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    Cafe 101

    3.1 (815 reviews)
    ModerateChinese, Japanese, Korean
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    CAFE 101 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Loud
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe 101

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    Jando S.

    As one of the quintessential late night options in Chinatown, Cafe 101 provides a specific experience that few other late night spots can match. The lounge like ambiance, along with their diner-like menu, is a major selling point for folks and has been one of the reasons for their popularity over the better part of the last two decades. It is a bit trendy and plays music that you would think of and in a Miami lounge or a pretentious New York Club. While service is not their strong suit, the clean bathrooms, spacious seating, and semi-open kitchen makes up for some 'tudes from the staff. The menu is most definitely Asian, but blends from a predominantly Chinese menu and featuring various Taiwanese, Korean, Japanese items. The latter includes sushi, which is likely one of the only spots in the neighborhood that still has it after midnight. They have bluefin tuna and sea urchin, in which Cafe 101 is one of the only late night spots to offer it. Their beef chow fun is nice and greasy, but filled with excessive onions, bean sprouts, and various other veggies that almost take away from the noodles and beef (which was nicely cooked). Their shrimp and egg came in a nice set, which was a good surprise and surprisingly well executed. This is also a spot for Japanese curry, and even though it's not the best, it most certainly does the job. Taiwanese popcorn chicken is on point, cumin lamb is unsurprisingly spicy, and Singapore chow mai fun has a tinge of solid wok hei. (#1) I'm genuinely not a fan of their soups and think the sushi rolls are not their best work. While they also have milk, tea options, unless one is desperate, I would also steer clear of. Parking in the early evening can be an issue at Don Huang Plaza, but after 11pm, the parking options should be abundant. I would consider coming here in a larger group, especially with late night owls. ___________ (#1) Wok's essence (鑊氣)

    Takumi A.

    Back in the early 2010s, whenever a new Taiwanese place opened in Houston, there was one reliable way to verify if it was truly Taiwanese: you asked the Taiwanese students where they actually spent their money. Café 101 consistently showed up on that list - not the cheapest option, but the one with the most correct flavor profile. More than a decade later, that still holds. This isn't nostalgia; it's an evaluation of execution. Café 101 still runs on the classic Taiwanese tea-house + street-food model: fixed core dishes, steady execution, clean seasoning, no shortcuts. * Deep-fried large intestine - crisp shell, soft interior, and the exact pepper-salt profile you'd expect from an old-school Taiwanese stir-fry shop. * Taiwanese sausage (northern style) - proper fat ratio, rice-wine aroma, and--importantly--without the pronounced sweetness common in many southern links. * Popcorn chicken - traditional marinade, correct starch level, and frying temperature under control. * Fish-roe fried rice - rarely seen in the U.S.; the grains stay separated, roe integrated without greasiness. The drinks mirror what you'd find in a Taiwanese bubble-tea café from that era. The pineapple-based tea I ordered came in a cup and flavor profile that could have come straight from an older shop in Taipei - simple, direct, and on-theme. Houston has no shortage of Taiwanese family-run spots, each with its own strengths. But Café 101 remains one of the few that preserves the older tea-house / snack-shop flavor system while still keeping its menu in step with Taiwan. No surprise it's still busy after all these years. Five stars -- for correctness, discipline, and longevity. - Dr C Only writing for what truly earns the stars.

    Yea madly I couldn't finish
    Garfield N.

    I was 100% in the mood for great crab fried rice. After trying 10 restaurants in the area I found Cafe 101. They offer soft shell crab fried rice. The presentation was nice and the dish gas good. For me I would have preferred green onions/scalloins be in the dish. Green onions would have added that pop I experienced in previous dishes. The portion size was enough to satisfy 2 healthy adults, so it is a good value for the $ @ $17.95. Unfortunately the rice did not have the robust flavor I expected. Until I added the soy sauce I was done eating. The drink, tea madly, was $16.50 and in my opinion worth the $!6.50. This drink was very tasty and very aromatic. They make their alcoholic drinks with sake. I didn't finish the drink which was presented in a liter carafe. They presented chopsticks, and I am glad they also provided a spoon and for people like me who are challenged (lol). Regarding the atmosphere in the restaurant, it is not a place I would take a first or second date. Nor, is it a place I would recommend to anyone who was looking for tasty food. I don't wish to be mean, but the food was mediocre, at best . The best part of the experience was the drink with the fresh fruit! GN3

    Good food!
    Liz C.

