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YGF Malatang

4.1 (171 reviews)
ModerateChinese, Hot Pot
Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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YGF Malatang Photos

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YGF MALATANG ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - YGF Malatang

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Madison J.

LOVE LOVE LOVE MALATANG. the food is so good and really fills you up, of course it is self serve. You grab a bowl and pick what ingredients you'd like in your bowl and then pick a broth. It takes about 10 minutes of cooking time to get your bowl back. You can bring your receipt to the front for ice cream. There is also a topping bar and water station. This location is pretty much always busy, so you may have to wait for a table to become available. Very casual dine in place.

Jeremiah M.

Last time I was back at the University District location was before the renovations, but now that I found time to come visit again, it's looking pretty nice and updated! I really like YGF Malatang, they're typically consistent across all locations in the area, and the options they have are good. My usual order is a medium spicy beef broth with beef and lamb slices, variety of veggies like bok choy, pumpkin, etc, among other items. I always skip noodles though since I prefer to have more meat in my bowl. Quality overall is positive, can't complain at all. Only reason for not being 5 stars is that this location can get really packed, but that's like most YGFs around here. But I prefer the other locations better, and there are some other malatangs in Seattle/Bellevue that have even more options.

Timothy H.

A hotpot restaurant that charges by the pound that you should try! They recently renovated this place with their lighting and set up of their food. I had their beef bone broth with mild level spiciness, however, it definitely was near the medium level. I've went here multiple times and their mild spice level has never been that spicy. They now have a 1/2 mild spice level, so I'm going to try that next time because I don't enjoy the numbing/tingling feeling from the spice of the soup. They also give out free soft serve and I enjoyed it. The ambiance is better than previously after the renovation. There's definitely better lightning and the place seems more spacious. The service was okay. It's partly self served. The food didn't take too long to make.

Danielle L.

Busy on a weekday night, but was able to snag a seat luckily! I ordered the dry mix with the peanut and sesame sauce, it was not too spicy but did have enough mala/Szechuan flavor. They give us a small free ice cream at the end too!

Misheel I.

Got free labubu :-) The raffle is so cute and is a fun way to attract customers! Malatang is good! The selection of meat is good and the greens are always fresh! The noodles are also good! It was really hot and stuffy in the winter but the summer with the A/C it was pretty refreshing. Really wish they can make it a bit spicier tho... I feel like the most spicy is never too spicy for me.

Orange
Elisa L.

Really yummy reminds me of the location I have back home but this location gives you an ice cream and oranges with your meal. I like the variety of ingredients here and the service was timely. Gets busy on Fridays nights.

Jenna L.

Questionable in terms of sanitation, many flies and gnats trapped in the sauces at the sauce station. Malatang itself was extremely oily, but the flavor of the broth was alright. An okay place for a quick and casual grab, not the place for quality though. Seating is somewhat limited.

Beef bone broth with a mixture of vegetables and meat, and seafood.
Jared W.

MalaTang is one of the few self serve hot pot spots out there. For $14.99 a pound you can get whatever you want. I love the control you have over how much of what you want to get. They have so many options for noodles, vegetables, meat, and seafood. I do wish there was more seating somehow. It's not very large and it's always pretty busy (I guess so many other people love it too!). That being said they were pretty quick to buss tables. When sitting down to eat they bring by fruit for you too! All in all a great place to eat!

Tammy L.

The YGF Malatang at University Way (nearest to Sharetea, not nearest to the end of the Ave because it's not as flavorful compared) and near Southcenter are my favorite. The tomato and spicy beef broth is my favorite. I love being able to manage my portions and ingredients, perfect for days I want a little/bigger meal. The ingredients in the bowl are fairly weighed. The price is cheap and affordable! The service is friendly and welcoming. The place is clean with many seats, never having to wait to eat your food.

khine l.

Everyone was so nice at this restaurant. The food was excellent. One employee stood out. His name is Yao. He was kind, helpful and courteous. You are so lucky to have him working for you. We felt right at home. We are travelling to Seattle from Southern California. We recommend this place.

Katherine Y.

