A food crawl of Houston’s Chinatown


Houston may be America’s fourth-largest city (and my hometown), but it rarely appears on the traveler's map. Yet trust me, it's worth a visit: Space City, as it's often called, is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse destinations in the nation, with no shortage of incredible food and culture.
With an urban sprawl and traffic that rivals that of Los Angeles, it’s best to zero in on one neighborhood at a time. And why not start with Chinatown (more accurately referred to as Asiatown), where I've spent countless days eating my way through the regional Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Malaysian, and Thai restaurants centered largely on Bellaire Boulevard.
Morning
I like to start my day on the unofficial “Vietnamese side” of Bellaire, just West of the Sam Houston Tollway. The street signs here carry the names of historic Vietnamese heroes and locales. My first stop: Long Coffee, a family-owned roaster and café built in 1983 in the Saigon-Houston Plaza. It's got strong pours and boba teas along with sweet and savory croissants that are the perfect wake up.

If you like to sneak in a quiet morning meditation like I do, stop by the nearby Teo Chew Temple, a Taoist temple in a residential area behind the bustling strip malls (when you go inside, be respectful and dress modestly). There are incense sticks available to offer up to the various deities who preside over the temple.
From there, it's a short walk to Viet Hoa International Foods, which gives you a glimpse of local life. The aisles are full of fresh seafood, every manner of tropical fruit, Buddhist vegan staples, and Asian snacks and cookies. Then there’s the nearby Hong Kong City Mall, which has its own sizable grocery store, along with dozens of old-school Asian restaurants, bakeries, specialty retailers, and CD shops.
Afternoon
When I've worked up an appetite, I make a bee line for Thien Thanh, Houston’s it destination for classic Vietnamese-style rice rolls stuffed with ground pork and wood-ear mushroom. The restaurant also turns out a standout rendition of bun cha, the Northern Vietnamese dish from Hanoi loved by the late Anthony Bourdain.

Chinatown is one of Houston’s best destinations for vegan food: plant-based eating is actually essential to Buddhist philosophy. It’s not uncommon to see Buddhist monks and nuns popping into Duy Sandwiches, a popular place for meat-free versions of Vietnamese mainstays—from banh mi sandwiches to noodle soups—loaded with veggies and sometimes tofu and seitan. San San Tofu nearby offers a similar assortment of dishes in a steam-table buffet that feels super authentic.
If I'm visiting during crawfish season (April to July), I've got to have some Viet-Cajun crawfish. It's a specialty dish that was essentially invented here when Cajun crawfish migrated west from New Orleans and Vietnamese chefs got their hands on the mudbugs. My go-to spot is Cajun Kitchen, which lacks the flashy accolades of nearby Crawfish & Noodles (a close second in my book), but makes up for it with garlicky, buttery plates of the crustaceans.

Once I’ve had my fill of savory snacks, it’s time for something sweet. Houston’s Chinatown is one of the best dessert destinations in town (in my humble opinion) thanks to its shaved ice joints, specialty teahouses, and more. Two favorites: 7 Leaves’ all-natural boba drinks and Mango Mango, a mango-centric dessert shop with a standout crepe cake. And I’d be remiss not to mention the neighborhood’s best bakeries: Six Ping, Beard Papa’s (a global cream puff purveyor), and 85 Degree, a Taiwanese chain whose decadent oddball pastries can be found in more than 1000 locations around the world.
After 4pm, it's off to the “Chinese side” of Chinatown, where the names switch from the Vietnamese alphabet to Chinese characters. When I need to de-stress, Oasis Massage Salon in Dun Huang Plaza (bookmark this: you’ll surely be back here for dinner) is the place. Or I hit up Reiwatakiya, a Japanese beauty brand with great skin and hair products, wellness supplements, and other specialty items.
Evening

The options for dinner can be overwhelming, so I narrow down my faves depending on my mood. Am I feeling carnivorous? Saigon Pagolac is famous for its Vietnamese feast of Bo Bay Mon, or beef seven ways. Do I want a break from Vietnamese and Chinese? Myung Dong Kyoja specializes in Korean hand-pulled noodles, Tiger Den turns out stellar bowls of Japanese ramen, and Banana Leaf serves Malaysian classics like roti canai and beef rendang...I go with Saigon Pagolac.
Surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly?), some of the city's best nightlife is in a Chinatown strip mall: the Dun Huang Plaza—the same plaza that houses Oasis Massage Salon. It's full of after-dinner diversions, from cocktails at Giau Bar n’ Bites to karaoke at Happy Zone KTV to billiards at the M. J. Pool House tucked away on the second floor.
After drinks and karaoke, it’s back to the Vietnamese side for a late-night bowl of pho. And there's no better place than Pho A Hung By Night. The noodle house serves up all the requisite stylings of Vietnam’s national dish, but also fancy accouterments like Wagyu beef, egg yolk in bone marrow, and vinegar-soaked sliced onions. After the late-night chow fest, I get the best sleep of my life.
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