Much like when poke bowls were all the rage a little while back and started sprouting up all over the Bay Area, it feels as though malatang joints are now having their turn in the spotlight. Understandably so, given how good they both are, but it's also kind of funny - with each, you can customize your order to your heart's content, but one is served raw while the other is fully cooked! Although, given how cold and rainy it's been as of late, poke bowls just aren't hitting the spot as hard as malatang bowls these days... Compared to other malatang places that I've seen, the selection here isn't as extensive as others out there, but it still covers pretty much all of the staples. In particular, there's a pretty good variety of meats and seafood, which includes beef, lamb, chicken, fish, bacon, squid, shrimp, clams, Spam, sausages, etc.) and I liked how many different types of noodles they have (egg noodles, vermicelli, ramen, instant noodles, flat noodles, and udon, to name a few). They also have a decent mix of vegetables, including enoki mushrooms, seafood mushrooms, lotus roots, bean curd, tofu, and corn, to name a bunch, but it did feel a little light on leafy greens (I only saw Shanghai bok choy, tong ho, and Napa Cabbage). For my bowl, I opted to get slices of Beef and Lamb, chunks of Sole, Lobster Balls, Crab Balls, Tofu, Shanghai Bok Choy, Tong Ho, Konjac Noodles, and Egg Noodles in their Classic Herbal Beef Bone Broth with Medium Spiciness. All together, this was surprisingly satisfying. The lamb wasn't gamey, the beef was flavorful, the egg noodles were really tender, and the veggies tasted fresh. That being said, the highlight for me just might have been their broth, which was terrific. Although it ended up a little oilier than I prefer, it packed a lot of flavor and had the perfect amount of heat - enough to tickle your tongue, but not enough to set it on fire. Even though I enjoyed my meal overall, I wouldn't say everything about YGF Malatang was perfect either. While it was nice how the beef and lamb were still semi-frozen, it was harder to tell how cold some of their other offerings were, like the raw chicken and fish. What's more, the coloring of some things wasn't all that appetizing, especially the bacon, and the cuts of beef were pretty fatty (though, this largely depends on the exact cut). That said, the bowl comes out ridiculously hot, which is reassuring as to whether the food is cooked through, and the quality of the produce looked great. Since the exact price you pay is determined by the weight of the items you grab, your meal can get pricey quickly if you're not really paying attention to what you're grabbing. That said, YGF Malatang's rate isn't too bad ($14.99/lb) and they have some combos that seem to be a bit more budget friendly. Either way, I'm glad to see a malatang spot in the food court at Serremonte now, even if there are better alternatives out there. THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded up. read more

YGF Malatang - Beef, Lamb, Sole, Lobster Ball, Crab Ball, Shanghai Bok Choy, Tong Ho, Tofu, Konjac Noodles, & Egg Noodles in Herbal Bone Broth (Med Spicy) - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

I love Tang Bar so I was excited to give YGF Malatang a try, but unfortunately it was a huge letdown. You can pick your own ingredients and choose a soup base. There were only two other people in line when I went for dinner on a weekday, and I was told it would take about 10mins for the food to come out. I ended up waiting 35mins - the staff was at least apologetic about the delay. The food was really disappointing. I got the dry mix with medium spice, but there wasn't enough sauce to coat the noodles & other ingredients. The noodles were overcooked and extremely mushy. It was honestly so bad that I could only manage a few bites and ended up eating somewhere else right after. read more

YGF Malatang - Ingredients - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

Pretty good convenient spot tucked away in a mall food court. The selection isn't huge compared to some of the other malatang places but since it's a chain, the soup base and the quality of ingredients are at least consistent. There was an event where you get to enter the raffle with instant prizes that can be used on the meal, but the staff forgot until I already paid which was a bummer. I liked the food just fine but probably wouldn't seek it out as there are other chains local to me that taste better. read more

