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    Mala Town

    4.7 (411 reviews)
    ModerateHot Pot, Soup
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Mala Town

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    Tomyum broth
    Kelsy H.

    Stopped by MalaTown in Pleasanton and built my perfect bowl - you grab everything you want (and they have everything) and pay by weight. Had to load up on my must-haves: fish balls with roe, enoki mushrooms, quail eggs, udon, veggies, and LOTS of beef belly + premium beef. Then finished it off with sesame paste, chili oil, and green onions from the sauce bar (they didnt have ponzu ) I went with the tom yum broth (spicy + sour = my fave), but my fiancé got the spicy dry pot with this peanut sauce and it was too flavorful with the perfect kick. Super clean space and really friendly staff, which always makes a difference.

    Set with Beef Bone Broth Base 招牌牛骨汤套餐
    Lily M.

    Went here for a quick lunch during my work break, and it was delicious Mala Town is located in a cute plaza full of fun Asian cuisines, where is there is plenty of parking. The restaurant itself has a lot of seating available, and the employees are kind and polite. The ambiance is very chill, especially since I went for a Monday late lunch. There are numerous food options that are very yummy. There is an assortment of meats, veggies, noodles, and more! There is also a DIY sauce bar with a handful of sauces and toppings like cilantro and green onion. Personally, I like to load it up so that way I have enough for 2 meals. If you have enough for leftovers, they have containers available for take home. They also offer to-go which is awesome if you're on a time crunch. Overall, love going here for my malatang fix. It's so good!! :)

    Interior
    Helen L.

    Food: It's $16.99 per pound. They have a good selection of meat, seafood, veggies, and noodles. The meat was tender and the veggies were fresh! I got the tom yum soup base. It wasn't too spicy, but very coconut heavy. Staff: They staff here is super friendly and attentive! I accidently dropped a beef ball and after picking it up, the lady staff member offered to help me throw it away and gave me more napkins!

    Erica E.

    The staff is very accommodating for our party of 9 on a Saturday! We came at 5 PM and they helped set up the tables for us. Very clean and spacious setting with plenty of tables for big and small parties! The staff is attentive and checked in for more water and napkins. You pretty much get all the ingredients you want at the start and put it in a bowl (theres meats, veggies, noodles, and more!) They weigh it and it's priced based on that. Then you choose the broth and they cook all the ingredients in it. I got the mild signature beef broth which is a good standard soup to get! It was actually milky and had a good flavor with the veggies and meats I got. Since it's called Mala Town the mala flavor is def there. Def would come back!

    Anh H.

    First time trying Mala Town and took my whole family! Each of us got a different broth and I would have to say the classic bone broth was most impressionable. Other places usually have super super light bone broth but this one has the most flavor! The signature bone broth is slightly salty especially when it cools down . I would say the tomato broth is at the bottom of the list for me (still good). Very spacious parking lot and in a great location too. I do wish they had more toppings options but still more than some other places! Would recommend if you're already in the area and looking for a new place for try

    Leo L.

    I ordered a mala xiangguo to go and when I tasted it, it was not mala xiangguo at all! There is no mala, the sauce was basically peanut butter, and half of the stuffs were not sauced. The tofu skin was clumped together. I ordered beef but lamb was put in instead. I went back into the store, the employee was very apologetic and made me a much larger malatang. She was incredibly nice and professional but the second time she still gave me lamb instead of beef. I also realized that the chef in the back was also not Chinese. This Mala Town branch clearly failed to train its employees well for them to be making these mistakes! It really is a shame considering how good the other Mala Towns in the Bay Area are. The manager of this branch ought to be ashamed.

    Veerawan T.

    The restaurant has a clean, open space with plenty of seating. Prices are reasonable, though I wish I had gotten their signature soup at medium. The mild version had barely any spice (the mildest I've tried among malatang soup bases). They have a sauce bar, good service, and a wide variety of meats and vegetables, making it easy to customize your meal.

