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    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.0 (717 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Mala Sichuan Bistro Takeout or Delivery

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    MALA SICHUAN BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Hot pepper chicken
    Stanley S.

    Consistently good food and probably the best local chain for Sichuan in Houston. The heights location 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.

    花椒鸡丁 Peppercorn Chicken
    Chloe L.

    No wait for dinner on a Thursday! Slightly upscale Sichuan food, think fancy Tiger Noodle. Ambiance feels nice for a date or just a night out. Generous portions on everything, recommend sharing family-style. We ordered: - spicy and crispy chicken: loved the seasoning on this, not too spicy and slightly sweet. very crunchy. - mapo tofu: personally I wouldn't recommend this, it was a bit bland some parts and salty other parts, and the marinade felt off to me. Super extensive menu so I'd come back to try other dishes!

    九层塔盐酥鸡丁 Basil Crispy Chicken, 小熊红烧肉 Jiggling Pork Belly, and 四川担担面 Dan Dan Noodles
    Sophie T.

    After being nominated for a Michelin Bib Gourmand, my family and I were excited to try this place for ourselves. We arrived early for dinner and were seated quickly, and the service was great from start to finish. Since it was around 4 o'clock, the restaurant was not too crowded, but there were still a fair number of tables filled. Our waitress was very friendly, and the staff handled a small mistake with our order in a thoughtful and accommodating way. My favorite dish of the meal was the Dan Dan Noodles. The noodles were cooked perfectly, the pork was well seasoned, and the sesame sauce was balanced with a bright Szechuan flavor and a slight numbing sensation. This is definitely a must order if you visit. We also ordered the Kung Pao Chicken and the Basil Crispy Chicken based on Yelp recommendations. The Kung Pao chicken was not your typical Americanized version. It leaned more into Szechuan flavors, offering that signature numbing quality without being overly spicy. I personally preferred the basil crispy chicken, as it reminded me of Taiwanese popcorn chicken, and I especially loved the fried basil. The last dish we tried was the Basil Eggplant and String Beans. It was very flavorful and served as a nice contrast to the richer and more numbing dishes on the table. The oyster sauce and soy sauce combination was well balanced and not overly salty. Overall, I enjoyed the meal and appreciated the quality of the dishes and service, but I do not think it fully lives up to the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition. While there were standout items, the experience as a whole did not feel distinctive enough for me to go out of my way to return.

    Dry Pot Fish Fillet
    Lisa J.

    Popped in the original Mala's last night early evening around d 6 :30 ish because I was craving spicy Sichuan goodness and wanted to go back to my "roots"... As far as ambiance, this location is hands down my favorite. It is a dimly lit , shadowy hideaway inside, kinda with the feel of a speak easy, but for Chinese food ! I was dining alone so I preceded to head upstairs where I was quickly seated. Now I must admit, beyond the occasional checking to see if I was still "ok" , the waitstaff was not as attentive as I normally remember from many previous pasts visits , and many times I had to wait to place another order or get another beverage longer than I should have. But besides that, this original location is still very comforting for me and the food never disappoints!

    Crispy and spicy chicken
    Trisha C.

    I have gone here several times, primarily for their spicy & crispy chicken. I probably ordered it 4-5x at this point. Of course, I have tried other food, but I really love this. I like eating it at the restaurant as opposed to taking it out because it is a bit crisper. It is so good with rice. I will eat it as a meal and sometimes as a snack. The ambiance is nice, and the service is excellent. I have gone there when it is busy and when there aren't a lot of people, and the service has been very consistent. I will definitely come here again.

    红油黄瓜 Red Oil Cucumber Sticks

    Extremely tasty meal! Came here solo while on work and ordered the red oil cucumber, red oil dumplings and the Dan Dan noodles. 10/10

    Vivian L.

