The food here is amazing! I was craving Mala for so long and it was worth the wait! 10/10

Truly one of my top mala(tang) places and trust me when I say that I've been to all of them. My favorite aspect of Kung Fu Mala is that it's a Korean mala place instead of the more widespread Chinese mala places (YGF, MalaTown Express, Tang Bar, etc.). This means that on the menu, I could also get cheese added on, a mala tteokbokki, a mala rosé jjimdak, etc. along with the classic DIY bar with veggies, meats, noodles, and the other fun stuff. There's a good range of spicy levels for both the soup and the stir-fry. I think a level 1 is perfect for a stir-fry and a level 4 malatang is pefect if you want to die lol. Service was super friendly and they offered us aprons for any spillage/drippage! Rice was free as well (please keep it this way!!) and we got a bowl each for our stir-fry and soup. Plenty of tables and a good amount of space/no wait for a weekday lunch. There's parking in the back (long alley) but we just paid for meter street parking. Can't wait to try more things on a visit soon! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Dry Pot - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is kind of different from classic malatang spots, something of a Chinese Korean fusion. I got the classic mala tang with broth, which was light and comforting. My boyfriend ordered the rosé mala xiang guo, which is basically just a rosé tteokbokki but with your choice of ingredients and a more cheesy sauce. The rosé option was indulgent and tbh better for sharing. Their ingredient bar isn't huge but they have all the essentials! I was really excited about their kabocha but it ended up dissolving in my broth since it was cut so thinly :( They do not have a sauce bar but they provided us with a creamy peanut sauce, as well as pickled daikon. Friendly staff and quick service. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Mala Tang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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tried the kung fu mala and i'm a fan of the soup itself :) rich, spicy, and really comforting. the broth was definitely the standout for me. that said, i wish there were more sauce options besides the peanut. it would've been nice to customize a bit more, especially with classic add-ons like garlic and onion as topping options. also have to shout out the stir-fry -- my friend ordered it and i tried some, and honestly it was sooo good. super flavorful and might be the move next time. overall, solid spot, especially if you're into mala flavors. i'd come back and probably switch it up with the stir-fry. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

Solid malatang place! They had a good variety of veggies and toppings. The only meat choices are lamb or beef and when I went they ran out of lamb already. The soup is flavorful, good spice levels and love that we can choose the level of spice we like! We tried the skewer platter as well and it was alright - the beef was the best and the shishito peppers were also good but could've been grilled longer read more

Kung Fu Mala - Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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I got the menbosha as an appetizer and one of the malaxiang pots. I will say I have only ever had Chinese style malaxiang pot, so it was a unique twist to have some Korean flavors in the spices as well too! There's a subtle sweetness that goes along well with the spices in the stir fry mix. Compared to some other places, there isn't quite as many different things to choose from, but there is a good variety of things to add to your "pot". I really liked the menbosha, they really pack a lot of shrimp in between the bread. I have been inspired to try to make this at home because it's so yummy. Wait time was about 10 minutes for food, which isn't too bad! They currently have Santa hats on the backs of the chairs, so it's very festive inside. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Menbosha - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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Malatang at its finest! Pick all your ingredients from the bar and make sure you reach the minimum weight requirement. There is a weighing scale before the register so you can see if you're under and need to add more stuff. I like the giant deep freezer of sliced beef and lamb. You won't worry about any slimy thawed pieces. The bar is also kept sparkling clean and organized. Once your bowl is ready for payment, choose the style you'd like it to be prepared and if you would like a side of rice. Once it's done, the bowl is delivered to your table and enjoy! The restaurant is very spacious and you are comforted by mukbang videos and kpop music shows playing on screens above. read more

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When the cold air hits, your body just requires soup. I love how highly customizable it is. You walk in, grab a bowl, load up with veggies and then the meat at the end is lamb or pork. You can choose to have stir fry or soup and customize your spicy level! Then they cook and bring it out to you. $16.99 per lb. There are prepared peanuty sauce cups on the table that my friend thought was a little too sweet but other than that no complaints. Reliable and wasn't too busy on a fri night. Felt very comforting and friendly service. Approved!! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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LOCATION: Telegraph/44th PARKING: Street parking WHAT WE ORDERED: * Stir fry malatang ($16.99/lb) -- 1 lb minimum My first malatang experience did not disappoint! The flavor was so tasty. It's not very numbing and spicy. My friend, who has a mild spice tolerance, can handle it pretty well. There was a decent selection of items to put in your bowl, but definitely more limited compared to other places. I opted for the stir fry over the broth, as I typically prefer dry dishes, but you can't really go wrong with either one. I'm really excited to go back and try the broth. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

