Houston Chinese-Food Lovers

I found out that the best thing in Houston is Chinatown: the heritage, the people, the entire experience. I found that ChinatownConnection.com, www.chinatownconnection.com, provided great in-depth coverage of Houston’s Chinatown. From restaurant reviews of Asian restaurants to events and happenings, I felt I was in Houston’s Chinatown by going to the website. If anyone has a chance, go and check it out. It will be a great start for any visitors coming to Houston.

Quick Tips:

It is hot here, so be prepared to sweat.

Best Way To Get Around:

A rental car is your best bet for transportation here. Everything else is either confusing or not too practical.

The first thing that happens when I come here is being greeted by the owner of the place. Not that everyone will be, because this place is always busy, but the fact that he does not distinguish himself from the wait staff tells me that he really likes his customers. You can go to http://www.chinatownconnection.com/lailai.htm to see their menu and store information. Service here is number one, period. Next, I ordered myself some dumplings, which are their specialty, I find myself thinking, "Only eight dumplings?" The next thing I know, eight of the biggest dumplings I have ever seen were on the table, ready for me to consume down in a flash. If you have seen dumplings, believe me, you will never see a bigger one in your life. They taste even better then they look. Once I started on one, all the rest went down quickly. I highly recommend this place for its awesome service and their food. You cannot beat their value.

China Gourmet offers some of the best authentic Chinese cooking you can find here in Houston. I found that http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinagourmet1.htm offers a great page on their restaurant. They are especially packed during the weekend, which tells me they are very popular among the community.

When you walk in, you will see that this is a self-service restaurant. Just go up to the counter, order, and then find your own seat. The food is remarkable. I had the black-pepper sizzling steak served on a wood/iron plate. It tasted extremely good. Just thinking about it makes my mouth watery again. If you are in Houston's Chinatown, this place is a must-go.

Bubble-tea lovers, here is the place to go. Tapioca House of Houston specializes in the art of bubble tea, milk tea, smoothies, coffees, and fruit drinks. There is no way anyone can finish drinking their menu, because they have so many varieties. They constantly add new drinks to satisfy everyone. They also offer traditional Taiwanese food and snacks, like the fried crispy chicken bits. As a café, they offer free wireless Internet. This is the best place for teens or middle-aged people to come and hang out or surf the web. Visit them at http://www.chinatownconnection.com/tapiocahouse.htm.

Tea Cafe in Houston is another must-go place. The interior decor of this place is awesome. Look up at the ceiling and you will know what I mean. Everything you want in a bubble-tea store is here. You get friendly service and great big drinks, all at an affordable price. They have many drinks to offer, including milk tea, smoothies, and fruit drinks, and they also serve traditional Taiwanese food and snacks. With the combination of great food, drinks, and service, along with free wireless Internet access, this café is a winner in my books. A site the offers a history of bubble tea and restaurant reviews of places in Houston’s Chinatown is http://www.chinatownconnection.com/bubbletea1.htm.

First off, go to http://www.chinatownconnection.com/888chinese.htm to see pictures of this place. Now you will know what I am talking about when I describe this restaurant to you. It is a shame that not many restaurants design the interior to match the food they serve. The first thing I noticed was the interior--decor is absolutely gorgeous, from the small Chinese-artifacts display to the extravagant Chinese wines on the shelf; I still am in shock when I think that this is an Asian restaurant that I walked into. The food is top-notch and low-priced. You cannot ask for anything better than this.

It's located on the outskirts of Houston, toward Galveston. This place is a must-try for anyone heading in that direction. If you love Chinese food, you have no excuse not to go!

This place is awesome. Walking inside the restaurant, you will notice the bamboo posts, the Southeast Asian flavor, and the enormity of this place. The restaurant is clean, elegant, and beautiful. I have not even gotten to the food part. The second thing you will notice is their dishes or their designs. It is in a unique shape and very classy.

Now let’s talk about the food. First off, they have lunch specials every day that are usually under $5. Let me say that again, under 5 bucks!! You get a full-size, not a kiddie-size meal, at this extravagant-looking restaurant for that price. And the best thing about this is that it tastes good, too! ChinatownConnection.com , www.chinatownconnection.com , has this place listed in the editor picks area, and I agree with them 110%. This is the place to go for lunch.

The Scene

When you come to Hunan Plus Chinese restaurant, you are looking for delicious food at an extremely low price. The restaurant decor in and out will not blow you away, but the prices here will.

The Food

Their weekday lunch special is $3.25 and comes with soup, egg roll, fried rice, and your choice of main dish. The food portions are huge and the taste absolutely wonderful! And yes, this is probably going to be two meals for most people (to-go box will be necessary).

Heads Up

Located in Diho Square next to Shanghai Restaurant, weekend parking will be hard to find. Go visit http://www.chinatownconnection.com/restaurant.htm to view pictures and a full menu of this restaurant.

The Scene

This place is spacious and nicely decorated. On one side of the restaurant is a small fountain waterfall. Hanging on the other side of the wall is a plasma TV.

The Food

Bodard Bistro serves Vietnamese cuisine. On the menu are spring rolls, phò, vermicelli, flat noodles, specialty dishes, and fried rice. They even have hot pot! If you are thirsty, they serve tapioca smoothies and fruit drinks.

Heads Up

Bodard Bistro is located in Diho Square next to the police station. Sometimes, the restaurant can get crowded on the weekends. Go visit www.chinatownconnection.com/restaurant.htm to view pictures and a full menu of this bistro.