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Mala Sichuan Bistro

4.1 (1.1k reviews)
ModerateSzechuan
Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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MALA SICHUAN BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Classy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Mala Sichuan Bistro

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麻辣豆花鱼片 Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet
Alex W.

One of the greatest Chinese food franchises in the Houston area. Nearing GOAT status. Every time I go here it's a banger. All the Sichuan dishes are hits. I tried the tea-spiced duck and it wasn't my cup of tea (pun intended). But get anything else and it is top-tier (some of my faves: mapo tofu with fish fillet, twice-cooked pork, eggplant with green beans).

Shveta A.

I love Sichuan food and this place is amazing! It had been a long day and our group was very very hungry and Mala did not disappoint. From the time we entered, we were given a spacious round table with plenty of room for our party. Although the place was packed, the service was prompt and courteous throughout the meal. The interior was roomy and had a fun decorative vibe, I absolutely LOVED the various plates adorning the back wall (especially the owl). The food was so so good, though picking from their extensive menu was challenging. We ordered a variety of options: the spicy crispy chicken, the cordyceps, the chicken fried rice and the Mapo tofu. Every dish complemented each other and went well with both the fried rice and the white rice. As someone who cannot eat very spicy food, I appreciated the described spice levels our server gave us and found them accurate. The standout dish for me, among all of the delicious items, was the Mapo Tofu, with the soft tofu pairing perfectly with the spicy tangy gravy. If you're in Chinatown, this is the spot to go to!

Spicy and Crispy Chicken
Quynh-Anh V.

As new Sichuan/Chinese restaurants open up in Houston, Mala Sichuan Bistro still remains on top in terms of both price and quality. The water boiled fish fillet is one of my favorite items ever, such great portions and so delicious. My other favorites are the west lake soup and spicy and crispy chicken. The portion amount here is perfect and the prices are fantastic while still keeping it authentic. Mala Sichuan Bistro earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for a reason! Definitely check it out, and their to-go quality is great as well for those who want to eat at home.

All together
James A.

Located in the Metropole Center in Houston's Chinatown, Mala Sichuan Bistro was founded at this location in 2011, by a Chengdu native. She wanted to bring authentic Sichuan cuisine to Houston. With her great success, her restaurant has been named a Michelin Bib Gourmand (one of only fifteen Houston area restaurants) in the inaugural guide for Texas. In 2017, the former chef was a James Beard finalist for the Best Chef: Southwest category. With its success, came more locations, with five in total. It's an impressive resume, making the restaurant worth visiting if in the Houston area. Every time I visit my nephew, he surprises me with a new cuisine that he has learned to like. This time, it was Sichuan cuisine. So on a Monday, his dad, he, and I made a visit for lunch. Parking was plentiful in the strip mall, and we got seated immediately. The menu is large, and my nephew knew what he wanted to order. We ended up eating most of it, meaning the portions weren't huge but the dishes were very tasty. The meal came with a communal bowl of white rice, along with a self-serve carafe of ice water to refill our glasses as the numbness of the white peppercorns took over. Mapo Tofu ($13.99) - the classic Sichuan dish, their rendition is pretty good. Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce ($13.99) - I still remember a discussion where an expert clearly stated that you can not switch out eggplant for Chinese eggplant. I don't like eggplant, but tried it here (per my nephew's suggestion) and found that I liked it, especially since the sauce was so good. Next time, would ask the waitress what other dishes use this delicious garlic sauce. Twice cooked pork ($14.99) - the authentic version uses sliced, boiled pork belly, sauteed fresh leaks in a fermented black and broad bean sauce. Quite good. House Special Funky Cold Noodles ($8.99) - cold wheat noodles in a unique sauce. Never had this before: it was unique in taste, and went really well with the rest of the meal. Shredded Pork with Spiced Dry Tofu ($14.99) - this was my choice, and it was good. I liked fried tofu, so was hoping dried tofu would be close. It kinda was, but would have been better (for me) if fried instead of dried. Probably the weakest out of the 5 dishes. They do have fresh fish on the menu served whole, but the only choice was tilapia. As a whole, the dishes tried here were not mind-numbingly hot (like other Sichuan restaurants I've tried where using chinese red peppers in the same amount as the rest of the ingredients). And clay pot cooking didn't seem to be on the menu either. But the use of mala spices was definitely there, numbing the tongue. One could especially feel it right after taking a draught of cold liquid. Not a particularly pleasant feeling, but worth it for the taste the food provided.

