Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    YGF Malatang

    4.7 (185 reviews)
    ModerateHot Pot, Chinese, Noodles
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order YGF Malatang Takeout or Delivery

    YGF Malatang Photos

    YGF MALATANG ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - YGF Malatang

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Nicole M.

    I was craving malatang but most of the other malatang places in Convoy have crazy long lines. I came here and we were able to get seated right away! I really liked how they have Ponzu as one of their sauce options, I feel like I don't see that super often at malatang places but it gives the sauce a really nice citrusy kick! I got the classic bone broth and my boyfriend got the tomyum broth. The tomyum broth was delicious and the classic bone broth has a numbing spice that slowly builds the more you eat. I personally preferred the tomyum broth but both were really good. It also shares a space with the Bei Yuan tea shop next door so you can have boba as you eat your malatang. I really enjoyed coming here and I'll definitely be back!

    Beef broth, wide noodles and beef with rice cakes
    Brian D.

    Very clean, very friendly service and epic size to this YGF Malatang! The ingredients were super fresh and constantly being restocked. What struck me as well? Was the impeccable cleanliness of the restaurant. Got two soups and one dry noodles. Dope.

    bone broth mild
    Emily Z.

    The bone broth is really good! It's really flavorful and I like it more than YinTang or ZhangLiang broths. I got mild and it was really numbing and pretty spicy for mild, so just FYI if you can't handle spice! I was kinda shocked by the spice level. The beef brisket however is not as fatty or as tender as in the other malatang spots. However I'll still be back if I'm craving a solid bone broth malatang. For some reason the bone broth is 2.99 more expensive than all the other broth/flavoring options. I asked why but the employee couldn't give me an answer. She also wouldn't let our 2 person party sit at a 4 person table even though there were plenty of those available. Minus points here. The restaurant took over the left half of BeiYuan which is interesting as both restaurants share the same bathroom.

    Seating at lunchtime
    Shannon D.

    YGF was SO GOOD! I have never had malatang before, and the cashier helped me through the process of ordering. One bowl is plenty for two people- we could barely finish it even though it was so delicious. There was plenty of seating right when they open at 5pm. There is a parking lot right outside that is shared with the other stores in the area. The decor was very up to date and the restaurant was very clean.

    Malatang mild spicy
    David Z.

    Love the options of malatang opening up in San Diego. The inside has plenty of tables, but it shares a floor with another cafe. You go in and pay by the weight of your ingredients. Then they cook it all and bring it out for you to enjoy. Highly recommend their base flavor. It does get spicy! Service was fast and friendly.

    Ingredients
    Grace L.

    I was looking forward to coming here, but from the start, it was a rough experience. I called ahead and asked for a table of 9, and the guy who answered said that when we get there at 7 PM that they would seat us immediately. At 7 PM, I checked in and the lady at the front said that they wouldn't be able to seat us until another table cleared. There were three empty tables, but she didn't want to combine two of the tables together until a customer sitting at the fourth table finished eating. That didn't make sense to us, and she said with attitude that she wouldn't inconvenience a customer. I don't understand why it would inconvenience the customer for two other tables to be combined. We decided to wait, and then they finally combined two of the tables for us. For food, we waited about 30 minutes for the 9th person in our party to receive his food. The waiter also spilled some of his broth on the way over, and didn't offer to top off the broth. I got the classic herbal beef bone broth in mild, and it definitely didn't taste mild. The numbing spice was really strong, and I only was able to get through half of my bowl. This experience was disappointing all around, and I will not be back.

    Hot pot bar
    Michelle M.

    Delicious Serve Yourself Chinese Hot Pot. Start off by picking your table and knowing the number. getting a bowl and filling it with all the meats, veggies you want. Then head to the counter to put in your order with what kind of broth you want and give them your table number. After, head over to the sauce bar where they have recipes for certain types of tastes you would want. Then await your hot pot goodness! The portions can be as generous as you like, as you pay per pound. This shop is located in a shop that also connects to a boba shop, so this place is really casual. Definitely worth trying this experience.

    Mai H.

    YGF Malatang is a decent spot, though it didn't completely wow me. I tried their classic herbal beef bone broth, which costs an extra $2.99 per bowl. The broth was alright, but I found it a bit lighter in flavor than I personally prefer; especially compared to Zhangliang, which I think sets a really high bar for me when it comes to broth. The overall experience wasn't bad, but I think I would've enjoyed YGF a lot more if I had never tried Zhangliang before. The concept is still solid, and it's a good option if you're in the area. YGF shares a space with Bei Yuan, which I assume means they have the same owners. It's super convenient to grab your meal and then stay for tea, or just relax and hang out with a drink afterward.

