I found a larvae floating in my soup. Completely unsanitary, and unfortunate since this place is pretty good but this a big no on my part and will not be returning. read more

YGF Malatang - Larvae - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Have been this restaurant many times! Foods are excellent! The broth ,never regret me! Service is friendly and kind. The place is good, very big for parties, and clean. The price is affordable. It's depends how weight we take our food. We could choose any toppings which we liked. Also, they have a place for making our own favorite sauce. As you can see, they have a lot of ingredients for our sauce recipe. Sometimes they were busy, we could play the game station. In other hand, they served our food in instant. We also can get candy. Also, they have promo coupon more than 10 lbs we get 1 lbs free. That what i like from this restaurant. Good food, good service, good interior, and good place! read more

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I've really grown fond of this style of soup. It's great for people who love meat for a cost effective bowl. The taste is great also. Just be warned about the spice level, it's pretty heavy here. Or maybe I'm just a whimp. ‍ The service is good and the staff is friendly. All in all this place is in my top 3 places for soup now. Definitely give this place a try if you're in the area. read more

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It's very easy, it's like a buffet where you simply choose what you'd like to eat without having to pay for what you didn't eat.

Ended up here because YT was closed but ended up super happy and honestly really worth it because they have a stamp card and have a lot of options PLUS SKEWERS! Didn't wait got soup super quick as well. Clean and quick service will be coming back read more

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YGF is my favorite malatang place!! Their broth is so flavorful and tasty. I've tried the beef bone broth and the tomato soup and both are amazing. They have a wide selection of things you can add to your bowl and my favorite is this one specific rice noodle that I haven't seen served at other malatang places. Every time I've gone there's always been a slight wait but they get people in and out pretty fast. I also like how they do a stamp card; if you get 10lbs you get one pound free. Perfect for frequent visitors like me :) read more

I love coming here, the broth always clears up my sinuses and I can finally breathe better. Food is always a 10/10. You get to pick what exactly what you want in your bowl so most of the service is just bringing out the cooked food, refilling drinks, and checking up on tables. Which most of the time they do a good job, but sometimes when it's busy they can lack a bit. I would have to give service an 8/10. The big windows are great for when you come in during the day. Lots of natural lighting allowing for a sunny ambiance. Although there isn't much of a waiting area for when it is busy. I'd have to give the setting a 7/10. Overall, YGF Malatang is a great place if you want to grab something filling and enjoy sunshine while not being outside haha. read more

YGF Malatang - Dining Area - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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My usual go-to Malatang place is Tanghuo in K-town but this place is a top contender for me as well! I loved the Tom Yum flavor and they had lots of topping variety. Best part is - it's a lot cheaper than Tanghuo! Will definitely be back when I'm in the area. read more

My partner loves malatang so we chose this spot on our way back from Death Valley. The place had plenty of seating and a wide variety of options to add to your malatang. I really appreciated the different noodle options they have ranging from black rice noodle to purple yam noodle. I ended up accidentally getting about 1.85 pound of food, which was enough for two meals. The mild bone broth was super flavorful and I liked it mixed with a bit of the medium spicy broth. Our server was pretty attentive for a malatang restaurant and refilled our water for a few times, which was a pleasant surprise. I heard they're opening up a location in Westwood soon so looking forward to having a malatang place on the westside! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Their parking is located in the back and it can get filled very quickly. The place wasn't filled when I went, but I still had to wait a little while for my food to be ready. It's a mix of self and table service. You walk in and get a table number. Then you immediately grabbed all your sides into a bowl. It gets weighed and brought to your table after. You pay at the end of your meal as well. I love their huge selection of meat, mushrooms, etc. I got the tomato base and it was very refreshing! It wasn't heavy like most tomato soups are. All my sides meshed well together! I had leftovers and it tasted even better the next day. It's a big portion so I would say it's almost worth the price. Just make sure to keep in mind how much your putting into your bowl as it is priced per pound after selecting your base :) read more