Came here on a Tuesday at 5:30, and the place was bustling the entire time, which makes me think the ingredients are refreshed often and not sitting out for long. I noticed there isn't separation between the veggies and meat, and there's no sign asking customers to use separate tongs. That doesn't bother me, but it might be an issue for vegetarians concerned about cross-contamination. You grab a bowl at the entrance, fill it with ingredients of your choice, then head to the counter to weigh and pay. I paid $18 including tip, which felt reasonable. At the pickup station, you can ask for cilantro, green onions, garlic, or other garnishes. One employee was walking around offering free cantaloupe and orange slices, which was an unexpected but appreciated touch. It's a casual, no-frills spot with a lot of students from nearby UW. I'd come back

Big Bowl of Tomato Broth and Ingredients
Winn H.

Pro Tip: Shake off water to shed some water weight, and note that frozen foods (esp meat balls) tend to weigh more. Additionally, note that the bowl is super big and may deceive how much you think you can eat. (Recommend filling 1/8th of the big bowl). - - - - - Visited YGF with a friend, and compared to similar concept restaurants, this YGF location definitely ranks at one of the smaller ones. The area for ingredients was quite, and the interior is not only a tad cramped (and hard to find seating during rush hour) but also fairly humid and stuffy. The staff that work here are efficient and nice, but communication was difficult for myself and a few guests that I observed in passing unless Mandarin was used for ordering and the condiments near pickup. I ordered their tomato broth, and it was not the most tasty. While it did have the taste of tomatoes, it definitely felt heavily watered down. Lastly for ~$15.99/lb, cost will really add up fast if you aren't careful. Some tips to stay on the lighter side: 1) Shake off excess water; almost everything is drowned in or has trapped water, especially frozen foods like meat balls. 2) This is one of those places where it's best to underestimate than overestimate; you cannot weigh until you pay! You can always add more, but it's harder to take away.

Yesenia G.

the best broth i've had in a while! it's a bit of a drive from me so i've only been back twice but it's truly a comfort meal at this point. The service is great it's more of a self serve and self help type of restaurant but the girl who took our order and explained the levels of heat was very helpful! seating is pretty limited it gets very busy, and i would definitely recommend finding a table before you make your bowl to assure seating. Great intimate spots for all party times and i will continue coming back for as long as they let me.

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4 years ago

Overpriced and slow to serve. Slower than little garden. Expecting 30 ~ 40 minutes...

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4 years ago

Way Overpriced!!! The tomato base lacks flavor. The fish doesn't taste good either. Disappointed.

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Chengdu Memory

Chengdu Memory

4.4
(649 reviews)
4.5 mi
$$$

10/10 Hotpot! This…read moreis an authentic Chinese Hotpot. Everything is a-la-carte but trust me, you'll get a good filling for the value. Impressed with the service and all the free amenities offered to you lol but ultimately the hotpot experience was amazing. The pork broth was our favorite if you don't like spicy! The inside was decorated and setup like an oriental room with a bunch of hotpot tables. They're meant to share so bring your friends / family. Would highly recommend.

Chengdu Memory specializes solely in hot pot. And that's exactly what you get. Not much in the way…read moreof ambiance or service. Just DIY hot pot. Customers are primarily Chinese. They know what they want and expect. You might be taken aback if that's not you. You probably should make a reservation. Parking is available in the lot next door but you must park in spots for the restaurant. Otherwise you'll get a big fine. You have to ask for a piece of paper to put in your car on the dashboard. You will be led to a table by a no nonsense person. Each table has a place for the pot filled with whichever soup you choose to cook your food in. Ordering is done on a iPad. Straight forward, again if you know what you're doing. Otherwise just ask questions and take your time. Choosing meats is simple. Pork and lamb are my favorite. Meats come sliced very thin and rolled up and placed on wooden rings that surround the hot pot. Good luck choosing the other items. Green vegetables, tofu, noodles, turnips and dried tofu rolls to name a few. I personally stay away from the coagulated pig blood. After you type in your order, go to the self serve bar. There are plates there if you don't already have them at your table. It's near the front with various salads and other snacky items, such as peanuts. Somethings to enjoy before the hot pot is ready. You also will concoct your own dipping sauce from the several choices of ingredients available. People usually combine four or five different kinds. You can always go back later and try different combinations. Also there are small cans of sesame oil that I like to add to my sauce. A server will bring the very hot pot of soup you asked for. Let it return to a boil. Using chopsticks pick up one or two rolls of meat and wave them around in the boiling soup for just a few seconds until the meat changes color to gray. Dip it in your sauce and eat. Repeat. Gradually the soup will take on flavor from all the meat you cook. Add some of this other things you ordered. I usually cook leafy greens and noodles later. Take your time. It seems like you are eating more than you actually are. Payment is at the end because you might choose to order more food to cook.

