My fave YGF location! Before I had the chance to venture in, I ordered from them via Doordash. Before putting the order through, I called to ensure they can separate the broth from the food so it doesn't get to me all soggy; they were nice enough to do so. I would recommend going in because you can deviate away from the set meals and really make it your own. I prefer 70% protein and 30% veggies so going inside to get it for takeaway works out better for me. Also their sauce bar is amazing and something that's not available on Doordash. The Bellevue location has better parking but less organized and even when you tell them to separate the broth from the food, they forget. Also, if you do during dinner hour, they will prioritize all dine in orders before takeaway orders unlike the University location. read more

Last time I was back at the University District location was before the renovations, but now that I found time to come visit again, it's looking pretty nice and updated! I really like YGF Malatang, they're typically consistent across all locations in the area, and the options they have are good. My usual order is a medium spicy beef broth with beef and lamb slices, variety of veggies like bok choy, pumpkin, etc, among other items. I always skip noodles though since I prefer to have more meat in my bowl. Quality overall is positive, can't complain at all. Only reason for not being 5 stars is that this location can get really packed, but that's like most YGFs around here. But I prefer the other locations better, and there are some other malatangs in Seattle/Bellevue that have even more options. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

LOVE LOVE LOVE MALATANG. the food is so good and really fills you up, of course it is self serve. You grab a bowl and pick what ingredients you'd like in your bowl and then pick a broth. It takes about 10 minutes of cooking time to get your bowl back. You can bring your receipt to the front for ice cream. There is also a topping bar and water station. This location is pretty much always busy, so you may have to wait for a table to become available. Very casual dine in place. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A hotpot restaurant that charges by the pound that you should try! They recently renovated this place with their lighting and set up of their food. I had their beef bone broth with mild level spiciness, however, it definitely was near the medium level. I've went here multiple times and their mild spice level has never been that spicy. They now have a 1/2 mild spice level, so I'm going to try that next time because I don't enjoy the numbing/tingling feeling from the spice of the soup. They also give out free soft serve and I enjoyed it. The ambiance is better than previously after the renovation. There's definitely better lightning and the place seems more spacious. The service was okay. It's partly self served. The food didn't take too long to make. read more

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Such a fun place. Friendly people. You choose everything in your bowl. So many yummy and healthy options. They do all the work, it's quick, and you just enjoy. Big fan read more

Busy on a weekday night, but was able to snag a seat luckily! I ordered the dry mix with the peanut and sesame sauce, it was not too spicy but did have enough mala/Szechuan flavor. They give us a small free ice cream at the end too! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Got free labubu :-) The raffle is so cute and is a fun way to attract customers! Malatang is good! The selection of meat is good and the greens are always fresh! The noodles are also good! It was really hot and stuffy in the winter but the summer with the A/C it was pretty refreshing. Really wish they can make it a bit spicier tho... I feel like the most spicy is never too spicy for me. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Really yummy reminds me of the location I have back home but this location gives you an ice cream and oranges with your meal. I like the variety of ingredients here and the service was timely. Gets busy on Fridays nights. read more

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Questionable in terms of sanitation, many flies and gnats trapped in the sauces at the sauce station. Malatang itself was extremely oily, but the flavor of the broth was alright. An okay place for a quick and casual grab, not the place for quality though. Seating is somewhat limited. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I understand the hype about this place now! This was my first time having YGF Malatang, even though I tried plenty of times around the city. The rock here is so flavorful as well as there needs some other selection of items. Recommend and will come back read more

MalaTang is one of the few self serve hot pot spots out there. For $14.99 a pound you can get whatever you want. I love the control you have over how much of what you want to get. They have so many options for noodles, vegetables, meat, and seafood. I do wish there was more seating somehow. It's not very large and it's always pretty busy (I guess so many other people love it too!). That being said they were pretty quick to buss tables. When sitting down to eat they bring by fruit for you too! All in all a great place to eat! read more