    Mild Beef Herbal Soup Hotpot
    Ari Z.

    The restaurant is between Bei Yuan and the AYCE sushi place. It's clean, and there's Chinese pop music playing. The ingredient buffet is well-stocked, but not a lot of bean curd options, and not everything is labeled. I got the mild Beef Herbal soup, but it was SUPER spicy. Maybe the other soup options are actually not spicy? But it was NOT mild. It wasn't crowded on a Friday evening.

    Counter
    Long D.

    Big chain malatang comes to convoy, same place with boba place. Clean, orange color deco as Malatang, came at 5 pm so no line no crowd so good ambiance to enjoy the food. Classic herbal is the best but $3 more. free strawberry oolong tea is a sweet thang to water down the hot soup. And no minimum weight is also a plus to have room to enjoy the dessert later. Ordered classic herbal beef bone soup and another grind pleasant spicy dry mix. Soup is tasty but very salty and overwhelming tongue numbing Szechuan peppers. The dry mix is nice but underwhelming. Probably will need to order more veggies and carb to balance out the sodium.

    Sue D.

    03/23/2026 Found a great DIY hot pot spot! It's similar to Zhangliang Malatang, but better in my opinion. The standouts were the tender frog legs, shrimp paste, and complimentary strawberry oolong tea. Both the Classic Beef Bone and Tom Yum broth were delicious, the bass was perfectly cooked, and the intestines were savory and flavorful. The only downside was the sauce bar, which had a smaller selection than expected. Conveniently connected to Bei Yuan Tea & Boba.

    Lisa V.

    YGF is adjacent to Bei Yuan, and they share the same space within the plaza. It's quite a small space, but they still have a variety of meats and veggies to build your own malatang bowl. One thing to note during my experience was that we came right as they opened (5pm) but some of the veggies were brown and lacked freshness, so I chose to not put any in my bowl. I chose the classic beef bone broth with medium spice, which was an extra $3. The medium spice was numbing due to the Szechuan chili oil. It was great that we received complimentary iced tea, which was refreshing and helped with the heat! Overall, it was a pretty good experience but I prefer Yin Tang over YGF due to fresher ingredients and richer flavors from their bone broth (without the extra charge).

    Ingredient Area
    Vivian

    With malatang starting to pop up everywhere in San Diego, it was honestly exciting to see YGF Malatang open. I really like this style of restaurant because everything is fully customizable. You grab a bowl, choose exactly what you want, and build something that fits your mood. Located inside the Independence Square shopping center on Clairemont Blvd, YGF Malatang shares a space with Bei Yuan Tea. We were greeted right away and seated. The ingredient station is on the right side, where you grab a metal bowl and tongs and build your selection. The topping variety felt on par with other malatang spots, but I did notice items I don't usually see, like egg dumplings, fish dumplings, and soup-filled beef meatballs. Everything looked clean, organized, and fresh. There is no minimum weight requirement, which I really appreciated since most places require at least 1 lb. Pricing is $13.99 per pound. After filling your bowl, you bring it to the register, they weigh it, and ask what soup base you want. I paid the $2.99 upcharge for the beef bone broth because I wanted something rich. Before sitting down, I stopped at the sauce bar, which had a lot of options like garlic, green onions, cilantro, sesame sauce, satay, chili oil, crushed peanuts, and sesame seeds. I made a chili oil and sesame sauce combo, and adding the crushed peanuts made it even better. The station was very clean and easy to use. When I got back to my table, I noticed they had placed complimentary sparkling drinks there for us. It tasted fruity, maybe passionfruit, and was really refreshing, especially with the spicy broth. That small detail made the experience feel more thoughtful. Beef bone broth (medium spicy): This was the highlight. The broth was rich, deep, and flavorful, and tasted like it was made in house. Medium spicy was actually pretty spicy, so I would probably go mild next time and adjust from there. The broth coated everything well and made each bite satisfying. I added honeycomb tripe, potato noodles, tofu, and beef, and everything was so good in the soup. The potato noodles were especially good and had that chewy texture I like. Dry pot: The dry pot is more like a stir fry version of your toppings, coated in a nutty, sesame-forward sauce. It was very flavorful and well cooked. The noodles were cooked perfectly. I personally still prefer the soup version, but this was a fun option and worth trying. I think this would be a great way to try different noodles. Service and ambiance: Service was beyond great. The employee at the register was friendly and helpful. The space felt clean and comfortable and being connected to Bei Yuan Tea makes it easy to grab boba before or after your meal. The complimentary drink was also a really nice touch and made the place stand out more to me. This is easily my favorite malatang spot so far. The broth quality, topping variety, and overall experience were all amazing. I already know I'll be coming back.