Menu
Jonathan V.

Mala Sichuan has been one of our favorite places to eat when we are craving Asian food. It is by far the best Sichuan food I've had in Houston. They got on the Bib Gourmand list and it was well deserved. Every dish we've had at Mala has so much flavor and if you're looking for true Sichuan food, Mala brings the heat. For those not familiar with Sichuan food, it is famous for the Sichuan peppers used in the cooking which give a numbing sensation instead of a straight heat/hot sensation you'd be familiar with in Mexican or Indian cooking. When you come here, bring more than 2 people so you can order a lot of dishes and share them family style. This restaurant is also reasonably priced with most dishes in the $10-$20. Ambiance: Mala is a relatively small restaurant with about 20 tables. The bigger tables have a lazy Susan in the middle to share food. The restaurant is clean and the wait staff is very friendly. Parking: Mala is located in one of the strip malls in Chinatown and shares a parking lot with all of the restaurants in the same strip mall. I've never had an issue finding parking here. Parking is free but you may have to park far away if the strip mall is packed. The walk from the car to restaurant is always worth it! Service: the waiters and waitress here are very attentive and were active with refilling water and bringing out food. They also boxed up our leftovers for us which was nice. Food: we had been here many times before and we have a standard order which is usually good for 4 people. We order the hot and sour soup to start and then order the spicy crispy chicken, cumin lamb and the dry fried double veggies. Hot and sour soup: the soup comes in a huge bowl and is more than enough for 4 people to share. This hot and sour soup is a little more watery than what some may be used to. It has a strong pepper flavor which gives it a little tang. It's a great sharing dish for those who love hot and sour soup. Spicy crispy chicken: this is easily our favorite dish to order here. The chicken comes perfectly fried and is loaded with Sichuan flavor. It pairs perfectly with the white rice served on the side. The chicken comes in bite sized cubes and is easy to eat with chopsticks. Highly recommend ordering this dish. Cumin lamb: the lamb in this dish is super tender and this dish comes loaded with jalapeños and onions. Once again, this dish has so much flavor and brings a little heat. If you don't like lamb, don't get this dish because the lamb flavor is strong. Dry fried double veggies: the dry fried double veggies are our favorite veggie dish here. The string beans are lightly fried and come with bamboo and some ground pork. The string beans are crispy yet tender and the ground pork and bamboo give the dish a nice touch. I highly recommend Mala for anyone craving Sichuan food. This place is reasonably priced and brings all of the flavor in each dish. The staff is friendly and ready to help with any questions. Come with a large party to get the most out of your experience so you can try multiple dishes and also come here to eat family style because it's always more fun than having only one dish! The Michelin Bib Gourmand award is well deserved at Mala Sichuan and everyone needs to come try this place!

Daryl R.

My favorite spot 100% I will be celebrating my birthday here this year just to get my family to try it out, not kidding I always get a few plates to share but I never miss the opportunity to order their spicy crispy chicken Everything on the menu I've ordered has been wonderful Their staff is attentive and fast. Our office usually orders to go and we order a lot so we really appreciate them. When I dine in food comes out fast and it's always delicious and fresh

干锅鱼片 Dry Pot Fish Fillet
Katherine D.

Love coming here! It gets crowded pretty fast, but the wait is never bad. The service is pretty quick and the dishes come out pretty fast too. I love the food here, it's always pretty consistent and reliable. The depot is so good and flavor pretty strong. The cumin lamb was a new try this time and soo good. They also always keep us supplied w rice! It's pretty crowded and filled but I think it's a fun atmosphere. Also good as take out.

Sara-Grace C.

This is my second time here and the atmosphere inside was so cozy. There was not enough staff so the wait time was long and you could tell they were stressed. I got the hot n sour soup which paired so well with the Dan Dan noodles and twice cooked pork. The wontons were really really salty so I probably wouldn't order it again. There are private event rooms here if you want to host a party. We saw a group of young adults dressed with grandmas and grandpas for a birthday which was so fun.

Jessica N.