    I love how this place is open late and has tons of amazing choices on food. A little dark inside but a nice place. Their menu is very extensive! Service was super fast even with the place full. We ordered a bunch of food: 2 orders of green beans (to die for btw!), 2 orders of chicken wings (spicy and regular), grilled mussels, seafood chow mein, oysters, 2 orders of fried rice (soft shell crab and shrimp), and Kung pao chicken. Everything was good. The oysters were just a little overwhelming. It was a very large dish! Drinks were sweet and the sake was good. Can't wait to come back!

    Mussels
    Syeda H.

    Not bad and not great. Came here for a late night meal. I ordered the Eel and Cucumber Roll, the spicy Yellowtail Roll, the Baked Mussels, and Kung Pao Shrimp. The food came out quickly. The flavor of the dishes is pretty average. Service here is good. It was a nice place, but there are better options around.

    Angela K.

    Great place to go for a late night snack!! GET THE BAKED MUSSELS. Literally the whole table's favorite. Packed with so much flavor. The popcorn chicken is great too. It would taste even better with some sauce on the side. The fried squid was good. Quick and friendly service!

    AJ H.

    You visit for the vibes and the company. The food was good. Ordered the seafood hot pot and the crab rangoons. Love the variety of the menu, plenty of alcoholic and non alcoholic options The spot to come if you're hungry late at night

    Singapore rice noodle
    Lesley M.

    Cafe 101 is an Asian fusion bar with a HUGE menu - like, almost too many choices! They have everything from cocktails to milk tea to snacks, soup, sushi, hot pot, noodle dishes, rice dishes and more! I spent more time looking through the menu than it took for our dishes to be prepared and delivered to the table - not an exaggeration. Sometimes parking can be a pain because the restaurant is housed in one of the busiest shopping centers in Chinatown; however, when I went for lunch on a Sunday, I easily found parking right in front of the restaurant. The restaurant is spacious and clean. We were seated right away, and our server was very attentive. We started with the chicken nuggets, which did not look like much but were super tasty - moist chicken covered in a crispy, crunchy breading! I ordered the Singapore rice noodle - stir fries rice noodles with shrimp, pork & curry spice. It was very tasty but a bit dry. The portion size was HUGE! I had leftovers on leftovers. My friend ordered the hot pot. While I didn't taste it, the presentation was beautiful and my friend gave it a wonderful review. We also ordered the lychee sake which was very refreshing! All in all, I would definitely return for another meal at Cafe 101.

    New menu items
    David C.

    Cafe 101 has been a long time staple in Bellaire for years. Located in the very busy Dun Huang plaza, Cafe 101 is a great place to catch up with friends. I'm not gonna lie, I usually don't come here to eat. This is more of a sip and yap kind of place. My friends and I tend to come here during happy hour or reverse happy hour. I recommend getting appetizers like the chicken nuggets or fried squid, and wash it all down with multiple Heineken green teas and large hot sakes. An assortment of apps and drinks here is the perfect way to have a fun time talking with friends. If you do decide to eat here, the food honestly isn't bad and the portions are pretty big. I sometimes order their kimchi stir fried udon w/ either pork or seafood if I'm really hungry. Otherwise, the real reason of coming here is for late night socializing and drinking in Bellaire. Enjoy!

    Joyce A.

    This review is for the customer service + doordash food. I placed an order on doordash and when I called the restaurant to ask something, the person on the phone was SO RUDE. He essentially insinuated that I was stupid for asking, when it was the restaurant's fault for making an inaccurate doordash page in the first place. What an outrageous way to speak to customers. Then, the food arrives and it is literally so gross. The "fried green beans" are not fried at all! They are barely cooked, extremely soggy, and sad. The crab rangoons had barely any filling either. This place was an absolute letdown. I've been here to eat inside the restaurant, but was appalled by today's doordash experience. I will not be going back to this trash establishment. There's a million better places in Houston to eat.

    Allie H.

