Mala Sichuan Bistro

This was a completely different atmosphere from the location in Chinatown and not necessarily in a bad way. Definitely a larger crowd and more of an americanized feel to the restaurant. The service was quick, attentive, and friendly. The food had the same great taste! This time we ordered the Mala Crispy Beef, water boiled fish, and Cumin King Pork Hock. These dishes did not disappoint. Can never go wrong with Mala Crispy beef but the other two dishes were spot on and made for a nice variety. If you are looking for the best sichuan cuisine in Houston, this is your spot.

Great Szechuan restaurant, freshly prepared dishes, delicious flavors, very attentive service they even boxed my to go leftovers. Ample parking. Clean inside and out. Great service. Inviting Chinese restaurant atmosphere from the music to the asset with to the decorations. . The Chinese music is a nice touch to feel like you’re submersed in the culture. Would recommend. I’ll definitely be back. Note my rating system: 1 Star: I wouldn't recommend 2 Stars: Didn't hit my standards 3 Stars: Average (nothing special) 4 Stars: Above Average. Would recommend. Still looking for the 5 Star. 5 Stars: Top of their game. Great food. Great service. Would recommend and plan on returning.

My co-worker recommended this place and I gotta say it is pretty excellent. Their spicy crispy chicken has a nice numbing feeling to the tongue and the cumin beef is really good. We always get a big variety of dishes and it never disappoints. This has become one of our regular go-to spots for lunch. Definitely recommend trying this place.

If you love Spicy Food with great flavor you have to try this restaurant . Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere and cleanliness of the restaurant is top notch .

Beautiful interior. Friendly staff. Got the crispy chicken, boiled fish, and fried intestine. The fish was my favorite. The chicken and intestine were on the sweeter side which was different from what I’m used to. Spice level was low probably to accommodate for more non Chinese customers.

The service is excellent. The atmosphere is good too. The food is just ok. None of the dishes we ordered was impressive or memorable.

Strongly recommend the Funky Cold Noodles plus the Spicy and Crispy chicken. They were soo flavorful. Service was prompt!

Wow. The food was phenomenal here. Loved both dishes we ordered. This is my new go to for Chinese food

Mala Sichuan Bistro delivers an authentic Sichuan experience with bold flavors, beautiful decor, and impeccable service. From Tea Smoked Duck to Chengdu style pot roasted tilapia, every dish is a masterclass in spice and depth. The warm, elegant atmosphere--complete with carved wood accents and traditional music--makes dining here unforgettable. Service is attentive and knowledgeable, ensuring every guest feels welcome. For an immersive and delicious journey through Sichuan cuisine, I would highly recommend a visit. And you can't leave without trying one of their amazing Millie crêpe cakes. What a treat!

Tried this michelin guide restaurant in katy asian town and the only dish that took me by surprise was the spicy and crispy chicken. It was extremely flavorful and crispy. We ate every crisp left on the plate. The pork stirfry was delicious with a lot of pork but it didnt give the "wow" factor. The beef in golden soup was good but it didn't use the right cut of beef and the "soup" flavor wasnt traditional. It wasn't as spicy as i would like. The string beans were quite disappointing. First, it came out lukewarm and it was flavorless. This is a classic easy chinese dish and i was surprised by the quality. We asked for it to be reheated and it took over 15 minutes for them to bring the dish back. Was the food good? Yes. Was it michelin guide worthy? I dont know.... Service was good, the staff were quick on their feet and happy to help. It seemed like they were understaffed because it looked hectic and unorganized. Aesthetics were great. I loved how well lit it was in the restaurant and the lanterns. Very cute!

Great food! Ordered the spicy & crispy chicken, eggplant & green beans and Dan Dan noodles. Everything was delicious. Good service and ambience. Con: they need to print new menus. The pages are falling apart, worn out and filthy.

We went to Asian town for the lion dance but we missed it so we decided to grab a bite. Most places were super busy. I've never had sichuan food before and it smelled really good, so we stopped in. The wait was quick. The chili oil dumplings were amazing; we were almost licking the bowl! We also ordered the kung pao chicken which was good and the brown sugar fried rice cakes. Those were interesting but we dipped them in chili oil and it made them better! Overall, the waiters were running around so service was ok but it was lunar new year so it was to be expected. I would definitely come again.

