Mala Sichuan Bistro

10/6/2018

Terrific food!

Favorite dishes: dry pot beef, funky cold noodles, dry fried string beans, pork with mixed vegetables and wood ear fungus, sautéed water spinach...

You really can't go wrong here, especially if you're a bit more adventurous and ok with trying new things!

9/28/2018

My all time favorite and go to place for Sichuan food!!! I love their interior and dishes. Very very modern and beautifully done. There are bamboo bushes and those very traditionally looking bamboo seatings on the patio on the first floor. The second floor is quite spacious too. The entire restaurant is complimented with a giant wooden wall in the back decorated with a beautiful painting of the ancient China. They have very unique bird cage like ceiling lights too!

Their dishes are very flavorful and portions are quite reasonable! I love their mapo tofu, eggplant, dry pot beef, and red oil dumplings!! But their food can be quite spicy so I would suggest to order some non-spicy dishes to help you kill off the spice!!

Although I love their food, I'm not impressed with their service. The waiter I got was extremely slow. I asked him for napkins at least 2 times but he simply forgot. Then I asked him for an empty bowl and of course he never brought it to me...

Also they are right next to Kungfu tea house, so you can literally take a walk there after your meal and get some delicious milk tea!

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  Red oil dumplings

  Red oil dumplings
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  Dry pot beef

  Dry pot beef
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  Egg plant with garlic!

  Egg plant with garlic!

9/24/2018

YUM. Authentic, delicious, and great service. I walked into Mala Sichuan a little cautious of the food from a bad experience with too many peppercorns at another restaurant. However, this place gave me a new love for Sichuan food.
We ordered the cold noodles, mapo tofu and kung pao chicken. The food came crazy fast and tasted fresh.
The portion sizes were enough that even my boyfriend (who sometimes eats my food and his) couldn't even finish all the food we got. The price was super reasonable and the food fulfilled the craving for spice and his craving for Kung Pao. The Mapo tofu had just the perfect amount of mouth numbing peppercorns combined with spice. Most of all, the service was polite and prompt just how I like it.

9/14/2018

Good place in the area (and not in Chinatown) for Sichuan food! We had their spicy eggplant dish, red oil dumplings, dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, spicy crispy chicken, garlic bacon cucumbers, spicy fried green beans, and this twice cooked pork dish. It was all really good though not as spicy as I expected to be honest.

It's a nice location too in the Montrose area but the parking situation is a bit annoying since it's mostly valet or street. I liked the decor of the place though. Their upstairs had a bunch of tables for two and a few large tables in the back - where our 15ish party split between two tables.

We also tried their crepe cakes (Nutella, tiramisu, and matcha) and it was a good end to quite a feast. None of them were *too* sweet which I preferred though the crepe layers were a bit sticky/doughy and didn't curl as well on my fork. 1

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  Matcha, nutella, and tiramisu crepe cakes

  Matcha, nutella, and tiramisu crepe cakes
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  Mapo tofu and communal rice bowl

  Mapo tofu and communal rice bowl

6/3/2018

• 1 check-in

Came with a hungry group of four because we were missing Sichuan flavors and heard this place was recommended for true taste. The parking lot is messy and may be difficult to find a spot during peak hours. Upon entrance, a long staircase greets you alongside some high top tables and bar-like area. Not sure if that's the only way to get upstairs, as we were brought all the way up, but I could see it being a problem for my older folks. It is also pretty dark inside the restaurant and I'm not sure what kind of vibes it's trying to give off.

We ordered an app to share and a few dishes including:

CHENGDU MUNG BEAN JELLY - so close to the street snack I've devoured on the streets of Chengdu with the right amount of spicy oil and chili. The jellies are nice and smooth, I could just eat this all day. The only thing that was missing were the green onions, which were listed on their description.

