Global malatang giant Yangguofu Malatang is set to open its first flagship restaurant in central London’s Chinatown, expanding its footprint with a 3,200 sq ft venue offering customizable Sichuan hot pot dishes to over 100 diners.
Yangguofu Malatang, a renowned hot pot-focused restaurant chain, is poised to make its West End debut this summer with the opening of its first central London flagship in Chinatown. Located at 47-49 Charing Cross Road, the new venue spans over 3,200 square feet and will accommodate more than 100 diners. This move marks a significant milestone for the brand, which operates nearly 7,000 restaurants worldwide, making it the largest malatang chain globally.
Originating from China’s Sichuan street food tradition, Yangguofu Malatang offers a modern twist on the classic hot pot experience by allowing customers to fully customise their bowls. Diners can select from a wide variety of meat, fish, and vegetable toppings, as well as choose their preferred noodle type and broth flavour. Signature broth options include the traditional herbal beef bone broth, a sweet and sour tomato broth, and a distinctive peanut butter spicy dry mix known as malaban.
Emma Matus, Head of Restaurant Leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, highlighted the importance of this addition to Chinatown London, describing the area as a vibrant hub for authentic East and Southeast Asian cuisine. She noted that Yangguofu Malatang’s entry is a testament to the neighbourhood’s appeal for proven international concepts at an early stage of their UK expansion. Neil Ping, Europe General Manager of Yangguofu Malatang, expressed confidence in the brand’s alignment with Chinatown’s rich culinary heritage and the strong appeal of Sichuan cuisine trends among the local customer base.
This new opening follows the recent arrival of Songhelou, a venerable Suzhou noodle institution with a 250-year history, underscoring Chinatown’s growing stature as a centre for authentic ESEA food culture. The Songhelou restaurant offers traditional soup-based noodle dishes in a spacious three-floor venue, highlighting Chinatown’s draw for heritage-rich dining experiences.
Yangguofu Malatang’s expansion is part of a broader European growth strategy. Since its first European store launched in Spain in 2023, the brand has established outlets across ten countries, garnering widespread acclaim for introducing the malatang tradition to diverse markets. In Germany, where five outlets are already operational, the brand enjoys robust performance with solid monthly sales figures, and its appeal crosses cultural boundaries, attracting both the Chinese diaspora and local consumers eager to explore new culinary experiences.
Established in 2003, Yangguofu Malatang has built a reputation for innovation within its category, including enhancements to its soup base recipes and the unique ‘drinkable Malatang’ concept. The brand’s focus on quality and authentic flavours has resonated globally, with stores in locations as varied as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, and Japan, alongside its expanding European presence.
As it embarks on this London chapter, Yangguofu Malatang is poised to enrich Chinatown’s culinary landscape with a popular, customizable, and authentically rooted dining format that celebrates the vibrant flavours of northeastern China and Sichuan’s iconic street food culture.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2025/08/yangguofu-malatang-set-to-make-west-end-debut-in-chinatown-londons-cultural-hot-pot/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.hospitalityandcateringnews.com/2025/08/yangguofu-malatang-set-to-make-west-end-debut-in-chinatown-londons-cultural-hot-pot/ – Yangguofu Malatang, a hot pot-focused concept, is set to launch at 47-49 Charing Cross Road in Chinatown London this summer. The restaurant will offer a vast selection of meat, fish, and vegetable toppings, with choices in noodle type and broth flavour, including herbal beef bone broth, sweet & sour tomato broth, and peanut butter spicy dry mix. Yangguofu Malatang currently operates nearly 7,000 restaurants worldwide, making it the largest malatang brand globally. The new Chinatown London site marks the brand’s West End debut and its first central London flagship, spanning over 3,200 sq ft and offering more than 100 covers.
- https://www.foodserviceequipmentjournal.com/malatang-brand-new-london-site/ – Yangguofu Malatang (YGF Malatang) is set to launch in London’s Chinatown this summer. YGF Malatang will be joining the neighbourhood’s line-up of ESEA cuisine but offers a distinct twist on traditional hot pot cuisine. Guests will be invited to customise their own bowls, choosing from a selection of meat, fish, and vegetable toppings as well as noodle type and broth flavour. Currently operating 7,000 restaurants globally, YGF is the largest malatang brand globally. The new Chinatown opening marks its first central London flagship and its West End debut. The restaurant will sit at 47-49 Charing Cross Road and spans over 3,200 square feet with more than 100 covers on offer.
