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Came here for dinner on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy. There were quite a few open tables. After we picked our food and went to the cashier, he asked where we wanted to sit. We chose a table, but he told us to move to a different one. It felt a little odd, especially since malatang is usually a self-service experience, so I wasn't sure why we couldn't sit where we wanted. The selection was decent. They had some items I don't usually see, like mochi fish balls, which were interesting and actually tasted pretty good. The beef tray was empty when we first started picking, but they refilled it before we finished, so we were still able to get some. The broth was just okay. I think it could have been richer in flavor. The space also felt a bit dark, which made the overall atmosphere less inviting. Overall, it's a pretty standard malatang spot. Nothing bad, but nothing that really stands out.
This is going to be my new winter obsession. My man loves anything mala, so we tried. The owners are very nice. There's a good selection of noodles and vegetables. I'm boring, so I am totally happy with udon and beef with lotus roots. I went with the medium bone broth. He chose some hot broth. It is ready so fast after you weigh the ingredients. They have a condiment bar too. If you hate it, you probably made it wrong yourself. Good amount of seating. I do wish they have aprons or something to shield you from noodle splashes, but I'm okay with just not wearing anything too precious.
The malatang is packed with flavor. I love the process where you pick out your own ingredients and the amount of food you want. This is a sit down restaurant but it's more casual. The service is normally really quick. The soups are so flavorful and if you get a dry pot, it'll also come with the softest rice.
Service was ok, good amount of options to choose from for meat/veggies. Got the Tom yum soup and it was NOT tomyum at all. Just tasted like pork bone soup with some kind of spice but definitely nothing close to the authentic one.
$14.99/lb building your own hotpot bowl with various broth options. Also the options of a stir fry and dry pot. I ordered the classical bone soup - mild. This broth is creamier. The concept of your own bowl is nice because it's a quicker meal but it is on the expensive end due to the price per pound. I would probably opt for a typical hotpot place but it was nice to try out this concept! There is a sauce bar close to the cashier. You build your bowl, bring it up to the cashier, they'll seat you and then you'll pay at the end of your meal. I wonder how fresh the food is though because there were fruit flies while I was eating. They can also validate your parking.
This was soo good. One bowl of soup can probably be shared by 2 people. The bone broth was tasty and the choice of ingredient to as to your hot pot was extensive. I love this place. The owner was really nice and love the options for your hot pot sauce.
Ugh I can't help but love malatang because I love any creamy bone broth, and I LOVE when you get to pick your own ingredients. What I don't love is how pricey it can get, especially cuz just a few ingredients will make your bowl so heavy, and you pay by the pound ($14.99). I got a bit of everything including beef slices, pork slices, octopus, fish fillet, enoki mushroom, chicken leg mushroom, etc. The potatoes and chicken leg mushroom were definitely the highlight, in addition to the insanely yummy "cheese fish ball" which was filled with some sort of cream cheese filling? Sounds weird but HEAR ME OUT! The mild bone broth itself was quite good, though I think it lacked some mala with that signature numbing spice. when I added more chili oil, it was definitely delicious!! They have an AYCE free sauce bar with a peanut appetizer too, so that was nice. I spammed my bowl with scallions and their garlic paste. Their service is incredibly fast and you pay after you eat! A good number of tables, though it was quite packed even on a random Thursday lunch at 12:30pm. They kept the place very clean!
I've been here twice so far and I love the concept of Malatang! Their broth is very yummy and flavorful and they have a good variety of ingredients you can choose from. I just have a few concerns since both times I have been here the restaurant is almost close to empty so their ingredients just sit out for who knows how long. Another concerning issue is the flies. Both times I've been here there were so many visible flies everywhere. The first time I came here I even saw a worker using an electric flyswatter right above the sauce bar. So it's very off putting. I think the food and concept itself have great potential but the cleanliness and time control of ingredients need improvement.
Whenever I'm craving malatang, I come to Shangliang. The service is good and you can pick your toppings + spice level for your broth. It's such a comforting meal whenever it's cold outside and always hit. You can also make your own sauce but beware of how much you put!
