Mala Sichuan Bistro
Sichuan restaurant · Sharpstown
9348 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
Highlights
Sichuan dishes like mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and red oil dumplings
Sichuan dishes like mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, and red oil dumplings
"Like highway billboards and humidity, Mala Sichuan Bistro is part of what makes Houston, well, Houston. The classic Sichuan spot has captured hearts and minds with each of its five locations in different neighborhoods. Every dish sees the mala peppercorn influence, especially the water-boiled fish with free-floating peppercorn bombs in a green and chili-swirled broth. Which is a meal we now keep on regular rotation." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas
"Nothing says birthday camaraderie like experiencing collective taste bud numbness brought on plates and plates of pepper-spiked Sichuan food. Mala Sichuan in Chinatown (the original of five locations around the city) has an entire menu of Sichuan classics. Pile a group of folks around a lazy susan and split mountains of red oil dumplings, dan dan noodles, and bowls of water-boiled fish. The food at Mala will likely impress everyone and keep you fighting over every last bite." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas, julie takahashi
"Bring a crowd and order one of the compellingly priced group meals at this James Beard-nominated Sichuan restaurant, which comes with a variety of house favorites like water-boiled fish, cumin beef, pot-roasted tilapia, and a selection of appetizers ripe for sharing. For solo diners, the mapo tofu and red oil dumplings are not to be missed. Beyond its Asiatown outpost, Mala has four other locations around the Houston area." - Eater Staff
"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
"With five restaurants opened in a little over a decade, Mala Sichuan Bistro has established itself as Houston’s favorite for numbing-inducing mala prawns with crispy rice crackers, dan dan noodles, and mapo tofu. Though Mala Sichuan’s first location opened in Asiatown, owners Cori Xiong and Heng Chen now have locations throughout the city, including its most recent expansion to the M-K-T development in the Heights." - Lane Gillespie
