I recently visited Yang's Braised Chicken & Rice (Yang Guo Fu) in Irvine and had a fantastic experience. If you are a Malatang lover, this is definitely a spot you can't miss! The standout feature here is undoubtedly the quality of the ingredients. The **fresh meat** is incredibly tender and of high quality, which really elevates the whole bowl compared to other spots that use mostly frozen options. The selection of toppings is vast and everything looked very fresh and well-organized. I also loved the broth--it was rich, flavorful, and you can customize the spice level to your liking. The sauce station is also a big plus, allowing you to create your own perfect dipping blend. The restaurant is clean, the service is efficient, and it's a great addition to the Irvine food scene. Highly recommended for anyone looking for authentic and high-quality Malatang! read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

i've been to other YGF locations but this place was the best so far! the ingredients and sauce bar were kept very clean and organized. there were plenty of staff to deliver efficient service and the food came out relatively quick. this location is also right next to two other restaurants in the same building. a little confusing but had plenty of seating! read more

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

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

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

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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

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Love this place for malatang but have noticed recently every time I go, I get an upset stomach. read more

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Food was really good and the broth was the perfect amount of spice! They have so many topping options here which I love! Probably my favorite malatang place at the moment! read more

YGF Malatang - extra mild beef bone broth - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I LOVE this place. Cannot tell you how many times i have been here. Perfect late night snack and its a great easy spot to catch up with friends. Open seating, self-service, and has a sauce bar. I also like how since its do it yourself, you can control the portion size while still being able to try a little bit of everything. Clean, nice staff. And there are many boba spots nearby for after the meal. read more

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The food is good but it can be pricy. The service is self serve. The restroom can be really dirty sometimes. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Super popular spot, especially for a late-night dinner since they close so late! It's technically a food court, so the seating area is shared with 2 other businesses, one of which is a hookah bar. Similar to other malatang spots, you get a bowl and load up your ingredients, and the cost is by the weight of your bowl. Service was friendly and fast. A great selection and variety of meats, veggies, and other malatang ingredients. You can choose your spice level, too, in your soup base. I ordered the tomato soup base, and it was flavorful and well-balanced. Will be coming back to try their popular fish maw chicken soup base next time! read more

Loved this spot! The broth wasn't too salty compared to other malatang places! They also had a variety of different things you can put into the bowl. I attached a picture of a paw fish cake that I thought was super cute :) I would say that the bathrooms are really dirty and that's the only thing I will have to say that I thought was negative. That is why I will give this place a 4. The service was nice and fast :)) read more

YGF Malatang - look how cute :3 - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Went here with a friend who swore by their malatang, and wow, they weren't kidding! The food is always so good, and there's always a huge variety of options you can add to the malatang--it's like building your own flavor-packed masterpiece! I tried the bone broth malatang, and it was just *chef's kiss*. So rich, so flavorful, and that spicy kick? Perfect! Definitely coming back for more. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

Food is whatever. I prefer X-Malatang In westminster, CA. Service is horrible. The tall, skinny, and wavy hair who was helping front of the house, was very rude. He was packing food to go bowls for delivery, instead of saying excuse me to us, he pushed my brother in law and my sister. Then, he threw thongs and bowl outside. Like dude, if you don't want to be there, don't! why ruin customers day by horrible service? Also, everyone was wearing apron except him. I will never come back here. read more

I absolutely love malatang! I usually go to Zhangliang Malatang and YGF was just as good. At this location you can choose to sit inside or outside--just a heads-up that there are people smoking hookah outside, but if you're into that, you can enjoy both at the same time! As for the inside seating area, it is small but cozy. Nothing fancy -- come here for the food. The food came out super fast and piping hot. Great spot for quick service without sacrificing quality. The broth was absolutely delicious, and the meat and veggies were fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend if you're looking for a satisfying, comforting meal that doesn't take forever. Will definitely be back! read more

YGF Malatang - Signature Thick Beef Bone Soup - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

First time having malatang and really enjoyed it. I got the beef bone soup - medium spice. Thought the spice level was perfect and the broth was sooo flavourful. Wish I had stuffed the bowl with more protein and less carbs but thats more of a user error then a critique on the restaurant. Huge variety of different toppings you could add to your bowl as well and loved how they have a sauce bar where you can make your own dipping sauces for the meats. Looking forward to coming back. 9/10 for me. read more

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

The tom yum broth was okay--my fault for only getting mild and not medium! The servers were really good about refilling waters and getting food out quickly! This place reminds me of the typical malatang experience, but a little more upscale. Overall 4/5 would come back! read more

