Established in 2003, Harbin-based Yang Guo Fu 杨国福 lands in Singapore with two outlets at the Singpost Centre (Paya Lebar) and Bugis where our tasting was held. YGF serves mala tang.

Like MLXG, you choose your own ingredients.

The difference between mala tang and mala xiang guo is the cooking method: ingredients are poached in hot broth for mala tang whereas they are stir-fried for MLXG. That means that mala tang is healthier with less oil, but MLXG is more fragrant.

Condiment station

At YGF, you can choose your ingredients to be served in three ways: spicy mala beef broth, tomato broth, and mala ban (dry). Like MLXG, you can also customise the spicy level. We suggest that if you’re unsure, just start from 小辣. YGF provides condiments, so you can add on more chilli later if you want it spicier.

Spicy mala beef broth

Many beef broths out there are weak sauce but here, the beefy flavour is intense and delicious. The tomato broth, suitable for vegetarians, is tangy and sweet—also delicious. Mala ban is their dry version with chilli sauce (made from various northern China’s chillies) and peanut sauce. The chilli and peanut are served by the side, so you can pour them in as much or as little as you want.

Mala ban

All the three ways of eating are great. We suggest on your first visit to try the beef broth and mala ban first. When you return, try the tomato.

Tofu is a must-get ingredient here.

Like MLXG, you choose your own ingredients. They have 60 ingredients ($2.88/100g regardless of meat or vegetable). The highlights include:

–tofu: If you have been to China and try their tofu, you’d know how much better their tofu is compared to our local tofu. At YGF, they use their China’s recipe to create their tofu, which gives an intense soy-beany flavour.

White and black fungus

–Vegetables are sourced regionally—so they are fresh, unlike the withered leaves at some MLXG shops—except for the black and white fungus mushroom. YGF couldn’t find good black and white fungus around the region, so they are imported.

Potato broad noodles and buckwheat broad noodles

–noodles: they make their own noodles, which weren’t available at our tasting. However, there is a buckwheat noodle; it’s like the thick, starchy, gluey potato noodles, except it’s healthier, made from buckwheat.

We liked what we ate that night. The ingredients were fresh and clean. The flavours were layered, so you can taste spiciness, numbness, sweetness, savouriness individually. It was satisfying. Hopefully, they can maintain the standards and not just having this high quality for the tasting.  Expect to spend about $10-$15 per person.

Food: 6.75/10
Price / value: 6/10
Decor / ambience: 6/10

You may be interested in…
–Restaurant Aisyah 西北香, Telok Ayer: Muslim-owned Halal Restaurant Scores Big with Sibei Xiang Xinjiang La Mian (Hand-pulled Noodles)
–Eat 3 Bowls 呷三碗, Crawford Lane: Lu Rou Fan, Chicken Rice, and Mee Sua Are All Winners
–Chuan Hung, Telok Ayer: Slurp-worthy Handmade Sichuan Mian Yang Rice Noodles With a History of 1700 Years
–GO Noodle House, 313@Somerset: Famous Malaysia noodle chain that has already sold ONE MILLION bowls comes to Singapore

This is an invited tasting. Written by Dr. A. Nathanael Ho.