YGF Malatang - tomato soup - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Our first time at YGF Malatang and we totally enjoyed it! I think their hours might have changed because I remember seeing they closed at 12a. Now they close at 11p. every day except Sundays. This is great because there aren't many hot soup places that close that late in the area. We came by on a Saturday night and it was not too busy. There was plenty of parking and open tables. Their concept is a little different. You choose all your meats, veggies and add ons in a large bowl. They have plenty of options, from asparagus to squid rolls. The only thing I wish they could update is labeling the meats. They aren't labeled correctly and I accidently added lamb to mine. I thought it was beef and didn't realize until we were eating. Once you're done, you take the bowl to the front and they weigh it (they charge by lb). You then choose your broth beef bone soup (less or mild spicy), hot spicy red oil soup, or tomato soup. I chose the mild spicy broth and it was just perfect. Not too spicy, but it had a slight kick to it. My boyfriend's was a little more spicy (hot spicy red oil broth). They take your bowl and give you a keychain and you go sit down. The server takes your drink order. They have soda (Coke products), teas and juice. You can also order appetizers. There's also a sauce and condiment station. They have lots of sauces and ingredients to choose from and make your own delicious sauce. Once your soup is ready, they bring it out to you. I was surprised at how good it was. It exceeded my expectations. I will definitely be back. I highly recommend, especially for this rainy weather! read more

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Tried this after I saw a tiktok video highlight. Parking is shared as location is at a plaza. Service is quick and staff are attentive. It was dinner rush when we went. For food they have a wide selection of meats and noodles for your soup but I was disappointed in the taste. I like a good broth for my meats but the flavors lacked in taste. Although it is good space-wise for a big group for dinner. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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Franchise Brand From China. Very Good Beef Bone Broth. Delicious. Choose Toppings + Spiciness Level. read more

YGF Malatang - Beef Bone Broth - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Have been a regular since 2023 and felt like I had to leave a review. Overall experience: 4/5 Food: 4.5/5 Service: 3.5-4/5 TLDR: Great taste, good selection in the vegetable and meat bar, Service varies Breakdown: This is a custom self hotpot dish. You can choose from the various soup base options available and place any vegetables and meats into a big bowl when you first enter. I usually go for some vegetables and a lot of beef with the mild beef broth. Spice level is consistent each time and taste as well. Service varies from good to bad. One time the server brought my brought my friends their order first and did not bring my order for fifteen minutes. The bowl looked like it was sitting around for fifteen minutes before it was brought over. Other than that one time the service has been consistently good. The seating area has some decorations on the wallpaper about the story of YGF and images if the soup. read more

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Amazing selection of ingredients, literally there's something there for everyone. Sooo expansive. They even have dried packaged noodles as options! And they offer drinks! The drinks are definitely on the sweeter side, I forgot to ask if they can adjust the sweetness. Sauce bar selection on par with that of Hai di Lao. Beef bone broth was very comforting. Mild spicy was definitely mild. You can think of it as getting a hint of spicy but not actually spicy at all. Next time I'm getting medium. Yin Tang broth tastes different enough for there to be an audience for each. Basically you get a table number, get all your ingredients, take it up to the counter and tell them what broth you want or if you want spicy, they weigh it and give you a token with a number on it, you find the table they gave you which is already set up with water, then you pay at the end. Service was also good. Will def come back. read more

Standard pricing for malatang, about $13.99-$14.99 per pound. The food selection is self-serve and very fresh, with a wide variety of ingredients. Keep in mind that many items are stored in water, so the weight (and price) can add up quickly. There are five flavor options, which cannot be modified. I liked the taste--well balanced, not too salty, and no MSG. The sauce bar is also self-serve with plenty of choices. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The environment could be a bit cleaner, especially in the hallway and storage areas, but overall it's still an attractive place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service is fast, prices are reasonable, and the ingredient quality stands out. As a Chinese customer, I would say this is an authentic spot. I wouldn't mind going back. Overall, reasonable prices, excellent food variety and freshness, and quick service. read more

I was surprised how darn good this place actually was. They charge per pound and for $13.99 I felt that wasn't too bad. You get all the food you want and bring it up to the front to get it weighed. They tally up the total price and give you a table to wait. In total it took about 15 minutes to cook. In the meantime they have a pretty solid sauce bar that you can make up your own special concoction. The food itself was actually so fresh, I was pretty impressed. I ended up getting 1.36 lbs of food for myself and I felt pretty full afterwards. Definitely get the beef bone broth with some spice. I would totally be back here since I enjoyed the flavors as well as being able to pick my own portions for a reasonable price. read more

