Mala Sichuan Bistro

The decoration of this branch store is better than the one in the China town. But I think the service should be improved. When we were arranged on the table, where we found the roof above us was leaking and we asked for change. The waitress were not willing to let us change to the other table in the beginning. I did not think They should ask their guests to tolerate with the terrible dinning condition. And for its price, I was a little disappointed. The boiled fish is too salty and loss its classical flavor.

Usually I tend to stray away from places where the theme of the food of the restaurant is generally spicy (because I’m weak), so I don’t often have opportunities to try spicy food. However, my friend took us here on a recommendation to try it out after a morning of running, and it may have changed my mind about judging a restaurant before trying it.
The place looked pretty modern and actually out of place compared to the rest of the plaza… it felt like you were in China with all the bamboos and dark glossy wall panels.
We ordered the peppercorn chicken, bok choy, mapo tofu, and the pork spare ribs. The chicken was the worst part of them all since the pieces were so tiny. The rest of the food was gr8 hehe.
If you’re looking to getaway from Houston and eat in China, go here in the patio to have a cultural experience.

Absolutely love this place. Do you love spicy? The Red Oil Dumplings, Dan Dan Noodles, Aromatic Chicken, Aromatic Green Beans, Hot and Sour Won Tons… Oh my!
I cannot get enough of the food. The service is wonderful. The people are so pleasant. But the food is worth a weekly visit.
The prices are so reasonable and the portions are huge. I LOVE this place. Highly recommend. Leave Underbelly and walk across to this place. Delicious.

I went to the Bellaire location on new year’s day for dinner and it was a wonderfully tasteful experience so I had to come back and try the location near my apartment.
I’ve driven past and walked past this place many times before I came in. It is located caddy corner to Smoke Dreams. This small modern Asian inspired space made me feel as if I was in Chicago. We came for lunch and were seated upstairs. They don’t have a very big dining area, I saw a few large 8 person round tables and the rest were bench seat and chairs (bistro style).
We ordered:
Red Oil Dumplings (⁴⁄₅)
Water boiled fish (⁵⁄₅)
Mapo Tofu w/​beef (⁴⁄₅)
The dumplings are always legit the red oil isn’t very spicy and compliments the pork very well. The dumpling dough is nice and chewy and fresh. I can feel the love of whoever made it with every bite I take.
I had the water boiled fish at the Bellaire location and fell in love. It is very light, clean, and full of flavor. Underneath is a bed of Napa cabbage so make sure you lightly stir/​toss the dish and dig in.
The mapo tofu with beef was good and filling. The tofu was soft, silky, and melted in your mouth. The ground beef was kind of mushy and not as hard as you imagine ground beef in spaghetti? This dish was spicy but so good especially with the fish.
I’ll be coming back to try their beef noodle soup.

The dinner here was so disappointing. The service was very lacking. We got seated and no one came by our table for 15 minutes. The two tables next to us got seated and were served and ordered their food before a random server walked by and said «what would you like to drink, ready to order food?». That was so rude. He also only visited the table 3 times. Stopped by to take our order, passed by to drop off our drinks, and brought us our check.
We got our food pretty quickly. The flash fried green beans are not on the menu but they are amazing. Reminds me of the way my mom made it when I was young. The Mofa Tofu was spicy on the outside but bland on the inside. The tofu seemed more mushy than formed. The flavors didn’t blend well and I felt like I was eating tofu in a bowl of spices and oil. We also got one of the clay pots and it was underseasoned and was a hodge podge of food just thrown into a «not clay pot» bowl. I was very disappointed by this restaurant. Maybe we just didn’t get the right items, but I will not be spending another $ 80 to try it again.

