Ling Long

My BF told me this place has incredible food for great value…read more Beef Noodle Soup - This is only $10? The value is as incredible as the flavor. Goodness, can we have one open near me? Very hearty and not too spicy. The broth is rich with a refreshing relish tang. My BF and I shared a bowl because there was no way I would've finished it on my own with everything else we ordered. Chicken Dumplings in Beef Soup - Seems to use the same broth as the Beef Noodle Soup. Not my personal favorite because the dumpling wrapper is a bit too thick, but it's a small miss considering how fond I already am of this place. Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings - How is this place making money? These things are massive and deliciously oily. There's a clean Maillard effect on the bottom that adds so much flavor. They also have an interesting fold--I've never seen dumplings shaped quite like this before. The pork flavor comes through strongly with the classic scallion combo. Steamed Bao Bun - Yaass, reliving my Chinese drama dreams. These weren't as sweet as the commercial ones, which I personally prefer. Still, I reckon this is how they tasted in those shows, so I'm stoked for the experience. Now, will I say this is the absolute best dumpling place in Houston? No--but there is something undeniably attractive about this place, and it is fundamentally delicious. It embodies one of the best versions of a classic mom-and-pop restaurant, serving homemade food that isn't perfect but reflects craftsmanship and care beyond the appeal of modern restaurants. My dumplings weren't wrapped with perfect precision, nor were they the pinnacle of healthy eating. They were just blatantly delicious--like when your mom cooks your favorite meal on a weekend night. That's why I would come back. This place represents the most authentic form of home and freedom in food. The downside of all the carbs I ate is that I had to volunteer at my local theatre afterward, and I was crashing haaaaaard while sending this place so much love.

My lunch date and I stopped in here for a quick snack while exploring Chinatown. It had been on my…read moreradar for a minute since it's one of Chinatown's OG spots. It is located in a decent sized shopping strip and parking was not an issue the day we came. I don't want to say it's a hole in the wall, but it's a little old school in here. Tables are right up on each other. Off to the left when you walk in, there have shelves with fresh noodles and buns for purchase. Then they have a refrigerated section with frozen items for purchase well. They seem to do alot of pick up business with that side alone. You can also order hot food at the counter. Customer service was on par with the area. As far as the menu goes, they mainly sell noodles, soup and dumplings. We got an order of the pan fried chive bun and the pan fried pork dumplings. I also got a Thai tea to wash it all down. The food came out fairly quick and was nice and hot. I dug into the bun first and it was steaming as I opened it up. The dough was nice and soft and had a nice crunch on the exterior. Though the chives was nice and fresh, I would get something with some protein next time. The pan fried pork dumplings were exceptionally good. I forgot to mention the portions are big here and the pricing is great. You definitely get your money's worth. The dumplings were filled with a delicious pork mixture. The dough was the right thickness to hold it all in but not too thick to where you can't taste the filling. I made a delicious dipping sauce with soy sauce and chili oil that paired well with all the food. The Thai tea was ok. It was a little too grainy for my liking. If you're looking for a quick snack, or to find something to heat up at home, San Dang Noodle House is your spot. I will definitely be back to try some of their hot noodles dishes when the temps get a little cooler outside!

10.6 mi•Chinatown, Sharpstown

Packaged goods to go

Black Sesame Bun

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Pork Bun

MIAN

4.4(314 reviews)

Their beef noddle soup is top tier! The spice and flavor is perfect. You can modify spice level,…read moreoil level, etc. you seat yourself and then scan the QR code to place your order. They give you complimentary mung bean drink and a pickled appetizer. Once done, you go to the front to pay.

This is a gem. From the broth of the soup to the tenderness of the beef; this is the place to get…read moreSzechuan food. The pork Dumplings have incredible flavor! Everything is contactless which was great! You order from the table and pay from there as well. This is the spot to stop for a different take in Chinese food

10.8 mi•Chinatown, Sharpstown

Cute spot

Beef soup and golden chicken soup

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Vegetarian Mapu Tofu

Northern Pasta 北方面食

4.3(170 reviews)

Hole in the wall restaurant! Some parking available in the plaza. Don't ask questions, just know…read morewhat to order at the counter lol. Cashier spoke limited English. They have a self-serve water station. Oil splashed noodles w/ beef (could be more tender); mix everything for a flavor bomb! Tried some of Chinese hamburger; pork was tender, didn't care too much for the breading. Leek & pork dumplings were delicious! Got lucky with seating for a party of 7. Enjoyed our dinner experience!