Came here a while back for a quick dinner before heading over to D&B (which is next door). Pots go for about 14.99/lb and include limited vegetable, meat, and noodles options. Ordered the tomato soup base. Food came out pretty quick, but to my disappointment, was not very good. The soup broth was mostly sour, but was not sweet nor very salted. Imagine drinking a sour tomato juice - this is what the broth tasted like. The meats were fairly basic, and pretty fatty, so a bit disappointing since I felt like I was paying for mostly fat (which I don't eat). I've been quite a few malatang style places in the Bay, and by far this one of the worst in terms of taste, quality, and item offerings. Doesn't hold a candle to places like Tang Bar in Stonestown. Probably won't be back. If you're at Serramonte Mall, I'd skip over this place and eat else where. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

I was super shocked to see a YGF in a mall! I'm really happy that malatang is taking off and becoming more popular in the US. I filled my bowl up, this place is a deal! For 14.99 a pound you can get protein, fiber, and carbs. I got their tofu, some Chinese cabbage, potato slices, ramen noodles, and thinly sliced beef in their nonspicy tomato broth. Overall really pleased, the broth is very savory and the food here is filling and good quality. Just wish that the sauce bar was more expansive like their stores in Cupertino and Milpitas, but I know that it can be difficult to make do and have the full experience in a mall. I hope that they continue to thrive at Serramonte Center! read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

Wow such a disappointment, the chicken broth legit taste like it's a cup of noodle. So generic... Peanut sauce is also watered down. Just go to tang bar at stonestown . Do not recommend. read more

YGF Malatang - Chicken broth . Taste like cup of noodle flavor packet - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

Wow! That was my first opinion when I sampled the bone broth. Bold deep flavor with a hint of spice. I filled my bowl with fish, squid, fish roe, and a heaping of fresh veggies, spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, bok choy, sprouts, and egg noodles. Never ever have I experienced such flavors from a vendor at a food court! Definitely will be visiting this establishment again!! read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

YGF Malatang in serramonte shopping center food court has the essentials to choose from for 14.99/ lb. Grab a bowl and pick your favourite veggies and meat from the lineup, then choose your soup flavor. Our bowl came to around 20. We chose the bone broth with medium spice level, which wasn't too spicy. Good umami flavor and a hint of numbing spice. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

Thank you for the response. I understand how the system works. My concern is not whether a "no tip" option exists, but how the checkout is handled in practice. During my visit, the cashier moved very quickly and did not explain that a tip screen would appear or that I had time to review the options. With a default tip already selected, it was easy to confirm without realizing what was added. I also want to clarify that I normally tip generously and have no issue tipping for good service. This experience stood out because the server was someone I had not seen before, and the interaction felt rushed and unclear compared to my previous visits. Transparency is not just about what appears on the screen, but whether customers are clearly informed and given enough time to make a conscious choice. Slowing down the process, especially with new staff, would help avoid similar situations in the future. read more

Good food, good service, and absolutely delicious! I've lost count of how many times I've been here. It seems like they've added even more menu options, and everything looks so tasty! read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

Just found out Serramonte Center has Yang Guo Fu in the food court Perfect spot for a hot bowl of malatang on a foggy Daly City lunch break. $14.99/lb with fresh veggies, meats, and three soup bases (beef bone, tomato, spicy dry). Loved the beef & lamb rolls, mushrooms, lotus root, and konjac for a lighter option. Their red oil wontons ($5.99) are freshly made and so tasty--can't wait to try the dim sum they're adding soon! read more

See all

Food was very good for a food court setting. There were a lot of varieties of meat, seafood, vegetables etc to pick. And the service was very quick too. read more

See all

The meat and vegetables here are super fresh and delicious. The staff are fast at making your broth and super patient and kind Will definitely be coming back read more

