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    YGF Malatang

    4.1 (173 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Hot Pot
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order YGF Malatang Takeout or Delivery

    YGF Malatang Photos

    Business Info

    YGF MALATANG ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - YGF Malatang

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    Emily T.

    Delicious malatang spot! Came with a friend and we customized our bowls. She got the herbal mushroom and loved it and I got the bone broth medium spicy. I wish they had given my a tad more broth with my bowl but other than that everything was very tasty. They give free ice cream with the receipt when you're done and there's plenty of seating available inside. They also have a sauce bar!

    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.

    Bill X.

    We had been here before the renovation and honestly didn't have the best experience. The service wasn't great and the food was overly salty. After seeing that they had renovated, we decided to give them another chance, and this visit genuinely surprised us. The restaurant feels much cleaner and more comfortable now, and the food selection has improved significantly. More importantly, the food itself tasted way better than we remembered, with fresher ingredients and much more balanced flavors. The one thing that hasn't improved is the wait time. Even though there were only a few customers when we visited, we still waited around 20 minutes for our food. Aside from that, the renovation and improvements definitely changed our impression of this place for the better, and we're glad we gave it another try.

    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.

    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.

    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!

    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.

    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.

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    5 months ago

    This place is so delicious! Must try! The service is good they give your oranges and ice cream!

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    6 months ago

    been going to YGF since freshman year of uni, will always be a staple for me even post-grad. love it! their ice cream is sooo good

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    6 months ago

    They have good food and great service here. The staff are so nice. They also give kids toys ;)

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    11 months ago

    I forgot my soup here and so they gave me free soup after closing and the food is amazing here!! A must visit in udistrict

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    Page 2 of 5

    Ask the Community - YGF Malatang

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    Pipa Mountain Hot Pot

    4.4(150 reviews)
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    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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    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

    Happy Lamb Hot Pot

    4.3(351 reviews)
    4.6 miChinatown, Chinatown International District
    $$$
    Large group friendly
    Casual dining

    I came for my birthday as they do a free meal if you bring enough additional guests, and it was…read moregreat! This spot is on the second floor, past the bbq place downstairs. We had a reservation but it was pretty empty when we came and we probably didn't even need it. Their AYCE is great value imo - they had a huge selection of meats, seafood, tofu, fishballs, and veggies. I especially loved the roe fishballs, octopus, fish fillet, and quail eggs. The tomato broth was my favorite of the ones we tried. Their sauce bar is also quite extensive with a bunch of sides and desserts too - I loved their cucumber and kimchi! Overall, a great experience :)

    I really wanted to like this experience more than I did. First off, I'm a Happy Lamb enthusiast and…read morehave been making hot pot at home for more than 10 years now using their broth packs. When I found out they were opening a location near me, I was over the moon excited. I went with my boyfriend probably 2-3 months of the restaurant opening. We walked in, were told it would be a 45min-1 hr wait and put ourselves on the waitlist and shopped around the mall. When it said we were 2nd in line, we started back towards the restaurant but the yelp app no longer said we were in line. They were extremely busy and it took several minutes to get helped by someone after waiting, which was a frustrating start. Our servers were very helpful and prompt in bringing us our items. HOWEVER--I need to complain about them charging for a sauce bar. I've never in my life heard of an all you can eat place like this charging for sauce?? I maybe understand charging for sides and dessert, but the AYCE price seems substantial enough to cover what was there... it doesn't give the generous vibe that buffets or AYCE places usually do. For what we had (we chose the basic set), I would be hard pressed to pay much more by adding on drinks, a premium set upgrade, or sauces and sides. I think the food was good--there was lots of variety in the basic set and we definitely left full. After trying this though, I think I'll stick with my butane stove, buying broth packs, and having hot pot at home with friends.

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    Weekday lunch combo

    HOW Pot

    HOW Pot

    4.0(193 reviews)
    4.4 miPioneer Square
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    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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    Gourmet Noodle Bowl

    Gourmet Noodle Bowl

    4.1(563 reviews)
    4.7 miChinatown, Chinatown International District
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    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
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    Bellwether BBQ&Grill

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    4.3(257 reviews)
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    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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    YGF Malatang - chinese - Updated September 2026

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