YI ER CHUAN MALATANG（SPICY HOTPOT）

Yi Er Chuan is owned by the same family that runs Szechuan Gourmet (one of our favorite Chinese restaurants of all time) so we were excited to give it a try. The food, however, was actually a bit hit or miss. The tomato hotpot base was jam packed with flavor and umami richness and was hands down one of the best I've ever tasted, the vegetables and shredded beef were fresh, and the portion sizes were great value for the money. On the other hand, the dried tofu and the scallion pancake had a slightly off flavor, as if they were cooked with old oil or stored improperly. Moreover, while the signature malatang soup base was nutty and sufficiently spicy and numbing (especially when ordered at the "extra spicy" level!), it was also lacking in depth of flavor, and was boring to eat after a while. Maybe it would have been improved by a dipping sauce. The restaurant interior was clean but otherwise unremarkable, the waitstaff were exceptionally prompt and friendly, and the online touchpad ordering system was super convenient. Overall, this would be a great restaurant to bring newbies to introduce them to the concept of hotpot (since you don't need to worry about doing your own cooking), and we would come back, but it doesn't take the place of the original Szechaun Gourmet or some of the other "do it all yourself" hotpot restaurants in town.

Vegetarian options: Per the waitstaff, all soup bases are vegetarian. There are also a lot of vegetable and tofu options for hotpot or dry pot or stir fry.

Parking: Some limited parking in front of the store, lots of street parking on adjacent roads a block or two away.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Malatang Tomato Broth

Liked the tomato based soup

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

The service is amazing. The lady was so kind the entire time and kept checking up on us, very helpful and welcoming. The food was also really good with big portions. There was a nice variety on the menu and the place was very neat and clean. You can order no spicy if you’re not good with spice. Best service we ever had. Definitely coming back in the future.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Malatang Spicy Broth, Malatang Tomato Broth

Let’s try something new in here hotpot your style and boneless chicken feet, squid. Nice place decorated, clean and good service

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Went for lunch on a weekend and have had stomach issues for several days following.

food ok, overpriced, slow service, not recommended!

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 3

The taste of memories

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Tips start from 18%. Foods taste okay, but I don't feel well after eating MaLaTang, and I don't want to go there anymore.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 3

I used to live in Chongqing China and this place reminds me of the food there. You can pick the items that go into your hot pot. The food is really good! Great for solo dates or groups!

Food: 5

The aroma of Malatang is fragrant and the taste is very unique. Every bite makes me have endless aftertaste. The service attitude is also very considerate, and I enjoy a full sense of happiness and wonderful experience.

Parking: Parking is very convenient

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: braised pork over rice 卤肉饭

I used to live in Chongqing China and this place reminds me of the food there. You can pick the items that go into your hot pot. The food is really good! Great for solo dates or groups!

Food: 5

The food is absolutely delicious! We’ve been here twice. The mango smoothie is also delicious!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We came in a group of 3 and ordered 1 malatang, 1 dried pot and 1 rice dish. The food was so good and the portion is big we had to pack a lot togo. The spice was nice and satisfying. Service is good to. Definitely recommend!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Amazing!

Kid-friendliness: Good

Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fatty Beef with Onion over Rice 肥牛盖饭

Yi Er Chuan is a great change of pace in the Northeast Ohio food scene. Malatang is a classic with university and highschool students in South Korea where I had lived for a year during highschool days. Coming back to America, I have missed the taste of good Malatang. My girlfriend and I ordered one order of Malatang which was enough for 2-4 people. We got Malatang with the Tomato broth, Lamb, Quail eggs, Mushrooms, and Bok Choi. The meal was delicious, especially the tomato broth and quail eggs. The soup is very hot when its served so be weary not to burn your tongue. The servise was good. The shop is new, very clean, and modern. It felt like it was straight out of east Asia. I hope to come here with a group of my friends in the future.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4