5 Stars - Authentic Szechuan that absolutely nails the classics…read more During our short trip to Houston, as a custom, we were determined to find real Szechuan food, and luckily we found Hu's Kitchen. The location is a bit unassuming, and parking is definitely tough (the spaces are very shallow), but the second we walked through the doors and smelled the Szechuan peppercorns, I knew we were in exactly the right place. I generally judge a Szechuan restaurant by their 夫妻肺片 (Fuqi Feipian)--which they cleverly name "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" on the menu. They completely nailed it. The beef, tripe, and tendon were incredibly cohesive together, yet you could tell each component was prepared and marinated in a slightly different way to perfectly highlight its specific texture. The chili oil was right on the spot. We went through a massive bowl of rice just eating this dish alone. Honestly, if I weren't feeding a family of four, I could have just ordered that and been perfectly happy. While the Fuqi Feipian proves their skill with dry dishes, the 水煮魚片 (Fish in Szechuan Hot Chili Oil) proves their skill with wet ones. It's another must-order. The execution was flawless--we didn't just finish the tender fish chunks, we ate every last piece of cabbage soaked in that incredible chili broth. For my two daughters who can't handle the heat, we ordered the fried rice, garlic pork ribs with onion, and the 紅燒獅子頭 (Giant Meatball with Cabbage). The giant meatball was spectacular. The kids completely devoured it on their own, but I managed to steal a bite, and it instantly brought back childhood memories of exactly how this dish is supposed to taste. We also had the Dan Dan Noodles, which were great and rounded out the meal perfectly. I loved all of the dishes we tried. Should we ever find ourselves in Houston again, we will absolutely be revisiting this hidden gem.

My mom wanted steamed fish with ginger, scallions, and that light sweet soy sauce. Hu's Cooking…read moredelivered! When we ordered, they mentioned it'll take about 20 mins but it came out in 10. No complaints here since we were starving from an 8 hour road trip. The Dan Dan Noodles...I had high expectations but sadly this dish fell short. I recommend Hu's Cooking to use a bigger bowl and more sauce because it was difficult to mix the noodles and the sauce wasn't...saucing, unfortunately. I wish there was more flavor in this dish. The Scallion Pancake was super over-fried and oily. See image in my review. The outer parts of the pancake were fried to a crisp and only a small circumference in the center stayed chewy. I know Chinese tends to be oily but this pancake soaked up way too much oil. Half a Peking duck: super great price for so much meat. The difficulty when eating this dish is gnawing the meat off the sharp bones of the duck. Mapo Tofu with white rice: pretty easy staple, no complaints here. Dinner on a Saturday was packed but we got seated quickly and food arrived fast.

Food - 10/10 I really enjoyed everything I ordered. Seriously. So much flavor. I got a bunch cause…read moreI wanted to try a little bit of everything plus I was using it for meal prep anyways. I'm not the biggest fan of the numbing pepper but there wasn't a lot, just to give it some flavor so I enjoyed everything. The cumin lamb was yummy and I really liked the fish. The lotus root was crunchy and the water spinach was the usual sauted with garlic. The garlic bacon was fun to eat and I really liked the sauce. Service was great as well. Very quick to get the food out and my server was very nice when I asked questions about different items. Ambiance - 8/10 It's definitely an older restaurant. It gives me like 90s Chinese restaurant vibes if that makes any sense. I'm coming back either way. Gotta try other things.

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.

I had a great experience dining here. A few things I loved:…read morePlenty of parking Beautiful wall art Extensive menu options Menu with images Good service Delicious food It was my first time, and as a first timer I had a lot of questions and didn't know where to start, but our server was very helpful and gave us excellent recommendations. We ordered : Dan Dan Noodles 8/10 Bok choy and mushrooms 8/10 Kung Pao chicken 9/10 Dry fried green beans 9/10 The food looks beautiful and tastes even better, I loved they present the food very pretty. Oh! And The portions are shareable too! I will definitely come back , there is a garden on the side that looks very pretty when you are dining inside, maybe next time if the weather is nice we can sit outside:)

3.5 - Dumplings, Red Oil 3.7 - dry fried double veggies…read more(4/3.2) 1 - Beef, Cumin (1/2) 3 - Chicken, Kung Pao (2.9/3.8) 3 - Chicken, Spicy & Crispy (2.8/3.5) 3.0 - Chow Mein, Spicy, No Onions. (3/3.2) 2.7 - Chow Mein, Spicy, Beef No Onions. (2.7/3.2) 3.0 - Chow Mein, Spicy, Chicken, No Onions. (3.1/3.2) 3.0 - Fried Rice, Spicy 3.1 - Fried Rice, Spicy, chicken 3.0 - Fried Rice, Spicy, Pork 3 - Sautéed Baby Bok Choy (-/3.5)

This little spot is my literal favorite place for fried rice. Everything is good but the fried rice…read moreis the best I've ever had! Pork Bao's are normally my daughter fave but the soup dumplings here are her favorite. She could finish an order on her own. The service is always great. As soon as you get in they give everyone a water and a carafe of more water. There is a QR code to order and you place your order on the phone. The order goes straight to the kitchen and you can add as you go if wanted. I always thought that was pretty cool. The owner came out to say hello and ask how everything is. She even brought out a small bowl of soup for my baby to enjoy. The waitress was also very sweet and attentive. I don't live close by but will make the trip when the craving hits. Today was one of those days. The last time I was here there was no ac and not enough seating. This time it was nice and cool in and well as having new seating! This little spot needs to be on your need to stop places!