TWICE COOKED PORK - Was this pork belly? Didn't have that nice wok taste to it and it did not have the normal/expected amount of fat in any of the pork. Usually this is a nicely sliced, semi lean and semi fatty cut of meat. This was heavy on the salt and had no other flavor

WATER BOILED FISH FILLET - The fish was smooth and held together with every lift out of the dish but again, this was so salted it tasted like a whole cup of salt was put in it. The mala  (numbing and spicy) did it's part but even at that, I could not skip a bite of white rice to tone the saltiness down. We all agreed that our tongues were shocked by how insanely salty this dish was.

SPICY AND CRISPY CHICKEN - The chicken was nicely fried and maintained it's crispness while staying moist inside. The red chili peppers can be overwhelming to some who aren't used to all that but I thought it was fine. It would also be good for the chicken to be a bit larger, so when we are almost at the very end of the dish it isn't so hard to pick them out from the peppers. We also found some of the chicken to actually be just fried batter pieces.

All in all, I am not interested in returning due to the atmosphere and flavor profile (salty). I've been fortunate enough to be exposed to great Sichuan home cooking as well as restaurants in Chengdu and surrounding cities, that absolutely brings out the delicious flavors which are numbing and spicy but definitely not salty. The stars are for the very good service as our server was very attentive and efficient. We needed more rice and water and he came to our service without us flagging him down. Good mala flavor but sad that it's covered in so much salt. If this is the norm that is served to all customers, we will soon all have high blood pressure amongst other things.

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  Wall art

  Wall art
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  Upstairs dining area

  Upstairs dining area
• See all photos from Vicky L. for Mala Sichuan Bistro

6/5/2018

I used to REALLY like this place, but lately I've noticed that the taste of the food has been very inconsistent every time I've gone. One week the food would taste amazing, the next visit the food would either taste way too bland or way too salty!

I'm not sure if its just inconsistencies with different chefs that work each shift or what, but they need to find a way so that all chefs cook the dishes the same!

10/12/2018

My favorite Szechuan restaurant in Houston so far.  It's delicious food.  My favorites are spicy boiled fish and the chongqing chili chicken.  They are made extremely well.  Their hot and sour soup is also great.  We frequently get those dishes.  I wish the place was bigger and more spacious.  It gets a bit loud by the kitchen area where you hear a lot of clattering of dishes.  It would be great if there were more locations!

8/11/2018

I really do like this place but I do have an issue with the spicy chicken dish when I order take out.

We had 2 orders of the Crispy Spicy Chicken (about $30) and it was ALL peppers. When we usually dine in this is not the case but I did expected the same dish when I ordered pick up not one loaded with filler. As a loyaly customer I felt ripped off tbh :(

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  Spicy Chicken ALL peppers left at end and hardly any meat..disappointing

  Spicy Chicken ALL peppers left at end and hardly any meat..disappointing
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  Spicy Chicken ALL peppers left and hardly any meat..disappointing

  Spicy Chicken ALL peppers left and hardly any meat..disappointing

9/17/2018

• 1 check-in

Stopped by here for lunch today, they were very busy.
The food at this place is amazing,the service is good also.
We order spicy chicken,dry pot fish,dan dan noodles,chili oil dumplings. The dumplings were best l've had in Houston
I couldn't stop eating them
Loved this place so much that after I ate here

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• See all photos from Kenny J. for Mala Sichuan Bistro

3/2/2018

• 1 check-in

OK, so, I can't lie, this was darn good. I feel torn saying this having been a super fan of Pepper Twins for so long. I love them, and always will, but I have to admit when something is good. This food at Mala is good!

Unfortunately, our group ordered too many items to remember, but I have attached photos. Trust me, everything was delicious!

Overall, delicious food, good service and good atmosphere.
Follow me on my way to Foodietown!

britneygfoodie.yelp.com

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• See all photos from Britney G. for Mala Sichuan Bistro

7/27/2018

Ordered food to go and it was all SO delicious.
Cucumber garlic salad super fresh
Funky noodles were a little greasy for flavorful
Kung Pao chicken was great. HOT.
Lettuce cups were super yummy and soooo filling
I don't remember the last veggie dish but it was marinated mushrooms and bok choy. Also great!

Delivery took maybe 40minutes. Everything was piping hot and each with generous portion sizes. Will return!