Great red oil dumplings
Do get the water boiled beef
Sigh… Dan Dan noodles
So yum but my tum
It can only take so much
Churns ominously

Mala Sichuan Bistro has two locations: the original in Chinatown off Southwest Houston’s Bellaire Blvd and the other near downtown in Montrose. I visited the Montrose location — and boy, was I in store for a Chinese treat! It was truly an evening spent in Sichuan — without ever leaving the comforts of home. I do recommend!
If you aren’t familiar with Sichuan or Mala, don’t let that deter you from trying this wonderful restaurant. You are missing so much if you do. Enjoy the adventure, you will find that it is not that adventurous, it’s just good!
The Montrose location is right in the middle of the culinary action in this part of town. You can literally throw a stone from the parking lot and hit one of a number of fabulous eateries. But, you know what happens to those who cast stones…
So, we decided to take a little vacation and just walk through the door. The first thing you notice as you walk in is the beautiful Sichuan art painted on the large wall. The server mentioned that the artist had been contracted from Sichuan and all the images were authentic to the culture. Just another element that makes this restaurant something special.
We started off with a couple Tsingtao’s and wasted no time ordering the small plates. With all the reader recommendations, it was easy to figure out exactly what to try. It was such a beautiful night in Houston that we decided to have our meal on the patio. Our very attentive server delivered a foursome to the table. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. What a beautiful presentation!
Although all the apps were delicious, my favorite had to be the Garlic Bacon. Imagine a dish of hand-​crafted pork belly, cooked and chilled, wrapped around slices of cucumber, then slathered with a mixture of ground garlic, a sweet and spicy soy sauce concoction, and red chili oil, and finally garnished with julienned green onion. Right off the bat, I could tell where this night was going to take me. Vacation! This app is a must-​try here at Mala.
Next up were the Dan Dan Noodles: a custom-​made noodle boiled and mixed with mala spicy sauce and sesame paste then topped with boiled spinach, Yibin preserved vegetables, spiced ground pork, and green onions. This is a dish I crave at least once a month. Very tasty.
What Chinese experience is complete without dumplings, right? Well, the Red Oil Dumplings were the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. House-​made, pork-​filled dumplings slathered in a mix of red chili oil, ground garlic and a sweet and spicy soy sauce concoction, then topped with sesame seeds and green onions. Remarkably beautiful, just have a look at the photography and see for yourself. That’s one thing that is consistent here — everything is beautiful.
Of course, we ordered family-​style as it is the best way to truly experience a restaurant. We chose the Aromatic and Spicy Chicken, Water-​Boiled Fish Fillet, Mapo Tofu and Mongolian Beef.
The Spicy Chicken was built with bite-​size, dark meat chicken pieces, battered and deep-​fried, then flash-​fried in the wok with dry red chilies and aromatic, spicy seasonings. Awesome! I didn’t find it super spicy, but a couple of people at our table said they felt it was. So, if you like it hot — then go for it. You will love it!
I wasn’t sure how much I would like the Water-​Boiled Fish Fillet made with fresh tilapia. Boiled fish is not something I would normally order. But, that is why I don’t always go with my instinct and follow the advice of the chef and locals who frequent the place. The dish is made by braising the fish with garlic and ginger bits in Sichuan-​fermented broad bean paste. This fish mixture is then poured on a base of steamed Napa cabbage and leeks, topped with garlic bits, green onion, and red chili powder and finished with a splash of boiling oil. This is such an amazing dish — the flavors are very apparent and in-​your-​face. I am so glad we ordered this for sure!
The Mapo Tofu was a mixture of soft tofu cubes — braised to perfection — with fresh leeks, fermented broad bean sauce paste and fermented black beans sprinkled with ground Sichuan peppercorn. A great soup and one that has received many recommendations from our readers. So, if tofu is your thing, then this is where it’s at!
Of course, I ordered the Mongolian Beef. It has been my go-​to since I was little. The Mongolian Beef was prepared with tender beef slices stir-​fried with large green onions, ginger and garlic, then combined with a savory brown sauce. Such great garlic-​flavored beef… and the ginger makes it pop. So good!
So, my Sichuan experience here in Montrose is a perfect example of what makes the Houston culinary scene one of my favorites. Every nationality is represented in this city — and Mala Sichuan Bistro definitely has you covered when it comes to Sichuan, China. No matter which location you choose, you can be assured it is the right choice.