Splash Oil Noodles were amazing!! Keep it spicy and I would say to not get it with a meat. The meat…read morehas no flavor, however it gets some with the soup that comes with the noodles but not worth getting it in my opinion. The Green Onion Pancakes and Chinese Hamburger are also must haves. The hamburger especially! The meat in it is very flavorful and it has the taste profile of pho somehow if that makes sense. Either way, the burger is juicy and my favorite item so far aside from the noodles. When you get inside, you have to order first and then find a place to sit. It can get packed pretty quickly as it is a relatively small spot but so worth it if you get the chance.

Inside (chairs put up at 3pm, but can bring them back down if needed)

Beef noodle soup

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Lamb soup.

Trendy Dumpling

4.2(1.2k reviews)

16.7 mi•West University

2019 years in business

Vegan friendly

I've eaten a lot of spicy dry chicken cube in my time, and Trendy Dumpling's is the one all the…read moreothers should be measured against. Same goes for the pork bao: fluffy, porky perfection. The combo fried rice is also excellent. I order mine without shrimp, but that's a me problem, not a them problem. Shrimp fans, carry on. Staff are friendly and service is fast. Fair warning for first-timers: like most places of this kind, dishes come out as they're ready, not in any grand ceremonial order. So if you need your courses to arrive in a particular sequence, order in waves rather than all at once. The literal only downside: soft drinks come in cans, so no refills, and spicy dry chicken cube demands refills. Easily one of my top 3 restaurants in Houston, and hands down my favorite Asian restaurant anywhere in the USA. I'm going to go research how to get an IV filled with the spicy chicken. You should just go to Trendy Dumping.

For a dumpling place, dumpling selection was somewhat limited…read more Spicy dumplings were really good. Beijing duck was excellent. Crispy bottom bao seem mass produced. Cucumbers were very crunchy. Seasoned with mostly just salt. Server thought it would be cool to bring politics into our dinner. He behaved very inappropriately.

18.0 mi•West University, Braeswood Place

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Hu's Cooking

4.5(1.1k reviews)

Fast and delicious. Simple and tasty, at a reasonable price.We got there at11:15 a.m. and we're…read moreserved minutes after that. We will go back!

I had lunch today at Hu's Cooking!! All I can say is 10/10. The good was delicious. I had the…read morechicken garlic ginger plate. (I think I'm saying that correctly) The plate included fried rice, bok choy,, the garlic ginger chicken and 2 veggie egg rolls. Everything was so flavorful! The service was also great. Everybody that worked there was working. Nothing was left undone. The restaurant was very clean. The music was at an enjoyable level. Not too loud but just right! I even saw the people that worked there eating the food while on break. That made me very comfortable. Again, 10 out of 10 highly recommend! I hate that I didn't take pictures. The food was so hot and smelled so good, I said grace and went in!! I cleaned my plate!!

Spicy chicken, clear noodles with red pepper sauce, and stir fried green beans

Open til 11:00pm on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Sat

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Xing’s Kitchen

4.3(82 reviews)

14.8 mi

I love Xing's Kitchen. Whenever I find myself in Sugar Land, it's my go to for Chinese, mainly…read morebecause I love the Shanxi oil noodle which is the best I've had. I swear it's just one really long hand made noodle, so it's a bit hard to share, but it's a must-get. We also tried the Claypot noodle and it was good as well but a bit of an acquired taste. The restaurant is located inside Jusgo grocery store. The seating is quite limited so I wouldn't recommend it for large parties. And it's pretty mom and pop, so if that's your jam, go for it. Chairs are mismatched, drinking water is somewhat self-service in small cafeteria-style plastic cups, and tables are small. Like I said - mom and pop, and that's not a bad thing. It's just not exactly a place where you would have a nice business meeting. Service was ok - nothing to note. You pay at the cashier which is like 2 feet from where you ate. Yes, it's a small space. Overall - I love this place and will keep coming back.