4/8/2018

Fun to try, but not for me. The foodie in me should feel ashamed for saying so, but I can't lie.

Still! It's worth a shot if you're adventurous or bored with the same old, same old Chinese fare.

It's also worth noting that their menu is not entirely comprised of spicy fare. My sister can't take spicy, and she still enjoyed this restaurant.

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  Mongolian Beef

  Mongolian Beef
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  Kung Pao Chicken

  Kung Pao Chicken
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  Mapo tofu

  Mapo tofu
• See all photos from Kelsey A. for Mala Sichuan Bistro

6/4/2018

• 1 check-in

I am a big fan of Mala Sichuan and can not wait to go back.

I love spicy food with flavor, and Mala Sichuan delivers on both. The spice tends to sneak up on you and will leave you sweating...but its so worth it.

I ordered red oil dumplings, spicy crispy chicken, spicy fried rice and dan noodles (served cold). The red oil dumplings are the best dumplings that I've ever had. The oil and spice was a perfect combo. The crispy spicy chicken was a great choice because it came with a plate full of red peppers so you could play around with how spicy you wanted each bite. The chicken was tender and well seasoned. The fried rice was  your classic fried rice, with a kick of course. I really enjoyed the dan noodles because the noodle was cold...but the dish was spicy. I've never had a combo like that before but now im obsessed.

Food was served family style, so the more the merrier.

Even with ordering a lot of dishes, the food came out quickly (not too quickly) and staff was very friendly and didn't mind assisting with the menu.

Im still talking about Mala to all people I know and will be bringing everyone I know so they can enjoy too.

8/25/2018

Experience: Horrible

We were in the area of Montrose when we came across this restaurant on Yelp. My girlfriend called at approximately 08:15pm asking how long the wait would be for a party of five. The gentleman replied with a, "no wait at all. We have empty tables ready for you."

I'm thinking great ! We arrived shortly around 08:20pm since we were nearby and a gentlemen greeted us and advised us that the wait would be 10-15 minutes.

About 10 minutes went by, we asked to check the status and he responded with, "ohh it'll be another 15-20 minutes."

We ended up leaving because we were pretty disappointed with how they tried to trick us into staying for a service when there were no tables to begin with.

**Update**
08/29/2018

Thanks for the quick response after four days. I was hoping that your team would take full responsibility on what occurred that night but instead here you are making false accusations.

We arrived no later than 5 minutes after we called, not 10 minutes like you stated. I'm also curious as to how did you know what was said over the phone when you weren't there that night.

As to your response, yes, the host did asked if we wanted to sit downstairs but it was at the bar tables, which the bar wasn't open at the time and the lights were turned off. You can't possibly expect a family dinner at a bar, right? Also if I remembered correctly, when we asked for our table, we were asked to stand by and wait. A family walked in a few minutes after us and requested for a table and was immediately seated. I wondered .. since you stated no reservation was to be taken, how did they get seated first.

8/14/2018

My boyfriend and I came here after seeing it on a list of places to try and and we LOVED it! Highly suggest the Cucumber Salad (Red Oil version) and the Kung Pao Chicken. The food was so delicious and the ambiance is definitely unique.

The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is they pour a very... very... VERY small amount of wine per glass considering how much they charge. But the restaurant does give the option of BYOB so we will definitely be taking that route whenever we go here in the future.

9/23/2018

Great food! The dry pot is really authentic. Nothing is really that spicy, within an acceptable range.

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• See all photos from Yiying H. for Mala Sichuan Bistro

8/13/2018

I tend to not like spicy food because I'm a wuss and can't take the heat. BUT THEN... Mala changed my life... or my tastebuds? I love going here for a quick dinner. We usually order the garlic bacon, spicy crispy chicken, garlic eggplant.

5/5 for ALL OF THESE DISHES

The garlic bacon is full of flavor. I love how it's wrapped by cucumbers. It makes it quite refreshing

The spicy crispy chicken leaves your tongue numb and tingly. It was so strange the first time I tried it but then it grew on me and I crave it every time I see the word chicken.