    I absolutely love Mala Sichuan, which absolutely lives up to its name (the "mala" refers to the tingly feeling associated with the Sichuan spices). My go-to every time I come here is the mapo tofu, which has a good balance of sauce to tofu (many places have too much of one or the other). The rice portions are generous and they will give you more if you want. I also enjoy the spicy cucumbers as an appetizer. The ambiance is also wonderful - dark, deep red colors, and a very calming feel. Another reviewer called it "like a speakeasy, but for Chinese food", and I can agree with those vibes! Service is also wonderful: I am always helped quickly, but once the food comes out, the waiters get out of your way and let you enjoy the meal.

    Kung Pao Chicken
    Manuel G.

    Mala Sichuan Bistro, with several locations across the city, is without a doubt the best Chinese restaurant in Houston for me. Especially the one on Westheimer, which remains my favorite. Of course, China is a vast country with many culinary regions, and our city is fortunate to have a wide variety of them represented. Still, Mala Sichuan is always my first choice. Even though they have several spots, we always return to the one in the Montrose area whenever we can. I love the décor and the service is always excellent. Well done. The menu is extensive. Just keep in mind that Sichuan cuisine tends to be spicy, so let your server know if you do not eat spicy food. There is so much worth recommending that I suggest you let the staff guide you. Still, I highly recommend ordering several dishes to share, so you can taste a variety of flavors on each visit. Do not miss the Kung Pao Chicken and the Peppercorn Chicken. When you try them, pay close attention to the unique flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn. It is not just spicy, it has a fascinating menthol-like quality. We love it. Mala Sichuan is without a doubt our number one choice when it comes to Chinese food in Houston. Bravo Español: Mala Sichuan Bistro, con varias localidades en la ciudad, es sin duda para mí el mejor restaurante chino de Houston. En especial el de Westheimer, que sigue siendo mi favorito. Claro está que China es un país inmenso con muchas regiones culinarias, y en nuestra ciudad tenemos la fortuna de contar con una gran variedad de ellas. Aun así, Mala Sichuan es siempre mi primera opción. Aunque tienen varias sucursales, cada vez que podemos, regresamos a la que está en el área de Montrose. Me encanta la decoración y siempre la atención es excelente. Qué buen trabajo. La carta es muy grande. Solo tengan en cuenta que la comida Sichuan, por lo general, tiende a ser picante, así que avísenle a su mesera o mesero si no comen picante. Hay mucho por recomendar, así que sugiero dejarse guiar por el personal del restaurante. Aun así, les recomiendo pedir para compartir, de manera que puedan probar varias cosas en cada visita. No se pierdan el Kung Pao Chicken y el Peppercorn Chicken. Y al hacerlo, pongan atención al sabor especial de esta especia que, más que picante, tiene una cualidad mentolada muy interesante. Nos encanta. Mala Sichuan, sin pensarlo, es nuestra primera opción cuando se trata de comida china en Houston. Bravo

    Yangzhou Style Fried Rice
    MC F.

    There isn't a sign outside, so, unless you know to look for the cool black building in the corner, you might miss it! Came here because of the Michelin shout-out, and the food satisfied our Sichuan craving. Every dish was unique, and the flavors were complex and colorful. As you can see from my photos, the dishes were beautiful, as well. Standouts were the jiggling pork belly - meltingly tender - and the fried rice. The original wontons were delicious, as well, and reminded me of when my mom used to make homemade wontons. The garlic bacon was not what I was expecting (they were not bad/not great) and the eggplant was a tad under seasoned. I will be back to try other menu offerings!

    Spicy and Crispy Chicken
    Anna S.

