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    Mala Town

    4.6 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Ramen, Hot Pot
    Closed • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Mala Town Takeout or Delivery

    Mala Town Photos

    Business Info

    MALA TOWN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

    Recommended Reviews - Mala Town

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    Reviews With Photos

    Andrew N.

    When you don't know what to eat, there is always Malatown. Savory mix-in (5/5): This was dry and mixed with peanut sauce. Super flavorful, but a bit too much sauce in my opinion. Still my favorite malatown place.

    Megan L.

    Ordered Malatown through Uber Eats and was pretty impressed with how well everything was packaged! I also really liked the ingredient selection and appreciated that their Uber Eats menu was much more extensive than a lot of other mala spots I've ordered from. There were so many options to choose from, and everything I picked tasted fresh. My only issue was that the broth was WAY too spicy for me, to the point where I unfortunately couldn't really eat much of it. I didn't choose a spicy broth, so I definitely wasn't expecting that much heat. That being said, take my opinion on the spice level with a grain of salt because I have a pretty low spice tolerance LOL. What's painfully spicy to me is probably completely manageable for a lot of people. I'd still give it another try because I really liked the variety and quality of the ingredients -- I'd just be extra careful with the broth next time!

    Mandarin Y.

    We were really craving some malatang, so we decided to come here for dinner. It was peak dinner time so it was a bit crowded, but we managed to grab a table. The self-serve bar ingredients were really fresh, and they offered a fairly large selection of different items (e.g. veggies, meats, seafood, noodles, etc...). There was also a self-serve sauce station. I did go a little overboard and overloaded my bowl a little, but I haven't had malatang in a long time, so I decided to treat myself. I ended up getting their beef bone broth base, medium spice level. I felt they did go a little heavy handed on the spice, but it was still at a spice level that I can tolerate. I somehow was able to finish my entire bowl and I was stuffed. A little pricey, but I really enjoyed my meal. Service was casual and parking is convenient since they have their own designated parking. Pretty good place to satiate my malatang cravings.

    Set with Tom Yum Soup Base 冬阴功汤底 (Mild Spicy)
    Melissa N.

    My fav mala spot, service is fast and a large selection to pick from Would recommend and large variety of drinks!

    Dry Set with Spicy Mix 醇香麻辣拌套餐(with peanut sauce)
    Leslie C.

    I keep coming back here since they give out deals and/or coupons. Ingredients are not placed in the right areas or empty. It's pretty messy and not immaculate like a year ago. Variety and quality have gone downhill. The keyrings provided that have your food number are super worn down due to use. They've installed an awning over the sauce bar which doesn't do much except for have people run into it while getting sauces. Food looks more like slop than soup and/or stir fried. They no longer serve tea and one of the water dispensers is labeled as broken. Mala Town has definitely fallen from top spot for hot pot since so many other competitors have opened.

    Tracy R.

    My first time trying Malatown and it was incredible! - I will definitely be back. You get to build your own hot pot with your own veggies, meats, seafood, fish balls, and choose your own broth. I got the mild signature beed bone broth, and it was delicious and flavorful, not too spicy. They had a great selection of all items - I got beef chuck rolls and pork belly, spinach, enoki mushrooms, lotus root, cabbage, and fish balls! They also have make your own sauce - I loved the peanut seasame. Their selections also included black vinegar, soy sauce, cilantro, green onions, seasame and chili oil, and garlic.  My mouth is watering just thinking about malatown, and I can't wait to  be back. Bowls were out in about 10 min during lunch time. If you can, come before 12pm to beat the lunch rush!

    Anastasia V.

    There are so many hot pot restaurants in the South Bay. I don't think Mala Town compares to the other options available. It's way too pricey and your bowl is required to weigh a minimum amount. It's true that there is a wide selection of ingredients, and the staff keeps the ingredient and sauce bars well stocked. Nice for customizing to your tastes. However, the broth is just okay in my opinion. Nothing special. I really do think there is better hot pot elsewhere that will give you a better bang for your buck!