Mom and pop Chinese noodle spot inside the Jusgo supermarket. We tried out a few noodles and their…read moreprimary claim to fame is their hand pulled noodles, which are solid. Lamb noodle- 3.5/5. Not my style of food but can appreciate the authenticity Oil splashed noodles- 4.5/5. Seasoned great and the noodles are tasty. The favorite dish out of everything we tried Clay pot tofu- 3/5. Not my preferred dish either but the broth is nicely flavored for how light it is Cold noodles- 3.5/5. Good. Chinese pork sandwich- 3/5. Needed some cilantro or sauce to compliment the sandwich Overall, it's a fairly nonchalant mom and pop spot with homemade noodles that caters to the authentic experience.

Interior / ig: @joyyeats

Henan lamb stewed noodle / ig: @joyyeats

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Outside

Hi Trendy Dumpling

4.4(437 reviews)

18.2 mi•The Heights

One of my favorite Sichuan places in town!…read more Dishes had this time around: Pork Soup dumpling - always temps me to order more Shrimp and pork Shumai - i recently had shumai that was good but not as great as the ones here. I've never had any oeovlem with any of the food not tasting fresh here Spicy chicken cube - crispy, spicy, what more can you ask for Walnut shrimp - a common Cantonese style chinese dish with crispy shrimp, mayo, and walnuts. A perfect combo! Overall would recommend to anyone in town, a favorite of mine for sure

My three friends and I were in the area when one of them suggested this place after having a good…read moreexperience here previously. We ordered quite a bit of food, and everything came out quickly. The staff were attentive and friendly, and overall, the food was decent. My favorite dish was the Chicken Steamed Dumplings. I usually prefer pork dumplings, but these were surprisingly tasty. The wrappers were on the thicker side, which I personally enjoy, the filling was moist, and the sauce was packed with flavor. I also ordered the Beef Noodle Soup. The portion of noodles and beef was generous, but I thought the broth lacked depth and had far too much chili oil. Instead of providing a pleasant spice, the excess oil left a greasy coating in my throat that actually made me cough. The other dishes were less impressive. The Pork Bao tasted like they had been frozen and reheated, with slightly soggy, overcooked buns and a filling that lacked flavor. The Egg Rolls were also extremely small and had that same frozen, store-bought quality. Overall, the service was great and there were a few solid dishes, especially the chicken dumplings, but too many of the items tasted like frozen or pre-prepared food. I would come back for the dumplings, but I would probably skip most of the other dishes.

10.4 mi•Chinatown, Sharpstown

Interior

Braised chili oil fish

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Chili oil dumplings

MDK Noodles

4.2(307 reviews)

One of my favorite Korean noodle spots! The spice knife cut…read morenoodles and dumplings are my go to order. Generous portions, so I always end up with a Togo order cause I can never finish in one sitting. Very clean and open space.

Love coming to MDK for their cold noodle dishes and spicy stir fried squid. Their bibimguksu spicy…read morecold noodle dish is the perfect balance between tangy and spicy. The perfectly pickled veggies the put inside the dish balance out the spiciness and texture of the cold chewy noodles. This dish is super addicting once you take one bite the whole dish will be gone. As for the spicy stir fried squid I ordered it this time around but it was not as I remembered. The squid itself was a bit small and lacking spice. I also tried the pan fried dumplings and those were just okay. The server was great at communicating about longer wait times due to bigger parties ordering ahead and was super attentive and kind. The lighting in the place can be a bit dull but nothing a few lamps couldn't fix. Overall I have a great time coming to MDK each time I'm craving cold noodles. Definitely give the bibimguksu at try!

19.2 mi•Fourth Ward, Midtown, Montrose

Pan Fried Dumplings #12

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Seafood pancake

Xiaolong Dumpling

4.6(311 reviews)

This little spot is my literal favorite place for fried rice. Everything is good but the fried rice…read moreis the best I've ever had! Pork Bao's are normally my daughter fave but the soup dumplings here are her favorite. She could finish an order on her own. The service is always great. As soon as you get in they give everyone a water and a carafe of more water. There is a QR code to order and you place your order on the phone. The order goes straight to the kitchen and you can add as you go if wanted. I always thought that was pretty cool. The owner came out to say hello and ask how everything is. She even brought out a small bowl of soup for my baby to enjoy. The waitress was also very sweet and attentive. I don't live close by but will make the trip when the craving hits. Today was one of those days. The last time I was here there was no ac and not enough seating. This time it was nice and cool in and well as having new seating! This little spot needs to be on your need to stop places!

