance it feels grand, like you've stepped into real China.

Tables for two, private rooms and Galleria-view window seats

There are several tables for two, so you can seat yourselves that way, but since we were a family of four, they guided us to a window seat with a Galleria view behind us~ We came during the day, but I bet it looks even more amazing at night.

Private rooms are also available, so if that's your preferred type, make sure to reserve ahead!

How do you pick the spice level for mala kaoyu?

We went specifically for mala, so we ordered mala kaoyu and picked the basic spice level. I asked what the difference was compared to the next level up, and apparently it comes down to searing more red chili peppers over the fire for extra heat!!

What's on the self bar at Bantiannyao?

Right after ordering we headed to the self bar to grab rice and rice paper wraps.

You mix your own sauce, and all four of us each made our own version haha. My pick was Banti's secret sauce!!

You can follow the recommended sauce combo in front and then add whatever you like on top to finish your own custom sauce! Everyone was busy making their own — so funny haha.

Behind the self bar there are also phone chargers, so you can charge up without worrying during the meal.

There's also a soft drink corner and a beer corner where you just help yourself, but since we came for lunch, it was a bit of a shame we couldn't have draft beer TT.

Does ningbo fish mala kaoyu taste fishy?

While we were mixing sauces and setting up the table, the mala kaoyu arrived!!! The only fish available the day we visited was ningbo fish, so that's what we ordered — ningbo fish is known for its soft, moist texture. Since it's a freshwater fish, I was a little worried it might have a muddy or fishy taste, but as someone who's a fishy-taste detector, I felt absolutely none of it — oh, this is pretty good, I thought.

The fish comes already grilled, so it's technically cooked, but they told us to simmer it for about 5 minutes before eating.

They said once this hourglass runs out, they'll come debone it for us!!

How many extra sides four adults should order

And here's our order of extra noodles and side dishes haha. It looked like a lot at first — wait, did we order too much? — but part of the fun of hotpot is adding all these extras in, so for four adults it actually turned out to be just the right amount.

Seeing all those red chilies piled on brought back memories of eating Sichuan food when I went to Guangzhou!!

The owner debones the fish: the first bite

When the time was up, the owner came over to debone the fish, and the way he stripped out the bones like a true pro was seriously impressive. He filleted both sides and separated the head too.

He laid a piece of fish into each of our bowls, and the moment I took a bite, the deep mala flavor combined with the tender texture made me shout that this is a total rice thief (so good with rice)!!!! Of course — if we'd eaten this at dinner, the beer would've flowed endlessly hahahaha.

Eating while glancing over at the Galleria view~ maybe because of the floor-to-ceiling windows, it genuinely felt like being in China.

Must-add sides: fried tofu and tofu skin

Once we'd eaten a good amount of the fish, we added in the extra noodles/toppings we'd prepared — and no need to worry about the broth running low, since they refill it with more stock. So just load it up generously. And definitely add the fried tofu and tofu skin......! Once soaked in the broth, they're unbelievably good.

And that trendy panda-with-hat thing?? I actually saw it for the first time in real life haha. It came included as a standard item.

Two people in our family have actually eaten mala tang, mala xiang guo, and hotpot in China, and their opinions were mixed — some said it tasted close to the real thing there, others thought it could be a bit spicier. In the end everyone enjoyed it, and especially since it was fish, it felt less greasy than expected — a comment several of us agreed on!!

Free ice cream for dessert and a thoughtful checkout counter

On top of all that, we even got to finish with ice cream.

As for the flavor — the texture is like a Bomb Bar popsicle, but the taste is like that Chinese puffed rice candy, you know the one...? Exactly that flavor haha. After eating intense, heavy mala, this finished things off refreshingly sweet and cool!!

When I went to pay, I noticed dental floss, hair ties, stain remover, and dish soap sitting at the counter — genuinely touched.....! After eating something with such strong mala aromas, you can worry about splashes on your clothes or lingering smell, so having these little extras felt like a really thoughtful touch.

If you're craving really intense mala in Dunsan-dong, Daejeon, I recommend giving the mala kaoyu at Bantiannyao Kaoyu Daejeon Branch a try!!