    Nina M.

    LOVE Mala Town and the concept! YOU get to pick what you want and how much. You walk in, grab tongs and a bowl and go through a line of different food items that you can add to your bowl. Anything from greens (spinach, cabbage so forth), mushrooms, proteins, other vegetables, and noodles. Then you choose if you want it to be a soup or stir fry and they weigh your bowl and you pay. While you wait they have a sauce bar with an assortment of options to add. I appreciate the aesthetic of the bowls and how the whole location is decorated. Customer service is ok, but I come here for the food which I 100% recommend.

    Sauce and toppings section
    Kari C.

    Did you go down to Mala Town? Well we did. And we kind of wished that we stuck with our regular restaurant across the freeway, Zhangliang Malatang. Lol! Seriously though, there were some hits and some misses. Let's start with the good. The restaurant itself is large and spacious. The buffet bar area is also more spread out and it was easy to pick the items we wanted. Selection of toppings was also pretty good. Staff were polite and helpful, but they were not very cheerful. There was an ample amount of sauces to choose from. I really liked the beef bone broth base (mild) - it had good flavors and didn't seem horribly greasy. I will say the mild is still pretty darn spicy. I would not recommend it to kids or other people who are spice intolerant. We really loved the beautiful metal bowls that the soup came in. The food also came out pretty quickly and it was steaming hot. But the restaurant was very empty on a weekday for early dinner. The hand cut noodles were some of the best noodle offerings. I thought their Ramen was a little too soft. Things that were not good: missing tags on some of the toppings. We had no idea what some items were. And dirt on some of the vegetables and mushrooms...I wanted more of both, but it wasn't easy to locate clean pieces. One of the worst things were the prawns with the heads and shells still on them. These were clearly not defrosted properly, and likely soaked in water, given how incredibly mushy they were. They would not even stay together after you took them out of the shells! We were very sad that we wasted our precious ounces on them!! We threw some away without even eating them. Definitely avoid these. The de-shelled shrimp were better, but they still had a strong preservative taste. They were missing green onions in the toppings station. The cilantro was also looking kind of wilted and yellow on the edges. The minced garlic looked really good though. The fish maw chicken broth base is very weak and lacking in flavor. However, it is actually mild. The tomato broth base has a little bit of flavoring in it that kind of reminds me of rhubarb. It is not a pure tomato soup if that is what you are expecting. One kid was okay with it, the other one was not. It seemed kind of expensive for what it was. For three bowls of soup and toppings, it was nearly $100 after tax and tip. We did have some soup left over for the next day, but we added more noodles to it. There is some loyalty program you can join that will probably give you a better discount. Overall, it was okay, and we will probably not be returning, but trying out some other malatang places or going back to our usual spot, Zhangliang Malatang.

    Christy T.

    Ambiance is very roomy and spacious. Not my first time here but always like to come once in a while. I really like the fish maw soup. Also ingredients are fresh. Service was quick and accurate.

    My malatang
    Rosie M.

    I really love when the malatang broth tastes like it was simmered for hours for full flavor infusion. Mala Town is nicely decorated and there is ample parking and plenty of seats. The service was a little lacking, I guess because they were short-staffed that night because no one was at the counter when we arrived and after someone was there, they left before we finished our meal which wasn't very long.

    Broth options
    Danica F.

    I usually go for AYCE hotpot, but saw this viral spot open near me. We went on a Sunday around 3pm for lunch and it was not too busy. The line to build your hot pot wasn't long and service was quick! Lots of options for veggies, noodles, toppings, meats, and drinks. Aside from your bowl, you can make your own dipping sauce -- just like other hot pot places. It was a great and filling lunch! Each pound is $16.99. I got a bowl with veggies, meats, and fishball, paid $30.

    Tiffany Y.

