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    Lao Sze Chuan

    4.3 (119 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm

    Order Lao Sze Chuan Takeout or Delivery

    Lao Sze Chuan Photos

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    LAO SZE CHUAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Chef Tonys Favorite Chicken
    Libby H.

    YUM!! This place has yummy food, great service, and big comfy booths! We got the Tony's special chicken which is a take on their mala crispy spicy chicken. DELICIOUS! Very very crispy, great flavor. Service was great. When taking leftovers to go, they gave extra rice. I'll definitely be back!

    Mapo Tofu
    David P.

    Updated review, they're still running a BOGO on some delivery apps. I called in to ask and their mapo tofu has no nuts, woo! We got the mapo tofu both extra spicy and the medium. Still awesome that they included rice. I thought the extra spicy was almost perfect and ended up mixing a ratio of 75% extra spicy, 25% medium. Portions are great, although one mapo tofu came with about 20% less than the other for some reason.

    Brandi J.

    I was craving Dan Dan noodles. I was in the city for the day, so this was the perfect opportunity. There was a bit of confusion at first because I wasn't aware the kiosk was for to go orders only. I wasn't aware confused because there was no one to greet us when we walked in. Once the waitress came out she sat up and took our drink orders. I enjoyed their experience, the food was delicious. This meal was very satisfying and we were all full when we left. 5/5 Wonton with chili oil 5/5 Pork shu mai 4/5 Dan Dan noodles 5/5 Mango and Strawberry lemonade

    Annel H.

    The food was delicious, almost everything we ordered was really good. The fried rice came out very quickly and wasn't as hot as we would've liked, but it still had good flavor. The service definitely needs improvement. We were greeted by a gentleman who didn't seem very customer service-oriented. I asked for recommendations and the only response I got was, "Depends on your taste." We also mentioned it was our first time, but there was no acknowledgment or effort to make us feel welcomed. Usually, at other places, staff are more patient and helpful with suggestions for first-time visitors. On a positive note, the restaurant was very clean and had elegant decor and plenty of parking too.

    Sesame Balls With Salted Egg Yolk
    Carrie M.

    You MUST try the Twin Peaks crispy tofu and sesame balls with salted egg yolk. These were so special. Here is what we ordered: Water spinach: I always love this vegetable, and this one did not disappoint Twin Peaks crispy tofu: SOOOOO good and unique! We had never had tofu like this before Tony's favourite chicken: I don't know who Tony is, but this was good. Very American though, like fried spicy popcorn chicken. It was the hottest dish we got Spicy sour pickled fatty beef: I don't like mustard, so I wasn't a fan, and it didn't seem like a hit amongst the others either Egg drop soup: Suspiciously thick (definitely seems like they put a ton of cornstarch) and did not have anything other than eggs. No tomato or even a sprig of green onion Sesame balls with salted egg yolk: I had never had custard in sesame balls before. It was absolutely amazing, and these sesame balls are giant!!! The owner was very kind and walked us through their specialty dishes. We had to ask for significantly more napkins, but service was good otherwise. I like the modern decor a lot.

    Inside the restaurant
    Diana S.

    Another great restaurant in the neighborhood for Sichuan food! Vibe: Casual, homey, great for large groups. And actually better to come with a large group so you can try more dishes! What I enjoyed here: - Prawn & pork siu mai: So fresh and tasty - Soup dumplings: Great flavor - Cucumber salad: So simple but yet soo delicious! My favorite app here! - Genghis Khan Mongolian beef: Yummm - Peking duck: Our favorite dish here, takes about 20 min or so to make but it is soo tender and crispy at the same time. I definitely recommend! Perfect to share for a group of 4-6 people! Overall, the staff here is so sweet and attentive and the food is fresh and delicious! I definitely recommend it!

    Adela M.

    Ok- so this review is biased because I am so used to the Chicago locations but this was a great stop in Houston. The menu is smaller but it is curated and smaller compared to the one in Chicago but it has a lot of great dishes on here. The staff welcomed me and they were so nice, I mean really nice. I sat down on a Friday night and it wasn't packed but there were a good amount of guests in there. They were balancing customers with a lot of carry out orders and I think they did a great job checking in on me. I ordered the chili spicy dumplings, the dry green beans and the crispy pepper fish, everything was so fresh and tasty. I would come back again.

    Egg Drop Soup
    Kim T.

