This may really just be the uneducated opinion of one westernised Chinese guy, but I really didn’t have that inspiring an experience at Princess J (Jiao Gong Cooked) Malatang 焦功煮麻辣烫 in Emerald Square Burwood.
I found that the menu options and pricing structure was confusing and not well denoted on signage, at least in English, making it difficult to know how different items were priced, in particular the division between the fried foods and the self-serve malatang options.
I also found that the differences in soup bases was not well explained, not only by signage but also by the staff working there when I asked. In the end we chose two separate base options, one of which was pre-seasoned and one of which was similar but without a mix of seasonings, leading to a more choose your own adventure. We found that both options were overall less tasty and less enjoyable than the standard mixture of condiments and bases from, for example, Yang Guo Fu Malatang.
Whether or not this reflects poorly on this particular restaurant or poorly on our basic westernised palates remains to be answered, but our experience here wasn’t something that would lead me to come back.
At least you can tell from the photos that the place looked quite clean and well maintained.
Princess J Ma La Tang (Jiao Gong Cooked Malatang) 焦功煮麻辣烫
Shop 9 27/31 Belmore St, Burwood NSW 2134