    Stopped here for dinner. Service was super quick. The juice and drink selection is amazing. Had the Passionate love which was sweet and perfect for a hot day. Tried a couple things- all were decent but none stood out. The menu is pretty large though so there are plenty of options. Would come back to check out the happy hour

    Linh T.

    Cafe 101 has always been one of my favorites for years. I've been going here for over 10 years, and the foods and drinks have always been consistent for me. I've always liked the atmosphere here, and it's a nice and casual place to hang out with friends. Lately I've been ordering them for to go's than eating there in person, but the foods have always been good even then. My favorite foods here have always been the Baked Mussels, Beef Fried Udon, Sizzling Kalbi Beef (Hot Plate), Chicken w/ Three Flavor Sauce, Scrambled Eggs w/ Beef, and the Tornado Roll. These dishes have always been flavorful, and they've pretty much become some of my comfort foods over the years. The photo is from one of my more recent to-go orders from here.

    Sandra D.

    The food here is very very tasty! And the portions are big! Really the food was great, everything we got was delicious, no complaints about the food, this is a place I will come back! Location is good, they have plenty of parking and the establishment is nice. The only two things I would say they should improve is the service, because is not great, our server will not come to check on us or to see if we wanted more drinks or anything else, we would have to wave to get her attention and she will come but with not a friendly vibe, I don't know if she was tired or she is just not a people person, but her service was not good. The other thing I noticed is the bathroom, needs some work, they were kinda dirty.

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    Always great service, friendly wait staff and clean environment. Great sushi and hotpot's

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    Cafe 101 Reviews in Other Languages

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    Yuk Dae Jang

    Yuk Dae Jang

    4.3
    (134 reviews)
    0.2 mi
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    Went to Yuk Dae Jang and got super lucky because they were hosting a collab with Morii coffee, so…read morewe got a discount on our meal. Got the seollangtang, bulgogi, and bossam. The bossam was delicious, plentiful with a good mix of sides. The bulgogi was sweet and a large portion. The seollangtang tasted a little strange to me but was full of meat and noodles. Service was quick and the restaurant was quiet, but played kpop over the speakers. It was a good place to chat. I remember liking their galbijjim the last time I was here. Overall, great place for classic Korean food that can be hard to find elsewhere!

    Yuk Dae Jang might be my new favorite Korean soup spot. The broth alone is to die for! Very rich,…read morecomforting, and packed with authentic flavor in every bite. I had the spicy seafood soup with fresh noodles, and it was spectacular. The noodles were cooked perfectly and soaked up all that incredible broth. The mix of shrimp, mussels, and squid made it feel hearty and well-balanced. I also tried my friend's beef short rib soup, which was just as delicious, definitely ordering that next time. The banchan really impressed me too. The kimchi had the perfect crunch and might be some of the best I've had. The fish cakes and scallions were also on point. The space is small but great for lunch or a casual dinner. Service was friendly, restrooms were clean, and overall it was a great experience. I'll definitely be back.

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    SGD Tofu House

    SGD Tofu House

    4.6
    (109 reviews)
    6.3 mi

    So I definitely need to come back to try the soondubu (silken tofu stew), but I had a mean craving…read morefor naengmyun and they do a rare half & half of both the spicy sauce and cold broth versions. I was impressed by the portion size, because each half could've been placed in a separate bowl, add more broth (shaved ice and a slice of Korean pear optional), and that's two portions in most places. Historically, these noodle dishes were a rare treat and a delicacy, as these noodles were very labor intensive and hard to make (although I'm sure they're mass produced now), and had to be served cold in the summer heat. Banchan was tasty too, including the kimchi which was early in the fermentation stage. The kimchi pancake was huge, definitely had to take this one to go, and came with an optional Korean-style spicy soy dipping sauce. I ordered the combo and went with the Bulgogi, which was tender and tasty, but didn't come sizzling so the pan it came in was more for display. Still, great good, fantastic value, and definitely the real deal. It's not as fancy as some of the more expensive neighborhoods of Houston (and a bit out of the way for me), but sometimes you just want some really tasty and unpretentious Korean comfort food.

