Mala Sichuan
Credit proprietors Heng Chen and Cori Xiong for kicking off Houston's Sichuan restaurant boom. Mala's flavorful cuisine — exemplified in dishes as varied as red oil dumplings, couple's lung slices, water-boiled fish, and more — may have inspired a host of imitators, but Mala remains the best. Part of the credit goes to the well-chosen, affordable wine list that makes for easier pairings with the famously fiery dishes.
