We were hungry late at night close to midnight. Our go to place... Fufu cafe is gone. Saw the…read moreCafe 101 was open till 1 am and plenty of people eating inside so that's always a good sign. Cafe 101 serve Japanese and Chinese food. There are table and booths inside as well as a full bar. We started with a couple of sushi specials... bluefin toro and Uni. Thought the bluefin toro were fresh as well as the Uni. Wasn't expecting so was pleasantly surprised. For our mains, we ordered the twice cooked pork and beef galbi. Both came as a set... with rice, side dish of pickled radish and carrots and dessert. Price-wise, it was reasonable considering it came as a set. Twice cooked pork hits the spot. It was plenty and had some to go. Galbi was decent... it's not like Korean Galbi. It was pretty saucy, sweet and tender. It was decent portion as well. Think we found our new late night spot! Look forward to trying out the rest of their menu in the future. :-)

As one of the quintessential late night options in Chinatown, Cafe 101 provides a specific…read moreexperience 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)

I loooove Bossam. Like it's a straight up infatuation to the point I try it in every city I visit…read more This place here does it so well. Even my picky nieces (both under age 13) devoured it with all the side dishes. And asked for more. The meat is tender, the sides are spicy and everything pairs so well together. Yum yum

Menu was pricey. Nothing my 10 yo daughter can eat. Service was good except they forgot my…read moresister's soup. Food-- it needed more flavor. Maybe I'm not use to Korean soups but they're so bland. Even with the banchan. I had the spicy pork belly plate and the beef or pork cabbage soup. I'm also not big on meat and it had a lot of meat no noodles in the soup. Broth was slightly bland. My sister's soup was like sippin on water--light broth with noodles. Overall not too impressed but happy I tried it!

Their brisket banh mi is most excellent! My fav banh mi bread that I've had and their brisket is…read morenice and smoky and tender. The spread was also perfect! I just wish it was a little bigger considering the price. It may make a lighter lunch or snack, but it really wasn't enough for dinner. I found the concept of choosing your own broth a bit exciting and a little daunting as well. Too many decisions; please don't add to my mental load. however they were really helpful at explaining what's what and even gave us a cup to sample the broths. We Liked the Dashi Shio and Tokyo Shoyu broths put together in the ramen with brisket. This is one of the very few places where I feel like you should drink most of the broth because it's that good and not overly salty. The kids got pho with noodles and dumplings (3) and the pho broth with a little bit of dashi shio broth. Neither of the kids ate much, so not sure if they didn't like it or they had too much snack earlier. They did gobble down the dumplings so those must have been good. The takoyaki was also pretty yummy and something I don't usually try. I got the peach honey oolong tea with popping lychee boba. I thought it was a little bit too sweet but that's partly my fault for not asking to customize it. I feel like my drink was good but nothing super special or unique. Overall, I really liked this place and I can see why people come in and just order the broth to go. Make your own noodles or dumplings at home and make it more filling. The broth is what shines here but it can be pricey if you're trying to get a whole meal in and not spend too much. I would end up buying a banh mi AND a soup AND a drink and spend like $25. I wish they had a lunch special or combo that has a half banh mi and half soup.

Wasn't a big fan of the flavor profile of the drink I ordered, but the boba had good texture. They…read morewanted to charge an extra fee for requesting no ice, so I just went with less ice. Instead of charging a fee for no ice, I just wish places would give the customer the option of either not filling to the top with no ice for free, or charging for no ice and filling to the top. There were a few other milk tea flavors that I'd be interested in trying. This place has good reviews and the boba scene is competitive, so I probably just picked the wrong drink. I did think it was cute and neat how they support local artists by allowing them to display and sell their stuff! Very community focused.

I've had great experiences at Hot Pot City! The food is delicious and the variety is amazing! They…read morehave a large buffet of hot pot items including seafood (shrimp, mussels, oysters, variety of fish, squid, crab), tofu and bean curd, so many fresh vegetables, udon, ramen, wontons, dumplings, meatballs, fish balls, quail and regular eggs, the list goes on and on! They have some cooked items on the buffet including fried rice, egg rolls, crawfish (seasonal), fried chicken, French fries, and more. The sauce bar was also extensive and included too! I liked that they had fried garlic and fried onion. They also include fresh fruit, a variety of Vietnamese che, and ice cream (green tea, red bean, cookies and cream, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate) in the buffet. There's six soup bases to choose from, and you can choose whether you want the table to share one large pot with up to two flavors or if you want to do individual hot pot at no extra cost. I loved that they had both options. My favorite broth was probably the tom yum - super savory with great flavor. The staff is very friendly and check on you often without being intrusive, and they bring the meats you order quickly. They also refill your drinks proactively which I appreciate. The restaurant is large and could easily accommodate big parties. The restaurant area, buffet area, and the bathrooms were all really clean. The music wasn't super loud, making it easy to talk. It's located on the end of a big shopping plaza, so parking was easy. There's also specials during the week and for birthdays (see menu photo). I'd highly recommend!

I received a message from the biz owner asking me to try Hot Pot City again. Few weeks ago, I just…read moreso happened to be in the Viet Hoa Center hungry. Since my previous experience was over 8 years ago, I decided to give it an update. I walked in and searched for somebody to hopefully give me instruction on how to order or start but couldn't see anyone. Then, I looked over the high counter to find an employee buried his face on his phone. I guess he was so involved with his stock market trading, he didn't notice my presence. He guided me to the first table by the door. He must know that I was very hungry. I had to squeeze between the table and the booth. Not sure why it's so tight. I am not a big guy either. I ordered chicken and lamb to start my meat crave and Chinese herbal soup. He brought me a tray of some kind of beef and a tray of lamb. I didn't challenge him because I was hungry. Then, I ordered chicken from a lady. It took a little while and I almost told her forget it. The meat was very lean and kind of thick. Not easily seasoned with the sauces there. I actually ate more fish than any other protein. The catfish fillets were pretty fresh. Except, I don't like to watch flies crawling on my mussels. Not sure why health department has not come here yet. There are fly traps hanging above the seafood and dessert aisle. I also spotted some mosquitos or gnats flying around the sauces. I am sorry but I definitely not coming back. This got me so disgusted. I had to leave.

