Place is super clean and soup base is excellent! Staff give out great service and friendly highly recommend

I've been here like 8 times the past 2 months. I get the Tom Yum everytime too. The broth compared to other places is really the difference. I've tried all their samples of the broth and they were all really good. Tomato, chicken, and tom yum were the standout for me. On top of that, their meats and vegetables have always been fresh and they have a good selection. I would highly recommend! read more

Have been here multiple times since I moved to San Mateo. Definitely love it, service is fast, food is good. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Malatown Express is one of the 3 malatang restaurants in downtown San Mateo. Normally I would go to Tang Bar but today I want to check out something new. What I like about malatang is that they always offer a huge variety of fresh ingredients and broths for you to pick (similar to hotpot), but cheaper. Here is $14.99/lb, and you build your own bowl with tons of veggie, meat, meatball, seafood, and noodle options, then weigh it and choose your soup base or dry mix flavor. From what we read, the most popular soup bases seem to be signature beef bone and Tom Yum. We tried both, but I personally preferred the Tom Yum since the beef bone broth was a little too rich for me. You can also order the dry mix version, where they toss everything together with seasoning instead of serving it in broth. After ordering, you make your own dipping sauce then pick a table and wait for your bowl to be cooked. My bowls were ready after 15 minutes even though the place was busy, so appreciated the staff. If you're ever in San Mateo, definitely give this place a try! read more

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Malatown Express is one of those easy go-to spots when you just want something quick and comforting. The malatang is the main thing here--build-your-own style, pick your stuff, pick your spice level, and you're good. Broth actually has flavor, not watered down. Place is pretty chill. Solid if you're in the area and craving something hot and customizable. Our experience was going well until my son saw a tiny bug in his soup. Hence, the 4-star. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

I wanted udon from next door, but my daughter wanted this. As usual, I lost. I love and try to spoil my daughter when I can. Quality/Quantity - Newest coolest trend; I see this type of restaurant popping up everywhere. Self service restaurant. You walk the cafeteria style tables and pick what you want for your meal/soup. Sold by weight $14.99lb. So off we go. I did not even complain when my daughter was picking all that inexpensive food, lol. I went almost straight to the seafood and meats!! After filling your bowl, you go to the register to weigh and pay. Pick your soup and spice level. Get a table and they bring you your food after cooking it. I got the lowest weight as I am the lightest eater (but heaviest drinker, lol). We went to Chingu, a Korean Tapas Bar (restaurant) prior to coming here. See other Yelp reviews. No surprise, but my daughter got the heaviest bowl, lol. Sorry, I did not think of taking pictures before... We took our left overs home and added more ingredients to have a second serving. :) Ambiance - Small location. Plenty of employees. Always cleaning and refilling the foods, keeping everything fresh. Open 7 days a week from 11:30am to 9:30pm. Very limited metered street parking that is free on weekends. Service - Good. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. I got a broth refill, thank you!! I was told that they do not usually do that. Price - I felt expensive. $85 for 3 bowls of soup?!?! Plus tip. $14.99/lb. Owner Comment - Please update your "From the Business" information as it still has $9.99/lb. Congrats on your success since 2025. As long as my daughter wants to come, so will I. read more

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Wide selection of items to choose from. They have taste testers of each of the soup bases! I got tom yum soup and it was great! The sauce bar is frequently filled and has a variety of options. read more

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Came here on a Tuesday afternoon, and it wasn't too busy. They offered a wide variety of ingredients to choose from. I got the tom yum soup base, which was slightly spicy and very delicious. There was also a sauce bar with plenty of options to create your own sauce. The restaurant was very clean, and the staff was friendly. I'd definitely recommend coming here! read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is one of my favorite Malatang spots! They offer a selection of classic broths that are flavorful without being too heavy. The ingredient variety is excellent, and the meat cuts always look incredibly fresh. I also highly recommend their homemade yogurt drink--it's light, sweet, and perfectly milky. On top of the food, the service is great; I visit quite often and have found the staff to be consistently friendly and attentive. read more

