Pixiu Mala Hongtang Buena Park (피슈마라 홍탕 부에나팍)

This is one of my favorite Mala Tang chain spots. I usually go to Chinese Mala Tang places in the San Gabriel Valley, so I was really surprised at how tasty this Korean-style Malatang is. It’s set up like a buffet — you pick your own ingredients from the bar, including different types of noodles. Everything is fresh, and they restock the bar often. They also have a self serve sauce station so you can mix your own perfect dipping sauce for your bowl.

I really love the potato noodles — they taste so cute and have that chewy boba like texture. The staff is super friendly, and it only takes about 10 minutes for them to cook your customized Malatang. They also have other dishes on the menu, and you should definitely try them. My favorite is the Guobaorou — crispy fried pork sirloin with a sweet and sour sauce. The flavor is very unique and totally different from the regular sweet & sour pork you see elsewhere. A must-try!

Quick tips:
Pixiu Mala Hongtang is on the 2nd floor inside The Source OC entertainment center. There is plenty of parking available. This place is very vegetarian friendly with lots of veggie options. Just note: the ingredient bar only has beef and lamb for meat selections.

Food: 5

Love this place! Super fresh ingredients and very friendly service. Plus, they were playing some OG songs by Big Bang!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This is a place even people who don’t usually like mala flavors can enjoy. They have a wide variety of choices, and the ingredients are always fresh and well-prepared. The food comes out quickly, and the service is decent. It’s the first spot that comes to mind whenever I want something warm and comforting to eat.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The meat trays sat empty, the sauce station wasn’t replenished, and the bathroom was overflowing with trash—clear signs of neglect. For a restaurant that wasn’t busy at all, these issues stood out immediately.

We stopped by for a late lunch, and the restaurant was completely empty when we arrived. At first, I assumed that meant we’d get attentive service, but unfortunately, the experience was quite the opposite. The food itself was disappointing. The tofu was undercooked, making it hard and unpleasant to eat, and the dishes lacked the signature MALA flavor I expected, especially given the restaurant’s name.

Service was another major drawback. We had to ask for aprons because none were offered, and throughout the meal I found myself repeatedly requesting basic things that should have been taken care of without asking—almost as if I was reminding the staff to do their job. The staff mostly stayed behind the counter, making it difficult to get their attention when needed.

With better organization, service, and quality control, this place could improve. But as it stands now, the overall experience was disappointing, and I would not recommend it.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

The cost is totally over priced. I got a plate of few veggies around 5 pcs of thin meat and few of thick glass noodles and came out $30. I made it stir-fry style and the plate was not even half full. The taste was okay, not real mala flavor, just tastes like spicy stir-fry. Everything was self serve. I even had to go up and get more water because no one came by. The only thing the worker did was bring us the cooked food, but the gratuity section when paying start at 18%. I would think for a self serve restaurants the gratuity starts little lower like 15%.
Good for a one-time experience, but not worth a repeat visit.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

One of the most nicest Malatang restaurant I been too! The ingredients tasted fresh and the broth was really amazing. It was so good in fact, that I forgot to dip my food into the sauce.

The service was fast and the workers were very nice. The workers seated us quickly and gave us utensils and water in a heart beat.

The atmosphere is a really great place to chill and eat with family and friends. The seats were comfortable. The portions are definitely shareable with peers.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It was very delicious, I wished I could go there everyday. It was also very clean and well organized.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

1. I love the options for our custom dry pot, and I like how I can adjust the spice level to a 0.5! The mini pancake was light and easy to eat! The Guobaorou was my least favorite since it was drenched with too much sauce!
2. The spot has fun casual vibes with a spacious interior!
3. The staff was friendly and timely with our order!
Note: You pay the bill at the front after you are done eating!

Photo: Guobaorou, Mini Scallion Pancake, and Mala Xiang Guo

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Stir Fried Malatang

Best place at Source Mall OC. Their fushion style malatang is always a kick. Highly recommended

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I discovered mala stir fry this year and am now obsessed! Pixiu Mala Hongtang was actually the first place I’ve ever had it at and it continues to set a high bar for me. I always love how clean and spacious the interior is. How conveniently located it is by being at The Source. AND ofc how great the food is!

There’s a salad bar near the front with tons of options. I appreciate how there’s so many kinds of noodles and veggies! I like the wide potato noodles. And while you build your bowl, there’s a scale you can use to make sure you can stay within budget. There’s also a pretty standard sauce bar too!

Food always comes out so fresh and quick! Everything tasted fantastic!! I always recommend Pixiu to all my friends because it’s just that worth it!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This malatang restaurant is on the second floor of The Source and is a convenient place to grab a quick dinner and satisfy your malatang fix. It’s never been very busy whenever I’ve gone. Seating is very casual. A worker will designate you a table and then you are free to start grabbing ingredients. I like that they have a scale available for you to weigh how much you’ve gotten - some places only weigh it after you finish assembling your bowl. They have a wide selection of ingredients as well - with different fish cakes, veggies, healthy noodles, beef, and lamb. They have other menu items other than malatang too. I tried the lemon cream shrimp and didn’t like it though - too rich and not very crunchy. The malatang on the other hand, is pretty good.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Be warned this is very HOT and they mean HOT. This is the Korean version of the Sitchuan HOT pot which is pepper based . Be warned and be prepared. Very interesting options to your bowl which is charged by the pound !

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Been here twice, enjoyed it both times too! The pricing is very reasonable, with my bowl coming out to 25 dollars. The ingredients are fairly good quality and the experience is very fun.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Pixiu Mala is a hidden gem that every hotpot lover needs to experience!It was my first time trying Korean-style malatang, and it exceeded my expectations. Their ingredients are incredibly fresh!What stood out was the service—the staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely friendly, making sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal. The place was clean and modern—such a great spot to eat with your friends or by yourself!
🍽️ Mala Hong Tang (Korean Style Malatang)
🍽️ Mala Xiang Guo (Szechuan Stir-Fry)
🍽️ Scallion Mini Pancake
🍽️ Masago Rice Ball

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Masago Rice Ball, Scallion Mini Pancake, Stir Fried Malatang

It's on the second floor!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5