Came here solo on a Saturday evening with goals to get some biang biang noodles. I was hoping to be…read moreable to dine there. I asked the main waitress how long it'd take to get seated as a solo diner, but she never gave me a clear answer as she was so busy as the only wait staff. I decided take out was the move. Take out took about 15 minutes to come out, so not too long. The biang biang noodles had a nice bounce, but I'm not sure if it was because it was a take out meal that the noodles were sticking together. However, they were very flavorful. I also got the pork wontons in the peanut sauce and they were also very juicy and flavorful. Overall, the food here is good and I'd try it again but hopefully for dine in. If you can get a reservation, I'd suggest doing that or else the wait will be long.

I visited Lao Sze Chuan this past weekend ( Saturday) , alone , for a late lunch around 3:30 or so…read more It was my first visit in and because they had such and expansive menu, ( in this case not a good thing) , I was super excited to try multiple options, but I had to stop at two... I'm always a sucker for all things Sichuan style, in fact it's my favorite style of Chinese cuisine, however after receiving the first order , the Chefs Special Beef Tripe, I should have stopped there. Although it was clearly tripe, it looked nothing like the picture online, and was overly pickled and extremely numbing of taste to the point of not being able to enjoy or even get a remote grasp of a flavor profile. Well, as to not give up on them entirely, I went ahead and ordered something more middle of the road , by getting the twice cooked pork. Something I figured they couldn't mess up.. Well it was BEYOND bland without seasoning or favor at all, even inspite of the fresh ingredients that it contained. The pork was not tender and the overall dish just simply uninspiring. The two stars were for service and ambience. So very disappointing.

Quality ingredients. Flat noodles are the highlight…read more 2.7 - Brussel Sprouts, Crispy Roasted w/ Garlic. 2.5M - Chicken Pot Sticker 3.2V - Chicken Pot Sticker. Very good sauce. 3.7 - Chicken egg roll 3.6M/3.2V - Beef, Mongolian. Medium spice, no onion. 3.5 - Chicken, General Tso. Tastes like Bejing chicken. 2.5 - Chicken, Kung Pao. Tasted a little fishy. 4.0 - Chicken, lo mein. 3M/2.5V - Chicken, Orange. Feels healthy. 4.4 - Noodles, Stir Fried Flat, Chicken. No onions and green onions. tjm

This is a gem. From the broth of the soup to the tenderness of the beef; this is the place to get…read moreSzechuan food. The pork Dumplings have incredible flavor! Everything is contactless which was great! You order from the table and pay from there as well. This is the spot to stop for a different take in Chinese food

I LOVE this place!! The service is amazing and quick; you get free sweet barley tea as a…read morerefreshment as well as free pickled cabbage. We also ordered the cold beef app which was delicious. Good flavors and just the right amount of spice. I LOVE the numbing spice beef noodles! The broth, meat, noodles are all so good and are the perfect combo. The restaurant has really nice decor and there is plenty of seating. Big parking lot outside but it does get pretty packed.

Wow. Wow. Wow! Simply great food! Whenever I am new to a place I always go with a classic dish…read morefirst to see if how it is. I mean, if they can master a classic then they've earned my trust for more complex dishes. I tried their Combination Fried Rice (chicken was real, not the fake stuff. Texture and chew was perfect, shrimp and beef perfectly cooked and seasoned). Eggdrop soup (Yum!), and I did a sharable dish with my friends which was their Garlic Water Spinach (different and delicious). Other items ordered was the Spicy Chicken Cube. Everything was cooked beautifully, Service was quick, and the Asian inspired Atmosphere was nicely done. This place is not small, but not big either - there is seating available inside, but somewhat limited (if thinking about bringing a large group). This place does do pick-up if you're thinking of having takeout for dinner. P.S. the food is just as good as leftovers too! Located in a shopping strip, there an adequate amount of parking. If you are looking for a spot with quality Chinese food, then come on over and try Wula Buhuan, 10 out of 10 recommends! Enjoy!

I tried this place from seeing a TikTok that it's a "hidden gem", but was a little disappointed in…read morewhat I found compared to how the tiktoker was hyping it up. The portion size was the most disappointing. I ordered the exact same things I get at many other Chinese family-style places like Mala Sichuan Bistro, and Mala was better tasting and had much bigger portions. The spicy boiled fish was kinda sweet-tasting? Not really spicy. The couple's lung slices were good though.