Photos
Interior
Interior
Chengdu Memory
Mango Oasis Sour Yogurt Cube Snow Ice What's up Chengdu snow ice (panda)

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Mango Oasis Sour Yogurt Cube Snow Ice What's up Chengdu snow ice (panda)
Pipa Mountain Hot Pot

Pipa Mountain Hot Pot

4.4
(150 reviews)
4.5 mi
$$$

Came here on a Wednesday night and the place was literally empty. We were greeted and seated right…read moreaway of course. Our server was really nice and provided refills quickly, as well as offered to put in more broth. The sauce bar is pretty good. There are some appetizers there too. We got the lamb and beef combo, as well as pork belly. All of them tasted great. Ambience is really nice. Very nicely decorated. It does make me really sad to see such a great restaurant sit so emptily, likely due to its location.

First time trying. Went late afternoon on a Sunday. Plenty of tables available. Several tables…read morewere full with patrons. We ordered the lamb & beef combo, mixed veggies. Selected the healthy mushroom broth and the pork bone broth. Both were just okay not a lot of flavor, but not too salty. We both got the sauce bar too. Also included some chicken feet, a Thai chicken gizzards and celery dish, fungus, two different kinds of soup, and cantaloupe and grapes. You can go up to the sauce bar Unlimited times. Restaurant was tidy and clean, service was very good and cordial Free parking for two hours on the 3rd floor, but a bit sketchy. The restaurant is on level 2c. Kind of hard to find cause the over the door signage says Bite of China in big letters and Pipa Mountain Hot pot in small print Food was okay portion size of meat combo was generous. Might go back again.

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Clean n comfortable environment
Clean n comfortable environment
Pipa Mountain Hot Pot
Interior seating

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Interior seating
HOW Pot

HOW Pot

4.0
(193 reviews)
4.4 mi
$$$

This was on our radar for a while and our son finally talked mom into an AYCE experience!…read more She doesn't like it as much as myself..... We had a reservation on a Saturday evening but it wasn't that busy. Greeted and sat right away by nice staff. It's a bit of a tight table setup but quite well organized so that each diner can operate the heat of both their hot pot and grill independent of others. Quite a genius concept really and easily learned though odd for familiar diners of each type of cooking. They had this really good stewed pork and quail eggs and a large rice cooker you can help yourself to at the bar while waiting. It was so good I had that for my dessert. A very typical Asian family dish often left on the kitchen stove that we are familiar with. The beverages are included in fridges with many soda lemonade waters and other stuff to grab as you like. There is a huge sauce bar to mix your own. Love the sesame sauce mixed with other things! And a bunch of fresh fruit to help yourself to. The hotpot had a number of choices. Sukiyaki broth looked good and our son loved it. I chose the spicy Szechuan type red broth and ordered it mild but it was still quite hot. Honestly this wasn't as tasty as other hotpot restaurants and even mine I make at home with ginger and garlic is much better. Wish I chose the sukiyaki or basic beef broth like our daughter (it was tasty too). So I gave up after a couple rounds of that and stuck to the bbq. The bbq is small with parchment paper on a steel tray but it cooks up pretty quick and nice. Great general choices with many things available. Spicy pork was not the best I've had though and that's one of my faves. Excellent beef choices and pork belly. Whole head on prawns etc. The list is huge. Overall the service was quite fast and attentive clearing dishes and bringing additional items you order from a tablet. They don't do either type of bbq or hotpot as well as others but it's pretty close and so fun to mix and match! A little extensive but if you can eat a lot it's a fair value.

one of my new go to spots! it's ayce hotpot & bbq! This place is solo friendly! I usually come here…read morealone and i love the portion sizes. i would say the meat selection doesn't have a lot as other places but they do have good sides to make up for it. they also have an awesome sauce bar and a vast selection of drinks to choose from (dine - in only) they are still in their soft opening, i will be coming back!

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HOW Pot
HOW Pot
HOW Pot

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Gourmet Noodle Bowl

Gourmet Noodle Bowl

4.1
(563 reviews)
4.7 mi
$$

Solid 4 star Taiwanese restaurant and the service by the boss brings it top to 4.5. When I visited,…read morethere were two employees running the whole business. Both of them were super friendly and really made the visit special since I felt at home. The popcorn chicken was really top tier and a new go to. I got the personal hotpot and loved that I could customize what I wanted inside. The chili oil wontons were pretty solid but I think din tai Fung has a better sauce. Overall, I would recommend gourmet noodle bowl as a solid Taiwanese spot and I'll definitely be back!

