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    X’ Kitchen 川香阁

    4.5 (21 reviews)
    Closed 10:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Spicy crispy chicken with Sichuan peppercorns (medium spicy). Came with that side of rice.
    Lyla A.

    Quick pickup. Large portion and cooked perfectly. The chicken wasn't oily and was full of flavor. This dish is a staple for us when trying out a new Chinese restaurant and I can't remember it being better anywhere else. The chicken had a solid crunch yet wasn't oily at all. It was delicious!

    Water boiled fish
    Peter W.

    FYI the restaurant's name is X Kitchen. Fun vibes and good food found here! We came on the recommendation of a friend/other Yelpers. I already have my rotation of Sichuan or Hunan restaurants that I enjoy, so I was a tad skeptical about a new one fighting for a spot on that list. There was plenty of seating inside, and I believe our server is a friend or family member of the owners. She was very friendly and attentive to our needs. We tried a few tried and true dishes that I order to gauge the level of the restaurant. We got the water boiled fish, spicy Sichuan chicken, pork in garlic sauce, and dan dan noodles. I was very impressed that everything we ordered was a hit except for the pork in garlic sauce. The water boiled fish was super flavorful in its hot and spicy broth. The chicken was crispy and big portion size. The noodles have some peanut sauce and sits in a little bit of spicy broth. The pork in garlic sauce wasn't bad, but its vinegar flavor was far too strong and the color looked off and rather unappetizing. The prices were on par with other Houston Chinese restaurants, but the portion sizes were huge. Overall, X Kitchen offers great value and tasty food. I would order the same dishes again except for the pork in garlic sauce.

    Tina Y.

    Ordered the lotus root and pork rib soup, but was disappointed. The lotus root was undercooked and the soup tasted just like their generic base used for other soups -- no lotus flavor at all. When I asked, the waitress said they couldn't cook it long enough to bring out the flavor. If that's the case, why put it on the menu? Very misleading and not worth ordering.

    Sherman O.

    The outside sign calls it "X Kitchen" but the directions on Yelp calls it Tasty Sichuan like the website: https://www.tastysichuanhouston.com/ The Szechuan Chinese food here is delicious. Flavors are overall deep, hot, spicy and freshly prepared. Unique options like bullfrog. 5 star. The parking lot is full as it is shared with other restaurants and retail stores. So be ready to walk or circle to find a good spot. Clean interior. The front door was stuck so that was annoying. Not a very attractive location but the food is worth it. Atmosphere 3 star. The service was fast and attentive. 3 star. Would recommend if you like Szechuan Chinese. I'll be back. Note my rating system: 1 Star: I wouldn't recommend 2 Stars: Didn't hit my standards 3 Stars: Average (nothing special) 4 Stars: Above Average. Would recommend. Still looking for the 5 Star. 5 Stars: Top of their game. Great food. Great service. Would recommend and plan on returning.

    Soft opening just 7 days
    Lou C.

    I was gonna grab some noodles next door. But I saw soft opening at X Kitchen. I decided to checkout this newcomer to Sterling Plaza. This suite used to be 2 restaurants. I'm glad X Kitchen took over. We need some unique eateries in Houston Chinatown. After sampling the Hunan cuisine, I realized why I like Sichuan cuisine. The hot sauce from Hunan restaurants is spicier afterwards. Flavors have characteristics of spiciness, sweet and savory. Because the restaurant was still soft opening, I'd rather not explain the menus until they officially open.

    Garlic Egg Plant
    Dan C.

    Their green pepper boiled fish is better than what was at Chengdu Taste! The Sichuan crispy chicken and the garlic eggplant are also exceptional

    Sizzling lamb
    Keisha R.

    Based on my experience, I will come back. I had the sizzling lamb and fried squid. The lamb chunks were tender and spicy. The waiter said it would be seller but it wasn't sweet at all. I'm ok with it but ya not sweet. It tastes like cumin lamb dishes you would have at fusion places. The vegetables were well cooked too but there were more vegetables in the squid dish, wish just means they give you a lot of lamb. The squid was perfectly cooked and I'm not a huge squid fan, but I found myself eating it a lot. The huge chunks of ginger and garlic were awesome. The waiter was very nice. She immediately showed us the popular dishes. The inside is nice and looks clean. I'll definitely be back.

    a plate of fish with sauce and garnish
    Michael S.