    I came here on a Friday afternoon and there was no wait; I was seated down right away. It's very nice inside with modern but authentic decor. I've been going to the location in Bellaire but since that shut down, I stopped by this one instead. The chefs are amazing. I give props to them for the delicious and fresh dishes that I ordered. I got the Mongolian beef, water boiled fish, and the chef special dry chili chicken. Beef with the onions were just perfect with the balanced ratio. Fish was super tender and easy to eat with the spicy szechuan sauce. The dry chili chicken breading was different but the chicken was juicy. I didn't like the hot & sour soup. It was too much on the sour side in my opinon but thankfully they let me switch it to the egg drop soup. Honestly, I will come back for the food. Only complaint I have is the customer service. I don't know if it's just me but even when there was only me and another group in the restaurant, it felt like the staff was non-existent. Of course, I do have to get the attention of a waiter about 80% of the time. I actually had the same issue with the Bellaire location. If it wasn't for food, I probably would avoid coming back.

    Dan Dan Noodles
    Meghan M.

    Very happy to have discovered Lao Sze Chuan, and will be adding it to my rotation of Sichuanese restaurants in Houston! We ordered the spicy cucumbers with peanuts for an appetizer, Dan Dan noodles without pork, and the Chef's dry chicken with red peppers. The flavors really pack a punch here, and when they say it's spicy, it's REALLY spicy! So make sure to load up on the napkins because if you're anything like me, you'll be blowing your nose but continuing to eat the food in spite of the mouthwateringly numbing spice. The service was very quick and attentive, and the ambiance was nice! The restaurant is located in a strip mall and there's ample parking.

    Weekend Brunch sign
    Yesi I.

    Came in after seeing their weekend brunch sign outside. They also advertised it on the front of the menu. When we asked about it, our server said they were no longer doing it. We told her they had a sign outside for it and she said "yeah I know, and the menus are new but we don't offer it anymore" which was confusing because if the menus are new shouldn't they NOT offer it? I assume she didn't like us asking about their sign since another server tended to us the rest of our time there. He was nicer than her. She took our payment at the end and was rude, and didn't say anything besides "ready to pay?" No "thank you" or "do you need to go plates?" And yes we did tip regardless of her, over tipped even. FOOD: The egg drop soup was subtle, very subtle. The chili oil dumplings were okay, the meat was good, but it lacked amount for the amount of dough. The dough was thick. The crispy bottom bao tasted good, but lacked meat juice and were pretty small compared to anywhere else.

    Dumpling W/ Szechuan Chili Sauce
    Catalina A.

    The food was sooo delicious! Chicken dumplings 10/10: in the schezuan sauce, they pack a kick but I am very sensitive to spice and they were so delicious I ate them happily while breathing heavily. I loved this, best thing we ordered! The Mongolian beef 9.5/10: it was tendeeeer! Such a great flavor and it comes with white rice perfectly cooked of course. Can be shared or if you're hungry you can totally take it on alone! Service was nice and fast! We did go when it wasn't too crowded around 4pm but they were very good at refilling our waters and bringing out the food fast. The place itself is very clean and pretty the booths honestly look brand new and I like that they cover them with what I would describe as a massive napkin! I will definitely be back.

    Hot And Sour Soup
    Gus F.

    Recommended best Szechuan in Montrose. Very good Chinese food and equally good service; friendly staff. Ordered hot and sour soup (one of the best I've had), chicken egg roll, chicken with vegetables and dry chili chicken (recommend this dish, loved it!)

    Kung Pao Chicken W/ Peanuts
    Jacob D.

    I wasn't sure what to expect from Lao, as I've never had a recommendation to come visit. They have plenty of parking a modern and cold (temperature wise) interior. I mean I was freezing and was loving that food came out as it was ready instead of all at once. Overall I thought this was fairly comparable to other really good Chinese restaurants in Houston. The good mix of American favorites and Chinese classics with a twist. The real standout of our order was the squirrel fish, which was the best I've had since finding out about how good this dish really is. I would definitely be back to try some other things from the menu now that I've had a good feel for what they can offer!

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    Nice people, delicious foods, great pricing. You can't ask for much more. It's nice for a chill date night or just to grab a glass of wine

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    1 year ago

    Quality of food, service, and ambience were all top-tier! We enjoyed the wontons, soup dumplings, siu mai, and dry-chili chicken.

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    Hu's Cooking

    Hu's Cooking

    4.5
    (1.1k reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    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
    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

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.1
    (1.1k reviews)
    9.8 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Spicy and Crispy Chicken
    Spicy and Crispy Chicken
    Inside of restaurant

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    Inside of restaurant
    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.0
    (718 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    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:)

    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
    Bar and dining area on first floor
    Bar and dining area on first floor
    Red oil wonton
    Red oil wonton
    Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet

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    Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet
    Xiaolong Dumpling

    Xiaolong Dumpling

    4.6
    (298 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    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!