This is really good for mall food! So much better than all the crappy pizza, burger, tacos, and other junk that they have at standard food courts. I would highly recommend their dry bowl -- super flavorful, without the soup. I tried to hold myself back from filling up my bowl too much and just stuck to meats mostly. Their selection is small but it's got all the basics you would need. I filled my bowl with lamb, beef, bacon, quail eggs, frog legs, some vegetables, beef tripe, aorta and kelp. So good -- I can eat 3lbs! Service is average but can't expect much from mall food. Wait was about 5minutes on a Saturday around 5pm. Grab yourself a food court table nearby and refill your energy for more mall madness. $14.99/lb All 3 bowls were flavorful. Mild can be a little spicy for some people but I thought my spice level was perfect for the hot level because I love all spicy things. Give this a try!! read more

See all

Amazing broth with so many protein and veggie options. Really good food. Soup for the soul! Our go to spot in the Serramonte food court.

Super happy with this option at Serramonte! Walk up to the buffet bar and grab a large plastic bowl and some tongs, and then try not to go hog wild with the items. I just wanted a small meal but got too excited at the fresh-looking lamb slices, and all my favorites like roe-filled fish balls, quail eggs, duck blood, tofu stick, konjac noodle bunches, chrysanthemum greens. I opted for the broth option rather than the dry option, so it was more like hotpot than a true malatang. I asked for hot and the cashier asked if I had been here before, and said I should go with medium if it was my first time. Next time I'm definitely getting hot because medium was warm but definitely not spicy haha. Maybe my bowl was a fluke? I know Tang Bar in Stonestown is truly spicy even at a medium. I appreciated the toppings bar after getting my bowl, so I could add more chili paste, cilantro, and green onions. The bone broth was super rich and absolutely delicious. I was so happy with my bowl. A bit less happy that my "light" dinner ended up being $22 but that's my fault for getting excited and adding too many items. Will definitely be back, especially on a rainy day, when I'm craving hotpot and want something fast to scratch that itch. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

Words can't express how much I love this place!! First time coming here and it just surprised me! The bone broth is so delicious and price is decent(15$ per pound I would say it is cheaper than hot pot place), the food is fresh, wait time is short, definitely 10/10 for everything!! read more

This place is actually pretty good that i went there three times within two weeks. First time, i got the mild broth. It was so flavorful. 2nd time, i got the tomato broth, which was perfect for me since I'm not a fan of spicy food. The third time it was tomato broth again! When you get there, pick up a bowl and a tong to select your ingredients u want for your dish. I selected fatty beef, enoki mushroom, fish balls, lobster balls, and spinach for all three times that i went there. Next you bring your bowl to the cashier, and the cashier weighs your bowl... The weight of the bowl is not counted into the weight, so dont worry about that. You will be charged 14.99$ per pound... My total cost each of the three times that i went was around 20 to 21$. Next the cashier takes your bowl of ingredients and ask you what broth you would like. The cashier brings your bowl of ingredients to the back kitchen and they cook the bowl for you. Overall i enjoyed the experience and food. Recommend it if you like hot pot! read more

See all

I was really delighted to find malatang in a mall food court of all places. It's a lot smaller than a standalone shop but it still had a lot of food to choose from at the raw food buffet bar. You pick up a giant bowl and tongs and grab all the food that you want for your bowl. They have thinly sliced raw meats, lots of seafood, lots of vegetables, and lots of random sides like fish balls, corn, etc. When you are done it is weighed and you are charged by the pound. You also pick what soup base you want, or you can select the dry base (no soup). I am a big fan of the dry base (mala Xiang guo) so I got that one this time. Everything tasted pretty good and fresh. They use very flavorful spices and oil and it's not super spicy. I usually put these items in my bowl if you want inspiration: -beef -lamb -bok Choy -potato slices -a choy -udon or egg noodles -fish balls -beef balls -fish cake read more

zero star，I had an extremely disappointing experience at YGF 麻辣烫. From the moment I walked in, I was met with a cold shoulder. The servers seemed completely disinterested in serving customers. answered in a very impatient tone, as if my inquiry was a huge bother to them. Their rudeness really put me off. The mala tang itself was mediocre. The soup base didn't have a rich flavor, and the ingredients didn't seem very fresh. Given the poor service and average food quality, the price they charge is definitely not worth it. I won't be coming back, and I can't recommend this place to anyone. read more