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Food: fresh ingredients. We got our mixes with tomato soup (the only option that's not spicy) and beef broth. Soups were great. Service: staff is really nice and attentive. Space: clean and roomy. It wasn't crowded when we got there on a Sunday around 12p. Glad we tried it. Will definitely come back. read more

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Better know what you want to eat or else you're gonna end up paying alot more money unnecessarily

You might think I'm crazy if I tell you I came here 3 times in 5 days when I first discovered this spot - I'm not kidding! YGF Malatang is pay by pound hot pot style, fast-casual Chinese restaurant. What I like about it is that you can pick exactly what you want in your bowl of soup instead of a bunch of pre-set items that you feel mediocre about when you order a hot pot dish. This place gets busy during dinner time on the weekends and may need to wait in line. You put your name down on the iPad and when it's your turn, then you pick your items and have it weighed by the cashier. My personal favorite is the tomato soup and the mild bone broth - mixing the 2 when you have leftovers is amazing also !! If you tend to have a big appetite, I would be cautious of how much you pick up. It's easy to go overboard and get ~2 lbs. of food, ending up with a bowl of noodles that can cost you anywhere up to $30-40! They also have a stamp card program - very worth! read more

So many of these pay by weight hot pot spots are popping up in Arcadia, and I'm not mad at it! I've only had Yintang across the street, so I was excited to try YGF out. Overall, YGF is a bigger restaurant and has more options for toppings, sells drinks, and has a bigger sauce bar. Their soups are comparable to Yintang's soup and they have a tomato option as well! Some slight cons are that they didn't cut up the big pieces of veggies into smaller bite sized pieces. It was hard to chew a whole foot long leaf of cabbage , so I'll remember to specifically ask them next time. Also, it was a bit weird that the selections of food closer to the seating area (aka everything but the veggies) did not have any labels, so it was hard to tell what I was choosing for my bowl. Price per pound is $13.99 and adds up quickly, so try not to eat with your eyes. I got the mild beef bone soup, and it was the perfect amount of spice for me. I don't LOVE mala (numbing spice), although I can handle it. The restaurant is clean and the service is attentive. They brought over extra napkins without us asking and they had a worker cleaning that always had the best smile on his face and made us feel super welcomed. Will definitely be back again! read more

YGF Malatang - Mild Spicy Bone Broth - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This is my new favorite Malatang place in the 626 area! Their price is friendly and they have a very delicious broth. They also have a system to get your number and table number as well. They have dry or soup options. I could have this every week especially since things are getting cooler these days! I don't eat a lot but they have a minimum of 1 lb per person which I think it is weird because sometimes you can get away with it if the manager is taking care of the register, it's pretty inconsistent. How would you support a customer who doesn't eat 1 lb worth of food in one go? read more

YGF Malatang - Fried sausage - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

They serve 3 different flavors of soup; original which is spicy, tomato and tom yang soup. It can be prepared dry as well with 2 flavors and both are spicy. Their style is choose your own ingredients and they will prepare them from you. The price is by pound of the ingredients you selected. The servers are the nice specially Wendy. Meats and veggies are fresh and good quality. Ambiance is very casual, just like fast food. Overall, not bad for a comfort food. read more

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The service is very very bad, we asked the lady with blonde hair can we sit at the corner table but she answered carelessly with pissed off face that table is off(closed) We come here all the time and always got good service from any young server but this old lady really ruin my dinner If the server doesn't speak english at least they train the server some communication skill read more

This is such a fun experience. It's like a build-your-own froyo but with hot pot. Just like froyo, the price is based on weight, so be cautious. They give you a table and bowl with tongs and you go down the buffet line filling up with a wonderful variety of items. After you fill up, they weigh it. You then pick a broth (I get the mild beef broth and my nose still runs from the spice... maybe I'm just weak). The broth is delicious. On your way to your table, while waiting for them to bring out your broth filled soup, there is a little spice/ sauce station. They bring water, but there are other drinks to purchase. I've never had enough room to try them or the desserts but the pictures look great. There is a large parking lot for the shopping area that is free. read more

