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    Star Chef Dumpling House

    4.0 (62 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese, Taiwanese
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:30 pm

    Star Chef Dumpling House Photos

    Business Info

    STAR CHEF DUMPLING HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Very loud
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Wonton soup, steamed rice, pork pan fried dumplings
    Angela S.

    I consider myself a bit of a dumpling aficionado. I am a lover of dumplings across all cuisines though having grown up with a Japanese grandmother, I tend to be partial to the East Asian varieties. While venturing the downtown tunnels, I happened across this little gem and oh my goodness. Their food makes my soul happy. The staff was really polite and I could overhear them answering everyone's questions. The line moved decently quick though I had to wait a couple minutes for my dumplings since they were finishing up a new batch but they gave me the heads up when I was giving my order. I got a (small) wonton soup, pork pan fried dumplings, and a side of white rice. The wonton soup has a delicate broth with 3 large wontons, fresh spinach, and green onions. The rice was perfectly cooked for the type it is (I have found out there is a such thing as bad rice). The dumplings are just plain heaven. Decently thick wrapper, and the pork filling is so insanely flavorful that I didn't even need the side dipping sauce. I can't get over how good this all tasted. The dumpling and wonton fillings have such a good flavor - good quality meat with just the right amount of (what I think I'm tasting) garlic and ginger. So many times I've gone to Asian restaurants and ending up having a plain, weak filling in a thin wrapper, so disappointing. It was love at first bite. I will happily make the 10-12 minute walk from my office building to come back and order again.

    Mix order dumplings, fried pork and veggies
    Gloria M.

    Conveniently located in the tunnels of downtown, this place offers some of the tastiest pan fried pork dumplings I've had. I also enjoy the veggie dumplings - the flavor profile is so yummy and different from other veggie dumplings that have spinach. It's a very popular spot so plan ahead and give yourself an extra five minutes to wait in line.

    Pork steamed dumplings, meatballs, and wonton soup
    Mackenzie J.

    Color me surprised that dumplings this good are in the downtown tunnels. My friend suggested this so we took the long trek through the tunnels to come get dumplings. It was not a disappointment at all! Though in future I will get just the half order of dumplings if I'm getting soup. Got the pork steamed dumplings. They were absolutely packed full and huge. I ended up bringing half of them home for my husband for dinner and he said they were super delicious even reheated. I also had the "small" wonton soup. I say "small" because the container was huge! So much! And I got 3 wontons within, again completely filled with stuffing. Finally, my friend and I split the last Chinese meatball. I was NOT expecting it to be so flavorful. Again, yum! Definitely going to have to go back.

    Lima A.

    This restaurant is in downtown tunnel. You can get here by coming towards McKinney tunnel/ follow the green arrow/come under 1000 main St. Huge line during lunch as this is only dumpling place on this side of the tunnel. I usually get chicken fried rice and half order of dumpling. Runs around $12 and it's a lot of food! The chicken fried rice comes with about same amount of steamed rice that your mom would try to force feed you. And a tea egg, and a whole side of boiled steamed veggiesanf literally a whole chicken breast. As I said it can be your lunch snack and optional dinner depending on how much you eat. Be sure to ask for the garlic spicy soy sauce. It's the best!

    Beef noodle soup and pan fried pork dumplings
    Duy T.

    I was teetering between 4 and 5 stars, but with all things considered it's a 5 star to me. I've been working downtown for 6 years and good asian food is seriously hard to come by here. I've probably eaten here at least 30 times by now and they have ALWAYS been so sweet and nice. This is my number 1 for asian food on my lunch break. My go to menu items: -Chinese meatball and rice (comes with veggies/mushrooms) -Beef noodle soup (Add chili oil) -Steam pork dumplings (Spicy ginger soy sauce) -Chicken steak rice (Fried cornstarch battered chicken thighs, comes with hard boiled egg and steamed veggies)

    Steamed pork dumplings, $1 fried rice, and bok choy
    Ace G.

    Amazing dumplings and the price is just as good! First time I went here I saw the long line and was not sure if it would be worth it well it was and now I am a weekly customer....I enjoy the dumplings, hot and sour soup, beef noodle soups, fried rice and their bok choy. I have mixed and matched many combinations and all have been good. Personal favorite combo is half order steamed pork dumplings, and hot and sour soup. Always very good you should definitely give it a try and stand in line....

    Steam chicken dumplings
    Anthony P.

    Always good, comfort dumplings. Lines can get long during the peaks but their service is fast and efficient.

    Typical lunch time line.  Moves quickly.

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    9 months ago

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    8 months ago

    The service was great and the food was amazing until the employe named hannah started saying rude things to me for no reason

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    In terms of value for lunch in down town it doesnt get much better than this. I will certainly be frequenting here for their dumplings

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Great dumplings. Service is always on point. Limited hours becausee they are in tHe tunnels. Great and quick lunch spot.

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    9 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Favorite dumplings in all of Houston. Lines get long and for good reasons. One of my go-to for an affordable and tasty lunch.

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    15 years ago

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    Tainan Bistro - Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵)

    Tainan Bistro

    4.2(135 reviews)
    11.5 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $

    This is a casual Taiwanese restaurant in Houston Chinatown. The food was cheap and delicious, but…read morethe environment was slightly dirty and old. We got the oyster pancake, fried chicken with squid tempura, beef noodle soup and lurou noodle - all were very good and filling. There was complementary soup as well - though it was mostly sesame oil in hot water with some bits of egg and tomatoes.