Came here solo on a Saturday evening with goals to get some biang biang noodles. I was hoping to be…read moreable to dine there. I asked the main waitress how long it'd take to get seated as a solo diner, but she never gave me a clear answer as she was so busy as the only wait staff. I decided take out was the move. Take out took about 15 minutes to come out, so not too long. The biang biang noodles had a nice bounce, but I'm not sure if it was because it was a take out meal that the noodles were sticking together. However, they were very flavorful. I also got the pork wontons in the peanut sauce and they were also very juicy and flavorful. Overall, the food here is good and I'd try it again but hopefully for dine in. If you can get a reservation, I'd suggest doing that or else the wait will be long.

10.5 mi•Chinatown, Sharpstown

Excellent customer service!!!

V9. Eggplant In Garlic Sauce V9.

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P3. Black Pepper Beef P3.

Ishin Udon

4.3(472 reviews)

I don't see many places that specialize on udon. Ishin does it well with a big variety of udon…read moredishes from Japanese to Italian inspired and soups to curries. It's a small and cozy place that can get packed around peak hours. I got the beef curry udon with a side of tonkatsu. The tonkatsu was tender and crunchy and made an excellent addition to the soft and creamy udon. The curry was one of my favorites I've tried so far, a generous, flavorful helping that wasn't overly salty or spicy. They also gave a good amount of tender sliced beef as well. If you're out looking for udon specifically, this place has all sorts of good options for you to choose from.

Cozy udon restaurant near Chinatown. I was surprised about the quality and price of this…read morerestaurant. They are specialized in udon; however, they have many other options to choose like Italian noodles. Their price is from $10-16 with a good portion of food. About the taste, the curry I ordered was a little bit salty, which I expected from Japanese food, but if you have it with udon, they create balance flavor. They have plenty of tables but small area. For friends, yes, big family, I would say no. The service was quick, and staff were friendly. Overall, I highly recommend this place if you want to try udon. I will come back to try more.

Booths layout

Curry udon

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Chicken Karaage

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Davi C.

4 years ago

Calm and chill place! I really love and enjoy their food, so delicious! Their staff is friendly very amazing!

Helen N S.

6 years ago

Super delicious hand made noodles and dumplings! Did not disappoint and highly recommended! read more

Ling Long - chinese - Updated October 2026

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Banh Canh Tom Cua

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This might sound crazy, but my husband and I used to plan weekend trips to Houston around this…read morefreaking dish. Bánh Canh Tôm Cua is probably one of our favorite Vietnamese dishes, and this spot has topped every other place we've tried--Garden Grove, Westminster, Milpitas, Dallas, and yes, even Ho Chi Minh City. They nail literally everything we look for: Chewy noodles Thick, savory broth All the toppings (pork hock, fish cake, blood, etc.) SO much crab meat Even though they already pack an insane amount of crab meat into each bowl, we still order extra because my husband is an absolute crab fiend . It always hits. This place has become the gold standard for how we judge every other Bánh Canh Tôm Cua we've tried, and to this day it's still our #1. We'll definitely carve out time to come back every chance we get whenever we're in Houston again.

We stopped by because we wanted to try a Vietnamese soup that we hadn't had before. We ordered #B2…read more& #B5 w/thick orange soup per the waitress' recommendation. The noodles weren't as chewy as we thought and the broth seemed too thick that it had a lot of cornstarch. We found the flavor somewhat bland, although I didn't add chili since we don't eat spicy food. A little black pepper did help bring out the flavor, and I think some red vinegar would have been a nice addition as well. The two shrimp balls were quite small and they weren't bouncy. One disappointing thing was that I specifically asked for no cilantro because of an allergy, yet the dish came topped with quite a lot of cilantro, especially over the bean sprouts. That made me question how carefully the kitchen handles food-allergy requests. That said, we're glad we gave it a try. The restaurant is located in a large shopping center, next to a BBH place and another bánh chả restaurant. There's plenty of parking, and they accept credit cards. They also offer a 5% discount if you pay in cash. It's a fairly large restaurant, but there were only two servers when we visited. The young woman with glasses who served us wasn't rude, but she wasn't particularly friendly or customer-oriented either. Overall, an interesting soup to try, but it wasn't quite to our taste.

