Stopped by this spot in Irvine after a friend kept raving about their mala tang and yeah, it's legit Place is clean and hygienic, ingredient area super tidy, lots of abundant ingredients so you can really go wild with the self-selected ingredients and broth thing. I built my own bowl with bone broth mala tang, rich and comforting, spice creeps up slowly but nicely, perfect with all the veggies and noodles soaking up flavor. Also grabbed a couple skewers on the side, super fragrant and smoky, great little bonus. Staff is friendly, helped me with portion and spice level, no weird pressure and no mandatory tipping, which I really appreciate. Convenient parking out front, in and out with zero stress. Overall, super solid spot when you want something hot, customizable, and tasty :) read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I prefer this place over other irvine malatang places. Nicer and has more options. I got malatang with the beef bone broth - my roommate and I spent around $15 for a huge bowl worth of food. We barely made a dent in it. Broth has the perfect spice too, i only got the regular mild but i can only imagine how spicy the next two levels are. Parking is always difficult in this plaza and should be highlighted. It was quite busy on a Tuesday evening and found it kinda hard to find a table that wasn't dirty. There is also a hookah lounge next door so expect smoke around the outside of the building. Not something I love, but the food makes up with it. Overall really good, will definitely be back and bonus is heybings is next door! read more

YGF Malatang - Beef bone malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

If you love customizing your hot pot, you have to try Y. G. F. Malatang in Irvine. You build your own bowl with fresh veggies, meats, seafood, noodles, and more, all priced by weight at $14.99 per pound. My top broth picks are the rich beef bone broth, sweet and tangy tomato broth, and mild fish maw chicken broth. And don't skip the appetizers! The spicy tofu has a flavorful kick, the popcorn chicken is crispy and juicy, and the grilled shrimp are smoky and savory. You can even choose dry-style and mix your own dipping sauce. So many ways to make your meal your own! read more

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This place has been on my list for a while. The hookah bar nearby is a bit of a deterrent with the smoke, so I sat inside and it wasn't as bad there. The malatang is good! It's hot pot by weight and there's a minimum amount you have to get. The selection is pretty decent. I like the options here one of the noodles is in a bag which is pretty nice. After you order and pick your broth and pay they give you a device to let you know when it's ready. Sauce is also self serve which I appreciate. There are more selections than some other places that are hot pot by weight, but less than AYCE places. The only thing is that their spice levels seem inconsistent. The broth was definitely spicier than I expected despite only getting mild. I had to pour a lot of the chili oil out because it was so red. People here are nice. Free parking but it's a tighter lot and you may have to park a bit further which is fine. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot pot - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

My first Malatang! It was very very good! You grab a big bowl and put all your favorites in there - proteins, veggies, starch, so many options! Then you take it up to the counter and weigh it. It has to be min 0.8 lb. The cost is $14.99/lb. I chose beef broth and made it medium spicy. Turns out that's too spicy for me! I had some of my daughter's soup and hers was a much better fit for me - mild spicy! And you go to make the dipping sauce - I like soy sauce, sesame sauce, garlic, chile oil, chile pepper, cilantro, sesame seeds and green onion. They give you a buzzer which sounds off when your bowl is ready. It's super hot when it comes out of the kitchen. It's all self service - chip stickers come out if the cool dispenser, soup spoons are near there too. Love this meal! Will come back again! read more

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This might be my favorite malatang place I've been to in the area. I love the variety of meat, vegetables, fish balls, noodles, and other hot pot items. You grab one of the plastic balls and a pair of tongs and add all the toppings you would want from sliced beef to sweet potato noodles. My eyes always think I can eat more than my stomach. The price is $15/lb. My favorite broth is the tomato broth. I love that the sauce bar has all the options you could want to enjoy your malatang. read more

YGF Malatang - Tomato broth malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Establishment is busy and clean. Staff was professional, courteous and helpful. The premise of this is a build-your-own mini hotpot, with a great selection of fresh protein, vegetables and other foods. The quality of the ingredients is excellent, so choose what you like. You select a base and they cook it for you. TLDR: Great service, great food, great establishment, good value. Would recommend! read more

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I've had okay experiences with all the malatang places I've been to so I was hoping for a better experience here. I think I waited 20 minutes for my bowl to come out, and once it did the noodles were basically soggy. With the toppings, the small fan they use to get rid of the flies really did not do much because I probably saw 3 when I was trying to get my stuff LOL Not to mention, the labels were fading so I ended up getting mutton? meat instead of beef and the entire meal had the gamey taste I couldn't handle :/ If you like spicy, this place is great with their spice. My tongue was burning by the end of it! read more