    It seems a bit strange how hard it can be to find Taiwanese food in a city like Houston but glad we…read morestumbled upon this one! Its a very casual, cafeteria-esque restaurant with a pretty extensive menu. The owner was really nice but I think assumed I could speak Mandarin/Taiwanese but sadly I'm just a Canto boy. Anyways, we ordered with him and he gave us a number and explained the process in Taiwanese but we figured it out. Grab the items you need, get water if you want, sit at an open table and wait. I ended up trying the oyster pancake and the leek, pork intestine, and blood claypot. Both were great and really hit the spot for me (pro tip, their chili oil is great and adds another great layer of flavor). The oyster pancake had quite a bit of oysters and they were nice and plump. For those willing to try offal meats, the pork intestine and pork blood was amazing, flavors exactly what I wanted and cooked very well, nothing was chewy or over/undercooked. Prices and portions were also great and I was able to have my meal for 3 different days, and the third day I just overate. Overall, I'm glad to have found this spot and recommend it for anyone wanting Taiwanese food or to try something different. They have a lot of options and a really great deal for the more buffet/cafeteria style plates. Def can't wait to come back and get some more food!

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    Tainan Bistro - No they don't got Banh Mi!

    No they don't got Banh Mi!

    Tainan Bistro - Braised Pork Belly w/Preserved Vegetables (梅干扣肉)

    Braised Pork Belly w/Preserved Vegetables (梅干扣肉)

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    Hi Trendy Dumpling - General Tso's Chicken

    Hi Trendy Dumpling

    4.4(429 reviews)
    2.3 miThe Heights
    $$

    Wow! I went for the first time tonight and my wife and I had a struggle not ordering everything on…read morethe appetizer menu. Our server was as so kind and had the absolute flow down, checked on us at the most opportune moments (we couldn't help but order more). It was truly hard to close out my tab, which was incredibly affordable. This might seem like a sponsorship but I'm just truly in wow. 10/10 no notes. 7 apps, 2 entrees and 1 drink for $97.53, an absolute steal..

    I recently visited this restaurant and unfortunately had a disappointing experience, mainly due to…read morethe service. When our server first came to the table, there was no greeting or welcome. She immediately asked what we wanted in a rude tone, which set an uncomfortable atmosphere from the start. There was a sign on the table advertising a "free appetizer" if you take a photo and tag the restaurant on social media. I followed the instructions exactly as stated, but when I mentioned it, the server initially refused to honor the promotion. After I pointed out the sign, she appeared upset and walked away. I saw she went to speak to another employee and cracked a smiled and looked over. She later returned and offered a small discount instead. The issue wasn't about the money or the discount, it was the principle. The promotion was clearly advertised, and I simply followed the restaurant's own policy. It was disappointing to feel like the restaurant was reluctant to honor something they were actively promoting. I hope management addresses this because customer service and consistency with advertised promotions make a big difference in the overall dining experience.

    Photos
    Hi Trendy Dumpling - Interior

    Interior

    Hi Trendy Dumpling - Biang Biang Noodle.  Ig: @absofreakinglutelyyummy

    Biang Biang Noodle. Ig: @absofreakinglutelyyummy

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    Rice To Meet You 煲来饱去 - Brown Sugar Rice Cakes

    Rice To Meet You 煲来饱去

    4.4(425 reviews)
    11.8 miChinatown, Sharpstown
    $$

    BEEF BRISKET NOODLE ROLLS! Forget everything else. Lol. We came here on a Saturday afternoon, and…read moreit was quite busy. The wait wasn't too bad though; we were seated in 10 minutes. The food: Beef brisket noodle rolls- A must! The brisket is tender, and the rice rolls are a perfect texture. Popcorn chicken- Crispy and served piping hot! It could use more fried basil, but that's just me. Eel & roasted pork combo- Perfect "surf n turf" combo served with a good portion of rice, egg, and baby bok choy. Spareribs w/black bean sauce- Average. I couldn't really taste the black bean flavor. Also served with rice, egg, and baby bok choy. If you are in the mood for Cantonese food, this is the place! Service is efficient and speedy. Prices are reasonable, and they are conveniently located in the Hmart shopping plaza on Bellaire Blvd. The vibe is casual, but not a place I would linger too long for conversation since it's somewhat loud when it's a full house.

    Came to this restaurant on a whim since I was in the area. This is a small restaurant, and the…read moreinterior is very clean and simply decorated. The menu was simple and small. It felt very authentic. The service was fine and the quickly took my food order. It does take some time to come out, so I believe they cook everything fresh. The food came out scorching hot. Everything we ordered was HOT. My rice bowl came with ginseng soup. The soup was ok. It tasted good and slightly bitter (which I didn't mind), but what was off-putting was the meat inside. It was cut up, black skin, and hard to eat as it had lots of bones. The soup was also too hot to eat. I really enjoyed the chicken wings. It had a nice flavor but again, SCORCHING HOT.

    Photos
    Rice To Meet You 煲来饱去 - Weekday lunch crowd

    Weekday lunch crowd

    Rice To Meet You 煲来饱去 - 45. Popcorn Chicken

    45. Popcorn Chicken

    Rice To Meet You 煲来饱去 - Cured pork belly

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    Cured pork belly

    Star Chef Dumpling House - chinese - Updated May 2026

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