YGF is popping up all over the bay! I love Malatang! I've been trying all the different places. YGF has been consistent and is a good reliable location to go back to. Very convenient and easy! I always enjoyed my experience when I'm here! Highly recommend this place for any hotpot lover! read more

I hate to do this to a new business. However, this place need to work on their broth consistency. Today was my 3rd visit. I notice the tastiness of the broth were varied. Somedays, the bowl was soooo tasty I dreamed about it for days. Today, it was a bowl of Meh-ness. I added green onion, cilantro and soy sauce to make the broth more enjoyable. Sorry, YGF Malatang. I wont come back until much later. Good luck! read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

The combo sets here are a really good deal -- much easier than picking everything one by one. They also have dim sum like shumai, wontons, and shrimp dumplings, which was a nice surprise. Great spot if you want something filling and tasty. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

YGF Malatang in Serramonte Food Court was a junior Tang Bar, with the same selection of meat and veggies to choose from in a big plastic bowl. When it comes to hot pot buffets like this one, I definitely had to have jue root noodles. Hopefully the noodles I chose weren't starchy, but they're never gluten free. Plus, I chose the blood tofu to show I'm brave enough to consume what's exotic, not fully vegan. Since I had to avoid any spicy levels, I chose the tomato soup (sweet and sour). The price for my hotpot bowl depends on how much I fill up the big plastic bowl I'm holding, which is a fair price. The service was pretty decent as well as the small but cute space. Wonder if my whole family will do the same the next time we visit the food court. read more

See all

Dishonest sick business disappointing. They switched the meat. I put lamb(majority), beef, lotus root, mushrooms and wood fungus in my bowl but after cooking I could not find any lamb . All other materials are reserved. They switched lamb with chicken in backstage. The back kitchen seems operated by a short guy. I understand they want to save money since lamb is more expensive than chicken. But this is cheating. They charge $15 per pound but they could not be honest. So shameful! will never eat here again! I talked to the cashier server, he just apologized but he does nothing. Buyer beware! read more

YGF Malatang - Chicken found but I don't eat chicken and didn't order. I picked lamb myself but they switched it in backend - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

Best malatang nearby. I work in serramonte so it's so close by and perfect during my lunch break!!! read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

Before anything - this is mall food. For mall food, it is at least 4 stars level, as I've had worse restaurant versions of this. If you've been to any of the other "pick the ingredients and pay by weight" noodle places in the bay, you'll be very familiar with this place. Selection is not quite as big as other areas, but they do have some unique things. My favorite is the wrapped sausages they have, which I loved as a snack in China. Soup is a bit oily, so I'd be careful of that. Staff is friendly, but otherwise seating is just food court seating read more

My wife and I weren't sure what to get at Serramonte, so we decided to try Malatang out since it was different from the typical mall food. You start off in line with a bowl and a pair of tongs to grab what you would like in your soup. The stations are separated by noodles, vegetables, and meat. I am a little concerned with food safety as none of the items had their own individual tongs so there is risk of cross contamination, if a person starts on the raw meat area and uses the same tongs throughout the remaining stations. Keep in mind that their price is $14.99 per lb and vegetables can be weighty. Upon collecting your selections, they will boil them in your selected broth which I believe the options were beef bone broth, tomato broth, and a special mixed seafood and veggies broth. We opted for the beef bone broth at the highest spice level. Overall, the broth was not too spicy and did not carry too much of that numbing flavor that we were hoping for. The broth itself was very very hot and as a consequence overcooked the noodles quite a bit. There was also a layer of oil/fat on top of the soup so this is definitely not a very healthy option. Service was prompt, as everything is essentially prepared flash boiled and there's soy sauce, sesame paste, vinegar, onions, and cilantro available to be grabbed for free. Not much to say in terms of ambiance as there is no seating at the restaurant. You just kind of either grab the prepared bowl and sit down at the food court or do a to-go order to enjoy at home. For the price, I think you are better off eating at a traditional hot pot spot. The quality of the meat and vegetables are not worth the $14.99 per lb price tag, and at least if you are cooking this meal yourself you won't overcook the meat and noodles. read more

I love going here, being able to choose what you want and how much is always a good time for me. My boyfriend and I go frequently !!