Hao Hao

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I am old enough to remember they used to be across the street in a different location then when…read morethey are at now, so at least 20 years old. I finally decided to try them out. The price for the quality of the food is great, you will get your money worth here. They have an young man working here that can speak English as it sounds like he grew up here. So you don't need to worried about language barrier coming here. They have great options for soup noodles here. We got the N6 - Chiu Chow Style Noodle Soup , A4 - Rice Flour Cake with Egg , Shaking Beef with fried rice. The service here it is very good, they was very fast and refilled our water. The food came out fast. Everything was delicious here. But the Rice Flour Cake with Egg was the best I had here in Houston. So if you come here, you have to get the A4 - Rice Flour Cake with Egg .

I had a violent craving for duck noodle soup so I came here immediately once I saw it on their…read moremenu. It was a very hearty, generous bowl. Lots of noodles with a big piece of duck. The broth was comforting and very flavorful. The duck was tender and delicious. I enjoyed my bowl thoroughly with pickled jalapeños and vegetables on the side. Craving satisfied for sure!

Ocean Da Nang Quan

3.6

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Hands down the best pho I've tried so far!! We stopped by Ocean Da Nang Quan because we heard from…read morefamily members that the Vietnamese food was really good here. The inside looked like a standard Vietnamese restaurant, but still clean. The service was a bit rushed but still quick and friendly. Now the food was definitely on point! We got their Special Stone Pot Pho ($16.10) which was really unique to me because I've never seen pho served on a hot stone pot before but it definitely enhanced the flavor with the boiling heat and flavorful broth. We also got their Mi Quang Dac Biet ($16.10) & Banh Hap Combo ($14.20). Those were also delicious! Both of those dishes had an authentic taste to the central region of Vietnam (Mien Trung). Overall, the food here was so worth the visit. If you want authentic Vietnamese food, come to Ocean Da Nang Quan!

I saw an Instagram post for this place and knew I had to stop by and try their signature Huế dishes…read morefrom the Vietnamese northern region. We stopped in for a late lunch around 3 PM. We were told to seat ourselves anywhere so we picked a table with menus already set. There are photos of every menu item, definitely a bonus so there's no doubt about what each dishes are. For our party of three, we ordered: * Combo Appetizer Plate - comes with cha Huế, Bánh bèo, Bánh nậm, and Bánh bột lọc. All were good but was served last after we were halfway done with our entrees. * Bun Bo Ocean - served in a hot stone bowl with the noodles and veggies on the side. You just add the noodles as you go so they don't get soggy if you don't eat fast enough. Meats were tender, done just right. The soup was a little too sweet for our liking. * Bun Bo Original - exactly like the Bun Bo Ocean but with two less meat. * Com Ga Roti - this was my favorite dish here. Served with yellow rice and a super juicy chicken leg quarter. It was crispy on the outside and the dipping sauce went well with the chicken. I wish the rice was hot rather than lukewarm. This came wish a small bowl of soup on the side. There is a lack of service here. There was only one waitress working on a Sunday afternoon. We kept having to walk up to the counter to ask for things like status of the appetizer, the check, sauces, to-go containers. Aside from the service, the restaurant was clean and the food is solid. The prices are reasonable, cheaper than other places on Bellaire serving similar food. I will come back to try the pho and chicken salad.

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Food was great! The tastes were on spot with home cooking. Portions were great too! Coming from…read moreNY, the prices were very reasonable.

This has been a long standing staple in Chinatown, one that I had passed by many times. Well I was…read moretipped off that they have a really affordable lunch special here, so I came here one day to check it out. The dining room was full when we arrived, and there was a very small wait. It was pretty noisy in there with the full house. Between the two of us, we ordered four dishes-- the steamed sole, salt and pepper pork chop, Kung Pao chicken, and beef with gailan. The Kung Pao was probably my least favorite. It was very salty, and the chicken was white meat and a bit dry. The beef and gailan was fine but maybe a bit one dimensional. The pork chops were tasty and a slight bit sweet. The steamed sole was quite nice. It is definitely a fan favorite here and took a bit longer to arrive than the rest of the dishes. Just be wary of the plentiful small bones. Overall a good place I would visit again given the great pricing. I give the edge to Confucius Seafood though for their lunch specials. While a bit more expensive, the dishes are executed better.

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Yummy!!! Their salt and pepper tofu and veggie noodles are so good! The waitresses are also so…read moresweet and patient. I would definitely recommend their Chinese broccoli as well!! The inside of the restaurant is nice and simple too.