Another work lunch means more good food! We had a table of 10, ordered 2 apps, and 8 entrees. This is our way of being able to try as much as possible each time and I recommend it. We just split the cost between us.
We had the red oil dumplings (awesome!), dan dan noodles, northern boiling fish (absolutely delish), hot & sour tofu, 2 spicy crispy chicken (the best), green beans (has pork, modify if need be but SO good), and some other stuff I can’t remember. We also had a vegetarian in our group and she was very happy.
The restaurant is located in the corner of the shopping center by El Real (also good), but shares it’s parking slots fyi.

Mala was quiet on a Saturday night and we liked the ambiance and décor. Most of the seating is upstairs for parties of 2 or 4… Not really a place for large groups.
Disclaimer — we do NOT tend to go for authentic Chinese food and this was definitely that type of restaurant.
We started with the Red Oil dumplings which came out hot and well sauced — ⁴⁄₅.
I didn’t like how the chicken dishes were all dark meat so I ended up going for the Lo Mein which was a solid 3.5 /​5. The portion was HUGE and worth the 10 $ price because of the leftovers. The menu is extensive so if you enjoy authentic schezuan then you will find something you enjoy.
They could use one or 2 more affordable beers and glasses of wine and perhaps training the staff to identify newbies and walk us through the menu or give us recommendations. I thought hard about giving this review a 3 but the restaurant was clean and quiet and not sure it’s fair to knock off a star just because it’s not in my palate.

Service: Attentive enough and decent.
Foods: The menu has fewer selections in comparison to the one located in Bellaire. There are quite a few dishes that are missing such as Konjac Beef, Lion Heads, etc. Also, the prices of dishes are $ 2 to $ 4 more expensive. Then again, it’s because it’s located inside Midtown. However, I do find the Fried Whole Bull Frog on the menu interesting. Overall, the foods tasted great, but had fewer servings than the one in Bellaire.

While I very much enjoyed the food (as expected), the prices at the newest location of Mala leave something to be desired.
The interior of the restaurant is much better designed than the Bellaire location, however, the vast majority of seating is upstairs. Service was somewhat slow, but the food was excellent.
I only deduct a star as several items that are 4.95 in Bellaire, are 8 dollars here and fish that may be 16 in Bellaire is 24 in Montrose. I understand the need for higher prices for a higher rent location, but this is a significant increase.
If you are not used to Sichuan cuisine, beware, as most things pack quite a punch!

I don’t live in Houston anymore, but my Facebook newsfeed at one point had all these posts about Mala Sichuan. It made me excited to finally try it out and see what the hype was all about.
We went to the Westheimer location in the Montrose area. Note: at night it is valet (only? or maybe all the non-​valet spots were taken up). Nevertheless, I ended up parking in the lot behind the copy center for free, and my car wasn’t towed for what it’s worth.
The restaurant itself is nice, good ambiance. Would be good for a date. Good service, nice waitress.
I went with 2 friends and we shared family style, of course. We ordered
Garlic bacon — slices of pork belly wrapped with cucumbers, with sauce to drizzle on top — very good while not tasting too sinful
Red oil dumplings — I liked the flavors and the sauce but the skin was just too thick for my taste
Dan dan noodles — really good. Moderately spicy. Nice noodle consistency/​texture
Peppercorn chicken — small chunks of fried chicken. This was fairly good but I think it would have tasted better if the chicken pieces were bigger. Also beware that peppercorns are pretty intense and cause a numbing sensation in your lips. Also it can make things taste sour/​salty afterward. I try not to eat too many of them.
Crackling duck — thought it was decent but not that much meat
Water spinach — sauteed with garlic, crisp tasting, I love this vegetable (Kong xin tsai).
We pretty much finished all the plates (3 appetizers and 3 entrees!). Prices were as expected for this area (don’t expect Chinatown prices), but I was little surprised we could finish everything given how much we ordered.
I think overall 3.5 stars for the food (considering the taste and portion sizes). It must be really nice for those inside the loop to have this location.
Next time I’m in town, I’m interested in trying their Chinatown restaurant to see if there are any differences in the food.

