YGF MaLaTang

Also known as Yang Guo Fu – a chain with 16 U.S. locations including one in Orange County – YGF MaLaTang offers a seriously interesting but no-frills version of the Chinese malatang soup and dry noodle concept also found locally at Pixiu Mala Hongtang and YinTang Spicy Hot Pot. All but hidden in a small food court at the Jamboree Promenade plaza (home to Naricha Tea & Coffee, Korean restaurant Yoo’s Place, and an Irvine location of Frank’s Chinese restaurant), YGF spreads multiple open refrigerators full of ingredients across its own space and a common dining room. Though YGF’s storefront is larger and its signage is more prominent than those of its food court neighbor, XiXi Fried Skewer, their menus, color schemes, and “serve yourself” display fridges overlap enough that guests may struggle to know where one place ends and the next begins.

At YGF, you use tongs to assemble a bowl of any marinated, pre-sliced meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and noodles you find appealing, then pay around $15 per pound to have them turned into either a soup or dry pot bowl by the kitchen. Beef bone broth can be ordered at four levels of spiciness, while a tomato broth is described as “sweet and sour” but not spicy. Two dry style mixes offer either “mild spicy” sesame and peanut butter sauces or spicy stir-fry with mild, medium, or extra spicy levels for a $2 surcharge. YGF also offers a small collection of skewered items – shrimp, fish cake, squid, potato, or sausage – and fried pork, rice cakes, and durian balls as $3 to $9 snacks. Guests should realistically expect to pay around $25 to $30 here before drinks; self-serve ice water is available for free.