Yang Guo Fu Singpost Centre Outlet. (PHOTO: Yang Guo Fu)

SINGAPORE – Chinese mala tang giant Yang Guo Fu is about to open not just one but two stores in Singapore this November — and we can already imagine the long queues.

With over 6,000 outlets across the globe, Yang Guo Fu is one of the largest mala tang chains in the world. Its two upcoming outlets at SingPost Centre and Victoria Street will also be the brand’s first foray into Southeast Asia.

Founded by Mr Yang Guo Fu, the colossal Yang Guo Fu chain of restaurants all began with his first outlet in the icy north-eastern Chinese city of Harbin, China. In 2003, Mr Yang opened Yang Mala Tang — where he took over two years to develop the restaurant’s own unique soup base by adding milk and sugar to the broth, which turned the traditional Sichuan spicy hot pot into a milky, flavourful soup that was widely loved by all.

Yang Guo Fu Singpost Centre Outlet. (PHOTO: Yang Guo Fu)

His food empire gradually grew, and in 2013, Mr Yang opened his first outlet in the capital city of Beijing. By 2019, the company counted over 5,500 franchise stores around the world — it was in that year that Yang Guo Fu Mala Tang ranked in second in the 2019 China Restaurant Industry Annual Report for the Top 10 Ranking of Chinese Fast Food Snacks.