Zhangliang Malatang

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Zhangliang Malatang



This Chinese restaurant chain is one of my all-time favorites! I have gone many times now and hope to go many more.

It is a unique concept of a restaurant; instead of making you order from a server or pick a ready-made item from a buffet, this restaurant allows you to choose uncooked items to be made into a soup or stir-fry of your liking! When you arrive, you are given a bowl and some tongs. It is your task to decide what you would like to use the tongs to put into your bowl. There is a wide selection of meats, including lamb, beef, sausage, and bacon, to name a few. There is also a wide selection of tofu, vegetables, and noodles. 

You take only what you want and none of what you don't. I like to go to this restaurant with groups of friends and family because it is fun seeing how different each bowl is; in my experience, no two bowls come out identical, and instead they are as unique as the people who assemble them. 

When you reach the end of the line, you surrender your bowl to the staff, who will cook it for you to your liking; you can pick a soup base or a dry stir fry, and you can dictate the spice level. (My favorite is the classical bone soup with mild spice.) They weigh the bowl before cooking it, and then you take a seat and wait for them to bring you the finished product. In the meantime, you can pick out sauces, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic, green onions and other toppings free of charge. You can pay at the counter when you are done eating. 

The price is only $14.99 a pound, but you might be surprised how easy it is to get carried away picking out your ingredients and end up with more weight than you expected (it has certainly happened to me). Not to worry, if you take too much, the leftovers are fantastic!


2237 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704


246 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041

Location: Mountain View, CA, USA

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