This place is FYEEE. Every bite was extremely flavorful. This spot is worth every penny. When I eat out, this is the quality that I want! The place is nice and very clean inside. Staff is extremely helpful and polite. I see why this is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant - highly deserved. We ordered the Dan Dan noodles and Clay pot fish. So amazing. I willll be back.

Not a huge fan of Chinese cuisine as they are very oily and spicy but this place is one of our favorite! Me and my sister go here once a month or order from here regularly! Their interiors are so clean and beautiful! They have a huge selection of food and the space is big. Their service is pretty fast unless it's on the weekends and pretty packed but they serve fresh so!! We normally always order either mala crispy beef or the mala pot roasted tilapia with different greens veggies!

They had an amazing Chinese/Lunar New Year celebration, highly recommend checking their website/Instagram for their celebration. They brought lion dancers (bring some cash to tip/feed the lions) and did little prizes when dining. Definitely recommend going during lunar new year but bring earplugs in case it's loud.

Mala Sichuan Bistro isn't the absolute best for Sichuan food in town, but it's always consistent which I can appreciate. I like the interior of this location the best; the Tsingtao Christmas tree was quite the sight. One of my favorite dishes here is the eggplants in spicy garlic sauce. Eggplants are cooked nicely and the sauce is just so flavorful and not too overpowered by the spices. The combination fried rice is a solid, safe option. The sizzling rice cracker pork wasn't exactly "sizzling" but the flavors were there and I always love getting wood ear mushrooms in a dish!

I met up with my cousin here before she moves away for school at UT Austin. She really likes this place and wanted me to try it. I came on a Monday night and the parking lot was full but the restaurant itself had tons of open seats. We got the konjac duck stew, shredded pork with spice dry tofu, water boiled fish, dry pot dish, cumin beef, and Dan Dan noodles. The meats were all very tender. I really liked the way they cook their food because it tastes less numbing compared to other Sichuan restaurants, I prefer it this way so I can enjoy more of the flavor. I loved both fish dishes, you get the contrast between the crispy fish fillets and the soft water boiled fish fillet. The konjac duck stew was good but be careful of bones. I bit into some pieces thinking there were no bones and it hurt some of my teeth for biting too hard. My favorite dishes here were the fish dishes

My favorite Sichuan restaurant! Everything about this place is great - from the authentic food, the clean and elevated ambiance to the service. We got the eggplant, twice cooked pork, spicy fried chicken and crispy mala beef. The flavors are intense and the chilis really pack a punch. I wish I could eat here everyday!

With so many delicious sichuan foods available in this city, its hard to really compare. Mala is an excellent dining experience. From the decor, the food flavor and quality, and topped with really and friendly staff - this place is a one stop shop it seems for a really memorable date night. My friends and I ordered the crispy spicy chicken, stirfried eggplant w/ pork, a green jewel pork dish, water boiled fish, cumin lamb, water spinach w/ garlic, crispy beef, and a bacon wrapped something for appetizer - a hot tea and a unsweet tea. This was perfect for about 6 ppl coming out to about 170$ with gratuity auto applied. Each dish had its own unique deep flavor and texture that didn't make you feel like you ate the same thing again and again. Unlike many other sichuan experiences, the numbing spice didn't overpower any dish so despite showing 3 peppers on the menu, even spice novices shouldnt have to worry! Place is cute enough for a proper date night :D Despite polishing off all the food plus two rice containers, we all left not feeling filled with carbs or grease. What are you waiting for? Go check it out!

Came in around 7pm on a Saturday, so we had to wait a bit for a table (just a little less than 20 minutes). However, my friend and I ended up sharing a big round table with another 2 people to get seated as soon as possible lollll... so random but it wasn't terrible! We ordered 3 dishes- 1 veggie + 2 meat plates. The lotus root was the star of the show for me. We got it sautéed in a sweet and sour sauce. I was obsessed with the starchy and crunchy texture. It was oddly satisfying omg. Also, it had a nice, subtle nutty flavor to it. The dry pot beef was okay. The beef was kind of tough to chew, but I loved all the seasoned vegetables in the pot, like the lotus root, oyster mushrooms, and potatoes. The jiggling pork belly was so flavorful; it had a great soy sauce marinade. Most of the meat pieces were tender. I appreciated the broccoli they provided with the dish. Def got my veggie intake in this night. Service was alright, but I totally understand as they were busy. Split the bill and the total was around $27 each (not including tip). The interior is super cool with the antique wooden panels all around and warm lighting coming from the lanterns. Parking was a pain to find. I parked towards the very back, near soju 101.