Mala does Sichuan great! This is my go to spot for anything Sichuan. My mouth is always leaving tingling and satisfied because not only do the dishes have the perfect amount of spice, it doesn't overpower the flavor of the dishes itself. The Sichuan Crispy Chicken is a little on the sweet side but balances well with the Sichuan spice. The Dan Dan Noodles are pack a nice tangy spice and if you want to test your spice, I suggest getting their Dry Pot! Overall, 9/10.

Sauerkraut Tilapia Pot
Hemi K.

I took some friends who were visiting from out of town and they absolutely loved it!! The spicy and crunchy chicken was absolutely delicious paired with the eggplants and mapo tofu. I appreciated how each sauce has a different base and flavor to it which was enjoyable. The soup did have a slightly fishy taste but I enjoyed pairing it with the ginger and sauerkraut in the dish. The soup was always pretty thin which paired well with rice. I would recommend going in large groups to try and share all the different flavors. The place had plenty of parking but it does get busy so it can get a little hard to call a waiter. I loved that they served us more rice when we ran out.

5 dishes only comes with one box of plain rice so be prepared when you order Togo you have to cook your own rice at home lmao!!

I've been to multiple locations and most of the time have not felt the need to leave a review because it's mostly been good. But this time I feel like I need to, when picking up my food I asked if the white rice was enough for 4-5 adults and she replied yes. I didn't check but after getting home I get one box of plain rice just enough for one bowl of rice for 5 adults. I paid about 90 dollars with tip for Togo order and don't think that they should skimp on plain rice when it is cheap as hell. Better off going to wula buhan or cooking girl where they give you extra rice and don't act like it costs an arm and a leg.

Spicy and Crispy Chicken
Jessica T.

This review is long overdue! Mala is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Houston. I've celebrated numerous birthdays and occasions here, at their Bellaire, Katy, Heights, and Montrose locations. Their Bellaire location is the OG, and I routinely crave the numbing spice at least once a month! My rotation includes: - Spicy crispy chicken - Cumin lamb - Mapo tofu - Dry pot fish fillet - Water boiled fish - Garlic eggplant Everything is truly so delectable and flavorful. My mouth is watering just writing this review! No notes. Please do yourself a favor and give them a try!!

Spicy and Crispy Chicken, Cumin Lamb, Mapo Tofu,  Basil Eggplant and String Beans, crispy Crispy Mala Beef, Dan Dan Noodles
Shayla P.

Everything we ordered was great! Service was good as well. Family style is definitely the way to go, so come with a large group. I'll be visiting the Sugar Land location soon, hope it's just as yummy!

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2 months ago

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5 days ago

Food was very good. Crispy chicken was just as good as usual. The servers were very prompt and considerate.

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Mala Sichuan Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Mala Sichuan Bistro

Can you make a reservation for 2?

I'm not entirely sure if they take rezzies or not, maybe for large parties? But rezzies aren't needed for the bellaire location

Do they have a private room that can be reserved for big groups?

Yes, there's 3

Do they do curbside pickup?

You can place order and pay at malasichuan.com, and call to say you've arrive once your car is pulled at the front, they can bring it out to you

Is Byob allowed?

Yes but only wine with a 10 dollar corking fee. We have an award winning beer and wine list

Currently waiting for a table for 2 under the name Kat. Any idea how long the wait is?

Based on when you entered the question, it seems you are up to about 12 hours now. That sure seems longer than normal. 😊

How spicy is the food?

Depends on the dish itself, the customer's preference, and the tolerance of spiciness, it can be very spicy or not spicy at all

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Mala Sichuan Bistro - 风味辣子鸡丁 Spicy and Crispy Chicken

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9.9 miThe Heights

Always hit the spot for a homey meal. It's conveniently located at M-K-T near the trail…read more Occasionally, it gets crowded at night but we never have to wait for too long for a table. Some of my favorites to order and easy to share as a group: - Squirrel tail fish: interesting name but we were surprised how good it was. It became one of our favorites to order. - Spicy crispy chicken: a classic to try. - Eggplants in spicy garlic sauce - Dry pot beef - Mapo tofu: my favorite at Mala - Sizzling rice cracker pork The quality is always consistent regardless of the location. Food comes out fairly quick. Service is friendly. Mala is my favorite place to get good Sichuan food in Houston.

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