    I was today years old when I realized I had tried Mala Sichuan Bistro in Katy a few years ago; maybe it was fate that I decided to try again at their Westheimer location! Unlike the other Mala spots, this one is quite hidden, with a dark, nearly windowless exterior making the building rather unassuming if you don't look closely. The interior of the Westheimer location is gorgeous; it has two stories, so seating is ample! They were generous with their portions, and we ordered about five dishes. - Dan Dan Noodles: (3.5/5) I've had Dan Dan noodles a few times and personally wasn't a fan of how it was prepared here; it wasn't bad, and I'd give it a try again, but I do think it could've been spicier. - Red Oil Dumplings: (2/5) Similarly, this also could've been spicier. Their preparation wasn't bad, but as the name suggests, it was quite oily, and I quickly realized that maybe these dumplings weren't my cup of tea. - Spicy and Crispy Chicken: (4/5) Not bad! I enjoyed it and thought the chicken was appropriately crispy, and there was a good spicy kick to it. It's a safe order, but nothing was WOW about it. - Mapo Tofu: (3/5) Personally, I'm not a fan of the numbing spice that I get from Mapo tofu, so I didn't eat too much of it; however, my friends who are Mapo Tofu fanatics weren't too satisfied with the tofu. - Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce: (5/5) This order alone was the star of the dinner, I think I fell in love... Not too oily, and it's great to have when you're eating it alongside protein-heavy foods. I'm not sure how the sauce was prepared, but I'd go back to Mala just to order the spicy eggplant dish. The garlic flavor wasn't too prominent, however. If I recall correctly, I do feel like this location holds back a bit on spice compared to their Katy location (granted, it's been a few years). It's a pretty decent Sichuan spot if you're craving Asian food in the Montrose area. I'd definitely come back, but order different dishes next time.

    Krizia M.

    Menu is a bit overwhelming and could be organized to allow simplicity when deciding through an array of options... seating is upstairs and bathrooms are downstairs near the bar. Great location & yummy food otherwise but was lacking customer service.. it took a while to find a waiter but once they took our order the food arrived quickly. Definitely worth trying if you're in the mood for Sichuan spice with authentic, shareable bites.

    Mala Bamboo Shoots

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    10 months ago

    Good Sichuan food with great price and portions. We loved it and took some home to Austin.

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    we don't mind you come dine in in your pajamas!!!

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    Mala Sichuan Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Mala Sichuan Bistro

    Hello! Mala has been out go to restaurant for awhile! I have searched and cannot find an email to the owners to provide info about our experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated?

    How can I make reservation? Will you be open for the New Year Eve

    Yes we will be open, call us to make the reservation.

    Will you be open on Christmas Day?

    Yes, regular hours

    Are there and gluten and dairy free options?

    There's many dairy free options Gluten free is hard to do for traditional Sichuan because many dishes contain fermented broad bean paste, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, fermented… 

    Do you have outdoor seating for family 8?

    Yes we can manage that, best if you call in ahead of time so we can set it up

    Do you have any non-meat dishes that are also non-spicy? Do you serve lunch and dinner on the patio?

    Yes we do have non spicy non meat dishes. You can also some of the spicy non meat dishes to be made non spicy (but not all of them). Yes we can serve you on the patio.

    Do you deliver? I'm thinking to order group meal for 10 ppl.

    We don’t have our own delivery service, we do take out, we also deliver via third party delivery app

    Do we need make reservations?

    You can but you don’t have to

    View All 10 Questions

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    Hu's Cooking

    Hu's Cooking

    4.5
    (1.1k reviews)
    3.0 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
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    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.1
    (1.1k reviews)
    9.7 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.

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

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    Inside of restaurant
    Xiaolong Dumpling

    Xiaolong Dumpling

    4.6
    (300 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!

    Was a little bit of a red flag when we were the only Asian customers in the restaurant - still…read moredecent but definitely catered towards Western taste buds. My favorite dish was surprising the fried rice, with generous portions and slight smokiness. The xiaolongbao weren't my favorite, as there wasn't a whole lot of juice; but hey if you're looking to be health conscious maybe that is a positive.

    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.
    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.3
    (137 reviews)
    2.8 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
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    Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce

    Mala Sichuan Bistro - szechuan - Updated August 2026

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