- https://www.ygfscotland.co.uk/ – YangGuoFu Malatang, established in 2003, is a popular Chinese restaurant chain known for Malatang. The menu features key products such as the rich ‘classic beet bone broth,’ the spicy ‘mellow spicy mix malaban,’ and the refreshing ‘sweet and sour tomato soup.’ YangGuoFu is noted for its innovative approaches, including an enriched formula, improved soup base recipe, and a novel concept of ‘drinkable Malatang.’ The first UK branch opened in early 2024 in Hammersmith, London, and now the first Scottish branch in Edinburgh.
- https://longportapp.com/en/topics/21957974 – Yang Guofu Malatang has expanded overseas with impressive store performance. In Europe, Yang Guofu Malatang has already prepared stores in eight countries: the UK, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, and Belgium. In Germany alone, Yang Guofu Malatang has opened five stores, with good operating conditions and an average monthly sales volume of €150,000–€170,000. Surprisingly, the contributors to this average monthly sales volume are not just overseas Chinese; Germans also account for a significant proportion. After all, people’s enthusiasm for ‘trying new cuisines’ knows no borders. Germans also love to ‘check in’ at new dining spots, and the Chinese-style design and new dining model naturally attract a lot of attention.
- https://www.afp.com/en/infos/yangguofu-malatangs-european-mala-gala-debuts – The YANGGUOFU Malatang European Spicy Festival, ‘MALA GALA,’ was grandly opened in Berlin on December 5th, accompanied by a comprehensive upgrade of the brand image. With the core concept of ‘Culture as Wings, Fragrance Spreads Worldwide,’ it aims to spread the culture of Eastern cuisine overseas. Since the first store was established in Spain in 2023, YANGGUOFU has quickly opened branches in 10 European countries, winning widespread acclaim. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241206278177/en/
- https://www.glamadelaide.com.au/global-sensation-yangguofu-brings-hotpot-and-milk-tea-to-mawson-lakes/ – YangGuoFu opens in Mawson Lakes, offering customisable hotpot with authentic flavours, all served with over 20 years of culinary expertise. YangGuoFu is one of the most well-known Malatang brands all over the world. Founded in 2003, the company now has over 20 years of experience and over 7000 stores internationally, including locations in China, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Germany, UK, Spain, Japan, Korea, and more. Malatang, a type of Chinese hotpot, is a popular soup-based street food from Sichuan in southwestern China. At YangGuoFu, the hotpot has a herbal base with fresh flavours. Diners can fill their bowls with ingredients like vegetables, noodles, tofu, meat, and seafood, plus a soup base to create the ultimate customisable meal, priced at $39 a kilogram.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative is recent, dated August 4, 2025, and pertains to an upcoming event this summer. No earlier publications of this specific announcement were found. The content appears original, with no evidence of being recycled or republished across low-quality sites. The presence of updated data, such as the specific location and opening details, suggests a high freshness score. However, the lack of coverage from other reputable outlets may indicate limited dissemination.
Quotes check
Score:
8
Notes:
The quotes from Emma Matus and Neil Ping are unique to this narrative, with no identical matches found in earlier material. This suggests the content is potentially original or exclusive. However, the absence of these quotes in other reputable sources may raise questions about their authenticity.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from Hospitality & Catering News, a specialised publication in the hospitality industry. While it is a niche source, it is not widely recognised as a major news outlet. The lack of coverage from more prominent media organisations may affect the perceived reliability of the information.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The details about YangGuoFu Malatang’s expansion into London’s Chinatown align with the brand’s known growth trajectory, including previous openings in Europe. The specific location at 47-49 Charing Cross Road and the restaurant’s size are plausible and consistent with the brand’s operations. However, the absence of similar reports from other reputable outlets may raise questions about the event’s prominence.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents recent and specific information about YangGuoFu Malatang’s planned opening in London’s Chinatown, with unique quotes and plausible details. However, the lack of coverage from more prominent media outlets and the absence of identical quotes in earlier material suggest the need for further verification. The source’s niche status and the absence of similar reports from other reputable outlets may affect the perceived reliability of the information.