First time trying this hidden gem. Ordered the P1 which is the combination pho. I must say, best…read morebroth I've had in Houston, very tasty! Service was quick, food is delicious. #win#win

Pho is definitely legit…read more Family owned and operated spot. Vietnamese coffee is very strong and even a little bitter. It might even encompass the ultimate Asian compliment of not being too sweet. Bun Rieu is one of the best in town. The bo kho is a fire noodle soup dish. They also offer a refreshing but simple bun moc. I also really enjoy their shaved papaya salad with preserved dry jerky on top. The accompanying sauce is also very good. Cha gio is also crunchy and tasty. Bo bia is tasty.

Tofu Village is a hidden gem and an authentic Korean staple in Bellaire's Chinatown! Located…read moretowards the back left of the Dun Huang Plaza. The restaurant offers a lot of seats with a Korean type vibe. The prices are budget friendly, the service is always welcoming, and the food genuinely tastes authentic. Everything I've had here has been delicious!! From the sundubu and bulgogi to their seafood pancake. They also offer a great variety of delicious banchan (Korean side dishes) that enhances your meal. The restaurant seems to be run by the sweetest older Korean ladies, and it's almost always packed which says a lot about how loved this place is by locals. Tofu Village will always be one of my go to spots for comforting, authentic Korean food in Houston. Highly recommend!

We revisited Tofu Village after not having been for a few years because I was craving some tofu…read morejjigae. We were seated quickly and our food arrived very soon after we ordered despite the large number of people in the restaurant. The numerous tables were almost completely full, and lively chatter filled the air. We shared a combo with bulgogi, beef & tofu jjigae, and a scallion kimchi pancake. The food was piping hot and delicious! I love the assortment of banchan they serve - my favorites being the sweet potatoes and seaweed.

9/5/26: always buss down at this place! chuck flap is the…read moreonly meat i care about so weekends and dinner ayce aren't worth it to me, but sometimes you have to sacrifice and just do it! there was a summer i used to go here every. single. week. in the summer... probably consumed so much sodium i was dehydrated.. haven't had this place in months, and it hit the spot just right! i will be back again. eats- - spicy sukiyaki broth - chuck flap - veggies

This place was soooo good. Please understand that this is my first hot pot experience so I don't…read moreknow how it compares to other places but it was amazing. There was plenty of parking out front, I felt welcomed when I came in, and our waitress was friendly and helpful when explaining how to do everything. We did tier 2 dinner with no seafood and it was $39.99. This is not exactly budget friendly but in my opinion if you can eat a lot it is worth it. This place is group friendly for sure. I will say more than 4 people could get chaotic with hot pot. Please note everyone will need to agree on the same tier. If you are new to hot pot don't hesitate to let the waitress know so she can walk you through the experience. We got 4 broths and various cuts of thinly sliced beef and veggies and we all were full within the allotted 90 minutes dining period. Make sure not to waste food because there is a 10$ charge if they deem you wasted an access of food. Overall this was a blast and I will be back during winter!

This spot is low key with a nice, clean interior and friendly service. I visited here to check out…read moresome noodles and crawfish. When I arrived there was nobody dining in the restaurant, that was a bit worrying, but I figured it was a bit early for the dinner crowd and late for the lunch crowd. Food & Drink - 4.5* First up was the noodles, I enjoyed them, but I wouldn't say the hype I'd heard about from some others was there. They had nice flavor, but there just wasn't anything "special." 3.5* Then it was on to the crawfish, and my oh my. Superb, the flavor is delicious and unique. This more than made up for the noodles dish. The potato and corn was good too. Service - 5* Solid. When I first arrived the owner was quietly reading a newspaper and eating his own lunch. He paused to greet me and advised that I could sit anywhere. He provided water and adequate time to determine what I wanted to order. The food came out quickly and he checked in a few times to make sure everything was ok. As time went by, the crowd of folks showing up increased quite a bit and he still managed to check in on tables consistently. Pricing - 4* This is where it was odd. Always subjective but I found the noodles to be overpriced for not only the size but what I felt was a pretty simple dish. The crawfish on the other hand was priced very competitively and made up for the overpriced noodles. I provided pics of the menu for someone to make their own assessment but in general I thought many of the dishes were pricier than they probably should be. I know inflation is certainly killing many businesses and consumers but even these felt a bit off. Overall - 4.5* This is definitely going to be one of my go tos for crawfish when in the area. The flavor is fantastic, the pricing is good, the size of them were solid. There are a couple of other dishes I may try on the next visit. The restaurant is clean, the owner is very nice, and it's a nice low key space to just enjoy a good meal with friends or family.

One of the best Vietnamese places I've ever been hands down. I still think about it a year later…read more They had a very big variety of food on the menu, so you could have your fill of Vietnamese dishes. I believe the crawfish is seasonal, so go during crawfish season because this pho was delicious. The crawfish were so tender and the pho was so flavorful. The beef dish was also so good to eat and balanced. The fried beef balanced so well with the fresh salad and rice. I will say that when we went the parking lot was a little deserted at night. I would definitely lock your doors and take all your valuables. But that's all or Houston, so just stay safe!