Gourmet Noodle Bowl was my 3rd stop on the recent LNY Food Walk. As I walked in, I found that the…read moreinterior really reminded me of a old fashioned restaurant in Taiwan based on the decor and the table set up. The menu looked pretty authentic, so I was excited to order and dig into the $6 Food Walk special. The restaurant makes ordering easy: there's a kiosk right in the front for takeout, or for eat-in, there's a QR code to place an online order at each table. It's a pretty casual place, with self service water and bussing after the meal. Braised Pork Over Rice ($6) - The menu shows a picture of minced pork rice (滷肉飯), but this is actually braised pork belly rice (焢肉飯). They include two small pieces of pork belly, fatty and flavorful, braised until tender. There's half a braised egg, cooked homestyle (e.g. until there's a green ring around the yolk), which is quite flavorful just by itself, being marinated and braised for hours. Some pickled veggies helps cut through some of the fat. The special part of this dish is of course the meat juices and braising liquid that soaks to the rice. It adds a bit of a sweet and soy element as well as fat to help make the rice even more tender, yet not mushy. (4/5) The food I ate tasted pretty good, and the menu is interesting enough to revisit. Seems like Gourmet Noodle Bowl is another win on the Food Walk front! Note: They also offered a Food Walk $6 "Shin Ramen Bowl" special that I didn't get. Based on the name, is it just instant ramen?

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Gourmet Noodle Bowl
Gourmet Noodle Bowl
Duck Noodle Soup and Pork Bun

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Duck Noodle Soup and Pork Bun
Haidilao Hotpot Seattle

Haidilao Hotpot Seattle

4.5
(963 reviews)
3.7 mi
$$$
Large group friendly
Vegetarian friendly

We were in the area for a movie and were walking around Pacific Place mall when the host from…read moreHaidilao noticed us looking at their menu. They told us they had happy hour after 9:00 PM with 31% off everything on the menu. Happy hour?! What a surprise! I thought they only had happy hour midday. I was recovering from a cold and soup sounded great, so we walked right in. ​The last time we were here was a year ago during our annual Seattle trip. The tomato soup is our favorite, but we decided to have that along with the gold chicken and fish maw soup this time. The fish maw soup is very collagen-rich and comforting to drink. ​We also ordered the beef sirloin slices, lamb shoulder, and pork belly, all of which were top quality. ​What I like about Haidilao is the variety of items you can use to make your own sauce. Every time you come, it's a bit of a "choose your own adventure." ​Definitely one of our favorite places to visit!

We are party of 4 came to Haidilao Seattle 1st time. 2 went Haidilao in Hanoi Vietnam and they…read morelove it there. But they didn't like it much here in Seattle. The other 2 of us were 1st time to any Haidilao. We picked AYCE $36.99, paid extra for Thai soup base for 1/2 pot, the other half was tomato soup base. Hot pot was mediocre 2.5. Fish balls 1 order was way too much that we had to finish them that we almost full to eat anything else, 1 star for fish ball. Tofu 1 order is too much as well, 1 star. We don't like the restaurant tactic to put 1 cheaper food order too much that we had to finish. Beef was good 4 star. Note that leftover food will be penalized. Hotpot food overall is 1.5 star. Service was excellent by the waiter 5 star. But 2 star for the robot and the tablet ordering which didn't allow to order more than 1 plate of food. 2 of us went to Haidilao 1st time would not be back. Overall was 2 star, thanks to the dessert stations. We paid extra $3.99 for sauces and dessert stations which were excellent 5 star.

