First time here and it's really good. Ordered the Tom Yum broth. Lots of meats to choose from some seafoods and lots of vegetables. All the vegetables are very fresh. read more

Mala Town - Tom Yum broth with your choice of veggies and meats. - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

service was great and the food was delicious. Not knowing what to expect I over did my bowl and had to take a lot home. but now I know and will definitely come back again! read more

It so good good hot pot The broth was super flavorful and customizable, and there were so many fresh toppings to choose from. I loved being able to pick everything myself. The spicy mala soup had the perfect numbing kick without being overwhelming. The restaurant was clean, modern, and the staff were friendly. Portions were generous for the price too. Definitely coming back when I'm craving hot pot or late-night comfort food! read more

This location of Mala Town is located in Pacific Pearl. There is shared parking here, but the plaza does get rather busy on the weeknights and weekends. Service is good, the employee was friendly and welcoming. I tried their Classic Beef Bone Broth for my soup base - it was plain and simple, but it went well with my ingredients. I picked a variety of toppings and it was good. A bit pricey though - about $25 for all my ingredients. read more

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. read more

Mala Town - Tomyum broth - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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!! :) read more

Mala Town - Set with Beef Bone Broth Base 招牌牛骨汤套餐 - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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! read more

See all

First time having any sort of malatang and I was happy with how many options they have. I loaded up on my faves like enoki mushrooms, tripe, rice cakes, and squid. Also got to try some random other things that I haven't had before, which were delicious as well! I got the mild beef broth and my hubby got it hot. They had so much flavor but if you can't do spicy like me, definitely lower the spice level. Service was great and I loved how clean everything was inside. They have a decent sauce bar too but the spoons were small so it was hard to scoop a lot at once. Docked a star since the meat and veggies were a bit overcooked and at $15.99/lb, it feels a little pricy when you're just scooping whatever looks good (which was basically everything). I'm happy to come back though, but with a little more personal restraint! read more

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! read more

Mala Town - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

See all

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 read more

Mala Town - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

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. read more

See all

A bit of a mess, but I thought it was surprisingly delicious. There's an open counter where you grab meats, vegetables, and other goodies. You put them all in a pot, it gets, weighed, you choose a sauce or broth and it comes back ready to eat. They have lots of options, with a pretty diverse range of meats from the familiar to the less common. There's lots of families here, with children being loud and touching food before putting it back. It's also not super clear how often food is replaced, but sometimes you just have to go for it and hope for the best. I was not super optimistic, but once I tried what came back, I was a believer. The mala-blend was really good. And the meats and veggies all tasted like they were fresh and of good quality. Not a bad option when you want a tasty, casual meal in a pinch. Just be ready to embrace the chaos. read more

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. read more

Mala Town - My malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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. read more

Mala Town - Broth options - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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 . read more

Mala Town - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Fast, fresh and affordable! Great place to come with kids and family. Really enjoyed getting to choose what I want. It was the perfect amount. read more

Good customer service and plenty of seating space for our group of 8 on a Friday evening. The ingredients bar looked fresh and had all the toppings I could have wanted. I loved the variety of tofus, mushrooms, protein balls and rice cakes. The sauce bar also had all the flavors needed! My broth was a bit on the salty side but I added a bit of water to dilute it. One of my friends spilled some of the sichuan broth on their shirts and the cashier brought out Clorox wipes for him! Would come again. read more

First time here and it was great. I enjoyed the soup options and all the fresh ingredients to put in my pot. read more

Mala Town - Classic Beef Bone Broth - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Amazing! Always enjoy mala town, wish people would go to this location more.. they're missing out! read more

Mala Town - Signature Set with Beef Bone Broth Base 招牌牛骨汤套餐 - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I went there twice now to give it another shot and order a different broth but, mehhh. The first time I went i got sichuan style malatong, but it wasn't flavorful. Just oily and spicy. So I deicded to try it again last week and get beef bone broth and get medium. Still same thing! It was just spicy but no flavor. It wasn't savory at all. It is almost like spice and water. My friend got the sour and spicy soup which was pretty good. But how can they fail on two soup bases and these two are my favorite ones. I still gave it a couple of stars because I do like the variety of noodles and fish balls and veggies. However, I wont be coming back here again. There are other mala places that I enjoy a lot more. Service and ambiance were okay. Nothing to complain on those parts. read more