Always satisfies my cravings for hotpot/shabu shabu. Every time I go, all the meat, veggies, noodles, & other ingredients are constantly being stocked, and everything seems fresh & clean. We came on a Wednesday night, and while it was busy, we were still able to find a seat. Place was clean, and service was very quick. My friend and I shared a 1.82lbs bowl and 1 cup of rice which came out to $31. But I think it was super worth it because we still had leftovers after. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Love getting malatang here. This spot is in a food court so you first grab a bowl and a pair of tons. Then you can choose all the ingredients you want and once you're done, go to the register to choose your soup base and pay. There's a good amount of seating, but it can get full at peak times. The YGF beef bone broth soup base is creamy and flavorful and I prefer getting the medium spiciness. Malatang is so convenient because I get to choose a bit of everything! read more

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Located inside a small food hall with three other eateries (including a pizza place and a skewer spot), this restaurant has a few tables in front for seating. The setup features a self-serve bar along the left counter with noodles, potatoes, fish balls, and mushrooms. To the right is the veggie and meat bar, which includes cabbage, crown daisy, bok choy, beef, squid, and shrimp. It operates like a typical malatang spot: grab a bowl, customize your ingredients, and pick one of their four broths (like tomato or bone broth). You can choose spicy or non-spicy for some, or even get it dry-style. After paying at the counter, you get a buzzer for pickup. There is also a substantial self-serve sauce bar, plus a side station for utensils and water (regular and lemon added). The front of the restaurant near the entrance has carts to place your trays and bowls when you are done with your meal. Food-wise, it was just okay; the soup lacked the depth of flavor I've had elsewhere. Cleanliness was the main issue. The table we sat at was stained, the sauce bar was alittle messy, and I even noticed some black floating specks in my cup from the water dispenser. It was a busy Saturday night, which might explain the lack of cleanliness. Tip: Park in the structure, as the outside parking is very limited especially during the weekend. read more

YGF Malatang - Tomato Broth - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Got to try another YGF location near me. I think my fav location is still the Artesia one, but this location in Irvine still hit pretty hard. Located in a communal area with other Chinese restaurants, the location of YGF still has a lot of tables and seating. The food area is very organized and filled with lots of toppings. The cleanliness is A+. They offer similar items to other locations, except that they don't have the scallop ball with the fish roe, which is my fav thing ever. I was so hungry that I forgot to take picture of my bowl. I got myself a nice bowl with their classic beef bone broth. I love the broth YGF, as they are umami and flavorful. Service was quick and nice! Super friendly staff!! read more

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Flavor flave. Get ready to have your tastebuds burned off even when you get mild. When you come in, try to find the clear bowls and tongs. Grab whatever your heart desires. Try something new!. There are three separate sections where you can pick out food. Make sure you get some interesting vegetables and marinated meats. The marinated beef is especially tender. Once you drop off the food bowl at the counter, they will give you a buzzer. Be quick to find a seat. Make sure you drop off your stuff. You'll need to grab a tiny bowl and have the sauces on the side. Be careful! The red chili paste is something out of this world. The food comes out, piping hot and especially tasty. We got the mild broth and the medium broth. Medium is more like spicy make your stomach hurt the next three days spicy. If you're not ready for it, I suggest you get the mild first and add some chili for what you are ready for. Service is quick. Eat up! read more

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This is one of those hidden local late night eat places you come to when you're hungry late at night but no where else to really go to. It's located inside the ever business Dupont Plaza directly next door to the pizza place. It gets packed in the tiny plaza but there is plenty of underground parking available too. If you're unfamilar with YGF its a DIY kind of place where you pick all your ingredients in your bowl and they prepare it for you based on your choice of broth/sauce and charge by weight. There is a minimum of 1lb but no maximum! The go-to items are usually the spicy beef, pork belly, potato noodles, sliced pig ear, and intestine. For soup broth go with the bone broth, otherwise for dry go with the mellow spicy mixing. The least favorite is the tomato since it doesn't absorb flavor easily so very bland. This place is usually always packed with UCI students nearby especially late night since its open till 2am daily. So you may have to line up for a table but it usually goes very quickly. This place is totally a self service place so don't expect any service here! You literally get your own sauces, utensils, water and clean your own table after you're done eating! read more