    Thanks to Doc Ricky, we tried one of the more unique regional Chinese cuisines today for lunch. After their grand opening, the hours will be from 4 pm to 2 am. Every dish we tried has something extraordinary that we appreciate. The Braised Pig Ears is surprisingly addictive. We keep munching on the crunchy cartilage. The Black Classic Stinky Tofu is a deep-fried dense marinated Tofu, topped with chili and garlic. I was expecting a more pungent smell and flavor, but it's pleasantly palatable. Glad the Cavemen brothers are all on board to try it. The BBQ whole Squid was highly recommended, as he told me most Chinese order this. The Squid is grilled nicely, with a sauce that has cumin as the top note. Braised Noodle comes with silky and soft Udon-type rice noodle, stirred with Braise Sauce, Beef Slices, and Peanuts. The last dish is probably my top favorite even though all the dishes are exotic and tasty, it's Steamed Marinated Trotters. The spices infuse into the pig feet, creating complex flavors and I do like the texture of bone-in meat and rind. All-in-all, we enjoy the whole meal and wanted to come back to try their other dishes. It's so interesting that even though it's authentic HuNan Cuisine with a focus on the city of ChangSha, the dishes we tried are so different than the other HuNan restaurants in Chinatown. We recommend this spot for more adventurous diners, especially those who enjoy spiciness.

    Da Pen cauliflower
    Moni T.

    Plenty of seats inside, service is fast, food came out really fast as well (that's when you know it's authentic Chinese food), and the owner even came to talk to us and asked for feedback. We felt comfortable and welcomed. It's located near 85 bakery and Mogee Tea. Food is great, flavor is on point and the portion size is impressive. We tried: Boiled fish in hot oil: a generous amount of fish, mixed with bean sprouts and cucumber, spice level is just right. Da pen cauliflower (big bowl of cauliflower with delicious juicy pork slices), portion size is more than satisfying! This is my favorite cauliflower dish out of many Chinese restaurants in H town. Beef skewers: meat is tender and juicy, well seasoned, definitely order Pickled peppers with beef: not our favorite, but it comes with a generous amount of beef and the meat is tender

    ordered their beef, lamb skewers, spike potatoes, stinky tofu and chicken with chili. I will definitely come back for the potatoes and skewers, it's has a great portion and taste compare to Gaos Kabob who's also known for their skewers. My friend loved the stinky tofu and chicken.

    Stinky tofu
    Katherine C.

    Quaint little Hunan style Chinese restaurant. I got the stinky tofu and it hit the spot. I really liked the beef skewers as well!! Some of the best in houston. The owner and his wife were friendly as well. I'll definitely be back to try out all the other dishes too. Highly recommend for some unique eats and authentic food

    The X Kitchen attracts me to have dinner on my own because many popular Chinese foods are displayed on the wall before I go in, such as small lobster, teppanyaki, stinky tofu, etc. The restaurant is easy to find and clean. I have ordered a total of four dishes. One main course is Bone Soup Rice Noodle, which costs $15.99. Some people like to eat the meat on the bone, while others like to suck the bone marrow, who care little about the amount of the meat. I believe Bone Soup Rice Noodle makes a balance between the amount of meat and the bone marrow. The soup is delicious and not greasy. The rice noodle is not the kind of noodle I like back in China, and I was not very satisfied with its mouthfeel. In addition, it has vegetables and eggs. If you want to find one dish that meets a balance in nutrition, it is good. One dish is sizzling BBQ squid, which cost $16.99. This is the most expensive one among the four dishes I have ordered, but I would like to say that it is really worth trying. Sizzling BBQ squid, when served, surprised me, because it looks so big, fresh, and tasty. It has been cut into several pieces, which are convenient for eating. The smell of the squid was good and delicious. The taste of squid is very good, because I feel the squid meat is very tight, of which the quality is high. It is highly recommended for those who like seafood, because it is not very greasy and rich in protein. I hope some sauces like lemon juice can be offered to enhance and diversify its taste. Another dish I ordered was three strings of sizzling BBQ Lamb, which cost $5.99. These three strings are placed on an ordinary plate, which makes the whole dish look less attractive. It does not stimulate my appetite immediately. I was thinking the three strings could be packed into an eco-friendly paper box, because the color and patterns of the paper box can make it more interesting. I believe the first sight of a dish a customer has never tried before is very important, because we often depend on our first impressions when judging things. This cognitive bias of the customers should be taken into account. I felt the three strings of lamb tasted poorly compared with those I ate somewhere else. The last dish I tried was traditional stinky tofu, which cost $12.99. I believe its Chinese name was very confusing for a Chinese customer, because it is called black classic in Chinese. We Chinese do not call stinky tofu black classic, but refer to its places of origin, like Shao Xing or Chang Shao. This dish is not as spicy as I wanted, but it may cater to the taste of many other people who cannot eat very spicy food. The ingredients placed on the stinky tofu are too many, but it is a tradition to put many ingredients in stinky tofu. It does not have a kind of smell that makes you want to eat instantly.