Mala Town - You can see how oily my bone broth soup on the lower half of the pic vs my friend who got the sour and spicy soup. - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I was craving malatang and decided to try Mala Town since I've been to Zhangliang Malatang before but never this one. This spot is in a plaza across the street from the Livermore outlets, which has a bunch of Asian restaurants and a 99 Ranch Market. The inside of Mala Town is nice and spacious, which I liked right away compared to Zhangliang. We grabbed our bowls and tongs, but as I started picking ingredients, I realized they actually don't have as many options as it looks. There were quite a few things missing that I usually get at Zhangliang like tofu skin, fried egg, marinated egg, quail eggs, pumpkin, and a few others. Another thing that bothered me was the weighing process. When they weigh your bowl to meet the minimum, the amount they see and the amount you see is different because they say they have to subtract the weight of the bowl. Honestly, I think that's unnecessary since other places already include the bowl weight to make it easier for customers. I ordered the beef bone broth with medium spice. It wasn't very spicy but it was definitely oily. The condiment station was fine, and they have self-serve water along with a complimentary strawberry drink, though the drink was way too sweet for me. Overall, I don't think I'll be coming back. The lack of ingredient options and the weighing process make it not worth it for me. Zhangliang is much better in my opinion. read more

Mala Town - Beef bone broth medium spicy - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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

I was SUPER excited to hear that a Mala Town was opening near me because this is my favorite malatang spot in the area based off the locations in Milpitas and Union City. However, I was super disappointed my first time here. It was near their grand opening so I thought they would try harder, but the vegetables I saw were not fresh and I ended up not getting much vegetables in my bowl although I wish I could have gotten more. On top of that, we were there around 2 hours before it closed but the sauce bar was completely unstocked and running out of some of my favorites including peanut sauce, green onions, garlic, etc. They had free sweet juice/tea available though, so that partially made up for it. I would recommend staying away from the Sichuan base, because it's purely oil (in my picture). My dry pot wasn't made the best either, and the sauce they put on it tasted slightly disproportionate (a bit too much peanut sauce and not as much of the other fun stuff). I know what standard to set because I have had very pleasant experiences at the other Mala Town locations. Hopefully they step up their game with the veggies and sauce bar. read more

Mala Town - dry pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I discovered Mala Town by chance and this is definitely a go-to spot for me. Since it's a build your own hotpot you can size your portions unlike a traditional family style hot pot! Lots of options to choose from with a variety of veggies, noodles, seafood, and red meats, including drinks! I asked the cashier for a recommendation and I love it! The food came out quickly and it stays hot for a very long time, the broth is rich in flavor and I enjoy that you can customize the spice level. The interior has off-white lighting so it's very cozy and relaxed with a very cute interior with pops of orange among the green! Location is also close to dessert shops so if you have a sweet craving there's all kinds of choices! read more

Mala Town - Mild signature beef bone broth hotpot, Black plum and hawkberry drink - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Service was good the food was fast and yummy this is the best MalaTang place in the area 10/10 read more

Mala Town - Build your own sauce bar - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

See all

Mala Town is my favorite hot pot restaurant out of all the ones around the Bay Area. When I found out they finally opened one in Pleasanton, I had to try it out, especially since the other locations are a bit further away and set my expectations high. When I visited, it was a Friday evening and it wasn't too crowded - literally no wait time, just walked in. The restaurant was fairly clean; however, around the table areas there was food on the floor but I'm sure this would be cleaned up when the staff has a moment to clean it up. There were customers eating inside, but it was nice that I could take the time to choose the ingredients I wanted without feeling rushed. The tongs and the bowls were ready for use and the first ingredients to select were the vegetables, then tofu and seafood, noodles/carbs, and then the meat was last. One of the biggest differences I found with this location was that it lacked the variety of ingredients available. The Milpitas location was well-stocked with many different ingredients to choose from so it was a bit of a let down that this location didn't stack up. Hopefully Pleasanton can add more choices to their menu! One important thing to keep in mind is that they charge $15.99/lb! As you gather your ingredients, your bowl's weight will be measured so it's super easy to eat with your eyes! :D After you gather your soup ingredients, you can select a beverage for an extra fee, which they have a decent selection to choose from otherwise tap water is available. Once you reach the check-out counter, you'll pick your soup broth. There are 6 types of soup flavors and 1 dry mix you can select as well as choosing the level of spice level. If spice is an issue for you, start light and know that you can add chili oil or spice to your soup separately. Some of the soup broths contain peanuts or dairy and they have vegan options. After you pay, head to the sauce bar to build out your sauce or toppings for your meal. The food comes out relatively quickly, especially if it's not too busy. It probably came out within 10ish minutes for the entire table. If after you finish eating and you have leftovers for home, they have to-go cups you can utilize with no additional charge. If it's cold out or you're just craving something warm and comforting, Mala Town is an excellent choice to satisfy your hunger needs. read more