Stopped by en route to Buc-ee's in Katy (separate story there). Food was good- I was having lunch solo, so it's always a little tough to portion things for a 1-person meal, but I got to try a bunch of items. My absolute favorite was the medicinal chicken soup! The cucumbers weren't as flavorful as I'd expected, and the wonton soup was okay (not bad, but not stellar). It's a franchise with several locations in Houston.

Horrible place. Came here cause they posted a sign said they are Michelin recommended. It is definitely not the truth. The service was awful. It was hard to flag the server down and the description of the dish was wrong. I ordered the basil intestine but just one leaf of basil in the dish. No basil flavor at all. The lotus root has black color all over (see the pic). It was not fresh at all. Is this restaurant recommended by Michelin??? You know the answer.

Was in Katy China Town area, so I couldn't leave the area without stopping to get something to eat. Had a craving for something quick and smaller portioned, and came across the chili oil dumplings at Mala, so I decided to try them. Loved the dumplings - the sauce was amazing! The sweet savory combination really hit the spot. Needless to say, I devoured them quickly! It took a while to come out so that was the only downside. I could see they were kinda busy, with it being Valentines Day and the recent Chinese New Year. After about 20 mins, I checked with the cashier who went back to get the order. Luckily it was still hot!

Go here! Dine in or eat at home, the food is great both ways though I like the experience of dining in. Located in the Katy Asia Town, this place competes and hold its own against a lot of great places. Dining in you will feel a great service experience and a pleasant ambiance. Dine at home and you can eat like a barbarian and really have a good time!

I've been to multiple Mala Sichuan locations since there's a few in H town, have always had a good experience eating here. We had a large party of 12 people and they gave us a private room with the lazy Susan spinning table. We ordered probably 12-13 dishes and they all came out fairly quickly. Still the same awesome taste I remember, and service overall was great too. This is a solid Asian restaurant in the Katy area, highly recommend to others!

This place was busy and we only had a 10 min wait! We ordered five dishes and they came out so fast. For the speed of service the food was not lacking in flavor. We ordered the garlic cucumbers for an appetizer and they were so light and refreshing. We also got the garlic eggplant, it was the perfect amount of sweet and savory with a hint of spice. Our main dishes were the spicy and crispy chicken, Dan Dan noodles, and chicken fried rice. The chicken was the standard Szechuan style fried chicken with all the crispy bits. The fried rice was not fried as much as it was slightly sautéed, more so just oily rice, the flavor was good though. The Dan Dan noodles were the best of the three. The perfect amount of szechuan peppercorn for those who haven't had it! It wasn't too spicy and the noodles were nice, chewy, and bouncy. Everything came with a large portion of steamed white rice which paired great with the eggplant. Overall I would recommend this place for speed, and quality of food!

First time here, nice decor, service was great. Spicy fried chicken was great, not too spicy and it was tasty. Spicy fish was ok.. I was a little disappointed of the nourishing chicken soup. The soup was salty, all I tasted was salts. The chinese jam was old..not fresh (not recommended ). Overall, it was ok.. Will try other dishes next time.

I've been to multiple locations cause I absolutely love Mala. Whenever I'm craving scheuzen food Mala is my go to. However, this location to me was quite disappointing only because it did not taste like they had scheuzen peppers at all. I came with a party of 5 so we ordered a decent amount of dishes to share and the restaurant was clean and nice decor. Service was good and I have no complaints but all of the dishes were not scheuzen. No mouth numbing flavors. I wouldn't say they were bland but didn't taste as I was expecting and again I've been to other locations with the same dishes so I was caught off guard with this location

If you're craving authentic Sichuan food, Mala Sichuan Bistro in Katy is the place to go. The dishes are always fresh and flavorful, with highlights like Mala Tofu Pudding With Fish Fillet, Basil Crispy Chicken and Eggplants In Spicy Garlic Sauce. The restaurant has a cool vibe, and the interior design enhances the overall experience. While the service can vary, the delicious food keeps us coming back.

