Really cool concept, as you pick your own ingredients (meats, veggies, noodles) and pay by weight at $14.99/lb. I recommend the beef bone broth, which was so creamy and delicious and paired perfectly with the tender beef and lamb. They have a massive selection of add-ins like fish balls, wood ear and seafood mushrooms, and lots of noodles from vermicelli, udon, hand pulled noodles, and meats like chicken, beef, lamb pork, fish balls, fish tofu and seafood tempura. The atmosphere is fast-casual/self-service. Only downside was the sauce bar being out of sesame sauce during dinner, but otherwise, it's a great spot for quick and easy hot pot dinner. read more

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Overall (3/5) A convenient and filling malatang option near UC Irvine that delivers on portion size and price, but falls short on broth flavor and spice. First Impressions (3/5) This was my first visit. Being located at UTC, expectations were moderate. The space is bright, clean, and clearly designed for quick meals. What We Got (3/5) Medium beef bone broth Assorted meats, vegetables, and noodles selected by weight Taste and Quality (3/5) The meat portions were surprisingly generous and better than many malatang spots. However, the broth lacked richness and was not spicy at all, even at medium heat. Flavor was weaker than expected. Service (4/5) Staff were friendly and efficient. The process was quick and straightforward. Space and Atmosphere (4/5) Plenty of seating, well lit, and clean. Easy to dine in without feeling cramped. Was It Worth It (4/5) The price for the amount of food was very reasonable, especially for the location. Filling and convenient for students or late night meals. Final Thoughts Good for convenience and portion size, especially if you do not want to drive far for malatang. If you come, order at least two spice levels higher than usual. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Beef Bone Broth (1 lb) - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

This was the only place open past 12 last Saturday in that part Irvine. Place was generally clean and inviting. They did run off of bowls later in the service so they were using styrofoam bowls. The choices were ok but limited than other Malatang places I've been to. The soup base was good, was just surprised that we had to pay extra for the soup. Not a bad option for a as late night meal read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

I like this place. Its nice for when you want hotpot but you dont want to spend a bunch for all you can eat. Its definitely a no frills type of place but def worth it. I added way too much food so i brought half of it home and added some of my own ramen when i ate it the next day. I will def be back again. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

My friend and I ate here on a Saturday afternoon. The weather was fair and there are options for indoor and outdoor dining. There are plenty of ingredients to choose from: bok choy, fish balls, imitation crab sticks, fish cakes, tofu, ramen and/or egg noodles. The ingredients look fresh and well-maintained. Once you are finished choosing your ingredients on a large bowl, the cashier will have it weighed and you'll choose your preferred broth on the menu. I opted for chicken broth and chose it to be not spicy. The total price varies per weight, but it's worth it especially if you're craving authentic hot-pot like soup. Once you finish paying, they'll lend you a buzzer and it will beep once your order is ready. We only waited for less than 10 minutes, and I was impressed with the presentation and service. I added some green onions on top, right before eating it outside. The broth has an umami flavor, while the egg noodles and vegetables I chose were not overcooked. I also love the chewiness of the fish balls and tofu. I'll be back again if I'm craving some Fast Hot Pot by UC Irvine. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Egg Noodles with Green Onions, Quail Eggs, Egg Noodles, bok choy, fish balls in Chicken Broth. My friend's soup right behind is Malatang. - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

portion is very filling, delicious and affordable! service was quick and it seems to be a popular spot so it can get crowded quickly. the bone beef broth is very flavorful and the meats are tender. it's a small place that's a bit tight. overall, i highly recommend. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came across this place as I was walking around UTC and decided to try it since i'm a big malatang and hotpot fan Pro: Their ingredient options were decent and they would refill the trays as they're running low, there were also plenty of seating inside. Con: However i was very disappointed with the flavor and the broth of my order. I got the bone broth with medium spice and it was very watery. The spice was definitely there but I couldn't taste the broth flavor at all, which i think is the most important part. not sure if the other broths are better but my go to is usually the bone broth and other places def do a way better job read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

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The idea here is pretty simple. You walk in, grab a large plastic bowl and tongs from the container where they're kept, and then use the tongs to grab whatever items you want. There is an array of meats and vegetables, and things like quail eggs, tofu, potatoes, cabbage, enoki mushrooms, lots of things to choose from. Then you can grab a bottled drink if you want one, and then they will weigh your bowl, you choose a broth and then they give you a number after you pay for your food and in a bit, you will get paged and go pick up your bowl that they have cooked nicely for you. I chose the classic red chili broth, with the standard spice level of two chilies, and it definitely caused a lot of throat tickling coughing until I got used to it. I was clearly not alone in having chosen something that was just a little too spicy, because another person nearby started coughing over there as well, and another person was fanning her mouth as if it was burning. But clearly we did this to ourselves with our choices lol. I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Apparently, they recently redid their interior and it is very brightly lit now, but you also have the option of eating outside if you want to. Additionally, I should mention that there is a side bar with additional seasonings, like scallions, garlic, Sriracha sauce, and much much more My only complaint with the place is I find it a little bit Oookey that you're grabbing multiple things with tongs and there's obviously going to be a lot of cross-contamination if someone picks up raw meat and then dips their tongs into the veggies read more