See all

Lots of ingredients to select from, and really fast service. I enjoyed the signature beef soup mild. The soup is flavorful enough that you don't really need the dipping sauce. read more

Mala Town - 1.5lbs - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

While the Chicken Fish Maw soup tasted great to me there were all sorts of wrong when we came here for dinner on a Saturday night. When we arrived, the place looked hella busy, so busy that we weren't sure if there was going to be seating for us by the time we're ready to eat. You start the process by picking out your selections. (I've been to other malatang places before, this is usually not how you begin the process. You usually start with getting a seat assignment before picking your options.) After you pick your options, you then go to the cashier to tell them which broth option you'd like, then we told the cashier where we thought we'd be sitting, then pay. (So the problem with this is, it's so discombobulated!) After we paid, we had to figure out where to sit because the area we thought was available, was not, because there's too many people up and about getting drinks, utensils or sauce, etc. We eventually found an area to sit and waited at least 30 minutes for our food to come out. While we were waiting for our food, my reflection on the whole process while still in the middle of it is-- the option selections were very minimal, they were easily at least two people understaffed, and the entire process is just not ideal especially if it's super busy and understaffed. After we got our food, while I enjoyed how tasty my broth was, it was disappointing how shallow the bowl was. I needed more broth! The broth was not proportionate to the amount of food was in the bowl because they have one size bowl. One star because the staff that was working there did the best they could despite how understaffed they were. One guy was doing cashier, cleaning tables, refilling the water station, cleaning up the sauce area, refilling the food selection, answering questions, etc... Where were the owners!? read more

Mala Town - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Stopped by for dinner around 6:30pm on a Saturday and there were plenty of tables available. There's quite a few seats, and definitely not as cramped as Zhangliang. At first glance, the food display was not the most aesthetically pleasing, and there seemed to be less of a veggie selection than Zhangliang. Some of the meat (beef) was also stuck together so it's hard to grab individual pieces. There was a noodle called golden oil noodle which was a thicker ramen, and it was good! The sauce bar was standard. I didn't have too high of expectations upon first glance, but the broth and ingredients surprised me after it was all cooked. Unlike Zhangliang, this place gives your meal in a shallower bowl, which makes it easier to see all the toppings you've picked. There is still a really good amount of broth even though the bowl seems shallower (it is fairly wide though). In addition, there was a big container of iced lemon water that you can pour yourself. I opted for the Tom Yum mild. It had a good flavor to it, not as sour as I'd thought but it still had a good depth to it. Mild was not spicy at all, so I'd probably opt for the next level up when I return. They added a lemon to the broth too, which was nice. Compared to Zhangliang, I'd say this broth had no mala in it - I'd actually prefer that. Definitely a place worth trying if you like Zhangliang! read more

See all

First time at Mala Town! Compare to all the mala hot pot restaurants, this was by far the biggest one! The interior was nice and very spacious. It is also very children friendly! Besides the food, the customer service is A+. The waiters were all accommodating and nice. They are attentive and keeps the place the clean! read more