YGF Malatang - Inside - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

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This was such an interesting spot to visit, and I'm glad my friend chose this spot. It was a little hard to find, but it's located across from the business buildings. I would say that it's technically part of a food court, which holds three businesses, two of which are malatang, and one is a hookah bar. Like other malatang spots, this is a self serve style of hotpot where you grab a bowl and put together your meats, carbs, veggies, and then hand it off to them to add in broth. Their prices are super affordable here! I got some meats, mushrooms, noodles, and veggies with the tomato broth for about $15! I loved the tomato broth, although I wish it came with spice levels like the regular broth does. I ended up mixing my broth with my friend's mild broth and it was perfect. There's a lot of seating, so you basically order at the front and get a buzzer, find a table, and when your buzzer goes off, you go up to the front again to grab your food. I can definitely see it being confusing with the business next door, but I'm glad my friend was there to help me through the process. I heard this spot is also open late, so maybe I'll come back for a late night meal! read more

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Casual make you own hot pot spot. They have a few shelves of raw ingredients like veggies, meats, seafood, fish balls, eggs, starches, tofu, and noodles that you put into a bowl. You grab a bowl and serve yourself by placing the ingredients in your bowl, then bring it up to the counter and let the staff know what kind of broth you want. Broth options are regular hot pot soup style or dry style which is the mellow spicy broth. However broth options are pretty limited with only 4 to choose from. I wish they had more options like curry or tom yum flavor. They weigh your food and it's $14.99/lb. They give you a buzzer and the wait for your food is usually about 5-7 minutes - very fast! The bowl that comes out is huge! So be careful how much you put in your ingredient bowl because it's easy for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach, but you definitely get a good amount for not a bad price. The restaurant is clean and well kept. Not messy or dirty, even though you put your own tray away when you're done eating, other customers are usually very respectful and put their tray away in the back when done. The demographic here is mostly Chinese, but I am very clearly not Chinese and my mandarin is not the best, but staff was still very friendly and kind. Great place for a hearty, comforting meal and easy to go when dining solo which I love! I came for lunch and had a very comfortable meal here for $20, and left with plenty of extra food and soup to go. I am giving it 5 stars because this is a great place, no complaints, but I probably won't come back just because I wasn't the biggest fan of the broth (I got beef broth flavor) and would like more variety with broth options. read more

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First timer, price is based on weight ($14.99/lb) with a minimum of 0.8lbs for wet and 1.0lbs for dry. Glad they have non spicy options, pretty good food, it's just based on your own personal preference since you make your own bowls. Service was quick and good for being busy today. read more

YGF Malatang - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

If you're looking for the ultimate comfort meal in Irvine, YGF Malatang is the place to be. I've tried my fair share of hot pot and malatang spots, but the bone broth here is on a completely different level. It is rich, savory, and has that deep, authentic flavor that you only get from hours of careful simmering. The process is straightforward and satisfying: * Fresh Selection: They have a massive variety of fresh greens, quality meats, and unique noodles. Everything looks crisp and well-maintained. * The Broth: While you can customize your spice level, the base bone broth is the real star. It's creamy without being heavy and serves as the perfect canvas for whatever ingredients you pick. * Consistent Quality: Every bowl I've had here has been consistently delicious. The staff is efficient, and the space is clean and inviting. This is one of those rare spots that actually lives up to the hype. It's nourishing, filling, and easily the best bowl of malatang in Orange County. read more

The Bone Broth Soup- Medium Spice never fails me...I get it every time I come here and it consistently hits the spot! Arguably my favorite malatang spot for a hearty and comforting meal, and can never get sick of it because you can get different toppings each time. I love getting their hand made noodles, fish tofu, fish ball with roe, and shrimp paste fortune bag! Food comes out pretty quick too! I also love that I always leave with leftovers because they give you a good amount of broth! Pretty casual place, located in a small food court situation. And considering a lot of places close early in Irvine, this place is open late till 2AM! read more

YGF Malatang - Signature Thick Beef Bone Soup, Medium Spice - Chinese Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to Zhangliang, Yintang, and Sorimmara malatang but I think YGF tastes better than all of them. Been here so many times late at night because it is one of the only other places open late. You can also get your food really fast. Workers are friendlier than at the other malatang places too. I do wish it was a little cleaner esp around the sauce bar area and that the water they serve tasted better. Other than that, solid place to go for late night food! Go with the mild bone broth soup base if you want a bit of a kick but don't want a stomachache the next morning. read more

Quick self service food! Lots of good choices with a self serve sauce bar. There's lots of seating and parking as well read more

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