came here around noon as a party of 2 on a sunday! i was super excited as this was my first malatang experience and ive had this place bookmarked for a bit. upon entering, we were seated immediately, the place was about half full at this time. we got our bowls and utilized the self serve buffet to pick out our malatang ingredients. there weren't as many options as other hot pot spots i've been to, but it was still pretty good. theu had a couple types of beef and they also had pork and i believe lamb as well. they even had pig's blood! i read another review that was worried about the hygiene of this place, and i will say that i also noticed that the ingredients had no "sneeze guard" over them and it was a little off putting knowing that so many people will be getting so close to the food. i guess this is expected for any kind of food buffet though, and at least this food ends up getting cooked after! i was worried about my bowl being heavy as i put a bunch of noodles and meat and veggies, but luckily it ended up being less than 2 lbs still. the bowl is kinda heavy on its own so be aware of that! we then handed over our bowls to the employees and specified which broth and spice level we wanted and then within ~7 minutes, our bowls were returned to us, piping hot and cooked! i got the bone broth at a medium spice level and it was DELICIOUS. the bone broth was rich and hearty and the spice level was perfect for me, although i did add scallion and cilantro from the sauce bar! overall, i was super happy with this meal, and given that i made quite a big bowl, i was able to take the rest home and get 2 meals out of this! i'm excited to come back.
Amazing array of options for the malatang self-serve; I especially appreciated all the seafood! Absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back.
Ambiance - casual dining spot, great for 1 person dining Service - self serve bar, you pick the items (meat, noddles, veggie), weight the bowl by the cashier and you pick soup base or stir fry Food - amazing flavors, tom yum soup base came out pipping hot and spicy, stir fry spicy pot was the right about of numbing spice & came with a side of rice
Great spot when you're craving an affordable, individual size Chinese hot pot meal. They've got a wide of variety of the common meats and veggies. They're either frozen or fresh although some of the veggies is questionable. Wide selection of sauces including Sacha, my go to. Bone broth was flavorful and nothing was overcooked, including the noodles and meat. Good amount of seating inside. They didn't check on us or refill waters after bringing the food.
22 hours ago
Food is very very good! You get an empty bowl and pick out the food you want, ranging from meat, seafood, vegetables, carbs, etc. then you bring your bowl up to the counter and you pay by weight. Pick out your soup base and then they'll bring you your bowl! The leftovers are really good too! Space is nice! read more
We stopped by on a Saturday night and they were not too busy. Malatang is Chinese street food which i expect to be cheap. This place has a flat price of $14.99 for everything which is on the pricey side for sure (compare to Yang Guo Fu as this is the first Zhang Liang I visited). For the price, the variety they offer was limited and not many meat items. They also didn't seem that fresh. Soup base was included in the price although they only had tomato,tom yom and beef broth. You can also choose dry fry for additional $1. They do validate parking although the main parking lot has been crazy busy in Chinatown.... read more
I've been to a different Zhangliang Malatang in Irvine, CA and I was a frequent visitor because of how wonderful it was. When I saw there was another location in Chicago I was eager to try it. It wasn't a terrible experience but it wasn't as great as my previous experiences, either. They had a great selection of ingredients, tons of vegetables and different proteins- anything from sliced beef, beef tongue, frog legs, pork blood, fish and lobster balls, etc. However, when I went around lunch time a lot of the sliced beef and other meats were very low stock.. I got probably what was the last of what they had because by the time I had left (around thirty minutes later) I walked by and noticed it still wasn't stocked. Service was okay. Not too memorable but I got in and out just fine. Quite pricey.. especially for limited stock of meats because you pay for weight- so I paid a lot for majority of my bowl being vegetables. The broth was fine- I got the classical bone broth in mild but I'd definitely reach for medium next time because it was a little bland for me. read more
6 months ago
Came here for dinner on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy. There were quite a few open tables. After we picked our food and went to the cashier, he asked where we wanted to sit. We chose a table, but he told us to move to a different one. It felt a little odd, especially since malatang is usually a self-service experience, so I wasn't sure why we couldn't sit where we wanted. The selection was decent. They had some items I don't usually see, like mochi fish balls, which were interesting and actually tasted pretty good. The beef tray was empty when we first started picking, but they refilled it before we finished, so we were still able to get some. The broth was just okay. I think it could have been richer in flavor. The space also felt a bit dark, which made the overall atmosphere less inviting. Overall, it's a pretty standard malatang spot. Nothing bad, but nothing that really stands out. read more