I have eaten at the original Mala Sichuan Bistro on Bellaire many times, but decided to try the one in Katy Asian Town last night with some friends. The decor at the Katy location is beautiful, with Chinese lanterns and intricately carved wooden panels and doors, it is a sight to behold! We ordered the red oil dumplings, garlic cordyceps, mala bamboo shoots, Crispy Mala Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Shredded Pork with Garlic, Dry Pot Shrimp, and two bottles of cold sake. The entrees were served with white rice. Everything was amazing! Despite them having every table filled, the service was impeccable, and the food quality was superb. No complaints of any kind! This is a great place for excellent food - the best Sichuan in town, in my opinion - and a great atmosphere for family and friends alike!

KATY, TX / CHINESE SICHUAN / 01/22/23 / TAKEOUT DINNER +The spicy crispy chicken was delicious. +The little ones devoured the crispy pork chop. +The shrimp fried rice was good. -The customer service was okay. Hostess was a little rude, but that's expected with Chinese establishments.

The wantons!!! Get the wantons!!! I haven't had a wanton soup this good since I left from living overseas in Asia! Omgggg it was good! If wantons aren't your thing, then get the Mongolian Beef! The flavor and texture were absolutely perfect! I literally sat there and just kept eating on it all! I couldn't finish it though. They have huge portions!!! 10/10 will be back!

Pros. Good service, Good Chinese food, Cons. Could be a little more cleaner. Details. The food was pretty good it got enough spiciness which I really like but slightly too salty for my taste. When I asked for a recommendations they are very knowledgeable for what's on their manual. And gave me quick and clear responses. But we sat at a corner so it was a little hard to get the waitress to come to our table. Minor stuff the wall could be a little cleaner and the chair wasn't very clean, but I cleaned it with a napkin. The best part was the little spark stick on the cake went out before I could take a picture and I asked the waitress to light up another one they had no problem of doing that for me so I was able to take the picture.

I was hesitant to bring my toddler here for lunch, since Sichuanese food is known for spicy food, but I'm so glad I went! Not only are there good non-spicy options, but I was also pleasantly surprised the staff was able to accommodate my child's eating needs. I forgot his kids plate at home but they were able to provide cute plastic dinnerware and a CLEAN high chair. The food arrived very soon after ordering. This time I ordered Mapo tofu, which actually wasn't spicy at all. It had a little bit of the classic numbing effect, but was also surprisingly sweet. We got the fish cubes with egg and tomato. I love the thick sauce to mix in with rice. It too had sweet flavor. The fried chicken with basil is very similar to Taiwanese fried chicken, except the individual pieces are smaller, and there are bits of pan fried onion mixed in. Very delicious! If I came again I'd order any of their spicy food!

The food was amazing. We got an order of wonton soup, chow mein with shrimp, the jiggling pork belly, and the beef brisket in golden soup. I look forward to going back!

We went on a rainy Saturday and was surprised that we were the only customers around 11ish. A few customers started trickling in later though. The interior design is very nice and clean, and we were seated next to the window so we can see the outside. We got the food pretty fast, and the dishes were really good. We got the the spicy & crispy chicken which was spicy and salty just right. My mom says it is a bit small pieces, but I thought it was fine. The water boiled fish was really tasty as well and every bite was enjoyable. I can't say which one is my fav because both were so good! The white rice could be better but other than that, I couldn't stop eating. So good! 10x better than another location I had before. The staff is good, but there was one who gave a 'I could care less' type of feeling, but whatever, I will come back for the food indeed.

Mala's is one of my favorite restaurants in Bellaire. They have an amazing garlic bok choy and an equally amazing sauerkraut fish and lamb hot pot. I also love their pickled pepper chicken, their tea smoked duck, cumin beef, their mushroom soup, their Four Joy Lion Head, Water Boiled Fish and Prosper at 5am. These are some of my favorite dishes. I've been a longtime patron of this restaurant over a span of 12 years! They extend attentive care at all times and often come by to chat. Mala's is well liked for it's ambience. As you can tell, I go there pretty regularly.