    I've come here twice now and I left unimpressed both times . The first time I came I had the sichuan flavor soup, the 2nd time I had the sour soup . The variety here is great but the soup flavor here just isn't that savory or tasty . The sichuan soup is spicy but lacking any umami ness. The sour soup was tasty but the soup lacked any flavor or depth . YFG and zhangliang both taste significantly better to me . I like how they have free drinks here ! But the soup base just isn't for me , it's really light and I had to add a lot of chili oil / other flavoring to have taste .

    Classic Beef Bone Broth

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    10 days ago

    So I went here for the first time and it was absolutely delicious I finished my whole bowl. Decent price too, definitely coming back!!!

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    Page 1 of 11

    Mala Town Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mala Town

    Mumu Hot Pot - Mumu Combo

    Mumu Hot Pot

    4.4(940 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    Halal
    Vegetarian friendly

    I am so against a la carte hot pot, but I get the Mumu hype for real!! The quality is there and the…read moretaste is so good. My party came in midday, and there was no wait on a Saturday. If I remember correctly, we had a reservation and arrived early as well. They sat us down once we were all there since there was no wait. My partner and I opted for the classic set which had 2 soup bases, 3 meats, 3 sides, 2 rice/noodle, and a veggie platter. I opted for the Yuzu Shio, while my partner got the Sukiyaki. I loved my broth! Again the meats, despite being from their most basic set meats was so good. You can definitely tell the difference in quality. I was scared this wasn't gonna be enough, but it was plenty! We were so full by the end. Again, I totally get the Mumu hot pot hype. I will be back LOL

    This is the third Mumu Hot Pot location I've been to in the Bay Area and this one seems to be the…read moresmallest and older. The wait on a Friday night was a bit longer than expected than what was shown when we first joined the waitlist. Service here is fast though! We did get seated by the kitchen, so it was a bit hectic with staff constantly rushing behind us. We got the premium set and the meat quality was great. The vegetable platter that came with the set had a nice variety of fresh veggies. We ordered udon noodles but what we got was broken up pieces of frozen noodles that looked only to be half a serving. Other than that we still enjoyed our meal and were both stuffed. Personally I'd choose the Emeryville location over this one just because it's bigger and you're not sharing a table with other guests as much.

    Photos
    Mumu Hot Pot - Singo Combo

    Singo Combo

    Mumu Hot Pot
    Mumu Hot Pot

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    Shabu King - gyoza inside

    Shabu King

    4.3(287 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Still the best Hot Pot place in town!…read more Love the service and lots of selections of ingredients and food choices. Ambiance is nice and clean. WIll come again.

    I was looking for a restaurant for our group of 8, and I thought hot pot will make things simple as…read moreeveryone can customize their own pot and I don't have to worry about what dishes to order. After reviewing a few hot pot places on Yelp, I chose Shabu King based on the positive reviews. I called to make a reservation. On the day of our visit, I was glad to find our table was ready at the appointed time. One of the staff explained that each person first pick a broth type, then you can request side dishes or type of meat(different cuts of beef, pork and there is also lamb). For vegetables and seafood, they have a bar area for each and you can pick from the generous selections of fresh seafood and vegetables. I was really impressed with the variety. For seafood, they have whole small octopus, sliced calamari, fish fillets, clams, mussels, whole large prawns, as well as small crab. They also have a condiment bar for you to make you own dipping sauce. Each person get their own pot, and we enjoyed many helpings throughout the evening. Sometimes it may be difficult to flag down a server, but when you do they are friendly and eager to take your order. I think their operation can be improved by having customers scan a bar code and order online as I have experienced in other AYCE places. Everyone in our party enjoyed their own customized hot pot, and we walked away with a very full belly. Will be back again when I have the craving for AYCE hot pot!

    Photos
    Shabu King - Noodles and tofu

    Noodles and tofu

    Shabu King - My pot. Spicy beef broth.

    My pot. Spicy beef broth.