This is going to be my new winter obsession. My man loves anything mala, so we tried. The owners are very nice. There's a good selection of noodles and vegetables. I'm boring, so I am totally happy with udon and beef with lotus roots. I went with the medium bone broth. He chose some hot broth. It is ready so fast after you weigh the ingredients. They have a condiment bar too. If you hate it, you probably made it wrong yourself. Good amount of seating. I do wish they have aprons or something to shield you from noodle splashes, but I'm okay with just not wearing anything too precious. read more
The malatang is packed with flavor. I love the process where you pick out your own ingredients and the amount of food you want. This is a sit down restaurant but it's more casual. The service is normally really quick. The soups are so flavorful and if you get a dry pot, it'll also come with the softest rice. read more
3 months ago
Service was ok, good amount of options to choose from for meat/veggies. Got the Tom yum soup and it was NOT tomyum at all. Just tasted like pork bone soup with some kind of spice but definitely nothing close to the authentic one. read more
$14.99/lb building your own hotpot bowl with various broth options. Also the options of a stir fry and dry pot. I ordered the classical bone soup - mild. This broth is creamier. The concept of your own bowl is nice because it's a quicker meal but it is on the expensive end due to the price per pound. I would probably opt for a typical hotpot place but it was nice to try out this concept! There is a sauce bar close to the cashier. You build your bowl, bring it up to the cashier, they'll seat you and then you'll pay at the end of your meal. I wonder how fresh the food is though because there were fruit flies while I was eating. They can also validate your parking. read more
This was soo good. One bowl of soup can probably be shared by 2 people. The bone broth was tasty and the choice of ingredient to as to your hot pot was extensive. I love this place. The owner was really nice and love the options for your hot pot sauce. read more
1 year ago
Ugh I can't help but love malatang because I love any creamy bone broth, and I LOVE when you get to pick your own ingredients. What I don't love is how pricey it can get, especially cuz just a few ingredients will make your bowl so heavy, and you pay by the pound ($14.99). I got a bit of everything including beef slices, pork slices, octopus, fish fillet, enoki mushroom, chicken leg mushroom, etc. The potatoes and chicken leg mushroom were definitely the highlight, in addition to the insanely yummy "cheese fish ball" which was filled with some sort of cream cheese filling? Sounds weird but HEAR ME OUT! The mild bone broth itself was quite good, though I think it lacked some mala with that signature numbing spice. when I added more chili oil, it was definitely delicious!! They have an AYCE free sauce bar with a peanut appetizer too, so that was nice. I spammed my bowl with scallions and their garlic paste. Their service is incredibly fast and you pay after you eat! A good number of tables, though it was quite packed even on a random Thursday lunch at 12:30pm. They kept the place very clean! read more
I've been here twice so far and I love the concept of Malatang! Their broth is very yummy and flavorful and they have a good variety of ingredients you can choose from. I just have a few concerns since both times I have been here the restaurant is almost close to empty so their ingredients just sit out for who knows how long. Another concerning issue is the flies. Both times I've been here there were so many visible flies everywhere. The first time I came here I even saw a worker using an electric flyswatter right above the sauce bar. So it's very off putting. I think the food and concept itself have great potential but the cleanliness and time control of ingredients need improvement. read more
Whenever I'm craving malatang, I come to Shangliang. The service is good and you can pick your toppings + spice level for your broth. It's such a comforting meal whenever it's cold outside and always hit. You can also make your own sauce but beware of how much you put! read more
1 year ago
came here around noon as a party of 2 on a sunday! i was super excited as this was my first malatang experience and ive had this place bookmarked for a bit. upon entering, we were seated immediately, the place was about half full at this time. we got our bowls and utilized the self serve buffet to pick out our malatang ingredients. there weren't as many options as other hot pot spots i've been to, but it was still pretty good. theu had a couple types of beef and they also had pork and i believe lamb as well. they even had pig's blood! i read another review that was worried about the hygiene of this place, and i will say that i also noticed that the ingredients had no "sneeze guard" over them and it was a little off putting knowing that so many people will be getting so close to the food. i guess this is expected for any kind of food buffet though, and at least this food ends up getting cooked after! i was worried about my bowl being heavy as i put a bunch of noodles and meat and veggies, but luckily it ended up being less than 2 lbs still. the bowl is kinda heavy on its own so be aware of that! we then handed over our bowls to the employees and specified which broth and spice level we wanted and then within ~7 minutes, our bowls were returned to us, piping hot and cooked! i got the bone broth at a medium spice level and it was DELICIOUS. the bone broth was rich and hearty and the spice level was perfect for me, although i did add scallion and cilantro from the sauce bar! overall, i was super happy with this meal, and given that i made quite a big bowl, i was able to take the rest home and get 2 meals out of this! i'm excited to come back. read more