Mala Town - Interior - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

See all

I love trying new restaurants, so when we drove by and saw a long line outside a newly opened mala tang spot at Pacific Pearl, we had to check it out. They were running a grand opening special--50% off through Monday, July 28--so the line was understandably wild. At first, I was a little concerned about how long it would take to get seated. But I have to commend the staff: they were attentive, fast-paced, and incredibly organized. Special shoutout to the guy managing the line--thanks to him, we were seated in about 20-30 minutes, which was impressive given the crowd. The ingredients were fresh and there was a wide variety: meats, dumplings, meatballs, vegetables, and different types of noodles. You can choose from six broth flavors. Their house special broth is the beef bone broth, but I decided to be a little adventurous and went with the chicken fish maw broth. The chicken fish maw broth didn't taste fishy at all--the chicken flavor was more prominent, and the broth had a smooth, comforting flavor. I'd definitely recommend it if you're looking for something that's not too creamy or too spicy. I also tried my parents' beef bone broth, which was pretty good, and the Sichuan broth, which was okay but leaned a bit too spicy for my taste. I definitely prefer the chicken fish maw broth personally. Overall, it was a satisfying dinner, and I really enjoyed the food. The only downside was the sauce bar--it was a bit chaotic. A lot of condiments like green onions, cilantro, and soy sauce had run out and weren't being restocked quickly enough, likely because the staff was overwhelmed with the crowd. That said, it was totally understandable given the grand opening rush. The staff was friendly and really handled the pressure well. read more

See all

What's my favorite town? Malatown! Malatown finally opened up in Livermore/pleasanton and I'm so thrilled to have another place to eat when you're craving a comforting bowl of soup of all things you like after a hard day of shopping at the outlets! Malatown has 6 broths and 1 savory dry mix option (just in case you're not feeling soup-y) and I had the chance to try the sweet and sour tomato! Customizable ingredients to your own palette, getting to choose from what meats you want to want veggies or even seafood you'd like as well! Malatown is clean and the service is fast and efficient. They weigh your bowl at the end of the service line and give your total based on weight. Afterwards give you a table number and your order will be out in no time! The sweet and sour tomato was exactly how it was described, has that sweetness with the hint of tanginess with the sour flavor of the tomato-- so delicious! Meat was delicious with my choices being both pork and beef alongside with tofu skin, and some veggies. Again, so customizable to YOUR taste ! The only con I would have to say is I was served old rice that I believe had already gone bad :( my mistake on my end as I never let my server know... I just went away without it (still yum even without rice!) Overall, such a good experience-- worth trying! read more

See all

We went during grand opening with the first lb free for the first 30 people. I tried the tom yum which is really good. The sauce station was good too, There are interesting items I don't normally see in other hot pot line before. I couldn't take pics because the line was constantly busy while we were there. Everyone was helpful there. After we fill our bowls they assigned our table. So if you plan to sit with a big group and everyone did not come together you need to let them know. They'll help assign you to a suitable table, They did run out of lean beef about 20 people in, not sure if that's because they're overwhelmed by the amount of customers during grand opening. The veggies cut were rather big in my opinion I wish they were cut smaller as they're harder to eat. They're located a couple spaces down from 85 degrees bakery at pacific pearl. Inside is not huge but it's a decent size. read more

See all

Ordered a dry-pot mix, which was just mildly spicy in a peanut sauce. The sauce bar with herbs, Sichuan peppercorn oil, and chili oil helped bring it to a proper spice level. For $16.99/lb at a clean-feeling restaurant, it's worth another visit. (For now, drinks are free with an online review, but they don't check to see a review is done.) read more

Mala Town - Spicy Dry Mix (with peanut sauce) - Hot Pot Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I LOVE the Mala Town in Milpitas so I was excited to see another one open up by the outlets. I visited on a Thursday around dinnertime and the restaurant was fairly empty - no wait! The way it works is that you grab a bowl, some tongs, then add whatever you want to eat as your heart desires. Compared to the Milpitas location, I thought the variety of meats and toppings were on par. This location did feel a bit messier however... they weren't refilling things regularly in the bowl area or the sauce bar. The sauce bar was a bit of a mess and the meats all looked lazily/messily cut. Apart from that... everything tasted as you'd expect from Mala Town. I'd recommend the medium spice level. Keep in mind the mild is still a bit spicy if you don't have a good spice tolerance, too! LOTS of seating here which is nice. Parking can be a mess on busy weekends. read more

Grand opening = 50% off until Monday! Love the fresh looking food, and that they cook it for you! The beef broth was definitely delicious! One star down because one soup was brought out wrong - we ordered the beef broth mild spice and the spice level was notably higher than the other two mild beef broths that we ordered. read more

See all