My new fav hot pot they have these amazing thick potatoe noodles that I can never find anywhere ugh just thinking about it makes me hungry. Can't wait to go back everyone was so friendly and welcoming. And the restaurant and all other areas were clean. The time to cook was a bit long but we ordered appetizers and meat skewers and for the price those were so delicious! Definitely going to be a regular read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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Brought my parents here and they loved it. Parking was easy. They had their own parking lot. Service was amazing. The restaurant was very clean and all of the food was very fresh. You must order their creamy fried shrimp. The breading was so crispy and their rosé mala dish was exceptionally good. 5 read more

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When I came around 8pm on a Tuesday night, it was pretty quiet and not busy at all. My friend and I were greeted by staff and asked if we have been here before; and then was explained the process when we had said no. The employee let us know our bowls were slightly underweight and encouraged us to get more toppings so we could get our money's worth. Our food was given to us shortly, I enjoyed the skewers as I was craving them, but I don't think it was anything to die for. The mala was super flavorful and had the right amount of spice for me and my friend. It was my first time actually finishing a whole mala bowl, so I would definitely come here again as there was a lot of variety in the menu and toppings bar/station as well! read more

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i love coming here to get my malatang fix. No sauce bar but the premade sauce they give you is sososo good already. Rice is free which is amazing! Very spacious inside and clean. Service is amazing she is very nice. :) The soup is delicious and even though it can get a bit pricey depending how much you get it is always enough for another meal and the broth with some rice at home is fireee read more

Kung Fu Mala - malatang medium hot - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

I came from San Francisco to here, because I thought it was good, but when I get home after driving for ~40 minutes in traffic after already taking an hour to get there from work, I find out that they only gave us one rice, even though we both said we wanted rice. This isn't the first time it's happened. I just gave them the benefit of the doubt the first time. I made it a point to come here at least once a month, but I'll choose somewhere more convenient to get to with better service. I ate here in person once, and they also took out the noodles that I put into my dish, and I had to ask for it back despite already having paid for it. It's consistently like this. My advice: go somewhere else. It's not worth it. read more

Ok, I was impressed! I had seen this restaurant on yelp for a while, but I seldom make my way around Oakland/Berkeley. I reluctantly decided to come in foran early dinner, and I was so glad I went here! 1lb minimum of food is enforced for adults but not for little one. We made 3 bowls. 1 with the soup, spice level 2. 1 stir fry level 2 mala and 1 soup no spice for our little one (they can only make no spice for the soup. So stir fry). The item selections had good variety, though other larger malatang places would certainly have more items to choose from. If you like noodles, keep in mind thst they do sell upon and Ramen package (not subject to weighing, sold per packet) by the register. They had wet noodles options on the buffet area but they would be counted towards your food weight. Rice seems to be free! Though you do have to ask the server to give you a bowl. The broth, even the no spice one was very flavorful and it wasn't might flavorful! I was pleasantly surprised when I tried the broth, delicious! Btw, levwl.soice 2 for the soup is spicier than level 2 for the stir fry, take note. I love spicy though so it was perfect to me . Hubby prefers the stir fry bc it was less fiery for his mouth . But he admitted the flavors both the broth and the stir fry were amazing! We had plenty of food to share (big eaters) and we left very full and content! All for just around $48 before tips! Wow! We will be back!! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Complimentary mouthwash in the bathroom! The bathroom was also clean when I went - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

Kung fu mala is the best hotpot place I have ever tried! Mainly because the BROTH tastes so good and flavorful. It's not a traditional mala broth (as in it's not numbing spice) but that's why I like it lol. Ever since moving out of the east bay, I've found it has been difficult finding a hotpot place with broth as delicious as they have here. read more

I came here on a Monday night with a couple friends and had a great time! I decided to get the stir fry which I really liked. However, I will say the selection here compared to similar restaurants in the area was a bit limited. There's also a 1 pound minimum. Also, the food is quite spicy (I got the mild and thought it was hot) so if you're not into spice, I don't recommend coming here. At the end of the day, though, the food was still good and satisfied my mala craving! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

