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    Mala Sichuan Bistro

    4.3 (137 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    Chow mein
    Brandon D.

    Celebrated a friend's birthday at mala Sichuan bistro! I've tried mala before but this was my first time at their heights location. The area it was in was very nice and the interior of the restaurant was nice as well. We got the spicy water boiled fish, cumin lamb, basil crispy chicken, plum spare ribs, spicy and sour wontons, chow mein, garlic egg plants, green beans, and brown sugar sticky rice cake. The fish was the best dish. I also liked the wontons, veggies, and chow mein. Basil chicken wasn't bad but I prob wouldn't get it again. Plum spare ribs were interesting, the ribs were sweet and salty. Overall pretty solid

    Stir fried string beans
    Ann L.

    Always hit the spot for a homey meal. It's conveniently located at M-K-T near the trail. 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.

    Outside
    David P.

    Nut allergy friendly: Mala is surprisingly conscious about allergies, which has always been a plus for 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.

    干锅牛肉 Dry Pot Beef
    Bryan V.

    I'm no stranger to Mala Sichuan Bistro, but this was my first time trying the Heights location. I think they were having a good day because the food tasted even better than usual. I was scarfing down every single dish! Mala Dry Pot: one of my favorite dishes of all time. The Mala seasoning was delicious. I would've loved more lotus root! Pork with rice cracker: very tender pork... it contrasted well with the crispy rice crackers. I enjoyed it. Crispy spicy chicken: Not much to say. I always get this dish and it hits the spot every time. Eggplant in garlic sauce: tender and full of garlicky goodness. Don't skip this! Mapo tofu: Classic. They've really solidified this recipe. Spicy, savory, soft... Yum. Sweet and sour crispy fish: saved the best for last. So this was a new dish they were serving! I've never seen it before and ever since I've tried it, I think about it often. I was upset to find out they don't serve it at the Katy location! The sauce is soooo good and the fish maintains its crispiness. They need to make it a mainstay item at every location. It was THAT good.

    Green beans and pork
    Ingrid S.

    Truly amazing food! Szechuan can be overpowering to me and I was a bit on the fence about going but wow I am SO glad I did! We asked the lower the spice level by one pepper level and it was perfect. Get the water boiled fish, you have to! The texture of the fish is so tender and the sauce is so delicious. I would also highly recommend the Mala beef and the green beans. I'd go back here all of the time if I lived in Houston! My only complaint is the location, it was really hard to find. I wish there was better signage. The inside decor was super nice. Overall the food was a 10/10!

    Spicy and Crispy Chicken
    Brian T.

    We recently came here with friends after a Yelp Event at ARTECHOUSE nearby. We were craving Asian food and Mala came up as in the vicinity during our Yelp search! I hadn't had Mala in years, and only at the Bellaire location, so I was excited to try the location at MKT. We came in on a Thursday night around 8pm and there were a few other tables seated. We were seated right away and were given waters right off the bat. Even though it was a slow weeknight, service was attentive to our table made sure we were taken care of throughout our time. Of course our table of 4 was family styling everything, so we picked things that the group liked. We got Spicy and Crispy Chicken, Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet, Cumin Beef, Sizzling Rice Cracker Pork, and Basil Eggplant with String Beans. Portions were a decent size, enough for the four of us to finish and be full without taking home anything. The Spicy and Crispy Chicken is a staple for me at Szechuan restaurants. The one here was good; the chicken chunks were sizable and the texture was very crispy. The Mala Tofu Pudding with Fish Fillet was really flavorful; while not super spicy, it had a good heat to it from the peppercorns. The Cumin Beef was a good, non-spicy option with strong flavors of cumin. The Sizzling Rice Cracker Pork was decent; not sure if I'd order this again as I was surprised that the sauce was sweet...was not expecting a sweet pork dish, but I did like the contrasting texture of the crispy rice cracker. I will say that this one wins for presentation though because they poured the meats/sauce/veggies onto the rice crackers at the table to ensure top crispiness. The Basil Eggplant with String Beans was a good veggie dish to balance out our 4 other meat dishes; we normally go for eggplants OR string beans, this was a great way to get both in one. We had a good experience at Mala in the MKT shopping center. While I wouldn't say it was the best Szechuan Houston has to offer, it definitely is a solid option inside the loop. A good place to take out-of-town visitors or just for a date night because you can get dessert a few steps over at Hui Lau Shan or Honeychild's Sweet Creams.

    风味辣子鸡丁 Spicy and Crispy Chicken  麻婆豆腐 Mapo Tofu Seasonal vegetable  Fish soup
    Hemi K.

