Exploring the Bay Area

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...