    One of my favorite Chinese spots in the city. It's a little different because they serve Sichuan…read morecuisine so it's more spicy. Service is great. The lady is really friendly and she gave us free tea one time. The spicy chicken cube is a must order and I'd throw the chili oil wontons to. Gives u a good idea of the style of food they serve. It's spicy but not overwhelming so. I recently tried the spicy fish with silken tofu to. That was great and it was a little numbing to with the peppercorns. For more standard fare the Mongolian beef is good, sour soup, scallion pancakes good, green beans too. Fried rice was only thing that was somewhat disappointing. It wasn't bad but just ok compared to how good everything else they serve. Definitely try it out

    Photos
    Excellent customer service!!!
    Excellent customer service!!!
    V9. Eggplant In Garlic Sauce V9.
    V9. Eggplant In Garlic Sauce V9.
    P3. Black Pepper Beef P3.

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    P3. Black Pepper Beef P3.
    Bamboo House

    Bamboo House

    4.4
    (738 reviews)
    15.5 mi
    $$

    IYKYK - this is probably the best Peking Duck I've had in Houston in a long time. I've done Peking…read moreCuisine for years and shifted to Arco for my duck cravings, but if you're willing to drive out to Humble (pretty much anytime you're in the IAH area), you gotta check out Bamboo House for the best Peking duck. And their other menu items are fire as well! We went on a Sunday late evening. We had a 9 pm airport pickup at IAH so it was a perfect opportunity to grab a spectacular dinner and make the 30+ minute drive out to IAH totally worth it. Parking lot wasn't too full so that wasn't an issue. While the neighborhood ain't River Oaks luxury, it ain't too scary either. We kept it simple - ordered a whole duck and Bamboo House Special Noodle with Beef. This place ain't cheap but the food is worth every penny. It was very busy that evening so it's not a well-kept secret but also proves that eventually, Houstonians will figure out where the good food is. The duck was near perfect. They serve the duck with the pancakes (as opposed to the buns like at Arco) which is my preference. The soup that comes with it was also extremely flavorful. And the house special noodles with beef - oh my. I swear it's just one really long noodle so you may be frustrated trying to divvy up the family style bowl, but the labor is worth it. So good... Can't wait for my next airport run so I can sneak in a lunch or dinner at this place. So many other menu items I want to try!

    If you are looking for the best Peking duck, look no further! Who would have expected to find the…read morebest Peking duck in Humble? I had previously visited the now closed Bamboo House on Westheimer and I remember being impressed by the food. I had to make an airport run and decided that it would be perfect timing to stop by this location. I highly recommend ordering the duck ahead of time, but we were lucky enough to snag one of the last ducks when we arrived around 7 pm on a Sunday evening. The waitress was super friendly and upbeat and the restaurant is older but well maintained. You can see where the food is being prepared/cooked and you can see ducks being cooked/warmed behind a glass window. The duck was absolutely spectacular with the perfect seasoned and tender meat accompanied by well rendered crispy skin. I love how the pancakes are paper thin and pair well with the scrumptious duck and other toppings. They also provide sugar and plum sauce as additional toppings which I thought was interesting but not my cup of tea. The duck soup was extremely flavorful and full bodied and went well with the duck. The noodles were also amazing with likely hand pulled noodles served with an abundance of tender beef and vegetables with a little Sichuan kick. I was intrigued by a strawberry chicken dish that I saw on the menu and I plan to try it the time. My diagnosis: hands down the best Peking duck in the greater Houston area!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Twice Cooked Pork Belly
    Twice Cooked Pork Belly
    Peking Duck

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    Peking Duck
    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.3
    (136 reviews)
    3.0 mi

    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.

    Mala is one of my favorite restaurants! It's more expensive than other american Chinese restaurants…read morebut it's bigger portions so it evens out (with free rice of course). I love the mapo tofu and spicy chicken. The tofu is creamy, savory with a little bit of a Szechuan kick & doesn't come with pork which I prefer. (This dish made me love tofu!) The chicken is crispy without thick breading. Lots of garlic, szechuan peppers, and seasoning. (I wouldn't recommend eating the peppers.) The ambiance is great. The service can be lacking - they need to hire more servers because there's 1-2 servers for the entire restaurant and it gets packed. Every time we need something, we have to flag a server. Regardless, still 5/5!

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Mala Beef Tendon
    Mala Beef Tendon
    Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce

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    Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce

    Lao Sze Chuan - szechuan - Updated July 2026

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