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    Kung Fu Mala

    4.6 (189 reviews)
    ModerateHot Pot
    Open 11:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Kung Fu Mala Takeout or Delivery

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    KUNG FU MALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials

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    Triciaadri C.

    tried the kung fu mala and i'm a fan of the soup itself :) rich, spicy, and really comforting. the broth was definitely the standout for me. that said, i wish there were more sauce options besides the peanut. it would've been nice to customize a bit more, especially with classic add-ons like garlic and onion as topping options. also have to shout out the stir-fry -- my friend ordered it and i tried some, and honestly it was sooo good. super flavorful and might be the move next time. overall, solid spot, especially if you're into mala flavors. i'd come back and probably switch it up with the stir-fry.

    Menbosha
    Maggie W.

    I got the menbosha as an appetizer and one of the malaxiang pots. I will say I have only ever had Chinese style malaxiang pot, so it was a unique twist to have some Korean flavors in the spices as well too! There's a subtle sweetness that goes along well with the spices in the stir fry mix. Compared to some other places, there isn't quite as many different things to choose from, but there is a good variety of things to add to your "pot". I really liked the menbosha, they really pack a lot of shrimp in between the bread. I have been inspired to try to make this at home because it's so yummy. Wait time was about 10 minutes for food, which isn't too bad! They currently have Santa hats on the backs of the chairs, so it's very festive inside.

    Berna G.

    Malatang at its finest! Pick all your ingredients from the bar and make sure you reach the minimum weight requirement. There is a weighing scale before the register so you can see if you're under and need to add more stuff. I like the giant deep freezer of sliced beef and lamb. You won't worry about any slimy thawed pieces. The bar is also kept sparkling clean and organized. Once your bowl is ready for payment, choose the style you'd like it to be prepared and if you would like a side of rice. Once it's done, the bowl is delivered to your table and enjoy! The restaurant is very spacious and you are comforted by mukbang videos and kpop music shows playing on screens above.

    Mary T.

    When the cold air hits, your body just requires soup. I love how highly customizable it is. You walk in, grab a bowl, load up with veggies and then the meat at the end is lamb or pork. You can choose to have stir fry or soup and customize your spicy level! Then they cook and bring it out to you. $16.99 per lb. There are prepared peanuty sauce cups on the table that my friend thought was a little too sweet but other than that no complaints. Reliable and wasn't too busy on a fri night. Felt very comforting and friendly service. Approved!!

    Karen N.

    LOCATION: Telegraph/44th PARKING: Street parking WHAT WE ORDERED: * Stir fry malatang ($16.99/lb) -- 1 lb minimum My first malatang experience did not disappoint! The flavor was so tasty. It's not very numbing and spicy. My friend, who has a mild spice tolerance, can handle it pretty well. There was a decent selection of items to put in your bowl, but definitely more limited compared to other places. I opted for the stir fry over the broth, as I typically prefer dry dishes, but you can't really go wrong with either one. I'm really excited to go back and try the broth.

    Loriell L.

    My new fav hot pot they have these amazing thick potatoe noodles that I can never find anywhere ugh just thinking about it makes me hungry. Can't wait to go back everyone was so friendly and welcoming. And the restaurant and all other areas were clean. The time to cook was a bit long but we ordered appetizers and meat skewers and for the price those were so delicious! Definitely going to be a regular

    Hanny Q.

    When I came around 8pm on a Tuesday night, it was pretty quiet and not busy at all. My friend and I were greeted by staff and asked if we have been here before; and then was explained the process when we had said no. The employee let us know our bowls were slightly underweight and encouraged us to get more toppings so we could get our money's worth. Our food was given to us shortly, I enjoyed the skewers as I was craving them, but I don't think it was anything to die for. The mala was super flavorful and had the right amount of spice for me and my friend. It was my first time actually finishing a whole mala bowl, so I would definitely come here again as there was a lot of variety in the menu and toppings bar/station as well!

    malatang medium hot
    Angela D.

    i love coming here to get my malatang fix. No sauce bar but the premade sauce they give you is sososo good already. Rice is free which is amazing! Very spacious inside and clean. Service is amazing she is very nice. :) The soup is delicious and even though it can get a bit pricey depending how much you get it is always enough for another meal and the broth with some rice at home is fireee

    Complimentary mouthwash in the bathroom! The bathroom was also clean when I went
    Yun C.

