The Story of SMÁLÀ

After exploring cuisines from around the world and moving to back to New York City (for the 3rd time) we were inspired by the idea of the fusing Chinatown and Little Italy; two distinct neighborhoods who define the Lower Eastside.  So we asked "How do you make a chili oil with Chinese flavors and Italian sensibilities?"

With the help of our friends at Create With Cura, we teamed up with a Greek-Italian kitchen and started our journey. After almost 14 months of trying different versions, tasting it with friends & chefs, experimenting with different bottles, we finally nailed the recipe.  

We describe SMÁLÀ as a cross between Sichuan and Calabrian chili oil.  It's designed with a special blend of aromatics, spices, followed by a smooth mala numbing buzz (basically it's umami + flavor + kick). We made sure not to skimp on the quality of ingredients as we pride ourselves that foodies and professional chefs alike have said "it doesn't taste cheap". 

We encourage you to generously drizzle it onto pasta, dumplings, pizza, sandwiches, tacos, noodles, rice, (insert fav carb)! You can even mix it into mayo, ketchup and honey to SMÁLÀ up your favorite condiment.

Thank you for coming along with us on this journey through our first food product.  Our goal as content creators and sauce makers has always been to deliver something thoughtful. Hopefully SMÁLÀ is it.

Love peace and chili oil,  
David and Andrew Fung
The Fung Bros.