Absolutely love the food at Trendy Dumpling! The crispy bottom baos are some of the best I've had--…read moreperfectly cooked with just the right crunch. We ordered a variety of dishes to share, and everything was delicious. The soup dumplings are a must-try-- they didn't disappoint. This is a great spot for anyone looking for authentic dumplings on this side of town. Definitely one of my go-to places now! く

For a dumpling place, dumpling selection was somewhat limited…read more Spicy dumplings were really good. Beijing duck was excellent. Crispy bottom bao seem mass produced. Cucumbers were very crunchy. Seasoned with mostly just salt. Server thought it would be cool to bring politics into our dinner. He behaved very inappropriately.

My favorite place for Peking duck around the Houston area. It's a little farther out, but I usually…read morestop by whenever I'm driving to or from AIH. The duck is roasted for hours, so the skin comes out nice and crispy without being too greasy. I also like that the remaining duck is made into a soup afterward. It's simple, hearty, and especially good on a colder day. I've tried several other dishes here, and they've all been solid and remind me of the Chinese food I grew up eating. The servers have always been attentive and friendly, and the restaurant is spacious, so it's a good spot for family dinners or larger groups.

I made the decision to eat lunch here after having a craving for Chinese food and reading the many…read moregreat reviews. Unfortunately, I shouldn't have ignored the average reviews, as this is what it turned out to be. I had lunch at Bambi House this last Friday for the first time. I was disappointed for a couple of reasons: my Orange chicken was basically mostly tempura and very thin slices of chicken. I had purchased the orange chicken, which was $9.85, with egg fried rice. The chicken was average in flavor, but as I mentioned before, the chicken was in thin slices; therefore, I mostly had tempura drowned in the orange chicken sauce. The fried rice was bland in flavor. Honestly, I agree: half and the re w the rest away. Admittedly, all of the 5-star reviews I read praised the duck, so perhaps that's what they're really good at. Unfortunately, I will probably never be back, because thin slices of chicken don't meet my expectations.

Not too long ago I started reading "Food of Sichuan" by Fuchsia Dunlop. There, she describes hilly…read moremountains, rice fields reaching above your head, and dewy mornings awakened by the local cattle demanding breakfast. She emphasizes few ingredients that complement and highlight each other. Above all else is technique. The knowledge to know which vegetables are in season, the perfect time to poach fish, infusing oil with the correct about of peppercorns and aromatics takes years of practice. What I find surprising is how Mala Sichuan Bistro scaled out their restaurants with the same quality, crispiness, and consistency across all locations. The MKT location has the most beautiful interior, which is why I choose to go there. If Mala told you the crispy chicken seasoning was only 4-5 ingredients, would you believe it? Chinese cooking is about letting one ingredient shine in the spotlight with the supporting actors complement one another. My love for cooking started with the spicy crispy chicken. The crunch, the numbing from the peppercorns, the push and pull between sweet and salty. The oil to fry the chicken and the oil to dress the chicken afterwards creates a masterpiece that I have not been able to replicate at home nor have I found any other restaurant in America with the same caliber. The dry pot fish melts in your mouth with its delicate batter. The lotus root is crunchy while the cauliflower soaks up the delicious sauce. Compared to the water boiled fish, this dish is my new favorite coming into here. For the avid regulars of Mala Sichuan, I challenge you - Order something a little out of your comfort zone every time you come. Trust that the chefs have years of knowledge and the sample size for refining dishes almost 4x ours. If survival of the fittest makes the restaurant business cutthroat here, imagine the caliber of dishes that exist in China. Mala Sichuan didn't invent these dishes, it came from generations of testing, iterating, and feedback from their customers. When we dine here, we're having a snippet of history served right in front of us.

We order take out from here and bring people from out of town here, especially if they don't…read morenormally eat Sichuan food. Mala is always a crowd pleaser. The inside is nice, and the vibe is casual. We've sat inside where they have larger tables for bigger groups and outside if you want to look out toward the adjacent patio/green space on a nice day. They have high chairs if you bring a little one. Overtime, we've tried a lot of their menu, and our favorites are the mapo tofu (my husband's favorite), spicy and crispy chicken (although I wouldn't mind more mala), cumin lamb, sautéed seasonal vegetable, mala tofu pudding with fish fillet, fish cube with string bean bits, and eggplant in spicy garlic sauce. My toddler loves the food here and eats the fish cube with bean dish and seasonal vegetables, which are both not spicy. I would skip the Dan Dan noodles and anything with the "red oil," which are on the greasy side and less flavorful. The crab meat and asparagus soup was also lackluster and tasted like the base is from a ready made packet. The chestnut chicken stew was salty. If craving dry pot, I would opt for somewhere in Chinatown instead. We haven't had their drinks and never have room to try their desserts, although their crepe cakes always look so good. This is a solid choice if you are in the M-K-T area!