Jonathan Perez

My cousin and I once again were searching for a new place in Bellaire this past weekend (5/20) and he chose "Sichuan Noodles" in Bellaire. Its a very small place with tables that are packed pretty closely to each other. Apparently its a family restaurant as three little girls were camped at one of the tables and occasionally roamed around the restaurant, complaining about each other or doing some activity. I know some would find that irritating but to me (and maybe because I grew up with so many younger female cousins) I found it cute and endearing. I ordered the pork dumplings as an appetizer which I could've sworn was a six piece but instead came with 10! For the entree I ordered the stewed beef with cumin, and my cousin ordered fried noodles with shrimp. For some reason my entree came out before the dumplings, but I knew I was in trouble when it arrived and it was covered with chili seeds. Disclaimer: I'm pretty weak when it comes to tolerance with spicy food- maybe a 5 out of 10 at best. But that beef was just a little too much for me. It was tender and honestly delicious, and the cumin was fresh and gave a wonderful, light crunch- I just couldn't handle the heat! My cousin loved his fried noodles with shrimp. He has certain motor skill difficulties which include chewing/swallowing, which means he needs food items that are very soft which makes things more difficult than you think. As far as the service, it was adequate enough for us but there was only one waitress and I imagine that could make things difficult when the restaurant gets busy, and it was starting to as we were finishing our meal. Overall this was a very good experience, I just wish I had questioned the waitress as I sort of ignored the "flame" icon that was next to the dish! You should definitely check this place out, just know that it is Sichuan cuisine which can be quite spicy. But if you like spicy food then I'm certain you'll enjoy Sichuan Noodles restaurant!

My cousin and I were roaming around Bellaire (an Asian-dominated area of Houston) looking for a new place to try and we pulled into one of the many strips with multiple Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants, and we settled on Central China. And wow, talk about a hidden gem! The menu was very intimidating as its a massive menu with over 100 items, and this is authentic Hunan food so you're not going to see things like "General Tso's Chicken" or "Broccoli Beef" on it. I ended up getting the Cumin Lamb with Cilantro and my cousin got the Fried Stinky Tofu. The lamb was absolutely delicious (though I ordered it to be mild, not too spicy though the waiter struggles a bit in English so I used hand gestures to help) and the cilantro/cumin was fresh. My cousin had never tried tofu before, much less the famed "stinky" tofu, but he enjoyed it as well (also ordered it mild). The outside of this building is kind of boring and generic, but the inside feels like you could be somewhere in the Hunan province. Do not be afraid to try this restaurant- it will be the closest you'll get to being in China while in Houston!