YGF Malatang - Beef bone broth with a mixture of vegetables and meat, and seafood. - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The YGF Malatang at University Way (nearest to Sharetea, not nearest to the end of the Ave because it's not as flavorful compared) and near Southcenter are my favorite. The tomato and spicy beef broth is my favorite. I love being able to manage my portions and ingredients, perfect for days I want a little/bigger meal. The ingredients in the bowl are fairly weighed. The price is cheap and affordable! The service is friendly and welcoming. The place is clean with many seats, never having to wait to eat your food. read more

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Everyone was so nice at this restaurant. The food was excellent. One employee stood out. His name is Yao. He was kind, helpful and courteous. You are so lucky to have him working for you. We felt right at home. We are travelling to Seattle from Southern California. We recommend this place. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Grab a bowl, fill it up, pay by weight, pick your broth. Easy peasy. What they don't tell you - you can select how spicy it is at the checkout, you can also get stir fried which is no broth, and more spicy that the others. They will give each bowl a number and you need to watch the number ticker on the wall to collect your soup. A man will be walking around handing out orange slices for the tables, and after you are done you need to go back to the counter to get their ice cream. DO NOT SKIP THE ICE CREAM it is so good and the little perfect treat to cap the night. In the end I really enjoyed this experience and will be returning. read more

Came here on a Tuesday at 5:30, and the place was bustling the entire time, which makes me think the ingredients are refreshed often and not sitting out for long. I noticed there isn't separation between the veggies and meat, and there's no sign asking customers to use separate tongs. That doesn't bother me, but it might be an issue for vegetarians concerned about cross-contamination. You grab a bowl at the entrance, fill it with ingredients of your choice, then head to the counter to weigh and pay. I paid $18 including tip, which felt reasonable. At the pickup station, you can ask for cilantro, green onions, garlic, or other garnishes. One employee was walking around offering free cantaloupe and orange slices, which was an unexpected but appreciated touch. It's a casual, no-frills spot with a lot of students from nearby UW. I'd come back read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Pro Tip: Shake off water to shed some water weight, and note that frozen foods (esp meat balls) tend to weigh more. Additionally, note that the bowl is super big and may deceive how much you think you can eat. (Recommend filling 1/8th of the big bowl). - - - - - Visited YGF with a friend, and compared to similar concept restaurants, this YGF location definitely ranks at one of the smaller ones. The area for ingredients was quite, and the interior is not only a tad cramped (and hard to find seating during rush hour) but also fairly humid and stuffy. The staff that work here are efficient and nice, but communication was difficult for myself and a few guests that I observed in passing unless Mandarin was used for ordering and the condiments near pickup. I ordered their tomato broth, and it was not the most tasty. While it did have the taste of tomatoes, it definitely felt heavily watered down. Lastly for ~$15.99/lb, cost will really add up fast if you aren't careful. Some tips to stay on the lighter side: 1) Shake off excess water; almost everything is drowned in or has trapped water, especially frozen foods like meat balls. 2) This is one of those places where it's best to underestimate than overestimate; you cannot weigh until you pay! You can always add more, but it's harder to take away. read more

YGF Malatang - Big Bowl of Tomato Broth and Ingredients - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

the best broth i've had in a while! it's a bit of a drive from me so i've only been back twice but it's truly a comfort meal at this point. The service is great it's more of a self serve and self help type of restaurant but the girl who took our order and explained the levels of heat was very helpful! seating is pretty limited it gets very busy, and i would definitely recommend finding a table before you make your bowl to assure seating. Great intimate spots for all party times and i will continue coming back for as long as they let me. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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It was super crowded and we had no where to stand unless it was in a corner or against the wall. The lights are super bright but I guess that's for the self-serve food. However.... The food was delicious I got the basic Beef bone Broth 9/10 recommend. I would definitely get less food next time. I noticed my quail eggs were broken apart in my broth and a couple things missing but maybe that's just me no biggie. All in all it is super straightforward! The wait was about 20 minutes and honestly worth it. read more