I did a review of this place before it was renamed. I came here almost on a weekly basis during 2024, my friend absolutely loves it. Due to trying to get healthy, we pretty much stopped coming here. I came in last week for the first time this year. I realized the name had changed. Didn't bother me any. Some changes in the way they do their food now. You can add as much meat as you want now, before you would tell them when they weighed the food and they would charge like $4 for meat. Also my favorite noodles are no longer here, i was pretty bummed. The biggest difference is that it was too expensive now. What once would be like $18 for me is almost $30, and when the plate comes it looks like nothing. The flavor is the same, the staff is just a friendly as before. But with the rise in price, this place is no longer an affordable option for us. I understand the rise in prices everywhere and I'm sure they had to increase costs to be able to turn a profit. There are a lot of cheap and really tasty options in the area. read more

Our party of 4 got here around 7:30pm. It was not busy at all, so we were seated immediately. The staff helped explain everything since it was our first time dining here. It's self-serve, so you get to choose what ingredients go into your bowl. Keep in mind that you pay $15.99 per lb of food in your bowl before broth is added. The bowl also needs to have a minimum of 1lb to purchase it. There's an assortment of different vegetables, meats, and noodles to choose from. I liked that you could check the weight before you finalized your selection. At the register, you get to choose from soup or stir fry as well as the different spice levels. The malatang was really good. I got the medium hot spice level and it was just the right amount of spice. I had about 1.27lbs of food before the broth was added and I felt satisfied after finishing my meal. The place overall is nice and clean. There are TVs on the wall playing KPop or showing mukbang videos. There's a small parking lot just outside the building, but otherwise you'll have to find parking out on the streets nearby. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

The food is so fresh and the service is incomparable! Great staff, quick eats and clean restaurant. Would definitely come back again to try everything on their menu! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

Highly, highly recommended! Every dish was incredibly tasty. I loved being able to choose only the ingredients I enjoy from their plenty of fresh options. I ordered level 2 spicy, and it had that perfectly enjoyable, numbing heat (I love spicy food!). I also tried three different shareable dishes, and all of them were delicious and paired wonderfully with the soup. I used to come here often when I lived nearby, and I visited again for the first time after moving an hour away. The one-hour drive was absolutely worth it!! Their all-time best malatang and their amazing new shareable dishes did not disappoint! read more

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This place used to be Pixiu Mala Hongtang, a regular spot for my girlfriend and me. It is now is under new management with a slightly altered menu. Yesterday we decided to stop by here and give the place a shot. Ambience wise - this place is almost identical to the previous restaurant but with a new logo slapped on to it. The menu has slightly changed - they have removed some of the old appetizers (such as the fried seaweed rolls) and added new things like Rose Mala Xiang Guo, and Rose Tteokbokki. Another thing that has changed is that your bowl needs to be 1 lb or more - this was definitely a change for me as I used to get less fillings at the food bar and opt for adding noodles and meat For our meal we ended up going for our usual and each got a Mala Xiang Guo. The food was tasty but we felt that there was something missing from the flavor perspective. I can't quite put my finger on it. As for the service - everything was pretty standard and par for the course. While I think this is a slight step down from the old place it still serves some pretty solid Mala food if you are in the mood for it. 4/5 read more

Kung Fu Mala - Mala Xiang Guo with Beef and Noodles - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing malatang -- my family is addicted and always asks to come here. The broth is something else -- super flavorful and warming. You can also get the non-spicy option if you don't want the mala feeling. The ingredients are always fresh and well stocked. The interior is modern and clean and neat. read more

Kung Fu Mala - 0 spicy malatang and 1 spicy malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

You choose between soup or stir fry, and then build your bowl. There are several options for toppings like veggies, mushrooms, noodles. I got the soup with glass noodles but they were quite chewy. Next time I'd choose a wheat noodle. Lastly you choose between beef or lamb, and at the end your bowl must weight at least 1 lb. I personally also got way too many noodles so next time I'd get more mushrooms and beef :) The severs are friendly and there's lots of seating inside. They have mukbangs play on the tv too hahah. For dessert you can try their tanghulu! If you have a sweet tooth I recommend the grape ones. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

