Restaurants
Mala Sichuan Bistro
9348 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77036, USA
$$
·
Chinese, Sichuan
Reservations are not available for this restaurant on our site
Find bookable restaurants near meMala Sichuan Bistro
9348 Bellaire Blvd., Houston, 77036, USA
$$
·
Chinese, Sichuan
Bib Gourmand: good quality, good value cooking
From Katy to Sugarland to Montrose, this Sichuan restaurant has spread its wings across the Houston area and beyond. The story begins at the original location, which opened in 2011 in Bellaire’s Chinatown. Whereas many Sichuan restaurants submerge everything in pools of chili oil, this kitchen takes a more measured approach. And true to its name, dishes boast a distinct thread of tangy bitterness and tongue-numbing heat but never so much that you’ll sweat. Highlights include silky cubes of tofu sitting in a mala bean curd sauce, firm filets of white fish blanketed in garlic, ginger and red chili powder, and chewy, house-made wheat noodles tossed in a peanut-based vinaigrette. A particularly descriptive menu helps decode dishes to first timers.