If you're in the mood for noodles, there are oodles just waiting for that special someone to slurp them up. Whether it's egg noodle or rice noodle, flat and wide or thin and skinny, this guide is for you.
Basic family style Thai dishes - my favorite being the crispy fish with spicy tamarind sauce, steamed whole fish, pad thai, pad see ew noodles, pad thai noodles, pad ka prow (green beans with ground pork and basil), and mango with sticky rice - just like the Thai make at home.
When I think of won ton soup or won ton noodle soup, I think of Chino's Fast Food, aka Hao Hao Mi Gia. Don't ask me why they have 2 names, but they do. My fave is the won ton lo mein (dry noodle -they serve the noodles with the broth on the side).
It's all about the food here - everything we've tasted has been excellent, from the house special Peking duck (call and reserve yours if you plan to get to the restaurant after 6pm - they regularly sell out of the duck) , to the spicy garlic "la pi," a cold noodle dish, to the cold tofu with 1000 yrs preserved egg, to the mu shu pork, to the beef with scallions, to the shao long bao (steamed dumplings). I could go on but their menu is quite vast. If you like Chinese cuisine and want to try the real food like what your friend's Chinese grandmother can make, or if you were salivating over the food images from "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman", the movie, Peking cuisine is right for you.
The best thing here is the "pho ga kho" or dry chicken pho noodles. Smoky, and tasty and totally satisfying. Get it with a side of giblets. They also have a "xe lua" train sized bowl of pho that is super-sized enormous.
Hong Kong-nese food is no nonsense deliciousness. Dry beef chow fun is perfection. Hong Kong French toast stuffed with peanut butter, is a must. Most rice plates, about $5.95-$7.95. Now, that's delicious.
Arirang recently merged with next-door-neighbor Dumpling King, and is the best place in town to get pan-fried dumplings, 10 for $4.95. Their icy cold naeng-myun noodles are also a perfect foil for our humid weather. Cash only.
Tony Thai is authentic Thai the way I like it. The papaya salad with the lime chili dressing is one of my favorites, as is the deep fried fish with garlic sauce (an entire fish, artfully arranged on a large platter). The pad thai won my mom's heart and she insists its the best she's had in town, and the pad see ew is delicious as well.
Rattan's pan-Asian food is bold and beautiful. They have state-of-the-art enomatic system so they can serve wines by the glass. Get the clams, the short ribs, and the tuna/avocado tower, and the rice noodles wrapped in egg shell. Happy hour is 4-7pm and awesome, too.
Come here for the hu tieu kho (dry chewy noodles) or the mi kho ( dry thin egg noodles), or the hu tieu mi kho (mixed dry noodle). Topped with shrimp & pork. Very classic Vietnamese noodle. They have other things but the dry noodles are best
Come to this trendy Chinatown spot for specialty drink or one of the many new-Chinese type dishes. A good bet: the red wine pork chop, the crispy chicken wings (be prepared to wait 15 min), and the kim chi fried udon.
This clean modern Vietnamese restaurant in EaDo generally makes great fare, like their pan fried rice noodles (pho ap chao) and duck salad. BYOB.
Named Best Sushi Restaurant 2012 by Houston Press, the modern Japanese, high-quality sushi by exec chef Manabu Horiuchi makes this one of the best restaurants in the city. Splurge on a 8 or 10 course omakase, or chef's tasting, and count the number of "Wow's" that fall from your lips. Seasonal cold soba noodles and ramen experiments when it gets colder are always a must try. Chefs also happen to love this place when they're off duty -- you'll find them at the bar or taking food to-go.
It's hip Singaporean, complete with one of the best patios for lounging in the cabana, drinks like lychee martinis, and Asian food to share. Try Mee goh reng and their roti prata.
A fave of local chefs, the red oil wontons (not to be confused with red oil dumplings) are to die for. Other faves include arctic surf clams, mala beef jerky, garlic bacon, water boiled fish (spicy), the dan dan noodles or cold sesame noodles. Beware of things marked extra spicy. Byob. 5% off if u pay cash.
Super cute Korean drinking bar w/ cute paper wall dividers & Korean pop music playing. Jajangmyun black bean noodle and kalgooksu noodle soup are a good bet, along with your choice of soju.
With just two small rows of tables, Fu Fu Cafe is that hole in the wall Chinese eatery you can visit as often as you like. It won't break the bank (dishes are extremely reasonable). There's an extensive menu (I haven't made a dent in the long list of food choices). Great for takeout or dine-in, Fu Fu Cafe does great soup dumplings & pan fried dumplings, they also have awesome pan fried noodles and a kickin' $4.99 lunch special. Chefs love this place. You'll find them noshing on grub there late nights after service.
Pho Ga Dakao regularly draws massive lunch crowds and is busy even at odd hours like 4pm. Specializing in all things "ga" ("ga" means "chicken" in Vietnamese), the chicken themed menu offers everything from chicken with rice, to chicken pho, chicken egg noodles (mi), and chicken rice noodles (hu tieu). They even have a dry chicken pho with chicken salad dish, strange, but tasty at the same time.
No nonsense Korean food across from H-Mart Korean Supergrocery. Come here for a quick, casual bite like their jap chae noodles or their naeng-myun. Side dishes come with all orders, and private rooms avail for larger parties.
The specialty here are the broken rice, or "com tam" plates, but don't overlook the noodles: charbroiled beef with rice vermicelli (bun bo nuong) and mi nam vang are both excellent as well.
With an extensive menu, quick service, and late night hours on weekends (they open 'til 3am Fri/Sat), Tan Tan is a great after-hours hotspot for people watching & down-home Chinese grub. Think chow fun, wonton noodle, hot pot & their famous pan fried rice cake.