Food and service are always on point, although sometimes there might be a bit of a wait. Very lively ambiance too

I come to this place often. They never let me down. Their make your own soup is fire! I love spicy so I always try number 4 which makes me sweat and I really love the taste. Do try if you are a soup lover. They have option to pick from non spicy to crazy crazy spicy. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Mix soup - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

i really love malatang so i was really excited to try this place, but i was a bit disappointed :/ variety was not there (plus was that they had cheese/sweet potato rice cake!). kinda odd they dont include ramen/udon in their station for you to add in your bowl yourself but instead charge an extra $2.50 to add it? + theres a 1lb minumum. the broth itself is not as flavorful as other places (i got 0.5 spice so maybe that couldve contributed? but thats considered their "medium"), and my bowl was a little lukewarm which is odd considering they cook it on the spot... no sauce bar so you just get their plain sesame/lemon tasting sauce which is ... okay .... wish it was better considering the broth was eh. tables were filled with past bowls -- not sure if understaffed? but there were over 6 unbussed tables ... service overall was friendly though. not sure if i went on a off day/time considering their reviews are good (or maybe i should try their non-malatang options instead?), but not the greatest for malatang. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

I had a good dinner trying a new Malatang place with my friends here! We came on a rainy night, and luckily did not have to wait long before we were seated. We got to choose whether we wanted to have entrees, or make our own malatang bowls. We chose the latter, and this place had a decent amount of options. There were lots of veggies, and they seemed relatively fresh. They also had noodles and some seafood. To get extra beef or lamb, you would have to pay extra. I chose to have a soup base with 0.5 spice. About fifteen minutes later, our food came out sequentially. The broth was spicy for only being 0.5!! Definitely should have chosen 0 spice. The service was fine, and the place itself was big with lots of TVs showcasing mukbangs and K-pop MVs. I am glad I was able to try out Kung Fu Mala! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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Rich, spicy broth with generous toppings, fresh cilantro, and satisfying noodles. Cozy atmosphere, quick service, and great value overall here. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

We decided to try this spot on a whim after seeing positive reviews, bringing my in-laws and partner along since my mother-in-law was craving soup and enjoys hot pot. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon to a clean, pleasant atmosphere. There was only one staff member managing the front, but they were friendly and did take the time to ask each guest about allergies, which I appreciated. They also offered alternative broths for dietary needs (chicken, vegetarian, peanut-free, etc.). The selection of vegetables and meats was noticeably limited compared to other Bay Area hot pot restaurants. My in-laws and I ordered soup, while my partner opted for the stir fry. For reference, our three bowls of ingredients weighed about 1.5 lbs each, my father's bowl was closer to 2 lbs, and we also ordered the chef's skewer platter (chicken, beef, chicken heart, and pork). The chicken and steak skewers were flavorful and worth trying, but the chicken heart and pork had a gamey aftertaste that we didn't enjoy and was dry. Our total for the four bowls, skewer platter, and a 15% tip came to about $140. As the restaurant got busier toward the end of our meal, service declined. We waited quite a while for our check and then again for our credit card to be returned. Despite asking for assistance, the staff seemed more focused on greeting new customers and managing the register. My partner eventually went up to the counter, where the staff admitted they had forgotten. Overall, while the atmosphere was clean and the allergy accommodations were a nice touch, the limited selection, uneven food quality, and inattentive service didn't justify the price for us. read more

This is definitely one of our favorite go-to restaurants! My husband and I visit here 1-2 times per week. The ingredients are fresh and delicious, with plenty of menu options to choose from. The staff are super nice and friendly! I love their main dishes -- Mala Tang (soup style) and Mala Xiang Guo (stir-fried style with chili sauce). They offer a wide variety of ingredients to choose from. As someone who loves vegetables, I appreciate being able to select plenty of veggies to create nutritionally balanced meals that are still delicious (though it certainly depends on what you choose)! Their chili oil, served on the side, is fantastic. It's quite spicy for me, so I just add a little to my dipping sauce for a nice flavor boost. As for other dishes, I've tried some skewers, gyoza, and menbosha (mini deep-fried shrimp sandwich). They were all tasty and I'd definitely recommend also giving them a try! read more