Mala Town Express - Beef bone broth malatang and homemade yogurt drink - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Update: Felt unwell and nauseous after eating here. Initially thought it was something else, but our party felt unwell after eating here the night of. We felt a bit better the next day and had some left overs for lunch the next day, and after eating lunch, we felt unwell again. This pretty much confirmed this food made us sick. Either the soup is TOO oily, or the fact that they make us use one tong for every single food creates too much cross contamination. Either way, we will probably not be coming back. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Date of Visit: 1/10/2025 We visited the Mala Town Express in downtown San Mateo on a Saturday evening. We arrived before 5:30pm and there were not too packed at the restaurant, but after 6pm people started to arrive. The price is $14.99 per pound and you get to pick your favorite vegetables, noodle, hot pot ingredients, seafood and meat. And there were also 7 different soup and dry mixed bases to choose from, including the signature beef bone broth, spicy dry mixed, Tom Yum Soup, chicken broth, Sichuan style MaoCai, Sweet and Sour tomato, and classic beef bone broth. I got the spicy dry mixed and husband got the class beef bone broth. The one husband got was a little plain and there was a sauce stand for customer to mix their own dipping sauce, which was nice! read more

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So great!! Love this spot and it's always a hit. Service and ambiance always great we love their broth and selections

This was my first time trying Mala Town Express. The service was good and the staff were friendly, which I appreciated. The chicken broth was okay, but the food selection was much smaller compared to other similar restaurants. The freshness of the ingredients was just average as well. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but I don't think I would come back again. read more

We come here once a week. Its that good. Let's me stick to meat and veggies while my friends can grab as many noodles as they want. The service is always super. They also have free broth outside if you want to give it a try first. We like it more than the other places in town because the broth is better and the quality of everything is just a notch above. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came by Friday night for a quick dinner and it was packed! I love going to the Milpitas location so I knew I had to try out this new location. This location in San Mateo had less seating so it can be hard to get a table at prime dinner time. I came around 7pm and had to wait about 15minutes for a table. The tom yum soup base is my favorite! A little sweet, spicy, and tangy. Parking can be a little challenging because the area is very busy, packed with restaurants but I will def be back!! read more

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Came on a busy Saturday night and we had to wait 20 minutes but the service from the staff was good. You wait for them to tell you when you can pick your ingredients and then pay. After paying, you wait for them to seat you. I think the overall experience can be improved a little because everyone was crowded around the sauce bar to get seated after paying. The selection bar was very clean and had good variety. The food came within 5 minutes after sitting down. We got the chicken broth, sichuan style malatang, and savory dry mix. The chicken broth was rich and hearty while the sichuan style malatang was just spice but not enough mala spice. The dry savory mix was a peanut based sauce with a little bit of kick. I would recommend the chicken broth and dry savory mix. read more

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I came here because of all the great reviews, but I honestly don't understand how this place has such high ratings. The guy at the register was very nice, but the food was really disappointing. After spending over $40, I couldn't even finish half of it. I ordered the spicy broth and a bone broth. The spicy one was basically food soaked in chili oil--completely inedible. Thankfully, I had the clear broth to rinse off the oil from the meat and vegetables. The meats were extremely tough and hard to chew, and even the tofu was dry and firm in an unpleasant way. The broth itself tasted artificial, almost like it was made from powder. Overall, I'm genuinely surprised by all the positive reviews. read more

Clean restaurant. Beef broth is better at other locations. Tom Yum is tasty, I got to sample my partners! -1 star SOLELY for the type of fish ball with roe they supplied on their food line. If you are a fish ball fan like me and look forward to getting this as an option for hotpot and malatang, you will be disappointed. The texture and filling was off and very liquidy. It tasted a little freezer burnt and unlike other fish balls i've had tbh. I took it out from my bowl and left it on the table to dispose. A worker was able to hear from me that it was no good lol. I hope they choose a different brand! read more

Mala Town Express - this fish ball with roe tasted unusual, hope it could be replaced. - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

So many fresh options, there is more selection than Tang Bar! Less ambience, but more value. read more

Mala Town Express - Fresh selection, more options than Tang Bar! - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Pretty solid self-serve malatang place. At $12.99/lb, their prices can't be beat. While this is considered an Express location, there's still a pretty good selection of high quality meat, veggies, noodles, and other proteins. Sauce bar is pretty standard but they're missing sesame oil. Water dispenser next to the sauce bar is also very convenient. I always opt for a beef broth whenever I get malatang. The signature beef bone broth here is good, but I've had better from other places. I appreciate the generous amount of broth they give you, even if you don't have a bowl that's loaded up with ingredients. The broth alone can leave you full and satisfied! There are a couple things that have changed since the first couple of times I came by that make it more of a traditional dine-in experience. If you dine in, they assign your party a table after weighing and paying for your bowls, and they bring your malatang to you instead of grabbing it yourself. Also, they have an area in the back to put away your own bowls/utensils and to throw away your trash, but I noticed that some parties left their table to be cleaned up after by the staff. read more