    Marvy A.

    I was really excited to try this place out. When you walk in, it can be a little confusing as there is no one to check you in to be seated. You simply walk in, and then stand in the line to your left. You grab a bowl and a pair of tongs and you work your way down the veggie, noodle, and meat selections. Your bowl is then weighed at the checkout counter where you pay. After you pay, someone will assist you in finding a table. There's a station in the back, where you can choose from different sauce options, or make your own combination. We weren't sure which broth to choose. But because we're huge fans of mala spice, we went with the mala broth. Although it was tasty, it was SO oily we could barely eat it! For that, we were disappointed. But we'll probably come back just to try the other broth options. Unless we find another spot similar to this to try out.

    1. Signature Beef Bone Soup hot
    Victor L.

    How could you take the drinks away again? It's getting expensive to eat out these days. The problem with taking the fresh tea is that some of us had expectations. We wanted something refreshing without the extra cost. You had it there initially when you first opened, took it away, brought it back and then it's gone again. What's with the back and forth? I still love your food. My previous reviews still stand minus my comments on the drinks. You have a decent sauce bar and it's always a good crowd here. I'm sure you guys are making money. It's ok to give a little back even in the form of fresh brewed tea.

    Beef bone broth, pretty good, but it taste like milk is what gives it its texture.
    James Y.

    I like Mala Town. It's good and the concept is fairly straight forward. There are only a few adjustments that I think would make Mala Town pretty excellent. We have visited this location twice now. Ordered different items both times, but the consistency feels a bit off in terms of the spiciness. We also had a nice drink the first time that we didn't get the second time. And I do wish there was a bit more at the sauce bar-it felt limited and bare. The broth are fairly good, but your options are pretty much just non-spicy, little spicy, and burn your mouth off. The space inside the restaurant can be quite crowded. As in elbow to elbow seating. The service are friendly and nice. I'd come back, but would also be very open to trying other options.

    Rosie M.

    We really enjoyed the variety of toppings available, especially the fresh vegetables which I loved. However, the meat was a bit tough to eat, which affected our overall experience. I appreciated how clean the restaurant was, and it made for a pleasant environment. The broth was a little less flavorful than we hoped, and next time, we think the food might be better if cooked a bit longer -- our squash was a tad too crunchy. Overall, it was a nice experience, and we're looking forward to trying it again with some adjustments!

    Pauline N.

    MALA TOWN SUPREMACY!!! My fave malatang place! Been here three times, cost each time: $20, $30, & $27. On average, you'll spend $25~ after selecting your ingredients. I loveeeee getting the tom yum here, & I don't think other malatang places offer tom yum. In general, the tom yum flavor is fire. i would say the amount of chili oil they add is inconsistent. there's times i've gotten alot of oil and times with less. my partner also found the beef bone broth was too oily for his liking and thought tom yum was way better. The tom yum has a nice tang from the lemon and theres slight creaminess to the broth. my friend thinks they add peanut sauce to the broth. it is also not too spicy, which is nice. I dont live near this place but it is worth the drive! I like the wide variety of ingredients and the chewy potato noodles. This place gets busy for a reason and it can be tough to find parking on the weekends.

    Nareena V.

    I love Mala town! It's always so busy, but I appreciate the variety that they have. My go to is the mild beef signature bone broth. The veggies are also fresh and yummy :)

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    9 months ago

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    Fico C.

    Hi, Megan. Thanks for the support! And the fish tofu is back!!

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    12 days ago

    Food is amazing and delicious, customer service is really good I 10/10 recommend coming here

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    13 days ago

    A good Chinese restaurant I like to go and the taste is pretty good ,meat and vegetables is good 。

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    Mala Town Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mala Town

    When will the chicken broth come back?

    Do they have thin sliced pork?

    Yeah

    Do they have air conditioning?

    Yes they do

    Are any of the flavors / broth options gluten-free?