The good:
Their funky cold noodle, love it love it! The noodle was very flavorful and delicious. This location has modern décor, the atmosphere was not your ordinary Chinese restaurant, owner did great job to make the place upscale compare to first Mala. Their attendants were super sweet, fast and welcoming!
The bad:
All the other dishes we ordered were disappointment.
Mapo tofu had no taste. I did got a little bit tingling in the tongue but that’s it. There was no salt nor spice in the dish which made soft tofu tasted really nasty.
Hot and sour soup tasted extremely sour but not hot at all. The soup also has no salt and spice, it was awful.
As an Asian, I can’t believe they made rice like that. Their rice tasted like the cook was actually trying to make congee — they added too much water which made it sticky, soft, sloppy.
Poor rice. :(
All the serving sizes were small, so prepare to order a lot if you want to get full.
The ugly:
Let me put it in this way: the second day bathroom experience the Mala Bistro gave to us is the same as Taco Bell.

This is definitely the fancier version of the Mala is Bellaire. Dishes seem to be a little more expensive than the sister location but hey. You pay for the convenience of the location and the ambiance right?! Nice modern décor from the moment you walk into the door. Giant fancy wooden doors at the front, leading to a bar and limited seating downstairs, and upstairs to the general seating area. Rather dark inside but there’s a nice painted mural with unique décor. The wait staff has headsets to ensure proper service?! Quiet and intimate dining. Or at least when we were there. Rather early on a Sunday evening.
The food. I love the Dan Dan noodles here! It’s a staple and they make it well! Fresh noodles cooked perfectly with an amazing spicy sauce with ground pork, green onions and spinach. Lovely flavors. I could eat just this for dinner! The red oil dumplings were delicious as well! Though the wrapper was a little thick compared to the filling ratio, it was done well and cooked well. Love love the red oil sauce.
We weren’t too hungry so we didn’t order much but it was a good amount of food for $ 8 a dish. They considered it the «street eats» dishes. Would come back for dinner!

With hopeful hearts and empty stomachs, my friends and I tried out this mala location with high expectations. On a monday evening, our first red flag should’ve been how deserted the restaurant was. But we just attributed it to being an earlier hour and a weekday, except this was not the case.
I believe the original mala location somehow failed to properly translate to this montrose location as the food appeared more Americanized in presentation and flavor. The interior of the restaurant is very darkly lit, but what was interesting is how that motif continued onto the food that all seemed like the same shade of darkish brownish red as the décor. I had high hopes for the mapo tofu, but it didn’t meet expectations, being extremely salty and oily. The rice that accompanied my meal was also quite over-​cooked, sticking together in clumps.
Sadly, I probably will not be returning. Still on the search for decent Chinese food in the Rice University area!

Easily the best Chinese restaurant inside the 610 loop. It occupies the space formerly known as Mo Mong and Dua which served average food at a high expense in a nightclub setting. The location still has a nightclub vibe but the prices are reasonable.
The main negative about the place was the lack of parking. Sure there may be an empty lot but the spaces are all taken by the complimentary valet for El Real. They charge four dollars to valet for anyone besides El Real. Blech.
My mapo tofu was delicious without being too spicy and so was the sauteed water spinach with garlic even though the colour was not too green. At no point did my mouth go numb from the supposed heat of the peppercorn but my butt sure did the next morning.