The garlic eggplant is good with rice! It's slightly sweet but I think that's why I love this dish so much lol

Parking is limited. We usually park in the back parking lot or we come around 5-6pm(Fri-Sat). Usually not too busy at this time from what we noticed.

6/4/2018 Updated review

As I write this review update that differs considerably from the five-star rating I initially graded Mala, I can't help but concede that their service and food quality have both deteriorated over time. My last few visits have not been short of blemishes and as a result, I feel like I went from a hardcore regular customer to someone who is unlikely to return anytime soon. On one recent visit, our food took a very long time to prepare and the management showed little regret over this service lag. On another recent visit, we requested certain minor substitutions in our food order but the server turned us down saying that the chef refuses to make such substitutions. This is rather strange given that the consumer should be able to order what they'd like but at least we acknowledged that we were getting tasty food prepared in the textbook way by an award-winning chef.

But then came the straw that broke the camel's back. Last night, when I took my mom to Mala to introduce her to Sichuan food for the first time while she's visiting from Boston, the taste of the food had nosedived too. Our shrimp chow mein and the Dry Pot Fish Fillet were both cooked over-spicy with an overload of red chilies. To make matters worse, the signature crispy texture of the dry pot fish fillet had been compromised as it turned into a soft mess that was breaking everywhere into the dish. When we reported our feedback to the staff multiple times, they apologized but did nothing else to solve the issue. The manager did not even bother visiting our table to offer any resolutions or apologies, and that, my friends, is a massive turnoff. Our waiter ended up attributing the taste and texture variations to a couple of recently hired brand new chefs so while that makes sense, it's not justification to let a loyal customer walk dissatisfied.

It's a shame that I have to bring my rating down all the way to 2, but unfortunately that's just where we stand with Mala and their increasingly obvious complacency at this point.

Update: Just gave Mala Sichuan another chance to redeem their declining standards and it backfired tremendously. As someone who has immense respect for food in general, it's incredibly hard for me to write that a dish that I once used to devour (dry pot fish fillet) has now become barely edible. I also tried the Shredded Potatoes with Jalapeño and rice vinegar, which was way too sour despite our server saying it wasn't going to be too sour.

Latest: I am glad to report that I enjoyed my most recent trip to Mala this past weekend as the Dry Pot Fish Fillet was once again cooked to crisp perfection with a delicious spicy garlic flavor!

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  Dry pot fish and salt & pepper prawns...delicious!!

  Dry pot fish and salt & pepper prawns...delicious!!

5/27/2018

• 1 check-in

Nice Montrose Sichuan Chinese restaurant. Crispy chicken is a must as are the red oil dumplings. Tried the dry pot fish filet this time and it was great. Decent beer and wine selection.

Give them a try for some good, mouth numbing spicy Chinese food. Ask for extra peppercorns.

4/21/2018

I loved this place so much that after I ate here, I went through all the negative reviews to see what those crazies had to say. Needless to say, those folks are foolish. Everything I ate was amazing, the patio is excellent, and the service was great. My wife and I ordered the chili oil dumplings, the cumin lamb, and the spicy and crispy chicken. The chili oil dumplings were probably the best dumplings I've had in Houston. The wrappers were fresh and soft, and you could really taste the fresh, juicy pork. The cumin lamb and spicy chicken were both spicy, succulent, and addictive. I couldn't stop eating them, and even still, the portions were big enough to have a leftover meal.

Some of the negative reviews said the food wasn't spicy enough.... then those same reviews listed their orders... which consisted of dishes not marked as spicy on the menu. They have a proper rating system... there are 0-3 peppers next to each item. Obviously, the 0 pepper items are not going to be spicy.

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  Great porch - quiet, shaded, and you still get good service

  Great porch - quiet, shaded, and you still get good service
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  Dumplings, cumin lamb, spicy chicken

  Dumplings, cumin lamb, spicy chicken
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  Spicy crispy chicken

  Spicy crispy chicken
• See all photos from Steven E. for Mala Sichuan Bistro