Really liked building my own hot pot here and how it's priced based on weight vs ingredients. They have a variety of options for noodles, fish cake/balls, protein, veggies, and more! I got the spicy beef broth and loved the spice. My favorite was the oranges they give you once you're seated. The only downside is the seating - you order then find a seat. It can get busy but thankfully it's a quick-ish meal so you don't have to wait too long. I'd come back here again soon if i'm craving hot pot read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

food is delicious, service was so kind and helpful. seating was a little limited, we went in on a tuesday night and it was busyyyy. i will fully admit i spent about 35$ on my bowl however after eating to fullness at the restaurant i took the rest to go and i got two lunches AND two dinners from the leftovers. but next time i will probably put less in bc i did get pretty sick of having the same thing 5 meals in a row lol read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Not sure how to start this review. First of all, the food was AMAZING! Holy smokes, I was not prepared for how delicious this bowl of food was going to be! I had a little bit of stuffiness in my sinuses and it cleared that right up! And I was able to get two full meals out of one visit here. So here's how it works... You go through a buffet of vegetables, meats, and other items to make a bowl of soup. It's similar to Mongolian Grill, but just in soup form. Then you choose the type of broth you like as well as spiciness level. My biggest issue was that I was not prepared for the price. My bowl of soup was $33!! I had complete sticker shock, that's so expensive! I hope this place has three dollar signs. I probably won't return for that one reason. That being said, I've been here twice and both times it was PACKED! AND, it seems to be especially beloved by Asians of all kinds, so that's a great sign of how good it is! Ambience was blah, very hot in there, and as an aside, my phone had no coverage inside the restaurant. I typically don't do wifi in public places for security reasons. Anyway, there were both really excellent pluses here, as well as some pretty big negatives as well, but due to the quality and flavor of the food, it still gets 4 stars from me. read more

YGF Malatang - Three renditions of their amazing soup! - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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really love this concept of picking what you want in your hot pot bowl - so you can put as much noodles, veggies, or protein, and definitely getting your money's worth! i got the beef bone broth soup base (really wanted to try the tom yum one but they were out) the broth itself was creamy and savory, rich in flavor. however, your whole mouth is left with the szechuan pepper aftertaste - which im not a fan of. there was indoor seating available, it was quite busy when i went. however the seating rotation was fast. my group of 6 people was able to find seating together easily. from paying for our bowl to waiting for it to be ready to be picked up, the wait was pretty quick and the bowl came out piping hot! i cant wait to come back next time and try the tom yum broth! read more

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Honestly, this place is super good! You pick your exact ingredients as you walk in and it's priced per ounce. They have pretty much all the options for meat, veggies, tofu and toppings you'd want for hotpot. You'll pick from the soup selections at the register and they are very tasty, I've tried the original spicy and the tomato base so far. Once cooked they top it off with garlic and green onion. The dining experience is laid back. I think the pricing is very fair - I'm usually around $17 for my bowl before tip. It's located on the University Ave so just a heads up for parking (street parking). read more

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Love this place! I always opt for the beef broth level 3 spicy. After choosing what you'd like to be in your personal bowl, you pay by the pound and they will take care of the rest. There's also a sauce bar, so don't forget to grab any extras if you need! Super delicious for a quick bite with friends or alone. Usually orders don't take too long, but last time i went my order took over 30 mins.. there were only two others in the restaurant when I had arrived. Ended up taking my food togo as my waiting time was a bit too long. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I came here for dinner on Friday night. I've been to the YGF Malatang in SoCal and like it. This location is smaller and the tables are packed in. Very little table space as well. I think there is less of a meat/vegetable selection here. It had all the basics though. You grab your bowl and tongs then pick everything you want to go into the malatang. You weigh your bowl then pay per lb. I chose the beef bone broth at a level 2 spicy. I should've done a higher level because I didn't really taste any spice. It was still good though. There is a small sauce bar on the side. When you pick up your soup, they ask what toppings you want. I asked for green onions and they gave a small portion and I asked for more and they gave an even smaller portion. No big deal. I don't know if it is usually like this, but it was very stuffy in the restaurant. That combined with eating hot soup was not a fun experience. It was busy so we had to wait for a table to open up. Since it is on University Way, you'll have to try to find street parking or a nearby lot. read more