    We went in for a weekday dinner and were seated immediately. The food came out within five minutes of our order and we were pretty impressed. We did find a hair in the soup which we told the waiter and was given a new dish immediately. The food was delicious but lacked a little spice compared to the other locations. The interior was clean cut and definitely newer than the other locations. I did feel like the portions were smaller than the other mala sichuan restaurants. They had limited servers so we needed to flag down the server whenever we needed to get something. Overall, would definitely go again when craving authentic Chinese food.

    炒饭 Fried Rice
    Alexandra P.

    I came here during the week for a work lunch and was excited to try it after seeing it was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand. I went with 5 coworkers, and since the dishes are served family-style, we ordered a few items to share: Mongolian beef, spicy fried rice with everything but pork, spicy crispy chicken, mapo tofu, and dry fried double vegetables. Every single dish was packed with incredible flavor. The portions are huge so make sure you keep that in mind when ordering! The meat dishes come with steamed white rice, which is refillable... something we did not realize until after ordering. My personal favorites were the spicy fried rice and the spicy crispy chicken. Both had a great spice level without being overwhelming. Service was extremely fast, which was ideal since we were limited to only an hour lunch. Overall, amazing quality and flavor for the price. I will be back!

    麻婆豆腐 Mapo Tofu  风味辣子鸡丁 Spicy and Crispy Chicken
    Jennifer V.

    Slowly trying all the Mala locations!! Mala is one of my favorite restaurants these days. Cumin lamb, mapo tofu, and spicy popcorn chicken are my favorites. Very good portions. I went on a weekday evening and there were only two servers for the full house, so service was sometimes slow.

    四川担担面 Dan Dan Noodles
    Grace K.

    Oh how I love Mala Sichuan! This restaurant is located in MKT which is a beautiful shopping center with cute boutiques, restaurants, and dessert shops that feels makes you feel like you are not in Houston. This restaurant is very nicely decorated with a spectacular ambiance compared to some of the other Mala locations. The waitress was super friendly and promptly brought us water. I had to order my go to dishes: spicy crispy chicken, Dan Dan noodles and water boiled fish. I decided to give the crispy Mala beef a try based on the waitress's recommendation, but I was slightly disappointed and will likely not order it again. The flavor was good, but the beef was slightly tough and just not on par with Mala's high standards. The spicy crispy chicken was perfectly seasoned with Mala spices, and the chicken was super addictive and scrumptious. The Dan Dan noodles set the bar for Dan Dan noodles in my book, and the noodles were chewy and paired well with the sesame sauce. The water boiled fish is always crave worthy with the expertly cooked fish and sichuan sauce and veggies. My diagnosis: Mala Sichuan sets the standard for Sichuan food and never disappoints.

    鱼香茄子 Eggplants in Spicy Garlic Sauce
    Abel Ivan F.

    Food is absolutely incredible. Great for sharing and ordering the spicy chicken and the eggplant with garlic is a must. Service is very friendly, restaurant is clean, right in the heart of bellaire. I've come back many times and have always left happy.

    Naomi H.

    I loved every single dish i tried at this spot! I randomly selected this place because i was on a walk got hungry and found this. it was happy hour (Lucky charm). The place was not packed and Im surprise because the food and the ambience was just great. I sat by the bar and promptly was handed a menu. I wanted to try few things so i ordered: *the wonton sour and spicy: soooo delicious and BIG portion, it came with a side of white rice that was HUGE as well. I got the shrimps /prawns also with that sichuan kick, so so delicious. Needed to have my veggie intake so I ordered the bok choy, what can I say it was perfectly sautéed with garlicky, sesame flavor. *********HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE OF ALL WAS THE SOUR AND SPICY WONTONS, I IMMEDIATELY FELT THAT STINGY SPICY SICHUAN FEELING ON MY TONGUE*********

    Eint P.

    Mala Sichuan is hands down one of my favorite spots in Houston. The flavors are bold, spicy, and completely addictive. Anytime I have family come visit me in Houston, this is the spot I take them. The mouth-numbing peppercorns hit just right every time. We normally get the dry-fried green beans, water-boiled fish, and spicy wontons and of course the crispy chicken. Each dish packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. The portions are generous, service is quick, and everything comes out piping hot. If you love real Sichuan spice and crave that tingly heat, this place never disappoints. A Houston gem through and through!

    Mapo Tofu

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    Cori X.

    Our Montrose has good parking now too

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    3 months ago

    Food was amazing. Hot and sour soup, fried chili chicken, pot stickers and so much more. All delicious

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    Page 1 of 4

    Mala Sichuan Bistro Reviews in Other Languages

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    Hu's Cooking

    Hu's Cooking

    4.5
    (1.1k reviews)
    5.3 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)
    9.9 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
    (717 reviews)
    2.8 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
    (300 reviews)
    2.6 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 - szechuan - Updated August 2026

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