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UCI students these day are so lucky to have places like Fast Hot Pot and all the other great food options in this plaza. Back in the late 90's and 2000's Cha and Lee's Sandwich was the only good affordable options for me. This essentially like a regular hot pot place, but instead of cooking stuff at the table, you pick out all the stuff you want,, give it to the staff, they weight it and you tell them the soup flavor you want, then they cook it for you in the back and bring it to your table. The soup bases are generally $1 and a couple more bucks for speciality flavors like Tom Yum and Curry. There are a couple of places just like this but I can't remember the names, but one in the 99 Ranch plaza on Jefferey and Walnut. The other one is in the lot where Dunkin's is on Jefferey and Irvine Center Drive. I feel like those other locations have fresher ingredients because there's a lot more traffic at those place compared to this place. The food was good as all hot pot generally is. You watch out for possible bugs floating in the soup....they come from the veggies that may not have been thoroughly washed well (pretty normal as you can't always get them all) read more

Fast Hot Pot - Perfect lone meal when the family it out of town - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

First timer here, and I would come again if I'm ever craving some hot pot nearby. It's build your own style which is nice but not everything was refilled when we went. I like how there's a self serve section with lots of toppings for your bowl like cilantro, sesame paste, chili oil and more. Keep in mind it's a little pricey but I'd say it's worth a try! read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

Good! I like the variety but a lot of the items are poorly labeled, so you're better off knowing your hot pot ingredients before heading here. You can ask someone what these things are, though, because I did since I wasn't sure about one of the items. I enjoyed everything I had. The flower fish balls were really cute. Sauces and green onions are self-serve, while the soy sauce and vinegar are at each table. Sauces are more limited than some other hot pot places, but they have the most important ones. Note that while it is $13.99 / lb, all the broths cost $0.99 or more. I got the pickled vegetable broth and that was excellent. read more

Fast Hot Pot - My hot pot dish with flower fish ball - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

first time trying fast hot pot and i am so impressed. i went with the tom yum noodle soup and loved that you can fully customize your bowl with whatever ingredients you want. i added lamb meat and a bunch of veggies, and the broth was rich, flavorful, and perfectly balanced with spice. i got the mild spice level thinking it would be manageable, but it still had a serious kick which i loved. the restaurant is lively and fun, perfect for a casual meal with friends. definitely one of my new favorite hot pot spots and i can't wait to go back! 10/10 read more

Fast Hot Pot - tom yum soup - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

I COME HERE ALL THE TIME! my go-to malatang spot!!! ik they got the ramen title outside still but hopefully theyll update soon. they have a wide selection of veggies, meats, fish balls, and carbs. i love their soup base (beef bone) and i usually get the mild option and it's not that spicy! for someone whos tolerance is low, it was a very appetizing kick. i will say that the numby-ness is present and if you're not really into that, i suggest a different soup. the staff is very kind and the cooking takes just a few min. size of the establishment is small but can seat groups or solo diners. they also have a sauce bar w extra charge! i love coming here and grabbing a hearty bowl to fill me up- super yummy and delicious :) read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

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First time I had been to this place and had to ask for help as I didn't know how to order, and the cashier was extremely helpful! She told me to grab a bowl in the cabinet by the door, fill my bowl, pay per pound, and choose a broth. She gave me her personal recommendations which was very nice. Had a good variety of vegetables and some beef/lamb/seafood options. Definitely will come again read more

I ordered 1.3 pounds worth of food. Mostly beef 1 pack of noodles and some bok choy. There was a few tiny cut up pieces in my bowl - equivalent to 2 pieces out of the 9+ I put in my bowl + 6 pieces lamb which were no where to be found. The one at the district is much better and doesn't make you pay for food you don't get read more

Food isn't fresh. Bamboo sprouts tastes terrible, and quality of duck blood curd is bad. The soup is not real ox bone stew and the chilli oil is not from real chilli powder. The restaurant makes its best effort to make food weigh more. Food is covered with water or ice to make it Service is even worse. This restaurant is trying to let customers pick "more" food. Normally, the bowl used to pick food is not into account. The scale should be set to only measure the net weight of food. In this restaurant, however, I strongly suspect that they take the bowl into account. The weight of a meal for me is of weight 1.41lb, which is incredibly high. Ambiance is average. read more

Very good restaurant. The food was fast and good. Expensive but it is traditional. Good serice. Good ambiance. Hence, I recommond this restaurant. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Very good restaurant - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

My sister and I came here for lunch. We don't typically go to eat hotpot so we were very excited. The lady at the counter was very nice and helped us when we were confused even though there was a language barrier. They had a nice selection of vegetables and other toppings to choose from at their bar. We got the tom yum broth; however, it wasn't to our taste. The broth tasted very different than the tom yum flavor I'm used to. It was spicy but not very sour. read more

