"Kind of like highway billboards and humidity, Mala Sichuan Bistro is part of what makes Houston, well, Houston. Despite the expansion of Mala across Houston, the original Chinatown location is where it all started. Grab a group of friends and take in the blissful, numbing effects of the mala peppercorn packed into nearly every dish. Each successive bite of Sichuan noodles or tender fish enhances the peppercorn’s effect, kind of like sucking too long on Warhead candy, but the tingling, battery-acid sensation is habit-forming. Maybe Houstonians are gluttons for punishment (look at the Texans), or maybe we just know how to have a good time. What to order: red oil dumplings, dan dan noodles, water boiled fish" - chelsea thomas, gianni greene