Mala Sichuan Bistro
Sichuan restaurant · Eldridge ·
Spicy chicken, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, vegan options
Spicy chicken, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, vegan options
"With five Houston area locations, including outposts in Katy, Sugar Land, and the newest in the Heights, Mala is a pioneer in flavorful Sichuan cuisine in Houston. With its co-owner Cori Xiong hailing from Chengdu, a town in the Sichuan province, the restaurant harnesses hometown flavors with top sellers like spicy dan dan noodles, the saucy mapo tofu, red oil dumplings, and green tea and bacon fried rice." - Brittany Britto Garley
"Opened in 2019 in Katy, this outpost is one of the chain’s expansions outside of Houston proper that helped fund subsequent locations and spread Mala’s Sichuan-focused menu to suburban diners." - Brittany Britto Garley
"A new app has launched in Houston to help diners discover the wealth of Asian restaurants throughout the city and its suburbs. Chowbus, which was founded in 2016, is different from other food delivery apps not only because it focuses solely on Asian food, but also because it allows customers to bundle dishes from multiple restaurant with no extra charge. The app currently features more than 80 restaurants throughout Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Pearland, even College Station, and includes locals faves like Mala Sichuan, Chongqing Chicken Pot, Meet Fresh and more." - Brittanie Shey
"I learned that the acclaimed Chinese eatery, which just opened a new location in Katy last month, pulled the plug on its Finn Hall stall; the owners said, "Due to numerous business obligations outside of Finn Hall, we made the difficult decision to close our Finn Hall operation. We very much appreciate the opportunity to have operated at Finn Hall over the past year and bring Mala Sichuan to downtown Houston." - Adele Chapin
"After more than two years in the works, this restaurant has opened its third location at 23119 Colonial Parkway in the Katy Asian Town development, joining its original on Bellaire Boulevard and a Montrose outpost that opened in 2015. Known for Sichuan classics that earned a James Beard Award nomination in 2017 and frequently hailed as the city's best Sichuan fare, the menu is consistently strong: standout dishes include mapo tofu, garlic eggplant, dan dan noodles and cumin lamb, while shareable items like chili oil dumplings and Peking duck are great for groups. Portions are large and best enjoyed family-style, and current hours are lunch Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and dinner 5–10 p.m., Friday–Sunday 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays." - Amy McCarthy