Overall, this is a good hotpot place, but I advise skipping their AYCE option. The skewers came out very slowly, and the staff were very strict on ordering. We waited 20 to 30 minutes between rounds, and we were told we couldn't add to our order until the previous one came out and was finished. Stick to the à la carte menu if you decide to go. read more

The food was delicious! Great price for what you get. Super customizable! Delicious meat, options, and many veggie and noodle options as well. Great service very nice stuff as well as comforting music playing in the background making for a great environment to dine in. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

I had lunch at Fast Hotpot Irvine on May 2 and was charged double the sales tax. I tried to contact the restaurant using the phone number on Google, but the call didn't go through. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

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Brought my UCI daughter here as a bit of a change. Great fast food! I was a little uncertain of what I was doing when I walked in. Some recommendations on mixtures of ingredients might be helpful. Basically comfort food. Very filling and tasty read more

I love that you can pick whatever you want. Build your own ramen. The premium chicken broth is a must. Service is fairly quick and the ambiance is quiet. It's a little pricey for ramen. About $20pp with the premium broth. read more

Excellent and affordable. Some of the tastiest soup I've had in ages and I just had tsukemen last night read more

It's a good place to enjoy spicy Chinese food. The service is also very good. I recommend everybody to try it. read more

Fast Hot Pot - It's a good place to enjoy spicy Chinese food. I recommend everybody to try it. - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

if you like spicy food，it is a great place to enjoy. There are lots of vegetables and meat to choose.

Very delicious clean and tasty. There is many different kinds of foods available. Now BBQ is available. The service is also nice. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Hotpot - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

The hotpot here is delicious. Its not that spicy, which is perfect for feeling the original taste of the food inside.Besides they also have BBQ recently, which I think is also nice. read more

Fast Hot Pot - The hot pot here is really delicious. - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

Very good, great value and very nice staff! Tons of options for ingredients, and broth is very good read more

Fast Hot Pot - Food - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

I been here for many times, it's really convenient and fast, and it's tasteful. I always having Malatang here and you can choose the level of spicy which carefully matches with everyone. read more

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Great dinner choice, lots of dishes to choose from, different soup bases are delicious！ read more

Fast Hot Pot - Great dinner choice, lots of dishes to choose from, different soup bases are delicious！ - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a very nice restaurant. It sells barbecues and hotpot. The environment is very clean, and the waiters here are intimate to guests. read more

Fast Hot Pot - This is a very nice restaurant, it sells barbecues and hot pots. All the food is fresh and delicious. - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

Good service with delicious food. The restaurant offers a unique dining experience with its flavorful malatang dishes and a newly introduced barbecue menu. We can enjoy a variety of spicy, customizable hot pot options alongside delicious, grilled meats, making it a great spot for those seeking a blend of traditional and modern flavors. read more

Fast Hot Pot - Delicious malatang hot pot. The barbecue menu has been updated with new offerings. - Hot Pot Near Me - Irvine, California

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It appeared there were only 2 people working while we dined. This location still has the prior Ramen tenant name on the building but it is hot pot. Walk in and grab a bowl and tongs to select your items. The doors were not super clean and left open- probably because there were parties ahead of us. They were out of several vegetables and meat so we had to ask them to restock. There is a small sauce bar next to the for-sale drinks display. You get to the counter and select your broth and pay by weight. I did not notice that the scale was tared to the weight of the plastic bowl. We ordered 3 bowls and each bowl is given a number. However they were done around the same time- took maybe 10 minutes. Everything tasted okay. On our way out we noticed that the door said 2 am for closing time but definitely looked like they were about to close when we left around 9 pm. They should consider updating their operating hours on their storefront. read more

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The food here is good and I definitely recommend coming here if you've never had malatang. However, seeing as it is only 5 minutes away from YGF malatang, which I think is better in taste, I would only come here as a secondary option. read more

One of my go to restaurants for hot-pot! I like how there is a lot of selection for vegetables, noodles, meat and broth. It's super quick to grab all your ingredients and they cook the soup for you which is nice! The service is always friendly and attentive. Plenty of seating and togo options as well. read more

We went essentially at closing time and staff took pity on us poor souls and reopened their entire store just to feed us. Food was great, the service was even greater. Highly recommended. read more

Best Mala Xiang Guo place ever! Fast service and it's always a good time eating here. The guy that works at the counter is so friendly. I cannot recommend it enough to my friends. If you want good food, this is the place for you. read more

Does it really close at 2am in the morning?? I just went and seen people eating. Went to order, but the cashier said they close.

Took over gyutan ramen. Ramen no longer offered. Pay by weight. The bone broth flavor was a little lacking flavor but maybe because I only ordered a 1 level spiciness. Quality of meats and other items were just ok. Better hot pot places in the area read more