We usually walk by this place seeing the restaurant super crowded, but luckily we got a table on a…read moreTuesday 6pm with multiple large party gatherings next to us. The service is pretty fast - they serve the dishes pretty quickly compared to most other dine in places I've been to. I would say the egg tofu and the water cabbage dishes are pretty good. They're very flavorful. Unfortunately, I can tell they served us old rice which they reheated. The Gan Chao Niu He tastes fine but last a lot of flavor. And, the fried ribs were overcooked.

Shanghai Cuisine 友家

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This little restaurant is just a wonderful, hole-in-the-wall kinda place! Authentic Chinese foods…read morethat I have never tried, or not even heard of, can be found here; for instance, "Pig nose with cucumber and garlic (appetizer #14)" sounds like bizarre and freaking people out, but it is delicious!! Seriously, I never knew pig nose were edible *face palm* Anyways, for the very first time I had the "pig nose" (pig snout), man oh man! I liked it! The pig snout has been slow-cooked so it is pretty tender yet chewable, and it tastes sorta like pork tongue or soft tendon; the cucumber adds a refreshing crisp and the garlic boosts the flavor! I DARE YOU to try this bizarre food! Lol My favorite appetizers and entrees here include, but are not limited to: 1) Shredded potatoes in chili oil (appetizer): a little spicy; loves the crispy texture of the shredded potatoes; tasty and interesting! 2) Sweet & Sour pork loin: i love almost everything sweet & sour so I may be a little biased on this one; however, not only me but also the boyfriend and his coworkers have said that it is delicious, so i'm sure this is a good one! 3) Shrimp w/ cabbage: flavorful, but kinda greasy as the shrimp and cabbage are soaked in oil. Don't be fooled by the orange-reddish colored oil though; this one is not spicy at all. 4) Pork kidneys stir-fried w/ cabbage: another one that sounds bizarre, maybe? oh well, the organ meat is thin-sliced and cooked just right so it is soft and crispy, rather than chewy and plastic-ky (as if overcooked). I would recommend this one to the organ-eaters *wink* 5) Egg scramble w/ Clams: eggs not overcooked; clams taste fresh. Just perfect! Prices are very reasonable (accepts credit cards); food portions are huge; service is prompt and friendly. Before I go, this place is BYOB!

First off, I dont really know Chinese food. I only knew of Chinese food as Generals Tso's chicken…read moreor Sweet and Sour chicken etc etc... and I am not really a fan of those. However, I've grown to find out that those dishes are usually just "American Chinese" dishes, if you would. You know a place is authentic when the majority of the guests are Chinese (we were the only ones that werent) and the waitress doesnt know how to describe some of the dishes in English. My hubby and I arent frequent Chinese food eaters, but we decided to just stop by since the shopping center here has a lot of good places to eat, or so we assume since these joints are always super packed. We didnt really know what to order, half of the entrees was because another table ordered the food! We had a vegetable dish... which I think was stir-fried snow pea leaves, but she kept telling us no and calling us it something in Chinese... um, ok. But it was good... that dish is hard to mess up. My hubby loves egg and tomatoes, so we had to get that and he loved it! (You would think eggs and tomatoes are easy to make... but I heard it can be tricky.) We had the salt and pepper squid... I wish it was crunchier, but it still had good flavor. The waitress recommended steamed fish with mustard greens.. bland, but had some flavor... and healthy. The other dishes look good, too... Im willing to come back and try more items... maybe with a Chinese person next time.

China Gourmet 福州风味小吃

4.1

(10 reviews)

They do not have very strong ac, so the inside felt a little hot. They also didn't have water…read moreavailable today (but have a water dispenser at the front). Their Xiao long bao is basically just a steamed bun. I did notice it was a little soggy/chewier than I like. Their pan fried bun was more flavorful even though it was essentially the same meat! They have this fresh meat dumpling soup which I liked. The dumplings were like tiny wonton and the soup was peppery. Overall, a good breakfast option.