    Chicken and intestine hot pot.

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    2 years ago

    Server was friendly and kind. Beef noodle soup we ordered was a little spicy but has good flavours.

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    Hu's Cooking

    Hu's Cooking

    4.5(1.1k reviews)
    8.1 miWest University, Braeswood Place
    $$

    $20-30 We ordered the 3 shrimp egg rolls, beef and broccoli,…read moreand the walnut shrimp. Everything we had was delicious. We highly recommend giving it a try. Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 Noise level Quiet, easy to talk Parking space Somewhat difficult to find parking Parking options Free parking lot

    I've been a happy patron of Hu's Cooking ever since they opened the year before the pandemic, but…read morebecause of their instant success and local renown from their excellent eats, speedy service, busy-but-not-crowded vibes (see: their 1000+ Yelp reviews) I've never felt the need to drop a review of my own - until just this week. On my most recent visit we ordered mapo tofu with pork intestines off the specials menu - a hybrid of two of my favorite Sichuan-style dishes. The blend of bouncy, savory morsels amidst tender, saucy tofu was at once revolutionary and so obvious; why hadn't I yet seen this at any other restaurant? And sure, innards may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's important for you to know that none of my past orders from the 50+ item menu have ever failed me, whether enjoyed in the restaurant or at home. Maybe you'd prefer the aromatic, classic, perfectly balanced three-cup chicken? Or the sweet-skinned duck, glazed so delicately that specks of sugar crystal threaten to jump off onto the plate as you pick up a juicy slice with your chopsticks? And if you're vegetarian, might you consider the punchy garlic eggplant or the wok-kissed string beans? I could go on. Do yourself a favor and come see for yourself, though I'd recommend parallel parking on the neighborhood streets behind the restaurant rather than the rocky parking lot, to save you some trouble. Bring friends and chow down family style - you'll need help covering as much of the menu as you can, but you'll definitely have to come back to try everything.

    Photos
    Hu's Cooking - Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

    Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

    Hu's Cooking - Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

    Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

    Hu's Cooking

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    Mala Sichuan Bistro - 红糖糍粑 Brown Sugar Sticky Rice Cake

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.1(1.1k reviews)
    0.3 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $$

    Mala's Bellaire ambiance is definitely cozier and homier than their locations in Montrose and Katy…read moreAsian Town. It has a more quaint, mom-and-pop feel. Their service was great, and their extensive menu made it hard to decide what to order! But overall, I didn't feel like being too adventurous, so I ordered the usual: 1) Mapo Tofu: (4.5/5) Pretty tasty! There was definitely a numbing spice, but PERSONALLY not a fan of the addition of ginger, but this is purely personal preference, but something to keep in mind if it's not your favorite ingredient. 2) Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce: (5/5) chefs kiss, you can't go wrong with this. Maybe the Montrose and Bellaire location prepare it a bit differently, but I felt that the Bellaire location did not skimp out on the garlic pieces; I also don't think the dish was very spicy, however. 3) Spicy and Crispy Chicken: (5/5) There's not much to say, but this is another classic that you can't mess up! There are several other dishes that I look forward to trying, and definitely think Mala is one of the best Sichuan places in the area!

    The food here is fantastic! When we walked in it was very busy, but we were seated immediately as a…read moreparty of two, which was impressive. The food came out quickly and everything we tried was delicious. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the service. It was extremely busy and it seemed like there were only two servers handling the entire floor. If you didn't ask for what you needed when they initially came by, it was very difficult to get anyone's attention afterward. We had quite a bit of leftovers and couldn't get anyone to come over for to-go boxes or the check I ended up having to go to the front to ask. Overall, great food and a good experience, but they definitely need more staff if it's consistently this busy.

    Photos
    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Dining area

    Dining area

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Spicy and Crispy Chicken

    Spicy and Crispy Chicken

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Inside of restaurant

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    Inside of restaurant

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Garlic Cordyceps

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.0(714 reviews)
    9.9 miMontrose
    $$

    Consistently good food and probably the best local chain for Sichuan in Houston. The heights…read morelocation is a little swankier but we love the space of this location especially for larger groups upstairs. Our go to orders are the hot pepper chicken, cumin lamb, red oil wontons, and Dan Dan noodles. The food is spicy and numbing from the sichuan peppercorn and very flavorful. My only complaint is the salt level of some of the dishes but otherwise it's excellent. Hopefully they can open up a new location closer to us in SE Houston/Webster eventually.