No one cleaned the tables--they were dirty. The meat was rolled up together and wasn't even cooked through! I had already eaten about one-third of it when I realized the meat was still raw inside. I spoke to the owner, and all they offered was a few extra slices of meat. They absolutely refused to give me a refund and just kept asking, "What do you want us to do?" The attitude and customer service were terrible. Some of the other meat wasn't properly cooked either. The food quality and preparation are seriously concerning! read more

YGF Malatang - The beef wasn't cooked through. It was still raw inside. - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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YGF Malatang is a fun hotpot experience! FOOD: the food experience is fun! You can build your own hotpot bowl by choosing your ingredients. You then pay per pound (similar to frozen yogurt). There are 2 broth options - Beef Bone borth and Tomato - I ordered the medium spice beef bone broth and I would say its perfect, if you want spice while enjoying your food. The restaurant also carries its own sauce bar, so you can get your favorite, custom hot pot dipping sauce. Keep in mind, once you hand your bowl to the staff, you will then wait for them to cook the ingredients in your broth (could be about 10 minutes depending on how busy it is. You can also get this TO-GO! PARKING: Plenty of parking on the regular level and lower levels of the complex. AMBIANCE: The ambiance is casual dining with shared seating. There are three restaurants that share the seating space so keep this in mind. Overall, if you want a custom hot pot experience, this is a great place to go! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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It was my first time at a Malatang place and I was amazed at all the different variety of items available. There were different kinds of meat, veggies, fish balls, noodles, etc. The stall is in a small food court so it can get very busy. You need to be careful about not getting too greedy with all the toppings or else it will become an expensive meal since the cost is based on weight. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I love YGF Malatang- hands down one of my favorite Malatang spots. I like switching between Beef Bone Broth Base (Spicy) & Sweet+Sour Tomato Broth -- definitely recommend those two bases. It's build your own so you get to customize how much you want in a bowl, from meats / veggies / noodles, etc. Definitely recommend YGF if you're craving malatang! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

One of my favorite spots for Malatang! They have a variety of options and the flavors of the broth are great. Plenty of parking but gets busy due to the other spots in the area. They do have a good amount of seats and even outdoor seating. However, my friend's bowl was a little bit more than half a pound in which they made her add more. I on the other hand did not have a problem getting to the 1lb. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

We had a great time filling up our giant bowls with items to cook for our hotpot. Lots of choices here but be warned they weigh by the pound and everything looks fresh and delicious. It's a quick meal for those on the go. Location is shared with multiple restaurants like a food court. Self service so you can take your time or fill up as fast as you need to. It's a busy location but we didn't have a problem getting a table. It wasn't too noisy or it can be noisy based on the customer chattering beside you. We enjoyed it. I encourage you to try it too. read more

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YGF Malatang is a Chinese Hot Pot Chain where you load all of the veggies, meat, and tofu that you want and they charge you at a rate of $14.99 a pound. I usually go to their Artesia location; however, we opted to visit this location in Irvine as we were in the area. Compared to the Artesia location, I feel this location has a few more options for vegetables and toppings. I get the broth medium spicy and I appreciate the balance between the mala spice and the beef broth. I also love that they have a complimentary sauce bar, that amplifies the flavors of my meats and veggies. My wife and I tend to get a little under a pound of meat and veg, which tends to be very filling for around $30. If I make comparable sauces at Haidilao, I know that I'd be spending triple the amount for an equally filling meal. Sure, you don't get the service here; however, I just enjoy this for a casual hot pot experience on a cold winter morning. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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My first Malatang ever, always wanted to try Malatang. My baby girl said she had once here and she loved it, so I went there with her, It was so good. I had left over so brought some home, I had that left over malatang for dinner again lol. I would like to go again. * parking might be though, just go straight to the parking structure is easier. read more

Gave YGF another go as I wanted to give them a second try before making my review. To confirm my experience the first time, I find that YGF's broth is more inconsistent. I had photos of the same spice level but but soups look very different. I did get a stomachache both times, maybe it is due to the spices, other wise I do like that they keep things toppings fully stocked and are kept fresh. It is a shared space, and the seating is anywhere among the tables. The tables are quite close to each-other and there is a limited walkway to get up and use the restroom. Other patrons from the other 2 shared businesses share the bathroom too. A little more bussing is needed, but tables do get filled up, making it harder to clean. If you like a bit of spice, the medium is enough to endure! There was everything you needed to make your dipping sauce. My rating is a 3 for overall cleanliness of the restaurant and flavor of the malatang. I got their Beef Bone broth, which is my usual soup choice for Malatang broth. The service is limited, but food comes out reasonably and hot! I would find myself here since it is open late, but I prefer other options in the area more. read more

