Downtown Houston is about to get hotter. Mala Sichuan, the Chinatown restaurant known for its fiery Sichuan cuisine, will be among the food vendors at Finn Hall, the downtown food hall under construction at the JPMorgan Chase Tower, 712 Main.

The operators of Finn Hall announced Friday that the husband and wife team of Heng Chen and Cori Xiong will open their third outpost of Mala in the Art Deco building whose food hall is set to open in mid-2018. Mala's original location is at 9348 Bellaire; there is also a Mala at 1201 Westheimer in Montrose. Xiong said two other locations, in Sugar Land and Katy, are in the works.

The restaurant, a favorite of Houston foodies, gained national attention last year when its chef, Jianyun Ye, was named a finalist for the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest.

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"The James Beard Award (nomination) was probably the highest recognition we could have achieved in the culinary industry, but we have a long way ahead of us," Xiong said. "Our goal doesn't change because of that and it has definitely helped us move forward with more confidence."

The Finn Hall project will feature a menu of dishes served in individual style, a change from the family-style plates served in the two other locations. Additionally, the restaurant will develop breakfast options for the food court which will feature day-long service.

Finn Hall joins a number of food hall projects planned for downtown including Bravery Chef Hall at 409 Travis at Aris Market Square expected to open summer 2018, and Lyric Market, 411 Smith, scheduled to open in fall 2018. Downtown already had a food hall, Conservatory at 1010 Prairie, Houston's first such multi-vendor project.

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Xiong said she and her husband were attracted to the project's format and the opportunity to expand the Mala brand.

"Food halls are a new trend across major cities in the U.S., and we're happy to be the first Chinese restaurant in Houston to attempt to break cafeteria style Chinese fast food," she said. "We plan to market ourselves downtown just like we've always done, by presenting authentic Sichuan flavors and an impression of Sichuan culture with a humble heart."

The downtown Mala will serve popular classics such as Basil Crispy Chicken and Tea Smoked Duck as well as new creations such as Garlic Cherry Pork Belly and Plum Baby Back Ribs.

Mala Sichuan is the first food concept Finn Hall has announced; other local operators will be named soon. Ten chef-driven food outlets are expected to have a home in Finn Hall which will also include a craft beer and curated wine bar and an Art Deco cocktail lounge as well as private event spaces.

Finn Hall is named for Alfred C. Finn, the architect of JPMorgan Chase Tower, who was considered one of the leading Art Deco-style architects in Texas throughout the first half of the 20th century. The building was constructed in 1929 and features Art Deco design and limestone columns and walls.