Suwon malatang takeout with shrimp egg fried rice: Rahongbang Malatang

Whenever I visit my parents' place in Suwon, I stop by this Suwon favorite for malatang (spicy Sichuan hot pot noodles) — Rahongbang Malatang!! This time I tried it as takeout. As always, it didn't disappoint. Here's my satisfying takeout review.

Where is Rahongbang Malatang Suwon Cheoncheon Branch, and where do you park?

Rahongbang Malatang sits in the central shopping strip near the Lotte Mart in Cheoncheon-dong — a Cheoncheon-dong favorite. It's in the perfect spot to grab a meal after grocery shopping, a doctor's visit, or a trip to the bank. For parking, use a nearby paid lot or park on the street near Lotte Mart.

What time does Rahongbang Malatang close?

Rahongbang Malatang Suwon Cheoncheon Branch is open Mon–Sat 11:00–21:00 and Sunday 12:00–21:00, with last order at 20:30. Check the hours before you go! Sunday opens an hour later than other days.

Is the restaurant good for solo diners or groups?

Here's a look inside the restaurant. Several 2-person and 4-person tables make it easy to come alone or with a group. There are lots of schools nearby, so plenty of student diners too!

Rahongbang Malatang menu and minimum order

Check out the menu! Alongside the staples — malatang, mala huoguo, and guobaorou (sweet and sour pork) — there's a range of other dishes like cream shrimp and egg fried rice. The minimum order for malatang is ₩8,000, and for mala huoguo it's ₩15,000. Guobaorou comes in garlic and original flavors, and is available in solo or mini sizes, so it's totally fine to order even if you're dining alone.

Picking your own ingredients: are there extra charges?

This Suwon malatang favorite lets you pick your own ingredients. They say they use only fresh ingredients daily and follow a same-day-use policy. Plus, no extra charge for skewers, meatballs, or meat!!! You can pile on as much of anything as you want, which is great haha.

Panda, pink panda and watermelon fenzi (glass noodles)

Rahongbang Malatang also had a variety of fenzi (sweet potato glass noodles) — the cute basic panda, a pink panda version, and watermelon-shaped ones. I grabbed one of each.

The beef and lamb fridge

On the other side of the ingredient counter is a meat fridge. Load up on as much beef and lamb as you like, and it's calculated in with the total weight. You can even mix the two meats together!

What's at the self-serve corner

The self-serve corner has small plates, pickled radish, scissors, sugar, chili powder, and more. Drinks and alcohol are also self-serve, along with peanut sauce — kept in the fridge so it doesn't spoil.

Here's how much I piled on!! I loaded up generously on all kinds of ingredients to share with family at home haha.

How does a takeout order work at Rahongbang Malatang?

Rahongbang Malatang runs on a self-checkout system. At the kiosk, choose dine-in or takeout, then place your loaded bowl on the scale — you're charged based on the measured weight.

After ordering, while I sat and waited for the food, I noticed there's a review perk too. Everyone, go write a Naver review and grab a free drink!

Packed up and ready! Heading home with it, feeling excited haha.

How spicy is malatang level 1?

I ordered malatang level 1 with shrimp egg fried rice. They even thoughtfully included pickled radish.

Malatang is priced at ₩2,200 per 100g, and you can choose a spice level from 0 to 4. I went with level 1. It was about as spicy as Shin Ramyun, a mild kick that's probably the most crowd-pleasing level for Korean tastes. There was a good amount of peanut sauce mixed in too, giving it a mellow, savory note.

Shrimp egg fried rice for 9,000 won

I had shrimp egg fried rice alongside the malatang. It's priced at ₩9,000 — a slightly oily but clean-tasting Chinese-style fried rice. It paired really well with the malatang broth.

Does the malatang still taste the same as takeout?

This Cheoncheon-dong favorite is close to my parents' house, so I've already been many times, and it's always delicious and satisfying no matter when I go. What I loved most is that even as takeout, it's packed neatly and tastes exactly the same at home. That settles it — I'm officially a regular now!! I think I'll keep coming back haha.