6 months ago
Amazing array of options for the malatang self-serve; I especially appreciated all the seafood! Absolutely delicious. Will definitely be back. read more
2 years ago
Ambiance - casual dining spot, great for 1 person dining Service - self serve bar, you pick the items (meat, noddles, veggie), weight the bowl by the cashier and you pick soup base or stir fry Food - amazing flavors, tom yum soup base came out pipping hot and spicy, stir fry spicy pot was the right about of numbing spice & came with a side of rice read more
Great spot when you're craving an affordable, individual size Chinese hot pot meal. They've got a wide of variety of the common meats and veggies. They're either frozen or fresh although some of the veggies is questionable. Wide selection of sauces including Sacha, my go to. Bone broth was flavorful and nothing was overcooked, including the noodles and meat. Good amount of seating inside. They didn't check on us or refill waters after bringing the food. read more
1 year ago
First time at a malatang in the States. Friendly staff. Took some time for ingredients to get filled and for food to come out. Otherwise clean place, nice restrooms, and good crowd. They were surprisingly busy on a Thursday evening. Spicy bone broth is yummy. read more
30 days ago
My korean girlfriend approved this and I agree. We thought the food was delicious with a lot of fresh ingredients to select from. The broth had a homemade taste, not commercial taste, and with the quality ingredients for the sauce the food ended tasting amazing. Beware it's busy and can feel chaotic, especially with all the youth that enjoys eating here, but that just added to experience for us. The place was clean which we appreciated. read more
8 months ago
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6 months ago
Highly recommend the stir-fry dry pot！10/10 it's my absolute favorite. The staff are so friendly and the prices are really reasonable. read more
6 months ago
1 month ago
1 year ago
I have been here several times, and this restaurant has very clean hygiene and good food preservation. It has a refrigerator and magical water mist. The employees are very friendly, and they also have a variety of sauces to choose from. I highly recommend dry stir frying as it tastes great. and I love Chinatown read more
Hot pot & dry pot restaurant in Chinatown - you pick ingredients and a broth or sauce (e.g. tom yum soup, spicy mala soup, spicy dry pot mix); the restaurant cooks for you and you pay by ingredient weight (approx $15/pound as of summer 2025). There is a large variety of ingredients and ample room for indoor seating. They also will validate your parking in the large Chinatown lot. read more
8 months ago
This place is amazing! I love coming here whenever I'm in Chinatown. Great customer service and delicious food. read more
Quick and tasty malatang spot! Great and fresh ingredients offered and of course all the sauces for you to make your own concoction. You pay by the weight and really affordable even if you pile on your toppings! The broth choses and spice level is great. The spiciest isn't too hot so if you can take on the heat then ask for extra spicy and they can help adjust it for you. I like that you don't have to cook your bowl- takes probably less than 10 min for them to cook your bowl! read more
2 years ago
FINAL RATING: 8.5/10 This is such a quick and easy way to get your fix of malatang! For all of the ingredients and selection, this was a great deal at $13.99/lb. I ordered one pound of food and it was enough to last 2 meals. My boyfriend and I both got the mild bone broth and it was the perfect amount of spice. When you first enter, you grab a bowl and fill it with your choice of meat, seafood, tofu, and vegetables! They had beef tongue and lamb leg which were delicious. Then, you can make your own sauce at the sauce bar. You don't pay until you're finished eating. Service was great and they even packed up our food for us! read more
2 years ago
I swear it looks better than it tastes! The bone broth was super garlicky which I enjoyedYou get to pick out your own ingredients and are able to control how big of a bowl you want. Also free hotpot condimentsHowever, none of the ingredients really stood out. Meats are on the tougher side, nothing special. I didn't really care but wanted to point out how it's probably not the most sanitary. As you get one pair of tongs and pick out what you want. I wouldn't be surprised if there's some cross contamination haha read more
11 months ago
Me gustó la sopa es muy buena los vegetales estaban frescos lo visité por primera vez y de seguro regresaré. Use el parqueadero que estuvo justo al frente del restaurante lo cual me agradó mucho. read more
Love this place!! I probably have been here at least once a month since it's opened. I love their regular bone broth when it's mild since I don't like it too spicy! There's beef, fish tofu, mushrooms, ton of vegetables, etc. They also have a great sauce bar if you even need more sauce though I find their soup flavors enough. My only qualm is that if you come too close to closing time aka 15-20 minutes before they close, they won't serve you even if you say you'll eat fast haha! read more
10 months ago
i've come here multiple times and it never disappoints and always hits the spot. i love how you can choose what is in your malatang and the type of broth you get plus the dipping sauce. the service is really quick and efficient. 10/10 read more
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More info about Zhangliang Malatang
2002 S Wentworth Ave
Ste 102
Chicago, IL 60616
Chinatown
Directions
(312) 285-2505
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