YGF Malatang - Beef broth - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Horrible service. I came with a group of four and was charged gratuity without any notice. I've been here before and never experienced anything like this. When we brought it up to the staff, they completely ignored us and didn't offer any explanation. Charging extra without informing customers is unacceptable, especially when there's zero communication or accountability. Really disappointing experience--I won't be coming back. read more

To step into YGF Malatang is to enter the choreography of hunger and heat. The night I went--Saturday, I believe, around 8 p.m.--the air outside hummed with anticipation. No digital waitlist here; you must stand present, a name on the cusp of being called. The waiting area, modest and narrow, offers only a few chairs, nudging most to linger beneath the night sky. A flaw, perhaps--but then again, isn't hunger always a kind of waiting? Once inside, the process unfolds like clockwork. You begin with your hands grazing the cool shine of metal tongs. First, the carbohydrates and vegetables--roots and greens so vibrant they seem to hum under the light. Then the proteins, lined like a promise. Each choice feels deliberate, a declaration of taste and texture. The broth, rich and generous, cradles the tongue with its spice--a warmth that sharpens into fire, though never cruelty. And the dry hot pot? A quieter revelation: smoky, savory, its flavors tumbling over one another like words in a poem too eager to stop. The establishment itself is spotless despite the fervor, a space alive with motion yet never chaotic. The service is understated, as if the staff understand that the food speaks loudest here. There is no need for flourish, no overreach. Just an efficiency that lets you settle into the symphony of your own making. This is not merely a meal; it is an encounter--a ritual worth returning to, again and again. YGF Malatang stands as a beacon for lovers of malatang, a place where the ordinary act of eating becomes an extraordinary reckoning with spice and self. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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For those new to Malatang, malatang is a quick hot pot version originating from Sichuan, China. What I love best about malatang (compared to hot pot) is that you can personalize your own bowl from start to finish. Malatang shops generally have self-service stations filled with vegetables, noodles, meats and tofus for customers to pick and choose from. Once you fill your bowl with your desired ingredients, the employee behind the counter will weigh it to determine price, before then cooking the selected ingredients in your broth of choice. And it usually only takes them a few minutes to cook and serve you your customized bowl. I really like this location of YGF Malatang (it's a chain) because they have an extensive selection of fresh ingredients, delicious broths, and ample seating. For my first visit to this location, I chose two types of noodles, four types of tofu, some sprouts, radish, bok choy, cabbage, and other greens along with their spicy tom yum broth. Overall, my soup was flavorful and satisfying. ****************** My Ratings: 1 Star: Terrible; just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars: Wasn't a fan so Not likely to return. 3 Stars: Meh. Average. Might return if others drag me. 4 Stars: Yum! Likely to return. 5 Stars: Amazing! Would plan my day around it. Parking lot and street parking. read more

Our first time trying hotpot per pound was good and it tasted pretty good, too -- especially the spicy dry mix. They have a huge selection of ingredients different types of noodles and also a pretty big sauce bar variety. If there's a wait, it doesn't feel terribly long. Once they call you, pick your ingredients, bring it to the cashier to weigh, pick the broth and select any drink, appetizer or other add-ons. Then they give you a number that corresponds to your bowl of goodies. BUT! After our second visit, I'm not sure if I'll come back. Our party of 5 finished at least 30-40 minutes before closing and we were feeding our toddler the last few bites. They voluntarily offered our check despite other people barely getting seated to dine in. Afterward, about 20 minutes prior to closing, there was a girl who told us they needed to clean our table up otherwise the staff needs to stay overtime. The adults finished, we were feeding our toddler the last few bites. Meanwhile, the rest of the restaurant was 3/4 full. No one else was offered their check or urged to leave because it was close to closing and staff might need to do overtime. Heck, some barely started eating! Don't worry people, I had enough time to eyeball the rest of the restaurant since I was only feeding my kid. As polite as the staff member may have been speaking Mandarin, she definitely could have worded it differently while rushing us out but either way, taking it word for word made this one a terrible experience. The tomato broth at YinTang tasted better but the spicy dry pot mix definitely hit the spot here. Everything in terms of variety did better than YinTang but after this experience, I doubt I'll be back for awhile. read more