Mala Town Express - Beef Bone Broth - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Another great meal at my favorite malatang restaurant! There is never any wait and the staff is so attentive :) I would like to visit regularly. read more

Mala Town Express - Signature beef bone broth - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Smaller location compared to other Mala towns hence the name express. Compared to the other Malatang spots in the neighborhood it has a lot fewer options BUT it is priced cheaper. It's $13 per pound whereas locations like tang bar are $16 a pound. There's a little sauce bar with sufficient options. The meat is also priced by weight so if you want a lot of protein it's actually cheaper to get some meat slices than heavier water filled items like tofu. I liked that I wasn't overwhelmed with options which helped me portion control my meal. In the end, I got the dry savory mix which was tasty blending savory flavors with a bit of spice. There were flies around the sauce bar though so that left a bit to be desired Overall a decent spot if you're looking for an alternative to the other malatang spots in the area! read more

My first time at a Malatown! Compared to other Malatang places, I liked this better. The bar where you pick your items felt really clean with a lot of options and there was a solid sauce bar. Kind staff, too. My only issue is that some of the ingredients were mislabeled, which is especially confusing with the fishballs. I'll definitely be back. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Food used to be incredible, but now it's just ok .... I can't say I'm very satisfied

Someone told me I should try Mala Town so I decided to grab dinner here with my friend on a Wednesday night. Since it is located in downtown, there are parking lots or street parking. The inside was a little small with some tables and bar style seating. The selection isn't as extensive as Tang Bar that is a block away. Vegetable and ball selection wasn't that great. The noodle options were fine. I chose the sichuan style malatang broth which honestly wasn't flavorful. It was a bit spicy but nothing numbing. It was just a lot of chilis. The meat selection looked sparse at 6:30 pm so I'm not sure if they restocked eventually. Overall, an okay try. Nothing amazing. I probably wouldn't come back as there are better options in the area. The service was good. They bring your order to you and there is a bussing station but they helped us with our bowls after. read more

Mala Town Express - Set with Sichuan Style Soup Base 川式冒菜汤底套餐 - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I've annoyed every single person I know because of Mala Town. This is my current happy place! They have a wide selection of veggies, noodles, meats, etc. - something for everyone! We've only tried the tom yum soup base, but my family (they tend to be very hard to please) said it was one of the best tom yum soup bases they've tried. And depending on how much you put in your bowl, I would say the cost is very reasonable. After paying, head over to the sauce bar. They have everything you need and I like that it's clean and not overwhelming. They have this orange mala sauce that I've never seen before, but you have to try it with the meat! On top of all this, the restaurant is clean and the staff is super nice. My only gripe is the overall seating is uncomfortable. They' have stools with no back support, so that makes it hard to fully enjoy the dining experience. Other than that, still a solid choice if you're looking for hot pot in the area! read more

Mala Town Express - Tom Yum Soup Base - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ingredients looked pretty clean and tables were not too dirty. I watched team members go out and actually wipe tables down. I noticed that the marbled beef was really good. The meat was super tender so that was delicious. My rating is low because I put in a good amount of noodles and I literally only had one in there. I poured all the soup into a bowl and again into another bowl but they jipped me. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Okay, hands-down. Soooo good. I went to my first Mala Town not too long ago and loved it. I had to come back again! This one is thankfully a bit closer to me. You come here and pick out your ingredients. There are definitely less ingredients and spice levels to pick from for you soup, but still very solid. I love that it's basically like Chipotle hot pot. I can't recommend the beef broth soup more. It's sooo good. The difference between this Mala Town and the others are this one seems to be more serve yourself. So for example you bus your own dishes and seat yourself. Otherwise, it's very much the same as other Mala Town locations. Highly recommend especially on a cold day. It'll leave you feeling warm and full. My one rec is to not wear a light colored top. The soup can be kinda splashy when you eat! read more

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perfect service, fresh food, fast and so so so so goôdddddd !!!!! i love hereeeee!!!! !!! read more