YGF Malatang - Beef Bone Broth - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My wife loves YGF Malatang, we've been to most of them in the Seattle area. They are all owned by the same owner except the one in Tukwila. So all of the rest of them have similar options and are similar in style. We do prefer the one in Tukwila because it has quite a few more options to choose from. But anybody can find something that they want to eat in a yummy soup broth here. I personally like the tomato base and fill it full of broccoli, cauliflower, and different meat balls. The service has always been poor at this location but the Tukwila one has superb service. Anyway, give any of them a try if you're near one. read more

I come here quite often as it is really close to university. I love how you get to choose all the ingredients yourself and decide how much you want as well. I get the mild beef broth every time but I heard the dry soup is great too. Seating can get packed during busy times so finding a seat can get pretty hard. I wish they served rice but they don't have it at all. Sauce bar is pretty limited but I feel like the soup has enough flavor so I never find myself going for sauces on the side. Can't wait to go again! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This was my first time eating in the restaurant (I had previously ordered take out) and I am already planning to go back. The options were fresh and the selection was kept very clean. I enjoyed the broth as well, here I got the spicy beef bone broth. I wish they had the tom yum flavor available when I went, but it seems like it is out of stock often. Overall, the service was good, the soup was made timely and the staff were attentive. read more

YGF Malatang - Personal hot pot - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The idea of YGF is great! You are able to create your own meal and they offer a variety of items you can add to your bowl. However, for someone who may be unfamiliar with the items and unsure of what would taste good together, it may be overwhelming. It would be nice to see in the future a few combinations people can assemble together based off the suggestions by the restaurant staff! I was a little surprised by how much the bowls came out to be after we got them weighed. It is $14.99/lb. Our party of three each were in the range of 1.5-1.9lbs and didn't realize it until we paid for them. Regardless of the price, it was good! They give you a LOT of broth after they take over to cook and make your bowl. The bowl was a lot bigger than I expected. I would consider stopping by again if I was in the area. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Can I be honest? I've been skeptical about YGF Malatang for a few years now, so you should probably take my review with a grain of salt. Back when it first opened on the Ave during the pandemic, there didn't seem to be any virus safety precautions at all. After that, it was always completely packed with students and it seemed difficult to get group seating, and ordering seemed a bit confusing, so I avoided going to it for a few years. But, I have some friends who love it, and often eat in, order to-go, or frequently visit other YGF locations. I finally went with a group of friends this year and it was... good, but with some caveats. I figured that I would share just in case anyone else is hesitating like I was. How does it work? Go in, grab a bowl and tongs, and add whatever ingredients you want. Noodles, meat, veggies. Then go up to the counter, choose your broth, and pay by weight. Pros: Everyone can choose exactly what they want in their bowl, so it's good for people with different tastes. You can eat as much or as little (sort of) as you want. They have a good variety of ingredients that you can choose from. Cons: There's a minimum weight limit so if you aren't super hungry, you'll still have to take more food (and will likely end up taking too much). It's always super crowded, loud, hot, stuffy, and steamy inside. The tables are very small and packed in, so there's nowhere to put your bag and if members of your party are plus-sized it can feel very cramped. Note for the spice-intolerant: All of the broths are spicy! I'm weak and can only handle a little bit of spice so I ordered the "mild beef broth" and asked if they could make it low-spice. Whew! Spicy! My friend who is even more sensitive than me ordered the tomato broth, which is supposed to have no spice -- she said it was still spicy! If you're good at eating spicy food you'll probably laugh at us, but if you're really sensitive to spice like us then you've been warned. So I guess TL;DR: If you're not sensitive to spice, want to eat a lot, and you like the vibes of a hot, crowded, Asian noodle spot, you'll probably like YGF. There's a level of "delicious chaos" to it that reminds me of a lot of the tiny restaurants in Asia. I can totally see why it's popular with the Asian UW students in the area. If you're not very hungry, are weak to spicy food, or are looking for a more chill vibe, YGF probably isn't for you. read more

YGF Malatang - The mild beef broth is still a bit spicy! - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I like how you can customise your own meal. Lots of vegetables options, the meat selection was slim though. You pay by weight.