Despite being one of the country's largest Chinatowns, Houston constantly surprises me with how…read morelimited the regional Chinese variety is throughout the city and especially along Bellaire Blvd. Among those cuisines, the Fuzhou scene has been scarce and with the recent closure (and subsequent mourning) of Yi Zhang (#1), I've been on a quest to find any place that offers Fuzhounese / Fujianese / Fukinese food of any kind. Enter the China Gourmet, which I thought was the old Taiwanese / Minnan cuisine spot (#2) aka, 喜富來台菜餐廳 but transferred ownership nearly 2 years ago. The English name remains the same, but the Chinese name has changed to 福州风味小吃 (#3) which roughly translates to Fuzhou's Local Flavor Snacks. It is located on the outside corner of Dynasty Plaza Mall, adjacent to the way more popular Le Lai Restaurant (#4). This isn't a place for everyone. It's a bit divey, cash only, probably not even date friendly, no restrooms or utensils beyond chopsticks, slow and steady service, and is not the most approachable establishment for folks not savvy with these foods. There is no pretension here and hardly anything fancy. Basically ... my kind of place. This is the kind of eatery I would have expected to see in a place like NYC, where the largest community of Fuzhou folks live in the world outside of China. The old school divey ambiance is still in play, except in a much larger space that sits empty almost every time I've ever been here. It's currently being run by a Fuzhounese couple, who left NYC in search of more simple pastures and somehow ended up here in Houston. (#5) Most of the patrons are Chinese, with a handful that can actually converse in their mother tongue. Mandarin should be enough to get by, even if English is somewhat limited. Don't let any of this deter you, because this place is as real as it gets. There are no QR codes or menus on the table, just point at the menu on the wall, which is also a picture menu. There are an array of Fuzhou style dishes that range from small plates to noodle soups. All of it is super legit. I enjoyed their classic peanut noodle (拌面), which was excellent. It's a small portion and practically double price wise in NY, but still worth it for my tastebuds at $4. Their fried taro (芋頭糕) was greasy, but definitely had the right flavors. The staple of Fuzhou food, their meat stuffed fish ball (魚丸) was so juicy that I think I could have easily eaten 10 of them. The accompanying soup had a nice aromatic flavor to it, which would be perfect for colder weather or broth-lovers. They are the only place in Houston that serves Fujianese style XLB (小籠包), which is more akin to the baozi where the term originates from, rather than the soup dumpling that most people are accustomed to. The meat is a different kind of pork-based meat chives and more of a gravy than a soup. The gravy gets soaked in by the bao and the splash effect isn't going to be there. This is the same filling for their crispy bun version of shengjian bao (生煎包), but is okay as a first time dish. Folks looking for more savory choices might enjoy their stir fried mix seafood / pork noodles (海鮮炒肉面) or their rice vermicelli version (海鮮炒粉干). Soup / stew enthusiasts will likely enjoy their dedicated section of the menu (炖罐系列), which is a variety of mushrooms, ginger, and seafood / meat protein. folks with an adventurous palate can shoot for their beef offal or their tripe (which they've dubbed hilariously as "cattle slippery") (牛滑捞化). Their sea oyster cake (海蛎饼) and peanut gnocchi (花生汤圆) are both unique Fujian dishes / desserts that I've not seen anywhere in the neighborhood. China Gourmet 2.0 is now going to be part of regular rotation of frequented eateries in Chinatown. It is hardly a destination for most folks, but anyone looking for a little taste of Fuzhou in Houston should come here ASAP. ____________ (#1) https://www.yelp.com/biz/YCxVafMZNtdc1H2AYEzPnw (#2) https://www.yelp.com/biz/xbN_R--xSa5wKZKfHkgzIQ (#3) 簡體字, 繁體字, 大家都接受 (#4) https://www.yelp.com/biz/le-lai-houston (#5) This story sounds so oddly familiar ... oh I know, it's me too!

Fine River

4.1

(64 reviews)

Friends had mentioned this place to us so we decided to give it a try today and I must say I was…read moreimpressed. The dim sum was tasty. The service was good and the facility is clean and roomy. I was surprised that this place has been open for 2 years and I didn't know about it until a few friends mentioned it to us recently. I found the price very reasonable and the food fresh and tasty. If you're looking for an authentic dim sum experience I would say give this place a try. They are closed on Wednesdays but open all other days. We were seated promptly and the service was fast and speedy. I've attached a few pictures to show what we ordered and the exterior and interior of the place.

Location in shady area of town Small dining area…read moreClean Food pricy and portion small Taste hit and miss Service adequate... never got my drink refilled Workers ate their meal while we waited for ours

Yellow River Restaurant 何處覓小館

3.9

(44 reviews)