    As a Korean, tofu soup is a staple for me, and this place is easily one of the best I've been to…read more Honestly, I'd even rank it above most places I used to go to in LA--only BCD is still up there with it. They make their tofu in-house, and you can really taste the difference. The soup is rich, comforting, and flavorful without tasting overloaded with MSG. It's the kind of meal that just warms your soul. We also ordered the cheese tonkatsu, and my husband got the seolleongtang. We normally aren't fans of cheese tonkatsu--in fact, we didn't even realize it had cheese in it when we ordered it--but wow... it was actually so good. Definitely a pleasant surprise. My husband's seolleongtang was amazing too. The banchan was fresh and well-prepared, and every dish we had was delicious. The service was absolutely perfect. The ladies working there were incredibly kind and even brought my husband extra noodles for his soup without us asking. That small gesture really made our experience even more memorable. Thank you so much! There's a decent amount of parking, but dinner time gets pretty busy, so I'd recommend arriving early since it's not a very large restaurant. 10/10. This is definitely one of our favorite Korean restaurants in Houston, and we'll absolutely be back.

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    Paik's Noodle

    Paik's Noodle

    4.2
    (246 reviews)
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    I'm always on the hunt for some quality, spicy, rich jjamppong. Paik's Noodle in Cypress seals the…read moredeal... even more than the Spring Branch location. This spot is located in a small plaza next to a busy trampoline park, and inside, it's very clean and well maintained. Each table has a menu of the offerings WITH pictures (so you don't have to scour Yelp like I usually do for pictures....). The waitresses come by to help answer any questions if you have any. To be honest, I think the menu tablets are a bit overkill since they have a small enough menu to look though, but it is good for people who aren't familiar with Korean food or the establishment itself. What's nice is you can get many of the dishes with noodles or rice as your starch of choice. 10/10 Jjamppong - the broth is flavorful, seafood rich, and noodles perfectly bouncy. SOO good. I couldn't finish the whole bowl, so it's easily shareable. 7/10 Chicken Fried Rice. It's expensive for the amount of rice you get. Flavor is good, but there's not a lot of chicken. Would suggest an appetizer as well if you want to stay full. This location does not have unlimited pickled radishes like the Spring Branch location. All in all, I really liked the food - I'll only really come back here for the noodle soup, but that's enough for me since they specialize in both the jjamppong and jiajangmyeon.

    Fast with great service. We went to Paiks Noodle and tried the Jajang Rice which includes a plate…read moreof white rice topped with the Janjang sauce which is a semi sweet, savory like black bean sauce with an omelette and side of Jjamppong soup. The soup was hot and a little spicy with seafood like mussels. This is a great lunch option because service is so quick and it's super filling. The parking lot is huge so there's plenty of parking

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    BORI - Montrose

    BORI - Montrose

    4.5
    (89 reviews)
    10.4 mi

    Went with a small party to get dinner with friends- the perfect amount of food for six people…read more There's parking in the complex, but it looks like you're driving into a Korean temple -lovely ambiance. We ordered the following: (out of 3 *rating) **Bulgogi Tteopoki - delicious but not what I expected. The sauce is similar to a stirfry, but the Bulgogi is done very well. Think of a japchae flavored Tteopoki dish Dumplings (Mandu) - they gave us the option to pan fry or steam, we chose to steam! Did not try, cannot rate ***2x assorted meat platters (enough for 6)- worth the quality of cut and preparation, done tableside. Each different platter was done beautifully, and grilled tenderly. The marinade was well done on the short ribs. **banchan- my favorite was the pickled radish and cabbage kimchi. Not a lot of variety compared to other places, but each dish was done very well. I didn't really care for the potato salad. * doenjang/soybean soup: maybe it's just me, but it was very salty. Not my top choice of soup regardless. **kimchi-jjigae : very solid kimchi stew. The right amount of heat to pair rice with well but it's so rich. I could only have a couple bites to the end of the meal. ***hotteok with chocolate ice cream. It's a simple dessert and done very well. The cinnamon and sugar come out balanced very nicely with the chocolate. Service: So attentive and fast ! Staff was very respectful and quick, on par with fine dining. Had to wave over some folks to request another order or utensils and they were on it. Kudos.

    I love this spot! The staff is very friendly and excellent upscaled service grilling the meat…read more Always feel very full and satisfied from the food. I typically can share a single order of meat and sides are very affordable. No complaints and lunch menu is very affordable!!

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    Out front

    Cafe 101 - chinese - Updated August 2026

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