    Get the eggplant! Been obsessed with Sichuan food lately,…read moreand my friend recommended this place. I think we may have went on an off day because I have tried takeout form this place that was delicious, but on this day the food wasn't my favorite. We did overall enjoyed our experience and time and I would recommend giving this place a try! We ordered a total of 5 dishes and everything seemed very authentic to Sichuan cooking. With Sichuan cuisine though, a lot of the food will be on the oily side, so keep that in mind. - Eggplant In Spicy Sauce (5/5): Definitely order this dish! You can tell the eggplant was prepared well because it retained its beautiful purple color and luscious shape. The flavor was sweet and savory seeped well into the eggplant. My only comment would be that there wasn't a strong garlic flavor, but it was still so tasty I think it deserved that 5/5! - Mapo Tofu (2.5/5): I came here specifically for the mapo tofu but was left a bit disappointed. The flavor was pretty good and had that strong Sichuan pepper spice that lingers after a while. My issue with the tofu was the consistency of the sauce. I found it to be very thick and clumpy in an unpleasant way, almost like eating little gelatin pieces. I would probably come back to try it again just in case this was a bad batch, but it's hard to compete with wanna boa's mapo tofu. - Spicy and Crispy Chicken (4/5): Pretty juicy and crispy chicken with a slight kick. I love anything fried chicken so I did enjoy this dish but it was pretty standard and there wasn't much to write about. - Red Oil Dumplings (3/5): Pretty standard oil dumplings. They weren't really spicy which would be good for people who can't handle spice. I think I would've liked a bit more meat filling but overall not bad. - Dan Dan Noodles (3/5): I loved the texture of the noodles but I found the sauce to be kinda slippery which made it hard adhere to the noodles. I also thought the flavor could've been a bit stronger. Service/Ambiance: the interior of this place was super cute, especially the upstairs area. I loved the dim lighting and tiny table lamps which gave this place a cozy romantic feeling. The outside was also interesting with an all black exterior and no sign. That might make it hard to notice or find the restaurant, but that did give it a more hidden feeling which was nice. Parking was also abundant and service was great!

    Photos
    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Bar and dining area on first floor

    Bar and dining area on first floor

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Red oil wonton

    Red oil wonton

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet

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    Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet

    Bamboo House - Twice Cooked Pork Belly

    Bamboo House

    4.4(732 reviews)
    23.4 mi
    $$

    I have heard great feedback about Bambok House and and their authentic Chinese Cuisine. The first…read moretime I visited I planned it to the T and when I visited their bar was not operational any longer, and that was apart of my planning. So I left. The second time I visited, I had the Hong Shao Rou with mushrooms (Braised Pork Belly) to-go, not a huge fan of takeout and this didn't disappoint and it was good. The takeout team member was pleasant enough. They feature an open kitchen with two tops closer to the wall/glass and larger tables more toward the middle of the restaurant. From the outside it features the traditional Chinese architecture with western building base. I look forward to yaksying the rest of the menu this year.

    I've eaten at Bamboo House enough times to know that the food can be a hit or miss depending on the…read morenight. When it's done right, the flavors are bold and satisfying. But the inconsistency has been an issue for me, and the flavors aren't as good as they once were. Dishes I regularly ordered like Kung Pao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Japanese Egg Tofu, and Honey Walnut Shrimp haven't stood out as much as of lately. Dishes like Szechuan Spicy Chicken is still one of my favorite, and Garlic Snow Pea Leaves are delicious when in season. Bamboo House still holds its place as great spot for group dining. The portion is generous, prices are fair, and overall a solid restaurant that's still worth recommending.

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    Bamboo House - Inside

    Inside

    Bamboo House - Peking Duck + Pancakes

    Peking Duck + Pancakes

    Bamboo House - Outside

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    Outside

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

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.3(132 reviews)
    10.2 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.

    Nut allergy friendly: Mala is surprisingly conscious about allergies, which has always been a plus…read morefor me. There are many dishes with nuts or pine nuts (like the kung pao chicken) but they're usually pretty clear. The Mala on Westheimer has been a staple in my friends' lives for a long time. We did a 15-person table at this Mala location when it was still relatively new, and I still get to-go from it decently often since it's easy to get in and out of MKT's parking (and I live closer to it, nothing against the parking in Montrose!). Our staples are always the spicy and crispy chicken, twice cooked pork, and the dry fried double vegetables. Always safe picks. We usually adventure out and try something different every time. I really like how they do their beef dry pot, their garlic cordyceps (definitely recreating that one at home), and their cumin lamb. Their mapo tofu is also awesome. While it's not the "main" Mala location, it still serves up an authentic experience and MKT is lucky to have them.

    Photos
    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Interior

    Interior

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Mala Beef Tendon

    Mala Beef Tendon

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce

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    Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce

    X’ Kitchen 川香阁 - szechuan - Updated May 2026

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