The food here is phenomenal and authentic. Located in the heart of Chinatown, there is no better place to get authentic Sichuan food. Fresh to order. Service is quick. Food is tasty. Ambiance is relaxed and casual.

Mala Sichuan bellaire location has a special place in my heart because years ago - when I was a picky eater - mala was the only place in Chinatown I loved. Nowadays - I eat all types of food but mala crispy spicy chicken is nostalgic and amazing! This location is the original so of course I love it! The service is always quick and the ambiance is simple but you just know what to expect with mala sichuans quality (which is the best!)

Everything we ordered was great! Service was good as well. Family style is definitely the way to go, so come with a large group. I'll be visiting the Sugar Land location soon, hope it's just as yummy!

My go to spot for Sichuan food in Houston. I've never had a bad dish here--I love their eggplant dishes, mapo tofu, and the mung bean jelly. It's always delicious and so flavorful. The only thing I'll note from my most recent visit is that their portion sizes have gone down a lot. This isn't something I normally notice but it was evident enough that even I made note of it.

My first Mala visit at this location was just okay. However, this visit has changed my mind and I will definitely be coming back. I had the best spread at Mala during my most recent visit. I am still thinking about it a few days after. We ordered: Spicy and Crispy Chicken - crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and full of flavor with a tingling heat from the peppercorns Water Boiled Fish Fillet - tender fish fillets in a savory broth with chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and ginger. My favorite of the night! Shredded Pork in Spicy Garlic Sauce - The pork was good, but I thought the sauce was a bit too tangy for my liking this time. Still a very solid dish. Mapo Tofu - soft tofu cubes simmered in a spicy, savory sauce. I will say this dish had the most depth in flavor, it was probably the best mapo tofu I have had. Dan Dan Noodles - Paired very well with our other dishes. We ran out of rice, and it was near close so the kitchen did not have anymore, so this came in handy. My first Mala visit at this location was just okay. However, this visit has changed my mind and I will definitely be coming back. The dishes ordred this time were incredible. This location has more of a homey, typical family style restaurant feel compared to the other locations that I have been to. Still has amazing dishes regardless of the ambiance.

I have tried Mala in Montrose and Sugar Land, it never disappoints! My husband and I love Sichuan food and we decided to try the china town location. Everything was just on point: excellent service, delicious food, and casual ambiance! We ordered the hot and sour soup for appetizers it was so fresh, and tasted so good! We like to add spices so we asked for chili oil on the side to enhance our tastebuds. The soup doesn't have any protein, it has tofu and basic hot and sour ingredients. 10/10 One of our favorite dishes at Mala is the Dry Pot Beef it has a mix of lotus, Sichuan peppers, some other veggies and it's so flavorful! Definitely hits the spot! It comes with a pot of boiled white rice and is perfect for balancing the spicy flavor. 10/10 We also ordered the spicy chicken chowmein and it was super spicy! We loved it! 10/10 There's nothing not good at Mala Sichuan! Highly recommend trying their food

If you're looking to get a taste of what Sichuan cuisine embodies, and not just "Chinese food" (that term is way too broad), this is just the place. I frequent this restaurant about several times a year and am never let down. Most of these dishes are a type of deliciousness that the average American has never experienced -- and it's a shame. It is worth noting that "Mala" roughly translates to "numbing spice". This is largely due to the peppercorns that Sichuan cuisine commonly uses. The dishes that are labeled as spicy are different from the spiciness that you get with say, Cholula or tabasco sauce. Mala spice is known for LITERALLY making your tongue go numb if you indulge enough. Oddly, it is common for water to start tasting like Sprite at that point. If you have a decent spice tolerance, give the spicy dishes a try. If you don't, there are plenty of non-spicy dishes with my stamp of approval. Some of my favorites: Spicy boiled fish (水煮鱼) - all time personal favorite. The Chinese translation directly comes out to "water boiled fish" which may incorrectly make you assume that it's a bland and boring dish. That couldn't be any less true. Super flavory and super spicy. You better have at least one friend with a high spice tolerance in your group to finish this. Salt and pepper pork chops (椒鹽豬扒) - this is the fried food you never knew you needed. A dish that the majority of meat eaters would probably agree tastes good. Hard to go wrong with this one. Mapo tofu (麻婆豆腐) - a spicy blend of soft tofu cubes, ground pork, and scallions. You do not have to be a tofu lover to appreciate this dish. Cumin lamb (孜然羊肉) - if you've never had lamb before, this is a must. To be honest, even if you've had lamb but not as Chinese cuisine, it's still a must. Servers come by to refill water often and will most likely help you with recommendations if you're new to this type of food. It's expected to order dishes family style, which is when you order several dishes and share them all with the rest of your table. When you finally get tired of orange chicken and kung pao, take some friends with you and come here to order some real Chinese cuisine.

I can't believe how amazing my experience was while visiting Mala Sichuan. My fellow Yelpers did not let me down with their reviews and guidance to finding this spot in beautiful H-town! I believe there are four or five other locations in Houston and I'm not sure which one is the "original" -- but this visit did not disappoint. I tried the Combination Fried Rice, Crab Meat and Asparagus Soup, Mapu Tofu, and Sautéed Greens with garlic. First of all, everything in TX is bigger (coming from a California girl) because the portion sizes were enough to feed a party of 6! I thoroughly enjoyed every dish but my favorite out of the spread was hands down -- their Mapo Tofu. It's described on the menu as "Soft tofu cubes braised to perfection with fresh leeks in mala bean curd sauce and fermented black bean sauce" and it hit every mark -- absolutely delicious. Service was fantastic and prices for such large portions were more than reasonable. I can't wait to visit again the next time I'm in Houston.