It was great tho!I love the dry version more! I love that they have a lot of choices to add in your bowl.The service was great tho they were nice read more

Located insider the serramonte mall food court so parking was no issue. Got a bowl and went thru the food tray areas to pick what I liked. Quail egg, tripe, fatty beef, bamboo, filled meatball, veggies, noodles, etc. Afterward the bowl is weighed, $14 per lb. You pick the way you want it cooked and pay. I chose the "mellow spicy mixing" which has a little numbing pepper kick to it and more dry as i did not want soup. After my order was called, I get to add cilantro, green onion, garlic, sesame sauce for free. I thought the flavor was great, would be nice if they mixed the sauce better. Overall not cheap but a fun place for lunch. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

We gave second chance to this restaurant today, still very disappointed. Food selections super limited, the fatty beef really super fatty, over 75% is fat. The broth not tasty and super oily as well. Also, the workers there kind of rude, super not welcoming! I'm fans of Malatang, was super excited to see YGF at Serramonte Mall; however, sorry, not plan to go again! read more

We ordered the wontons here which were an extreme disappointment - tiny portion, rubbery texture, we finished them only not to waste food but was such a waste of calories, money, and time. Very overpriced for what it was (I could have had better wonton soup at home from frozen). We really regretted ordering this/trying this place, especially with so many other great food options in the mall. read more

The vibe is kiosk style hot pot place right smack in the middle of the Serramonte Mall food court! Stephen warmly greeted me and went over the protocol! I thought YGF meant young GF; not YangGuoFu. Oops! Deftly picked the ingredients like a seasoned professional hot pot black belt. Beef, Lamb, Quail, Bok Choy, Egg Noodle, green parsley healthy looking thing. Shazam! Authentic flavors, perfectly spiced! And proof that I am black belt is...not one drop of delish soup base on the Zegna or Ferragamos! Would order everything again! Xie xie, Stephen! Woohoo read more

See all

Don't get the tomato broth, it's just weird. You pick your items. They weigh it and then you pay. They take it to the kitchen and bring it out with your chosen broth. Will not order gain. Cheap tasting food read more

Meh, there are definitely better malatang options out there. This YGF location feels like a simplified version of a traditional standalone YGF spot. The smaller space inside the food court means they're missing many of the more unique ingredients that personally look for. It's decent if you're in the area, but it doesn't quite hit the mark for me. read more

First time trying this newly opened place from Serramonte Food Court. Pretty good for a food court food. You use their tongs and bowl to pick whatever toppings you want to put on your noodles. There's 3 different soup choices. The service is very fast since they just mix all your toppings with the soup choice you pick. They weigh your toppings of choice. The price range for this place is $14.99/lb. I like it since you get to pick exactly what you want on your soup without any additives. They then serve your food really hot, and their soup is SUPER tasty. I'm not really a fan of noodles, but would totally go back to this place. read more

See all

I really like malatang and so glad they brought this to Daly City! You pick your own ingredients and soup base. I got the mellow spicy mixing. It's not too spicy, good eats! read more

A few patrons and I were wondering why our order was so high. Turns out they were charging everyone an extra pound. When confronted they try to pretend like they didn't know. Was told if I didn't like it to not come back. read more

YGF Malatang - Lady who overcharged everyone and didn't care to fix it - Hot Pot Near Me - Daly City, California

See all

Decent, average food at a decent price. Pleasant staff. Nothing else to say. Yelp says my review needs at least 84 characters so there you go. read more