    Ok, I was impressed! I had seen this restaurant on yelp for a while, but I seldom make my way around Oakland/Berkeley. I reluctantly decided to come in foran early dinner, and I was so glad I went here! 1lb minimum of food is enforced for adults but not for little one. We made 3 bowls. 1 with the soup, spice level 2. 1 stir fry level 2 mala and 1 soup no spice for our little one (they can only make no spice for the soup. So stir fry). The item selections had good variety, though other larger malatang places would certainly have more items to choose from. If you like noodles, keep in mind thst they do sell upon and Ramen package (not subject to weighing, sold per packet) by the register. They had wet noodles options on the buffet area but they would be counted towards your food weight. Rice seems to be free! Though you do have to ask the server to give you a bowl. The broth, even the no spice one was very flavorful and it wasn't might flavorful! I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the broth, delicious! Btw, levwl.soice 2 for the soup is spicier than level 2 for the stir fry, take note. I love spicy though so it was perfect to me . Hubby prefers the stir fry bc it was less fiery for his mouth . But he admitted the flavors both the broth and the stir fry were amazing! We had plenty of food to share (big eaters) and we left very full and content! All for just around $48 before tips! Wow! We will be back!!

    Ashley J.

    I came here on a Monday night with a couple friends and had a great time! I decided to get the stir fry which I really liked. However, I will say the selection here compared to similar restaurants in the area was a bit limited. There's also a 1 pound minimum. Also, the food is quite spicy (I got the mild and thought it was hot) so if you're not into spice, I don't recommend coming here. At the end of the day, though, the food was still good and satisfied my mala craving!

    Malatang
    Seth E.

    Our party of 4 got here around 7:30pm. It was not busy at all, so we were seated immediately. The staff helped explain everything since it was our first time dining here. It's self-serve, so you get to choose what ingredients go into your bowl. Keep in mind that you pay $15.99 per lb of food in your bowl before broth is added. The bowl also needs to have a minimum of 1lb to purchase it. There's an assortment of different vegetables, meats, and noodles to choose from. I liked that you could check the weight before you finalized your selection. At the register, you get to choose from soup or stir fry as well as the different spice levels. The malatang was really good. I got the medium hot spice level and it was just the right amount of spice. I had about 1.27lbs of food before the broth was added and I felt satisfied after finishing my meal. The place overall is nice and clean. There are TVs on the wall playing KPop or showing mukbang videos. There's a small parking lot just outside the building, but otherwise you'll have to find parking out on the streets nearby.

    Malatang
    Kai K.

    The food is so fresh and the service is incomparable! Great staff, quick eats and clean restaurant. Would definitely come back again to try everything on their menu!

    Skewers
    Audrey C.

    Highly, highly recommended! Every dish was incredibly tasty. I loved being able to choose only the ingredients I enjoy from their plenty of fresh options. I ordered level 2 spicy, and it had that perfectly enjoyable, numbing heat (I love spicy food!). I also tried three different shareable dishes, and all of them were delicious and paired wonderfully with the soup. I used to come here often when I lived nearby, and I visited again for the first time after moving an hour away. The one-hour drive was absolutely worth it!! Their all-time best malatang and their amazing new shareable dishes did not disappoint!

    Mala Xiang Guo with Beef and Noodles

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    15 days ago

    The food here is amazing! I was craving Mala for so long and it was worth the wait! 10/10

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    Food and service are always on point, although sometimes there might be a bit of a wait. Very lively ambiance too

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