New malatang restaurants are warming up the Peninsula
Build-it-yourself and pay-by-weight eateries have long existed on the Peninsula. In Mountain View, for example, you can build your own plate of saucy noodles, meats and vegetables at New Mongolian BBQ on Castro Street or your own topping-laden frozen yogurt bowl at Yogurtland.
But just this past year, there’s been a major increase in another food using this service style: malatang. At least four new malatang spots have opened along the Peninsula this year, allowing customers to customize a steaming bowl of soup, meat, vegetables and various toppings. It’s similar to hotpot, but you don’t cook the ingredients yourself.
With it officially being soup season, intern Tessa Berney explored this malatang trend, looking into why it’s popular, how to eat it and regional variations.
Stay tasty,
Adrienne
Malatang madness: Build-your-own malatang bowls are taking the Peninsula by storm
The Peninsula is seeing an increase in restaurants devoted to malatang, a type of Chinese street food where customers craft their own hot pot bowls from a wide variety of fresh vegetables, meats and noodles.
Peninsula gets more caffeinated with new cafes, a gastropub shutters and a Coastside farm festival
- Dr.ink, a San Jose-based cafe known for its creative coffee and tea drinks, is coming soon to Cupertino.
- Pour Decisions Craft is hosting the grand opening of its Mountain View location Saturday at 9 a.m., with free tote bags for the first 100 people, gift cards from local partners, a live DJ and a chance to win free coffee for a year.
- Gastropub The Refuge, known for its pastrami sandwiches and beer, has permanently closed its San Mateo location. Its San Carlos eatery continues to operate.
- Elia, a Greek restaurant which opened in San Carlos last year, is expanding to Campbell.
- Lee & Bai Chinese Bao Shop recently opened in Sunnyvale.
- Mexican restaurant Taqueria El Timon opened Friday in Montara.
- Firewok Chinese Restaurant, a sister restaurant to Hangetsu Sushi, recently opened in Half Moon Bay.
- Root Down Farm in Pescadero is hosting its Fall Farm Fest Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Expect food, music, vendors, cute animals and a self-guided tour.
- Amara in Belmont is hosting a Friendsgiving soiree and food drive Sunday from 6-9:30 p.m. This $95 ticketed event includes bubbly, Mediterranean-inspired dinner, prizes, a white elephant gift exchange and a DJ.
- Molly Tea, known for its jasmine tea, is opening its new downtown Palo Alto shop Friday, offering BOGOs through Sunday. The Chinese franchise has existing locations in San Mateo, Cupertino and Sunnyvale.
Dinner at Rooh
If you’re looking for dynamic flavors with innovative platings, Rooh in downtown Palo Alto fits the bill.
With locations in San Francisco, New Delhi and even Ohio, Rooh opened in Palo Alto in 2020, just before Ettan made its debut. I recently dined at the Palo Alto location and loved nearly every aspect of the dinner.
But let’s get my one gripe out of the way before I praise the food: the service. Not once was my water refilled without me having to go out of my way to flag down a server to fill it. All dishes were literally dropped on the table (not carefully placed), with the server not even looking at the table before immediately scurrying away.
That being said, the food was excellent and would merit a return. The dal pakwan cannoli with yogurt, tamarind gel and purple potato straws was such a fun take on the traditional breakfast dish ($19). The lentil curry was well-seasoned, the yogurt added acidity and creaminess, the tamarind gel added sweetness and the cannoli was perfectly crispy.
The tandoori duck breast taco was phenomenal, with perfectly tender duck, crispy skin and a green papaya-mango salad to cut through the richness and add extra texture ($26).
The paneer pinwheel was almost too beautiful to eat ($30). Thecha, a Maharastrian chili-garlic paste, is rolled into paneer and placed in a bath of rich and creamy roasted red pepper makhani. Paired with garlic naan ($6), this was one of my favorite bites.
The Corn Three Ways dish was a myriad of textures and far from one note, despite all three items (corn kebab, tandoori corn and corn korma) being made from the same ingredient ($28). It was sweet and spicy and truly celebrated corn.
Do not skip the warm pistachio cake with saffron phirni mousse and rose petal ice cream ($16). Pistachio and rose is such a classic flavor combination, made even better with the subtle flavors of rice and saffron from the phirni mousse. The dessert also contrasted textures and temperatures, beckoning my spoon to keep digging in.
Rooh, 473 University Ave., Palo Alto; 650-800-7090, Instagram: @roohbayarea. Open Monday to Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10:30 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m.
Kosher sushi restaurant Holy Sushi opens its brick-and-mortar in Palo Alto
Holy Sushi, owned by an Orthodox Jewish school for girls, previously operated out of a Palo Alto boba shop
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