It's decent but not authentic if you have a lot of experience with Chinese food. The service was fairly quick and the interiors are always culturally appropriate to the cuisine. I've attached a photo of their Sichuan boiled beef, or 水煮牛肉. If you compare it to a classic photo of this dish, you'll find this one lacking. There's little sauce and the coloring and flavor is way off. The lotus root was sliced unevenly and the flavor unremarkable. It's not a signature dish but I still found it a bit lacking. I also ordered their jelly noodles, but found the flavor way too salty. It was also warm whereas it's usually cool. In summary, flavor is not bad and service is good. But if you expect authentic, classic Szechuan flavors, you probably won't find it here. I've been twice so far and ordered different dishes every time, leaving with the same experience.

SISSEY Y is the best !!! I spilled my water and she cleaned it for me Great place! Nice and chill!!

We had lunch here about a month ago. Food was good. Service was ok. Ambiance was fine. Today I ordered a crab and asparagus soup (which we had on our previous visit that was good) for pick up for my wife as she was not feeling well. What I got was seafood and asparagus soup (not sure if it is the same dish or not) but my problem was that the soup was not even filled up in the to go container, looks like they ran out of soup.

The food here is seriously incredible! I've tried so many of the dishes here, but my favorites are Dan Dan noodles, hot and sour soup, spicy and crispy chicken, kungpao chicken, and twice cooked pork. The service here is also awesome, and the restaurant itself is very clean and nice. I come to eat here often, and always recommend it!

I came here with a small group and we tried several dishes: - Spicy and crispy fried chicken with string beans - Water boiled fish - Mongolian beef - Green tea and bacon fried rice - Wonton soup - Dan Dan noodle Of the dishes, I'd say my favorites were the crispy chicken, fish, and Mongolian beef. The crispy chicken was on par with what I've had at other Szechuan places, but the blistered green beans took it up a notch, so you weren't just eating mouth numbing chicken. The water boiled fish had plenty of Napa cabbage, which I love, and was also a favorite of the table. The Mongolian beef was surprisingly good--super tender beef and slightly firm onions. As far as the rest of the food, the Dan Dan noodle was not loved--it had a strong sesame flavor that was a bit overpowering. The wonton soup probably could have used some more salt, but I thought it was still pretty good. The green tea and bacon fried rice was very interesting and I thought it was good as well. I also tried the black pepper ice cream and while no one else was a fan, I enjoyed it. I love unique flavors though, so it was right up my alley. I'm really looking forward to returning and I feel like Mala lived up to most of the hype.

I ordered 2 dishes : Top notch hot pot all combo seafood and steamed duck. The duck was good but the Top Notch hot pot is awful. It is so so terribly salty, it is like someone accidentally pour 1 pound of salt into it. I had to call the waitress to pour boiling drinking water in it about 1/3 of the pot but still so salty. So dissappointed. The hot pot is $40 and just want to throw away. The restaurant must reconsidering about this item. No one wants to go back to eat this salty dish. Don't order that dish!!

Made a trip out to the Katy Asian Town and stoped at this place for a quick bite. Don't recall the names but ordered a deep fried shrimp, eggplant, chicken in nuts dishes with jasmine rice. The meal was simple and quite tasty. Was not there at a peak time so only 2 other tables were occupied with small groups. The service was sufficient but not spectacular. The meal however was a bit pricy considering what was ordered.

In general fast and efficient service from wait staff. Menu selection is more limited than other places; but purposefully done. The lighting in the center is a little dark, if you like more visibility, take the booths in the edges. Food is generally on par but not "omg amazing". Prices semi reasonable relative to the area. Knocking off a star because they wouldn't seat you without everyone there. Not the best place for a business meeting noise wise but lots of office people come here

Order vegetable fried rice and crispy chicken. The fried rice had no vegetable in it. 18$ and the popcorn chicken I mean crispy chicken look like popcorn but taste like a** . It was soft and not crispy. I called the restaurant and ask what normally come in a vegetable fried rice.. they said mushroom bok choy which I didn't get any. And the lady I spoke too told me nothing she can do about it. NEVER NEVER AGAIN.

