Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang Review: China's Biggest Mala Chain @ Bugis+
The price for all items is fixed at S$2.88 per 100 grams, so while it’s not the cheapest option, it’s easy to calculate costs and go by weight without worrying about specific ingredient pricing.
I personally love you tiao, so I added that to my bowl, and it came nicely toasted—perfect for soaking up the soup and sauces. Plus, YGF's colourful noodles, made in-house, add a fun twist with flavours like sweet potato, spinach, and carrot.
The eatery also have sauce stations where you can mix and match the different condiments to come up with your own sauce, just like at Hai Di Lao or hotpot. You can add sesame paste, garlic paste, crunchy peanuts, and other toppings to customise your bowl.
Yang Guo Fu offers three main bases to choose from: Spicy Mala Beef Broth, Tomato Broth, and Mala Ban. The Spicy Mala Beef Broth seems to be the most popular, made from brewing premium beef bones and oxtails with various herbs and spices over low heat for eight hours to make it flavourful and aromatic.
As for the Tomato Broth, it's vegetarian-friendly, non-spicy, and has a rich, tangy taste. Fresh tomatoes give it a sweet and sour flavour that’s quite addictive. Then there’s the Mala Ban, a dry version where the ingredients are first blanched in a special broth before being tossed in a secret-recipe mala sauce, with sesame and crushed peanuts for added fragrance.
I went for the Mala Ban, the dry mala, as I'm a fan of dry mala's intense flavour. It was super tasty and not overly oily, though I did wish for a bit more numbing spice. It was a tad dry for my preference—I prefer a touch more sauce to coat everything—but I think this makes it a healthier option. The noodles were a highlight: al dente with just the right firmness.
Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang does get pretty packed during dinnertime, even on weekdays, with a steady crowd of diners. While there are solo diner tables available, it’s more of a “dine and go” kind of spot—definitely not a place to settle in for a relaxed chat. The ambience is lively but can feel a bit overwhelming: the space is narrow, making it hard to move around, and it’s often noisy. Maybe this adds to people’s irritability, like this NPC-looking uncle with a balding head and bulging belly who tsk-ed at us when we were passing by. Rude.
To avoid these sorry-looking muppets, I’d recommend coming around 8pm when the crowd dies down. You’re more likely to find open tables, and you might even get to sit a bit longer without feeling rushed!
People do say YGF is on the more expensive side, but considering the location and the comfortable air-conditioned seating, I found it decent. My sister and I shared a bowl, and it was plenty for two average eaters. For sinkies who complain it's too expensive, I tell them to stop whining and go to a kopitiam.
Thanks for reading, and see you next post!
Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang @ Bugis+
Address: 201 Victoria Street, #01-16, Bugis+, Singapore 188026
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9:30pm
Address: 201 Victoria Street, #01-16, Bugis+, Singapore 188026
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 9:30pm
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