After vowing to never step in Mala Sichuan’s main Chinatown branch because of bad service, I caved to my curiosity to see about this branch as Mala was one of few Chinatown restaurants that actually branched out of the neighborhood. Was this branch going to serve people Chinatown-​style, which poor service and setting are heavily compensated by good food, outside Chinatown? My question was almost completely answered when I walked in and saw the massive ornate Chinese mural, which was a far cry from the main branch’s basic décor.
From that moment, I knew this Mala Sichuan experience was not going to be the same as before.
The first thing that came in sight was the restaurant’s modern fusion décor that was inspired by a traditional Sichuan-​style tavern that you would see in martial art movie. I was taken aback when I was greeted by the friendly staff because I was treated like dirt at the Chinatown branch but here, I was treated like a guest! Everyone was attentive and professional, and was quick to deliver my requests.
Now onto the food, it is somewhat smaller in portion and slightly more expensive than the main branch, but it’s still the same delicious food. The fish fragrant eggplant ($ 10 without pork) is still the same flavorful goodness, and the water boiled fish ($ 14) does not fail to spice up my tongue. One nice thing is that few notable dishes like the eggplants and mapo tofu can be made without meats, so vegetarians can finally enjoy Sichuan spiciness!
BOTTOM LINE:
Mala Sichuan’s Chinatown branch is marred by bad service but this branch removes that weakness while still delivering the same spicy deliciousness. If you love or want to try Sichuan cuisine, don’t miss out this spectacular restaurant that serves food at the Chinatown tastiness without the Chinatown service!
—
tl;dr version:
1) Stellar Chinatown food outside Chinatown
2) Great Chinese décor
3) Professionally great service

First night in Houston, we were really looking for some authentic chinese food. After searching on Unilocal we decided to come here and see what’s up.
I can’t speak for all but at least for the few dishes we ordered, they were simply just not good enough. I applaud them for their modern and contemporary design, however, I don’t think the dark theme complements Sichuan cuisine that well. I suppose this place is very popular among younger populations as we were crowded by people in 20−30s.
I’m going to start with the worst dish. red oil dumpling. This is my fav appetizer among Sichuan food. But unfortunately here, they were not what I wanted. The dough part was simply not cooked enough and not chewy as I thought. And there’s itty bitty piece of meat inside that whenever you bite into it, the meat comes right off, making it impossible to eat.
Next is the crackling duck, the seasoning on the outside was just off, the sauce is also too sweet. I should’ve stayed with red skinned traditional duck dish instead of being adventurous…
The vegetable was just so so.
I do like their fast and friendly service… Being how hungry we were, our food came within 10 min so thumbs up for that.

Nice to see more authentic chinatown restaurants opening up in town. Have been to the original location on Bellaire many times, but first time trying the new location in Montrose. Be prepared because parking sucks, and the valet service is a scam. The valet attendants roam the entire lot and block open parking spots with cones when people pull out to claim more valet spots, and instead try to make you pay to park. Park in the lot in the back to avoid those guys.
NOTE: If you haven’t tasted mala dishes before, be prepared for a numbing sensation on your tongue caused by the peppercorn. It’s normal. And you have to be okay with seeing your food covered in chili oil. Sichuan is not a type of cuisine that’s good for a low calorie diet.
Food is good and tastes like the original location, but menu has fewer items. Couple of my favorites are the water boiled fish and cumin lamb. One thing missing is lionhead meatballs (not offered at Montrose location). Why? Those would be a hit especially for people who don’t like spicy/​oily dishes.
You can tell the owners are trying to stick to a low budget–
1) Temperature in the restaurant was too warm (and I’m usually cold in restaurants).
2) Furniture is cheap, flimsy plastic chairs, wobbly tables.
3) No refills on sodas. No fountain drinks, you get cans.
4) They don’t accept Amex.
Food is great and deserves 4+ stars, but 3 for the overall experience. Montrose Mala is great if you’re lazy to make the drive out to chinatown, but for a full menu and less hassle, go visit the Bellaire location.

Authentic dishes, super spicy, and reasonably priced! I was wondering if the owner would tone down the spice for this location, but they definitely didn’t. In fact, I think it might actually be more spicy/​numbing than the Chinatown location. They also didn’t jack up the prices super high just because they’re in Montrose. The prices here might be slightly higher than in Chinatown, but it wasn’t too noticeable.
We ordered the mapo tofu, water boiled fish, cumin lamb, dan dan noodles, and a stir fried veggie. Everything (except the veggie) was reallyyy spicy, but delicious. Seriously, prepare to lose sensation in your mouth after eating here (in the best way possible… :)).
The interior is very dark and modern, and the atmosphere is very different from the Chinatown location. All the waitresses have earpieces and look super legit, and service was fast and attentive. They can also recommend signature dishes for you if you’re not sure what to order. I’m so glad there’s finally an authentic Chinese restaurant in the loop now!