The food was wonderful and the service was good, but the seating was absolutely miserable. Heavy, hard, flat wood chairs with no padding. I am willing to try one of their other locations.

NOT A PLACE for Vegetarians. Ordered their Vege fried rice and Noodles & They hardly put any vegetables besides onions and a few small pieces of bok choy. Regular Chinese take outs half the price put double the vegetables. They don't even offer fried tofu option as protein. It was a waste of money.

Happened upon this place and decided to give it a try for lunch. I had the shredded pork in spicy garlic sauce. Big portion for lunch but I ate it all. . The food was fresh and tasty from the protein to the vegetables. The taste was delicious, why I ate it all. Service was ok. Will come back again. Ambiance is nice, more elevate than a typical "Chinese " restaurant.

Order: 4D1KKN Food is good. Service is decent. Ambiance is okay. We don't appreciate how sneaky the waitress decided to give herself a 20% tip. The waitress will run your card, have you sign while she hold the tablet to process payment then quickly turn away, select the tip herself and submit payment. Check your receipt folks. Just be careful. We don't like shady staff, lead me to believe shady business practice.

First time here at Mala Sichuan Bistro located in the Katy area. I love their concept of how the food is brought out to your table family style. You still have the option to place your plate in front of you to eat what you ordered. All entrees come with unlimited steamed white rice. We loved the BYOB experience which comes along with a corking fee of $10. Huuum, honestly we thought the corking fee was a bit on the high side. At any rate we enjoyed the food and the ambiance. We plan to visit again.

Great food, great ambiance, great service! This is a must try! My wife and I went for a date night and were blown away. The decor was very well done. I believe there is the main dining room and party rooms in the back, so a large party can be accommodated. Most dishes are family style, which we love, but they do have some individual options. The staff were super friendly, and always smiling. The food.... The food was amazing! We played it safe with the Mongolian Beef, cabbage, and Red Oil Dumplings, but took a chance on the Tea Smoked Duck, a dish we had not tried before. It was too good! The meat was tender and flavor was bold. I don't think I have had anything quite like it. Whether you visit for a quick date night or a large gathering, you cannot go wrong with Mala!

Great experience! Was welcomed in at 5:00 on a Wednesday. Nice decor, kind of traditional turn of the 20th century china. A man and a woman tag-teamed the service. I had the dan dan noodles and the spicy crispy chicken. Both were perfect. Be warned though... I asked for "a little spicy." I'm a caucasian male, and depending on the Asian restaurant, this can lead to two outcomes. 1. "He's white, he can't handle our level of spicy." 2 "Oh, he's white, and he CAN handle our level of spicy." Situation one leads to Asian mild/white boy medium. Situation two leads to Asian medium/white boy spicy. I got situation two. My mouth is on fire but it was worth it. It's the numbing spiciness, as the restaurant's menu explains, that enhances the flavor. I'm a believer now.

So many new places to choose from. But lines were long at the ones we wanted to go to. So where do we end up? Here again. I say "again" because we've been to the ones in Montrose and Bellaire. We haven't been for a while so I actually wanted to see if they still had bone in on their spicy and crispy chicken. Nope. They're just like everyone else and it's boneless. Portion size much smaller than the other ones too. Had the mung bean, lotus root (spicy sauce), plumb pork ribs appetizer, Dan Dan noodles too. My favorite was the mung bean as I liked the balance between ma la and chili spicy. They have two side areas with big tables for private parties (both full when we went). There was no wait to be seated. And no cash discount.

Excellent! So thankful! Great quality of food. Good service. Reliable. Local. Convenient

I feel like it's pretty clean in here and tables are pretty distanced out so you feel safer. The food is not bad. We got the crispy basil chicken, spicy crispy chicken, red oil dumplings, and the crab and asparagus soup. The green tea fried rice is also good! 4 stars because our server was great, but another employee came by and we told him we were missing a part of our order and he got angry at us telling us we were wrong and that we didn't know what we ordered but he wasn't even the one that took our order. Just extremely rude.

We order food , change our minds on 1 order when she was taking orders. Waitress walked away and came back to our table to let us know that the food was being prepared . How can that be when we cancel it when she was at our table. When ask to see the manager she just walked away so we got up left. So rude