I like this place a lot. They had a huge selection of meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles, etc. that you can throw in your bowl. I thought the beef broth was really tasty. It was pretty hearty and filled me up. The other broth flavors sounded good too. One suggestion I have is to weigh your bowl when you're halfway through filling up your bowl. I had no idea that I got 2.5 pounds of stuff in my bowl. It was way more than I could finish. The place was very clean and the service was excellent. I will definitely come back. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

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YGF Malatang has a very interesting concept and it definitely my attention so I had to try it out! When you arrive, you see a wide array of food options to put into your bowl to make your own malatang and you pick your soup when weighing. The bowls are pretty heavy and they did not tare it before weighing each bowl. I ended up paying almost $40 for this bowl which is almost the same price as an all you can eat shabu/hot pot place normally. It's a quick spot for hot pot when you are craving it. It's mainly a self-service place and the staff only bring out the cooked bowl and drinks. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

Me n my 3 friends came here on Thursday night. We got automatically charged 15% without our concern. We've never experienced like this before. We always come here almost every week. I do tip even for to go orders. Might consider to come here next time. read more

I really like this place but it's a shame I have to give this review. The food is good and all but the service just isn't there. But they charged us gratuity without us knowing it. The thing is that it's not the first time it has happened either. I hope they can improve their service, if not I don't see myself coming here again. read more

One of the most comforting meals I've had. They let you pick out your toppings and if protein intake is important to you, you can really make it happen here. The broth you pick doesn't matter because they're all so good. There's a sauce bar where you can create your own sauce for your food as well. read more

Our favorite dry hot pot place closed down so we had been on a hunt for a new place. YGF opened and hope it's here to stay. Dry hot pot / dry pot isn't in the menu, but you can request it. You can load up on so much veggies and sliced meats. You pay by weight so be strategic and don't get the heavy veg! The flavor is pretty good, not overpowering or too spicy. My recommendation is to eat it with rice. Their serving looks so big but you can inhale that pretty quickly. The rice is on the soft side, which I prefer. It's only $1 , so cheap too. The drinks, wow didn't expect it to be so good. Got the strawberry green tea. It comes icy like smoothie but not thick and it's perfectly sweet. Lots of strawberry pieces going on with every slurp. The staff are top notch. They are quick and friendly and they pay attention to you. Everything from start to finish are great floorwork. read more

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We came here for a quick lunch. A different experience where you pick all your meat and veggie and they will weigh it for you. They will also cook the food for you and you pick the broth. Mine came out to be 1.34 lb so it's about $21. Good selection of meat and veggie and service is good. read more

YGF Malatang - This is my malatang bowl. Yummy broth and I like you pay based on how much you eat! - Chinese Near Me - Arcadia, California

I got the tom yum hot pot which was pretty delicious. The service was slow though. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's self serve so not much of an ambiance[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

We came as a party of 5 and put on the waitlist party of 5. They called our phone number and gave us a 4 person table and then when we sat down they looked at us like it was our fault that the table did not fit all 5 of us. And when we explained how they told us to sit there they kept saying no no no you didn't listen to us. Okay then why did you give us a piece of paper with the table number on it after confirming our name and party size. Nice try. Never did they once check on us and gave attitude. We tried to be nice and say thank you each time they gave us our pots but they showed no remorse. When my friend went to pay one of the workers put her hand in her face and said pay here pay here! And then decided to charge us auto gratuity of 18%. There are no signs that said this nor on the receipt. Hidden fee. OH AND they leave their ingredients to thaw out by the the walkway, when you walk out of the restaurant just look to the right and you will see. read more

I came in on a Thursday night and it was pretty busy. However, we were seated pretty quickly. I'd like the selection they have at this location with the veggies and broths! I got their beef bone broth (mild) and it was pretty good. My dad got the same broth but, it came out totally different and had a different flavor. I would definitely come back here and try their drinks! read more

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A very interesting experience. Friends took me here and said it's like hot pot in a ramen bowl. Basically you choose the items that you like and put them in a large plastic salad bowl. Then you place the bowl on a scale and pay $13.99 per pound. My bowl came out to be around $18. You choose the soup base and then they cook the raw items in the soup base. If you're not used to the bone soup, it can feel a bit on the heavy side. There's a self serve sauce bar with soy sauce, chili, sa-cha, sesame sauce, vinegar, etc. The servers were friendly and attentive. The owners did a great job with the remodeling. Plenty of parking in the shopping plaza. read more

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