YGF Malatang - Beef Broth (Medium) - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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I tried the dried version this time which wasn't as good as the broth version + lots of peppers and big spices pieces to avoid, making it a hassle to eat. read more

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I tried Yangguofu Mala Tang and honestly it's such a fun, customizable dining experience. You grab a huge bowl and walk along the ingredient bar filling it with whatever you're craving. There are tons of veggies, noodles, tofu options, seafood, and meats, so it's easy to mix and match. Once you're done, they weigh your bowl and you pay by the pound, which makes it feel fair and totally in your control. After that, you choose your broth. You can go classic, mild, or full spicy mala depending on your heat tolerance. They cook everything fresh and bring it out steaming hot, and the flavors really soak into all the ingredients. I also loved the drink selection. They have so many options to pair with the spice, which makes the whole experience even better. Overall, it's a great spot if you like interactive meals and want something different from traditional hot pot. Perfect for groups since everyone can build exactly what they want. read more

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I love malatang, especially late at night. Their quality is always so consistent and one of my favorites when I'm craving hot pot. If is always packed with UCI kids, so be prepared haha! I love their beef and lamb cuts here and the hand pulled noodles are also my favorite! I would so recommend to anyone craving a late night hot souped meal. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This YGF has ample parking and is joined together with another storefront that sells skewers. Unfortunately, it appears I went at an extremely busy time of around 9:30 pm. The seating area was extremely crowded and the line to pay was almost out the door. Getting food was highly disorganized since the payment area is at the center of the ingredient options instead of being at the end of the line. There were no spoons left and the bussing station was full of everyone's used bowls. The sauce station was close to being empty for all sauces. Water was also self serve. After ordering, you are provided a buzzer that will notify you when your food is ready for pickup. It was difficult to go through the crowd of people who were waiting in line to choose ingredients or pay. Staff service was lacking since everything is self serve. Maybe the restaurant is cleaner and better stocked when there's less people. I love malatang but this was probably the worst experience I've had in terms of dining at a YGF. I've definitely seen better at other locations. read more

My favorite malatang place. Beef bone broth is great. They have a huge variety of items to put in your bowl. This is the only location I've been to that has tendon (I love tendon) which is part reason why I love this place so much. In a random for court thing. Open late and never too busy. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This location has more ingredient options than the Chino Hills location which was really nice. But.. I gave it 1 star because.. the worker had gloves on and picked up raw meat off the dirty floor to throw away.. then proceeded to touch/organize the veggies with the same gloves .. Later she went behind the counter.. touched her glasses.. turned on the faucet to fill up the water container in the sink to take over to fill the drinking water. Then she proceeded to touch/organize the mushrooms etc. with the same pair of gloves. I think she wore them at the cash register as well. I was appalled by how unsanitary and unaware she was, handling fresh food. God, the meat on the floor then touching the food i cant forget .. It was like the gloves were for keeping her hands clean. Not the other way around. read more

Had a few other Malatang places nearby and this one is probably my favorite one to go to out of the others (Yintang & zhangliang). I love the options here and they have everything I typically enjoy in a hotpot. They even have marinated proteins which is great for dry pots. The soup options here are great, all well flavored and something for everyone. Sauce bar is solid and gives you enough options I feel. They have the typical stuff for chinese hotpot from soy sauce, satay, peanut sauce, sesame oil, mala oil, peanuts, garlic, green onion and cilantro. The place is cafeteria style where you just grab a table yourself and go to the register once your buzzer goes off. There's no service besides you asking the workers at the register for to-go boxes or anything. They will not come to you. Food comes in a reasonable time I'd say. It can get pretty packed and since they only take a portion of the cafeteria, it can get a little cramped. Overall I like going here and the selection is always plenty - I've never seen any ingredient run out. Veggies are fresh and everything looks good and not old. It's about $15/lb but cost for soup base can go up if you get more premium broths. Plus they open pretty late! So great option if you want a late night meal :) I'd say I'm here like once a month because I love it so much lol. Staff is also pretty friendly. read more

Favorite malatang chain! I've only tried their bone broth and it's so flavorful, but I'll definitely try the tomato one someday. I honestly don't come often because I lack self control when it comes to food and I always think my bowl will end up being $50. So far has been super reasonable. It's $14.99/lb and you grab whatever, they weigh it, you pick a soup base (or dry mix)/spice level, and you can make your sauce while you wait. read more