    Banner on the marquee of the suite

    See all

    28 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Very friendly staff, we got the classic bone broth medium spice and it was perfectly seasoned with a little tingling from the peppercorns.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mai H.
    222
    505
    2030

    4 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    7 months ago

    Helpful 53
    Thanks 11
    Love this 39
    Oh no 6

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joe B.
    41
    113
    174

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Vivian H.
    145
    14
    11

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 days ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hai N.
    74
    21
    60

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rebecca G.
    48
    60
    622

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Judy G.
    156
    354
    4531

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Momo Z.
    150
    213
    1553

    7 months ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Kevin Z.

    Kevin Z.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    YGF Malatang Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - YGF Malatang

    You might also consider

    Shancheng Lameizi

    Shancheng Lameizi

    4.4
    (180 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    My first time here and it won't be the last…read more Parking: 5/5 I arrived on a Saturday evening and I found parking in the plaza location of Shancheng. So did my other friends. Not sure if I just got lucky because parking on Convoy can usually be troublesome for how popular it is, but perhaps we just came on a lucky day. Customer Service: 5/5 Lovely staff. I arrived before our party of 7 and they were able to accommodate us by offering two table options. Thoughtful and friendly people work here. Hotpot: What a selection! I loved the mushroom broth, the assortment of fresh veggies from bok choy, romaine lettuce, lots of mushrooms options - my favorite is the enoki, and I loved the tofu skin. Beef lovers and seafood fans will enjoy this place as well. One of my fave items we ordered is a shrimp paste dish for our hotpot. That was delicious. I also love how they have a sauce bar. Snack Bar: I frequented the snack bar. The coconut jelly and coconut crackers is my favorite. They have a lot of snacks to pick from and it's complimentary! Ambiance: This place is gorgeous. Lots of interesting architectural decor. I had a great time capturing photos of the restaurant while I waited for my party to arrive. I'll definitely be coming back and recommending this place.

    Came on a Friday night around 7pm and we were seated immediately as a party of 4. The inside was…read morespacious, clean, and welcoming and service was friendly and quick throughout the whole meal. Parking can be a bit rough since it's right on Convoy so we parked on a side street but there is a lot right in front if you're feeling lucky. We got the split pot with bone broth and mild spicy and the spicy side was SO SPICY! The flavor was there but I definitely preferred the non spicy side. They also have an extensive sauce/snack/dessert bar with unlimited sesame balls, shrimp chips, and other Chinese desserts which I thought was unique. In terms of the actual hot pot ingredients, they definitely use high quality stuff and have a large variety to pick from! Overall, it was a good experience, but if I were to come back I probably would avoid the spicy soup base.

    Photos
    Snack bar
    Snack bar
    Menu
    Menu
    Menu (2/1/22)

    See all

    Menu (2/1/22)
    Tabu Shabu - North Park

    Tabu Shabu - North Park

    4.6
    (726 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$
    Healthy dining

    Super delicious food, highly recommend the ribeye cut. I also really liked the vegetables and the…read moresake was super tasty.

    Great service. We…read moreloved this a few months ago and came back. Immediately when we walked in a manager we recognized said "welcome back". Let me tell you.... When you only ate somewhere once but they remember you that makes you want to keep coming back! One big draw for me is the kids meal and options/service for kids. If a kid is under 7 they don't charge for them to split your meal with you and they can still get their own soup bowl and chair. Also, they have a kids meal option for 10 and under. My kids absolutely love being treated like real customers. They get to cook their own food and the team addresses them kindly and tends to them. By the nature of this type of meal there is a decent amount of checking in the waitstaff has to do like adjusting cook temps, delivering plates and drinks, coming back for add ons etc so it is a good restaurant experience for kids. They even have high high chairs (not a typo) for the babies. The food is good. Everything is prepped to order... you can literally see people slicing your meat or putting your vegetables together in the back. I come here because I want quality and not the volume of an ACYE place. I'd prefer to spend my calories wisely. I was surprised that it was full but no wait on a weekday. It's hard to find somewhere with a vibe on a weekday but this place has one. It's a short drive from the zoo and Balboa park so I'm sure the team will see us again.

    Photos
    Wagyu short rib
    Wagyu short rib
    Tabu Shabu - North Park
    Tabu Shabu - North Park

    See all

    YGF Malatang - hotpot - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...