Zhangliang Malatang

I love malatang, and Zhangliang is one of my favorite restaurants! My boyfriend and I come here several times a month. It's our go-to whenever we're craving soup or something similar to hot pot. What sets Zhangliang apart from other malatang spots (such as Tang Bar) is that they have a sauce bar! They have all of your typical ingredients to make hot pot sauce as well as some fruits to accompany your meal. Pricing is standard - $14.99/lb. They have a wide variety of veggies, fish/meat balls, mushrooms, tofu, noodles etc., everything you'd expect from a solid hot pot spot. The selection of sliced meats is limited to beef and lamb, but they have a lot of other meat products such as stewed pork belly, intestines, gizzards, spam, etc. And theres a good variety of seafood! I've tried all the broths, but I always go back to the bone broth or tom yum. The mushroom broth is great if you want something on the lighter side. I have yet to try the dry seasoning because I'm always craving a soup whenever I'm here, but it seems to be a popular choice and even recommended to us by the staff one time. The online Yelp waitlist is convenient and we never have to wait too long because their service is very efficient. One of my top recommendations for a quick and satisfying meal in downtown San Mateo!

Came on a Friday night and it was pretty busy. The meat and vegetable selection was fresh, well stocked, and tidy. The soup here wasn't as oily and salty as I expected, which was good. We tried the mushroom, tomato, and tom yum. All good options but I will say the tom yum tasted different than I expected. The restaurant itself was clean, and I expressed I had a peanut allergy and had no problems here (be careful at the sauce bar). Theres also fruit at the sauce bar. The only downside was the wait, we came on a friday evening so this was probably the reason. They have a Yelp waitlist, which they it didn't seem to be following. Seems like they call people earlier than expected.

I was slower to the malatang excitement because I was nervous that mala meant only spicy but there are plenty of other non spicy soup options. Concept is: you grab a bowl, choose your raw foods, and a soup base and the workers will heat up your personalized bowl. From Zhangliang specifically, my trustworthy food friend recommended the tomato soup and it's a mix of broth and creamy tomato soup which was flavorful and refreshing. As for the add in options, each malatang place is a little different but classic things to try and what I always get would be any meat you like, fish balls, tofu, fun leafy vegetables, different mushrooms, and thick clear noodle if you like chewy noodles. Zhangliang Malatang had many fresh add in options, yummy soup options, and I'm excited to visit again.

I always come here for the malatang. There are many spice level, but I usually get the mild spice and it's always a solid choice. However, this time I got the dry mala and the sauce was really good. we always get to choose what we want to put in the bowl and there are always a lot of options to choose from -- the meat, the veggies, the seafood, noodles and more. It's usually very busy during the weekend so be prepared to wait. But I would say this place is a really good spot to get with your friends and family or by yourself!

We were driving through San Mateo and decided to get some malatang since it was cold out! We ended up parking at the Main Street Garage ($0.75/hr, 8 am-6 pm Mon-Sat) since it was close by and also free after 6 pm.This spot is a pretty big establishment with lots of space indoors. We were a party of 5 and were still seated pretty quickly on a Friday evening.As for the food, it's a self-serve setup where you fill a clear plastic bowl with any ingredients you would like and then it gets weighed at the register. You also choose your soup base at that time.I got the mushroom soup base with my ingredients, which had good flavor and was comforting on a cold evening. I also liked that you could make as much sauce as you wanted and play around with the different flavor options there.At the price of $14.99/lb, this place seems pretty affordable but as with most self-serve places, it's easy to end up with a heavy (and pretty expensive) bowl since there are so many ingredients available so just be careful! I also think you could find all of these ingredients at your local Asian supermarket and recreate the same thing at home for cheaper. I probably wouldn't go back for this reason, but if you're craving some malatang, this is a decent spot.

My very first visit was a tad overwhelming, so many things to choose from.. but once you get the hang of it, it's quickly turned into a great meal. Now it's our semi- regular go to spot for Friday night dinners. The variety of fresh ingredients, from meats to vegetables, allows you to create a bowl that suits your taste perfectly. The restaurant is clean, staff is friendly, and the process of selecting ingredients is fun and easy. My usual is a mix of veggies, meats and noodles in the house spicy sauce. The raw bar with make your own dipping sauce is a great option. So glad to have a great option in downtown San Mateo!

Came on a Friday night around 6pm and it was busy, but luckily we were a party of 2 so we were quickly seated at the bar while bigger parties were waiting.It was our first time here so we were a little confused on how the process worked. I wish they had a QR scan to guide you through what to do. We got up and chose what to put in our bowls and checked out at the register. We thought we would pay right there but they said to wait till the end. Overall the food was good! I thought I had gotten way too much but it was just enough and very reasonably priced! They also had a sauce bar but they had the spoons stored underneath in a cabinet which was unclear if we were allowed to open it or not.It was confusing how to pay but apparently you get back in the line of the people checking out their bowls to pay. I wish they had a better system than that.Overall, food was good for a good price. One suggestion would be to make instructions more clear so it's a smoother process for the customer.

Stopped by on a Saturday night and there was a waitlist but it moved quickly as ppl were finishing up. The staff were courteous and quickly seated us. There aren't many meat options but the quality was good! They have many veggie and seafood options, which were fresh and nicely presented. It's $14.99/lb so you get to choose the amount you want, pick the soup base or dry mix, then pay at the end. I got the classic bone broth bc it was a cold day. You can choose between mild, medium or spicy. Overall, I like the concept and the variety of options they have for seafood and veggies, and the solid meat quality. The service was great and the staff were attentive even if they ate very busy. I would recommend this place for a relaxed meal with lots of options!

Probably the best malatang I've tried in the entire Bay! I got the classical bone broth with a medium spicy level. It was full of umami and savory goodness. I enjoyed the variety of ingredients they had to offer. The sauce bar was also plentiful. One thing I found a little odd was that you picked your raw meats first and then your veggies, all with the same tongs. I'm a little worried about cross contamination and if they store their veggies overnight with all the meat having touched them... I guess all the bacteria gets cooked out..? I don't know but most malatang restaurants have you pick your veggies & cooked ingredients first before your raw meats. So minus -1 star for thatAmbiance: no music or tv, very cleanService: great! Noticed the waiters did their best to accommodate other customers needs

If you are craving the mala spice, this is a great place to satisfy your craving. They had a lot of meat, vegetables and noodles options. Sauce bar is included, many choices for it as well. Service is what you expect. Very spacious place, just don't sit next to the ingredients bar because if it gets busy, a lot of people will stare at you while you slurp on them noodles.