YGF Malatang - Bone broth, mild - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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Overall enjoyed it! You pick out your ingredients first and then give to them to cook. Choose a broth. Tried the tom yum which comes automatically as mild. It's delicious and not too spicy. Also got the original bone broth is umami deliciousness. Would definitely get that again. Nice that people can get however much they're feeling like getting. But if you're hungry, can easily get expensive since it's per lb. $14.99/lb They also give crispy wontons as a little snack in the beginning Inside is very clean with good seating. They also give you a lot of broth- a large bowl! read more

YGF Malatang - Tom yum and mild original bone broth - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

They had great selections from meats, to noodles, to veggies. Everything came out piping hot! It was a little hard to find this place, because they share the building with 2 other restaurants. The restaurant is neat, clean, and super big inside! They got our soup out very fast! I enjoyed mine, but it felt like my tomato broth was a little on the thicker, starchy side. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This restaurant really hit the spot for my malatang craving! This is a MYO malatang spot, where you pick veggies, noodles, fishballs, and/or protein into a large bowl yourself. You pay based on the weight of your food. The staff will weigh your bowl when you're done picking your items and then cook it based on the soup base you pick. Get LESS than you think you want, it'll be too much food. I got the extra mild bone broth mala tang. I'm not super good with mala spice so I always get and recommend the extra mild! It was SOOO tasty and the mala had a good flavor without before too overpowering and spicy for me. I was shocked that everything from the noodles to special vegetables and meat were all cooked perfectly! Nothing was soggy or overcooked. The restaurant is a shared space with three other stalls, it's giving food court. And as such, the tables aren't always all clean when it's busy. We ended up wiping down our table. It's all self serve so you won't have anyone checking in on you for anything except when you weigh your food and pay. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Had a bowl of bone broth malatang here and the first sip kind of stopped me mid scroll on my phone,味道好 in a very direct way, rich and savory without feeling greasy. Picking the ingredients myself was fun, I kept tossing in way too many mushrooms and they did not complain, just smiled and loaded everything into the pot. Place looked clean, tables wiped, nothing sticky. Parking in the lot out front was easy which matters on a tired weekday. No mandatory tipping stuff on the machine, I could choose whatever, tbh that felt respectful. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Fantastic Malatang for late night cravings! Service is quick and friendly, and many options to choose from! The standard pork bone broth is my go to, and it's a cute place to chill with friends late night! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

YGF Malatang is a small spot; but the flavors and experience go beyond expectations. I ordered the medium spice bone broth: it was so rich and tasteful; you honestly don't even need a sauce bowl because the broth carries on its own. I went with lamb as my protein: lean yet moist; never dry. The sides complemented it well; but the highlight is still the broth and the price point. Affordable; filling; and worth every penny. The setup is self-serve: you pick what you want and the flow is easy. They even have self-cleaning chopsticks which felt innovative; plus a claw machine with a Jellycat inside that made the vibe even more fun. The workers were super kind; the atmosphere welcoming. Look how happy my friend is eating here: that says everything about how good this place is. Overall: this is a solid spot for anyone looking for good eats; flavorful broth; and a unique experience that makes you want to come back. read more

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If you're looking for a late night malatang place that's always open until 2 am, I cannot understate how much I recommend here! It's close to John Wayne Airport and is one of my favorite malatang locations in OC. Service is great, and the atmosphere is just your average nice and small restaurant space, as it's shared with other vendors. It's about $14.99 per pound for your bowl when you're creating it, with a good variety of soup options, my favorite being the tomato soup. I typically add a lot of beef, some quail eggs, egg noodles, tofu, and some greens depending on which ones I'm feeling at the time, and usually end up paying $14-$16. The sauce bar is plentiful for those who like creating their own sauces to use! I typically don't finish my bowl in one go so I'll end up having leftovers because the broth as well as bowl you create is very filling. Overall would highly recommend this location for any late night malatang cravings! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

it is so yummy i always go here and it is my go to spot to recommend to friends!!! every time i go i get the beef bone broth and it is delicious! read more

YGF Malatang - medium spicy beef bone broth malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

This spot is a build-your-own hot pot experience! You pick your own meats, veggies, and noodles, then bring your bowl up front to get it weighed and choose your soup base. It's $14.99 per pound--mine came out to 2 pounds! Everything was delicious! I cannot wait to come back. read more

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