    Shabu King - Chicken wings

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    Chicken wings

    YGF Malatang & Hotpot - Beef Bone Broth Base (Mild Spicy) / 浓醇牛骨汤

    YGF Malatang & Hotpot

    4.4(139 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    YGF Malatang & Hotpot opened 2 years ago where 101ShabuShabu was. Assumed interior has been…read morecustomized to accommodate a self serve hot pot eatery. Got a plastic bowl & a tong to choose amongst a large selection of shaved meats, seafood balls, seafood portions, and lots of veggies in a L-shaped display case. selected a broth among 6. Hearsay dry mala pot not spicy. Got medium spicy classic herbal beef bone broth @15.99/lb. Just a bit of Szechwan spiciness, not too hot. Weight: 1.09 lb. At register. Broth et al ready in 10 minutes. Always had constant refills of water. The spiciness may have disappointing but not the broth. 8 hours of boiling bones had an impact on the soup. Drank it all eventually. 4.5 stars: Worthy:YMMV. Quantity: .8 lb. Minimum. Usual weight. Quality: big assortment to choose from. All fresh. Some Seafood may have been previously frozen. Service: very good. Payment on mobile handsets, not counter. Parking close by difficult. More parking spaces at back of building.

    Like that they are open late and service is great. Lots of veggie options for vegetarian with…read moreveggies and real food - not veggie meats. Tomato soup is also excellent and my sons get to have BBQ. while my wife and I get to enjoy some soup. Also really like their new beer from China - Snow Opera made from rice was refreshing and floral on the nose. Really great beer for someone who doesn't like beers.

    Photos
    YGF Malatang & Hotpot - Inside

    Inside

    YGF Malatang & Hotpot - Spicy chicken skewers you order via QR code at the table

    Spicy chicken skewers you order via QR code at the table

    YGF Malatang & Hotpot - Beef Skewers

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    Beef Skewers

    Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle

    Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle

    4.4(114 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    I was in town because of a family photoshoot and afterwards we wanted to eat! This place was…read morerecommended by our photographer and it did not disappoint! It was early dinner time on a Friday evening and it wasn't overly crowded. All 6 of us got different items and overall it's a matter of preference for what kind of broth and protein you'd like that depicts the meal, the toppings are generally all the same. Consider this place to almost be a "make your own ramen" type of thing, in that you're given a platter of toppings to add to your bowl of steaming hot broth, mix it and let it sit, then voila! It's ready to eat. For a rainy winter evening, it was perfect to have some tasty noodle soup!

    Loved this place and was so excited to try it out! I really love the environment inside as well…read moreit's super laid back but also looks pretty well kept for a nice outing with loved ones. The service was really good, they are super on top of cleaning and serving so my food came out in about 15-20 minutes. I got the combo with an appetizer, drink, and noodle soup. The portions were pretty generous. -grapefruit tea: thought it was pretty yummy! I also tried out the super fruit tea and i really liked it but personally found it to be a little too sweet. Not too much to displease though! I mixed some water and it was perfect for me. -tomato beef brisket noodle soup: i was surprised by how tender the meat was and how much they actually give you. If you love tomato soups as much as i do then it's definitely a great option! -takoyaki & lamb skewers: my sister had one dish from her combo order and i has my own but was able to try both! The lamb skewers were a bit smaller than expected but were flavorful with a fragrant aroma. The takoyaki came in about 5 balls and while they didn't include all typical takoyaki toppings it was still pretty good considering it came as a combo! Overall, i really loved coming by this place, my main concern is that it's actually in a pretty busy plaza so parking can be a little difficult during peak business hours. Otherwise it's located in a really great area relatively close to some shopping areas such as the Livermore outlets or even other smaller shopping plazas. Give this place a try if you're in the area and looking for a good eat without breaking the wallet!

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    Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle
    Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle
    Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle - Green pepper fish soup

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    Green pepper fish soup

    Mala Town - hotpot - Updated May 2026

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