I love the concept of YGF. Being able to get just one or a couple of a large variety of things is amazing. I always get the tomato soup which consistently hits the spot. The ingredients are also super well stocked and are fresh as well. This location is not amazing though (compared to the one in Bellevue). The seats are super close together, and the tables are small, so it's not conducive for big groups and it gets super hot and stuffy real fast. One of the people in our group also got food poisoning after eating here too.. Overall I like the food, but with the possibility of getting food poisoning, and feeling super squished while eating, I would rather just go to the location in Bellevue. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Some of the best hot pot I've ever had. I got the medium spice broth and the flavors are out of this world. It's so complex and delicious. You build your own hot pot here: there various noodles, meats, veggies, etc. and then it goes by weight. I thought it was going to be incredibly expensive but I ended up only spending $18 for a gigantic bowl filled with meat and had to take some home. Seating here is tough them. You basically have to wait around and ready to pounce when someone is cleaning up. My friends and I can't stop talking about this place weeks later. read more

YGF Malatang - Hot pot - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love coming here. It's like choose your own hot pot for about $15-$25!! (Priced by weight) I'm not huge on soup so I always get the dry rub. It's got an addicting flavor that I always seem to be craving. The sauce bar was recently upgraded and the selection includes much of what you may find at a hot pot sauce bar. Seating is scarce so we often have to side eye people till they leave. Very cozy place just wish it was bigger :(( read more

YGF Malatang - Dry rub noodles (closest) the rest are bone broth soups - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We tried the Beef Bone Broth soup and absolutely enjoyed it! Super flavorful and perfect with one scoop of chili oil as well. There was a wide variety of ingredients to add into our bowl, and it was well organized & clean! Despite it getting busy when we visited, we got our bowls and to a table really fast! Super fun and delicious place to have a hot bowl of soup filled with anything you'd like! Highly recommend, and will come again. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This place is so delicious! Must try! The service is good they give your oranges and ice cream!

First time here. My son, nephew and his friend wanted to try this place. I had to bus my own table so that I could get a place to sit. Then I made the mistake of given my credit card to my son and nephew to order their lunch while I was cleaning the table. They ordered the food and came back to the table apologizing to me. I said whats wrong? They told me their two bowls they got came out to 90 dollars. The food is charged by weight.. 15.99 per lb. They loaded up with a lot of noodles, tofu, veggies, mushroom and some beef and pork. I was shocked and couldn't believe it. The broth and food tasted good but the price is way too much. read more

Came here yesterday for dinner with a few friends on a Weds evening. To my surprise, parking was available on the same street right out front of the restaurant. It wasn't busy around 6PM so we were able to get seated right away, but it was a full house by 7. I noticed it was a bit noisy when the place was packed which made it difficult to have a conversation. I hadn't been to one of these restaurants before so I thought it was fun to be able to grab a large bowl and add all the veggies, noodles, meats, and other items that you wanted in your soup along with your choice of soup base. It was $14.99/lb which seemed reasonably priced. I chose the bone broth with a 2 star spice level but found it to be spicier than anticipated. Once you've weighed your bowl, the chef cooks it for you. The waitress also went around each table to give free cantaloupe and orange slices. I would consider this place a hot pot fast food restaurant; I'll be happy to go back if I want something quick without the whole hot pot dining experience and price. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

came in for the first time, they had instructions in the front and the food laid out with labels if anyone gets confused , the person in the front was very nice and made sure to tell me what type different of broth they had and what flavors! I would recommend going to this place! read more

been going to YGF since freshman year of uni, will always be a staple for me even post-grad. love it! their ice cream is sooo good