All the staff are Chinese. Because of that, Chinese is flying around inside the shop, but some of them can speak Japanese, so even Japanese customers can order without worry. After you enter, first sit wherever you like. You can order from your seat, but if you want malatang, leave your bags and head to the area near the entrance, where there are lots of ingredients, and put whatever you want into a white basket. Finally, order your type of meat and noodles and get a number tag. When it's ready your number is called and you go pick it up. It's a paitan (white) broth, so if you want heat, help yourself to whatever you like from the chili oil corner etc. into a small dish. The soup has a rich medicinal-herb flavor and is plenty tasty as is, and since it's not spicy, even people who can't handle spice can order it. This time I ordered the weekday-only lunch set, and it was packed with ingredients, filling, and delicious. It's a better deal than ordering regular malatang, so definitely give it a try. It's also nice that with the lunch set you can add dishes at a small discount. Another nice touch is that aprons are always provided at the seats. With an apron on, you don't have to worry about splashing soup and staining your clothes. They also do takeout, so even if you don't have time to eat in, you can take authentic Chinese food home. Closed every Monday.

My first time trying malatang. Apparently it's a dish from Northeast China (north of North Korea, south of Russia). A mellow paitan soup made from slow-simmered beef, with a pleasant tingly heat like sansho pepper — a delicious soup that warms you up. I ordered spice level 1, but once I'm used to it I'd like to try level 2 or 3. For noodles I picked low-calorie glass noodles (harusame). Loads of vegetables too — a very healthy lunch. I think 780 yen for this is cheap. You can pay with IC-type e-money, ID, and so on, which is convenient. Revisited April 2023 Ordered the malatang with beef tendon noodles. Delicious as expected. This time I wanted more heat, so at the spicy condiment table in the middle of the shop I helped myself to things like chili oil and oil with sansho pepper grains. I added them to the soup little by little to adjust. The numbing sansho grain oil, the sesame-packed chili oil, and so on let me change up the flavor, which was fun. The soup isn't salty, has lots of vegetables, is very healthy, and is a flavor I love. I think this shop probably serves the authentic taste of China. Though I've never been there. There's almost no Japanese signage inside, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're abroad.

This is 張亮麻辣燙 Hachioji branch. Malatang isn't common in Hachioji yet, but this shop had its sign up for several months without opening, and while I kept watching to see when it would open, it finally opened in July. It's a Chinese chain with many locations in Tokyo, and it seems to be part of what's driving the recent malatang boom. The big difference from when the space was a Chinese restaurant is the large refrigerator installed along the wall. Inside are all sorts of toppings, and you pick 3 or more to add to the basic malatang. They also have regular Chinese dishes, but first I'll try the malatang. After choosing your toppings, you tell the kitchen your noodle type and they boil everything together. There are various noodle types: 玉米面 (corn noodles), 牛筋面 (medium-thick noodles), 寛粉 (wide noodles), and 細面 (somen). I was surprised to see instant ramen and udon among the toppings. Noodles on top of noodles. I chose corn noodles with beef and fish balls, yuba, and soybean sprouts as toppings. Once the noodles are boiled, you add condiments yourself. The base is spicy, so it's better to taste the soup first. There are lots of spicy condiments, and probably the only non-spicy one is the sesame sauce. You can get brown tea-boiled eggs for free. Malatang is a dish of spicy soup with vegetables, toppings, and noodles. Corn noodles are yellow and at first glance look like kansui ramen noodles, but they have no bite. The soup is quite spicy, but you should be fine as long as you don't add spicier condiments. The 辣椒油, 麻油, and 泰椒圈 are spicy. Apparently the price is 330 yen for the basic malatang (noodles + soup) plus 99 yen per topping (minimum 3), but there was a discount sale, so beef plus 3 toppings came to 715 yen total (20% off).

Used this place for an after-work drinking party. I'd walked past it several times and was curious, and finally got to go. It's a street-level shop about a 5-minute walk from Hachioji Station, on a street without much foot traffic, so a lot of people who only drink in Hachioji occasionally might not know about it…. The interior is bright, with white-based tables. There were things that seemed to be the staff's personal belongings on the tables, and probably due to a lack of storage, containers and equipment were piled up here and there, which was very memorable. lol The otoshi was something like nuts. Just right as a drinking snack. First, a toast with beer! The brand was Asahi Super Dry. I was amazed at how fast the drinks came out. We ordered beef, pork, and lamb skewers, corn skewers, and beef shank and cucumber aemono, and the beef shank and cucumber aemono was really good! The flavor was lighter than I expected, but it had soaked well into the meat and went great with drinks. Each slice of meat was cut large, so it was really satisfying. Among the skewers, the lamb was, as expected, very delicious. Not much gaminess, the herbs were just right, great aroma and flavor — I really enjoyed it. They said the noodle dishes were recommended, but unfortunately our second party was coming up, so we didn't order any…. I'd like to try them if I get the chance. Thanks for the meal.

Authentic malatang. I'm Japanese, but I love the flavor here and come often. Japanese works fine for ordering, so don't worry. When you walk in, the ingredients for your noodle soup are lined up on the right. Pick the ingredients you like from here and put them in a white basket. After that, the noodle types are written on the side wall behind the register, so once you choose your noodles, you're done ordering. (You pay when you leave) If it's your first time, I recommend the "牛筋麺". It's pronounced "Nyujinmien", but they'll understand if you point. Your slip has a number on it, and the system is that you go pick up your food when your number is called. There's what looks like salad bar dressings, but these are spices and vinegar you add to your noodles as you like. In the same spot there are also seasoned eggs called "茶蛋" — it's a help-yourself style for anyone who likes them. They're seasoned eggs with a lovely five-spice aroma. The non-noodle menu is on the table and has photos, so you can order with confidence. Personally, I recommend the "煎餅果子", which is hard to find in Japan. (It's called "Jenbinguozu") It's a classic Chinese street-stall snack, kind of like a savory crepe. There's nothing to worry about, so enjoy the authentic malatang and side dishes.