    Do they offer student discounts?

    No they don't

    View All 6 Questions

    Kokoro Ramen - Black Garlic Pork Ramen

    Kokoro Ramen

    4.0(1k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    •$$

    We had a really great Friday night here. The shop was smaller than I had expected, we came at 8pm,…read morean hour before their closing time, but the store was packed with customers and there were some parties waiting for tables before us. We were glad that we came a little later than usual dinner time, otherwise we might have stood in line for 30-45 minutes. One staff took our order while we were still in line which I felt really appreciated. Total wait time was 10 minutes. We got tonkotsu ramen, black garlic ramen and shoyu ramen (kids size). The broth was really good, especially the black garlic one. We all got thick noodles and I'm glad we did! Service was spot on, they kept checking on us and asked if we needed more water. Store looked small but cleaned and modern, there was a tablet to order every table.

    There's plenty of parking in front BUT inside is very small. Came here for lunch but it gets busy…read morearound 12:30pm. You can order by the server or tablet (if it's on the table), they're very accommodating to requests and substitutions. I got the Tonkatsu Ramen with a less salty broth and my friends got the regular broth. With the less salty broth, you can tell it's diluted but the flavor still remains. The regular broth keeps it creamy. Both are savory. Noodles are soft and well-cooked, love how the meat is balanced with the fatty parts, and toppings are well-proportioned to the noodles.

    Photos
    Kokoro Ramen - Seating

    Seating

    Kokoro Ramen - Agedashi Tofu and Chicken Karrage

    Agedashi Tofu and Chicken Karrage

    Kokoro Ramen - Deep Fried Gyoza

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    Deep Fried Gyoza

    Ramen 101

    Ramen 101

    4.0(212 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    •$$

    Hidden gem in Milpitas. Had the Tonkotsu Ramen and Black…read moreGarlic Ramen. Tonkotsu Ramen - Milky broth. Not a rich broth but somehow it's so good. There's not an ingredient that is more noticeable than others so flavor was well balanced umami. The kind that you want to drink. Noodles had right amount of chewiness. One whole egg with jelly yolk included; soy flavor egg which enhanced the dish. Two pieces of pork; texture was tender but you still need to sink your teeth into it. Also didn't skimp on wood ear mushrooms. Black Garlic Ramen - definitely had that specific charred bitterness from the black garlic. Came with corn already without extra charge unlike other ramen places that charge extra for corn. Egg yolk bun - was yummy. Had the sweet savory eggy gold liquid filling. The bun was a little over steamed but still good. The buns with condensed milk item was pretty standard. Raised dough roll that were fried. Reminds me of Pillsbury Biscuits but fried instead of baked. Had a yeasty flavor. Dipping the bun in the sweet condensed milk makes this a good snack or dessert. They serve Hawaiian food, too. So, I'm definitely going back to try their Hawaiian menu. The guy at the register who also serves the food was really nice. The price was reasonable for the quality and size of the food especially when some places charge more but not as good as Ramen 101.

    This review is specifically for their catering since I haven't dined in before. Not sure if anyone…read moreis aware but Ramen 101's catering platters are top notch and very affordable! I have ordered on 3 different occasions and every time the food quality was very good and delicious! Service is good as well! Every time I have called in, the person on the other line made it very easy and straightforward for me to order. They also always have everything hot and ready for my desired pickup time so I know I can always trust them. *Tip: If you want to make it easy on yourself, there are recommended portion sizes for the catered trays on their website which have been quite accurate for my parties and super helpful to know how much to order. It was the perfect amount for me every time! :)

    Photos
    Ramen 101 - Interior

    Interior

    Ramen 101 - Black Garlic Ramen medium spicy

    Black Garlic Ramen medium spicy

    Ramen 101 - Not the greatest packing job, my spice escaped. Boo

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    Not the greatest packing job, my spice escaped. Boo

    Mala Town - chinese - Updated October 2026

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