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We were craving malatang so decided to give this place a try based on the reviews! They actually have all the soups in front of the store to try which i thought was very nice for them to do. We quickly got in line and picked out all of our ingredients. They have a wide variety of vegetables, meats, noodles, and seafood which i appreciated. My total came out to about $25 which was better than i expected! I got the tom yum and my partner got the beef broth. Both were yummy. I would definitely recommend if you are craving malatang! read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Glad this place closes later (after Tang Bar). We are a busy family so we appreciate late night eats when we're too busy to get an early dinner and easier on our pockets. The one who helped us was so sweet. I tried all the soups outside so I knew which soup base to choose. The server showed me where to get the sauces, toppings, and utensils. They offered water and plum juice (interesting!) Honestly, I'm not fond of that "mala" numbing spice, but I do like the broth and I do like some spice. My husband got the Classic Beef Broth to share with the kids. I was able to mix some of it with my Signature Beef broth so it wasn't as spicy - it was perfect. Wish they can offer a way to choose level of mala. My 2yr old enjoyed sipping the broth since she had a bit of a cold. She couldn't stop sipping. After our meal, I got some to-go for my parents and they also loved it. Thank you, Mala Town! Our family will be back! read more

The food was delicious and the service was amazing. the worker at the register gave us suggestions on all of the broth and we all enjoyed it. There was lots of choices of every item in each section and the restaurant had lovely succulents around. there isn't the most seating available but there's enough. the bathroom was clean and didn't smell bad and the self serve sauce area was clean. i saw a worker consistently stocking everything so they never run out of any item. overall would come again. read more

Mala Town Express - Mushroom Set with Beef Bone Broth Base 招牌牛骨汤套餐 Set with Beef Bone Broth Base 招牌牛骨汤套餐 set with tomyum base - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

I was in the area and I was craving something soupy so here I am. This spot has a lot of fresh ingredients and broth to choose from. They also have a cool sauce station. The price is also pretty affordable to as long as you don't get too much. The staff working here is also very friendly and service is pretty fast. Try it out if you like. :) read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This was my first time at Mala Town and this place really satisfied my cravings! You can get your own ingredients and choose your base. If you love noodles or just craving for some hot soup on a cold day, this is the place! Kevin from the front end was helpful as well in giving recommendations! Thanks for the great service! read more

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Usually go here for the signature beef broth, but tried the chicken and tom yum today. Kevin at the register was helpful with describing the choices for each broth! I will get the chicken and tom yum broth again in the future. Don't forget about the sauce bar on the side as well, I like that there's more options than tang bar. read more

Mala Town Express - Sauce bar - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Three of us went in and neither one of us had tried anything like this. Luckily, the instructions ware straightforward. Grab a plastic bowl and put in anything you like or wanna give it a try. Plenty of Hotpot ingredients: vegetables, noodles, and meat. We picked the sichuan chili soup, dry savory mix, and tom yum soup. It took me a few trips to the self serving sauce counter cuz I wasn't sure how everything tastes like, and there were so many ways to recombine them. Fortunately, there weren't many people around 2pm on a Wednesday. Anyway, our party had a great experience and would love to go back again! read more

So at first I thought this place was fairly clean. I thought it was cool that they allowed free samples for their broths. Personally I liked the tomato and tom yum broth more. My friend had the Sichuan broth and it was really unpleasantly oily that he wasn't able to really enjoy his meal. I did enjoy my meal til few hours later I started feeling nauseous and my stomach was hurting. Yikes I didn't want to believe it was from here but my partner as well had a stomachache after eating. I had left overs, so the next day I still ate it, really hoping the stomachache isn't from this restaurant but I ended up feeling sick again eating the leftover. Truly disappointing because I did like the quality of the meat. The service was really good though, the staffs were nice. read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Very easy to follow flow to pick up your food and a good variety of broths to choose fun. I got the tom yum broth, which is only available as mild spicy but it was spicier than I expected. (Coming from someone with a sensitive stomach). read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

Yum. Lots of food. And food was spicy just like how I like it. I may come back. If I feel like it. But rn I'm too full read more

Mala Town Express - Hot Pot Near Me - San Mateo, California

5 for facility. Clean tables, clean plastic Containers and Tongs. 4on ingredients selection. It's interesting that the lineup starts with veggies selections instead of meats. 3 for the spicy malatang broth. Since the name of the establishment is Mala Town. I have a high expectation for their Mala broth. Unfortunately, it's not as flavourful as Tang's Bar and ZhangLiang. There's something missing from the broth. It's $12.99 per lb, I like that! But, you got what you pay. read more

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