Mala Sichuan Bistro — Restaurant in Katy

I would respond to owner's comments below, but there seems to be no way to do that directly other than by leaving a posting here.... In short, we dined at MALA Weds, Feb 21 at about 7:30pm. 4 beef dishes, 1 chicken, 1 Dan Dan noodle, one wonton soup, and one bamboo appetizer. Again, no complaints about the excellent food, only compliments (and I am visiting from San Francisco, where my standards for authentic Chinese food are very high). Just complaints about an EXORBITANT TIP.

1)No, we were not made aware of a 20% gratuity prior to ordering 2)SINCE WHEN is 5 people and a child a "large party?" 3)I don't want to unduly pick on the servers, but not once did anyone come by to ask if food was alright or to refill our water. 4)Place wasn't really that busy, and there were staff there, but for whatever reason, it just never seemed that we were given much attention, especially considering we were going to be slapped with a 20% tip. 5) I am not a chincy tipper, but generally my tipping rule is 10-14% for bad service, 14-16% for average service, 16-18% for pretty good service and 19-22% for outstanding service. Unfortunately, judging by the service we got, if given the choice, I probably would have left a 14 or 15% tip. Good tips for good service, that's the old-school American way. 6)Staff really didn't smile, thank us or say goodbye as we left.

This is not a large amount of money here, my complaints are based on principal. If you want a 20% tip, earn it, don't just assume customers pay regardless of how they are treated. Lastly, of course, the percentage tip should be based on the pre-tax amount. Charging a tip on tax is COMPLETELY unethical. Period.

Nevertheless, despite my complaints, the food was so good I probably will come back. You have a very fine and very distinctive restaurant. You should just re-evaluate some of your business practices.

Calling a party of 5 + a child a "large party" is ridiculous. In fact, regardless of size of party, whether 8 or 18 diners, I have NEVER seen any restaurant automatically charge more than 18% tip.

My original comments: Food is unique and amazing. Genuine Szechuan food. You won't find many Chinese restaurants that serve the real thing.

I find it distasteful that this place had the nerve to tack a 20% tip on bill with no prior notice. Excessive/deceptive. They should reconsider this policy and hire some more staff so service...

Best Szechuan food in the Houston/Katy area! Several locations around Houston, but the Katy location has become our favorite. The menu is varied with something for everyone. The quality of the ingredients are top notch, and it shows in the preparation & presentation. Fresh, crisp, and flavorful vegetables, with meats that are cooked perfectly. The portions are generous without being gluttonous; items are sized for sharing. We normally leave with enough leftovers for lunch the next day; but the seriously hungry could probably do a soup/appetizer and main dish. Some items, such as the smoked duck, require extra cooking time. The staff always point those items out when ordering. We've never had to wait too long for extended cook time items to make it to the table. Standout items are the Mala Prawns with Crispy Rice Cracker (very spicy!), Eggplant in Spicy Garlic (a must-order item every time we eat here), & Tea Smoked Duck (requires extra cooking time, well worth the wait). Drink selections are standard; Coca-Cola products, iced & hot teas, and the usual casual restaurant beer & wine selections. They do have a sake menu, which is a nice touch. The crepe cake desserts look amazing, but we rarely have enough stomach space to finish an entire meal, much less room for dessert! We prefer weekday lunch hours, as there usually isn't a wait. Weekends can be extremely busy. The restaurant is tastefully arranged, but not fancy or overburdened with kitsch, and thankfully there is no irritatingly loud background music. The tables, seating, and cutlery are of the functional, no-frills variety. We go for the outstanding food and casual atmosphere, not a Michelin Star special event; even though the food is good enough to warrant one. Theresa is possibly the best waitress in Houston; polite, attentive, and her recommendations...

I'm not an expert on Sichuan Chinese food, or authentic Chinese food, but I try to have it when I can. I've been eating Chinese food my entire life though. It's one of my favorite types of food, so I went here with my mom and her boyfriend for Thanksgiving. The interior is designed in a cool way. It's clean. Our waitress was really nice, the only problem was we were eating spicy dishes and didn't get a water refill quite as fast as I'd like. The food was probably the best I've ever had for Chinese that only really contents with a couple dim sum places I've been to. I got spicy fried pork tripe, and my mom got spicy fried chicken pieces, and her boyfriend got a duck soup. They also ordered a crepe cake or something and it was pretty good, I just had a bite. The fried stuff was very, very good like it tingled on my tongue with all the flavor in a way that really surprised me. It had some kind of tingling sensation in it, and I am not a stranger to spicy food this was something different. I choose 5/5 on spice level when I go for various Asian food, but this had something else like a tingle I don't get with the other stuff. Anyway, it was probably the best thing I ate all year, and I really, really care about what I order, because I'm on a calorie count diet, and I don't go out to eat much anymore, because of that, and stuff is expensive now. This place though was very reasonable. They had some special stuff for 30 bucks but also some for 17-20, and then some stuff for 5-10. The portions are generous, and It's a little more expensive than the cheapest food you can get, but it's worth it. Oh, and I got the house special fried rice for everyone and everything was amazing.

PLEASE OPEN ONE OF THESE IN CYPRESS....