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If you're into spicy food this spot is for you! You pick raw ingredients (buffet style) on the side of the restaurant and put into your bowl and give what you have to the employee working the front. You pay by how much your food weighs and then you choose what kind of sauce and/or style you want. Like with rice or make it into a soup. I choose udon noodles and the low heat sauce. Good thing I did because I'm no fire eater and this low heat sauce was spicy to me. The place has parking on the side and in the back The inside is nice and spacious. Overall I will be back to this place and try different things. Definitely recommend read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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We came shortly after they opened and were greeted pleasantly by the staff. They helped us out since it was our first time and explained everything clearly. We tried both the regular self serve hot pot and the dry stir fry option at the medium spicy (0.5) option. The staff was very attentive and would refill waters and napkins. With music playing in the background, it was a very nice experience to calmly eat our food! They have a minimum of 1 pound for however much you want to put into your bowl and I think even at 1 pound, you can definitely get pretty full! We paid about $19 for the stir fry and $21 for the hot pot! Each dish comes with a free bowl of rice if you want one, but I believe you do have to pay extra for additional bowls of rice. I also really liked the sesame sauce that they gave us with each dish! Overall, we enjoyed our food so much and would come back again! I just wish that they had other broth options to choose from, but it wasn't a big deal to me! Even at 0.5 spice level, there was a pretty good kick and flavor to the broth and stir fry. I think the stir fry was more spicy though! I would definitely come back! read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

This was my first time here and honestly, it was such a cool experience! From the moment I walked in, the staff made me feel comfortable and welcomed. Everything was clean, organized, and had such a great vibe. The service was quick and super friendly -- they really took the time to explain things since I was new. I didn't feel rushed at all, and they made the whole experience enjoyable. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

The food was super tasty and full of flavor, and the place was really clean, which I appreciated a lot. The service was also awesome. staff was friendly and helpful, and the food came out pretty fast. It was a great spot for mala tang, and I'd totally recommend it. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

I do like these kinds of places - you pick exactly what you want and how much and pay for it! They have private parking in the back of the location and when you walk in you are always greeted! They will confirm if you have been there before and if not they will break it down for you. They have a small selection of vegetables (small!) handful of different noodle options and limited meat options. They provide your dish as a stir fry or hot pot option which I appreciate and a couple different levels of spiciness. And it is VERY spicy. Downsides and why it is NOT 5/5 - The price is a little high up there considering there are just as great if not better locations in the Bay Area for cheaper per pound price - Quality of their products - I have had it on a number of occasions where there are certain vegetables that look not the best - mold on broccoli, wilted items, or shrimp color looks off. Now thankfully I have never had any stomach issues, but when I once brought it to their attention and asked if they had fresher broccoli they indicated that they did not and left the semi molded looking broccoli out for people to eat. Bottom line - this is a good place, but there are better and cheaper options out there. read more

SO GOOD I drive all the way from San Jose for this. 10/10 Need one in san jose asap. The broth is amazing and the sweet sour pork is a MUST. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Sweet sour pork - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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Best malatang in the bay area! They have fresh ingredients and you can choose between malatang and the mala xiangguo in different spice levels. I tried the 0.5 medium spiciness and it was the perfect amount of spiciness. They even give free rice! We also got the cream shrimp and it perfectly balances out with the spiciness of the malatang. Service was also great and the store is very clean. I recommend this place 10/10. read more

Kung Fu Mala - Malatang - Hot Pot Near Me - Oakland, California

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Wow the broth in this malatang was probably the best I ever had. They have a huge diverse spice level selection for the broth, and it does get pretty spicy. They have less mix ins compared to your average malatang spot, but it's incredibly fresh and the taste makes up for it (No instant noodles, not the best noodles, but still solid 5/5.) Also comes with free rice which is super genius and yummy. read more

Here's how I optimized my bowl: - Pick one primary green (I chose daisy crowns) - Pick one primary starch (I chose wide glass noodles) - Pick at least one primary protein (I chose beef and fried tofu) - Garnish with whatever catches your fancy. Get as close to that 1lb limit as you can. I can't handle spice very well so I chose a 0.5 rating. Don't embarrass yourself by grossly exceeding the 1lb limit, unless you can handle that amount of food. I can, but I shouldn't. The waiters/waitresses will judge you and that's good. Kpop you no longer recognize will play on a big screen and an endless, rather nauseating loop of mukbang will also play on a big screen. It's unsettling. Enjoy it. read more