Photos
Enjoy different soup bases with our 4 flavor pot!
Enjoy different soup bases with our 4 flavor pot!
Make various kind of sauces with our broad selection of ingredients from our sauce bar.
Make various kind of sauces with our broad selection of ingredients from our sauce bar.
Lamb shoulder with the four flavor pot

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Lamb shoulder with the four flavor pot
Bellwether BBQ&Grill

Bellwether BBQ&Grill

4.3
(246 reviews)
4.6 mi
$$$
Large group friendly
Casual dining

What can i say? Epic and wonderful service. Came here with the fam and had a great time. Good…read moreprices for what it's worth, food and meats are delicious. A great place to go with family or your lover. The all you can eat concept drew me here hahah. it is hard to find a solid "all you can eat" restaurant that is not only worth the price & location but also worth the food. You come in, choose your selection (per person that is) of what menu food you want (ranging from $35 to $45) and you're set. Though you have small portions, you can choose more if need be until you're full. If you're ever in Seattle, try this gem out. You'll love it. The only minor thing i didn't like about this place is the hype of Wagyu beef. I ordered the menu with wagyu and when i ate from the wagyu menu, it was ok, it wasn't the best. I finally realized that wagyu comes in different tiers, ranging from 1 to 5, 5 being the most delicious and of course more expensive (which i don't think they offer here). 5 also has the most fatty and delicious wagyu that just melts in your mouth. I think this was a tier 2 or 1. That's all hehe.

Epic! This place is so much fun! Clean and great service! It's super easy to order with the menu on…read morethe table. The food came super quick! The quality of the meat was delicious. The star of the show was the bulgogi! Must go! Make sure you make a reservation!!!

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Bellwether BBQ&Grill
Bellwether BBQ&Grill
Bellwether BBQ&Grill

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Sichuanese Cuisine

Sichuanese Cuisine

4.0
(789 reviews)
4.4 mi
$$

We first went to the 老四川 in Seattle before our son was born. He'll be 36 years old this year, so…read moreyes he's a horse. I had lived in Beijing for 8 years and spoke pretty good mandarin for a 老外 so I ordered for us. Our waitress, one of two sisters who ran the place, I call her 陈大姐, said to me, Wow, you can speak Chinese! You must be very smart! I replied, You must be very smart. You can speak Chinese! At first she didn't know what to say but then laughed. It was the beginning of a lovely relationship. However since the pandemic we had not been back. Perhaps yesterday we were in the spirit of celebrating the Spring Festival. We decided to go there. What a great choice! 陈大姐 by coincidence was working. She retired years ago. (Her sister opened another 老四川 in Bellevue but unfortunately has since passed away.) 陈大姐 immediately recognized us. She remembered our son and other family members who often joined us there. It felt like old friends getting together again. Unfortunately my wife and I were the only ones in our little group. It's better to have more people so you can order more dishes. We only got 4 dishes, 宫保鱼, 椒盐虾,干煸四季豆, 夫妻肺片。Gong bao fish, salt and pepper shrimp, green beans and "husband and wife lung strips"! Actually that's a beef and tendon appetizer. Everything tasted just like we remember. Well, the fish dish was wetter than before but still tasty. Flavors are authentic but a little toned down from the Sichuan food in China and in a few other local restaurants. The main flavor of Sichuan cuisine is 麻辣 or spicy numbing. It's not really so hot as it is numbing. Your lips tingle. Most people who didn't grow up with this aren't big fans. Their 水煮肉 or 水煮鱼 comes pretty close though. Leftovers with either of those and leftover rice plus whatever make the very best 烩饭, huifan! Just boil it. We arrived there early and there were just a few other customers eating. And they left soon after. So it was just us and a steady stream of delivery drivers coming in to pick up food to go. I would consider ordering on line like that but this food doesn't hold up well over the distance to our home. Although the interior had been remodeled since our last visit, the decor is fairly stark. Combine that with the location in a strip mall on the corner of Jackson and 12th, which has seen better days, ambience isn't a real draw. However if what you want is a very good meal at reasonable prices then you should go to the Sichuanese Cuisine restaurant in Seattle. (I prefer it to the one in Bellevue.) Too bad you probably won't get to meet 陈大姐。Now that we know the food is still great, we will return.

This place is so good. We have ordered an alarming amount of food from here and crave it even more…read more We love the black bean chicken (savory and not spicy) and the salt and pepper crispy tofu (gets you sweaty and happy) but there hasn't been a single thing we have disliked (although the pepper chicken made me physically ill from the spice afterward, which was still worth it). Even the broccoli dish was savory and perfectly cooked. The heat in the spicy dishes is amazing and inspired us to get a sichuanese cookbook and ingredients to *try* to make anything as good at home. I have never experienced take out I like this much.

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Sichuanese Cuisine
Chiken with string beans
Chiken with string beans
Sichuanese Cuisine

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YGF Malatang - chinese - Updated July 2026

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