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    Uncle Chin's Kitchen

    4.8 (256 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

    Order Uncle Chin's Kitchen Takeout or Delivery

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    UNCLE CHIN'S KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Uncle Chin's Kitchen

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    Front
    Jando S.

    In spite of all the accolades and having garnered one of the highest ratings in the area, Uncle Chin's still feels slept on (#1) and is not on enough radars within the foodcentric community. Yet for those who have dined here, it's an experience like no other and arguably the best Malaysian option in greater Houston. Located on a busy stretch of Mason Road, it is entirely too easy to miss which means customers are here because they knew where to go. It is small, but quaint in every way. There are only 30 seats at best, with the series of counter seats, as well as small tables. The staff is incredibly kind and welcoming, making first timers and regulars all feel at home at the same time. The food stands out, not simply because it's a rare cuisine in the area, but because of how good it is. The curry chicken has an excellent flavor and it's full of chunks of bone in chicken potatoes and an egg. Both the chicken and beef satays are often tender and strangely addicting, as is their char kuey teow. I'd become fond of their roti canai, which is served with a fluffy yet flakey roti, and served with a flavorful mini bowl of curry. The laksa is also highly recommended, since the broth has an excellent creamy base of coconut milk and is fragrant with every slurp. While the beef rendang and bak kut teh are only available on weekends, it is most definitely worth seeking out. The roasted Hainanese chicken is a unique spin on the classic dish and when available, the kaya puffs are an excellent way to close out the meal. Franco, the owner is a kind and gentle soul. His passion for food and community oozes through every aspect of the business. Beyond the food, he is absolutely the star, enough to where many locals would come just to be served and serenaded (#2) by him. It truly is a dinner and a show. I dedicate review #5300 to this Katy gem, which has become a destination and one of my favorite businesses in the entire area. __________ (#1) For the uninitiated: Relatively unknown. (#2) Yes, actual singing. In the middle of the restaurant.

    Sophie Y.

    We used to like Uncle Chen before we left Texas, so after moving back, we decided to drive 50 minutes one way and had lunch there. There were about four other customers during a weekday lunch, which isn't bad, especially given the Katy location, which is a bit out of the way. There was only one server working the front--a woman who was very efficient and clearly ran things on a tight, almost military-like schedule. She handled everything well, but her demeanor felt too direct and can be off putting. She said it really loudly towards the kitchen that she prepared the rice. The food came out in about 15 minutes, which was longer than I expected. However, I understand why--Franco, the owner, appeared to be the only one cooking and prepping food. As for the food, the noodles were a bit too greasy for my taste. My husband enjoyed his curry, but it wasn't anything particularly memorable. Unfortunately, we both experienced some stomach discomfort afterward, possibly due to the greasiness. Overall, we're glad we gave it another try, but this visit didn't quite live up to our previous experiences.

    Char kuey teow
    Krasti Q.

    If you're looking to have a cozy and delicious meal, run here because this place serves one of the best Malaysian food I've ever had. The food is cooked by one chef from Sabah, Malaysia. Everything tasted SO GOOD. I came here for dinner and ordered their roti canai, chicken + beef skewers, and chicken char kuey teow. The roti was warm and fluffy. It went so perfectly with the bowl of curry, which was packed with so much flavor. The satay skewers were delicious as you can taste the amazing grilled flavor. The char kuey teow had a strong wok hay aroma which is chef's kiss in a noodle dish like this. This entire meal warmed my SOUL. The chef came out to ask how the food was. He was friendly and so is everyone working at the restaurant. Be patient with the restaurant since they are a small family run establishment, but it's so worth the wait. I will be back here to try the other items on their menu! There is sufficient parking by the restaurant. It's located in a seemingly busy street, near a Sonic.

    Priya N.

    Uncle chins is a hole in the wall spots with AMAZING food. Located in a shopping complex with an abundance of parking, this restaurant is one of my new favorites. The portions are plenty, the service is great and overall a great place to eat. I ordered the char kuey teow with chicken and the dish had an explosion of flavors with the chicken and noodles well seasoned. We also had the I believe the laksa which was really good and perfect for a cold day (or hot). Overall, this is one of my top to go places here in Katy.

    Malaysian milk tea
    Sharlene D.

    I came across this resturant before I left Texas. I am so glad I made this stop, it was prob the best thing I ate during my short trip!! I was welcomed by the owner who was the sweetest. It's a small mom and pop shop and apparently the owner cooks everything himself! THATS AAMAZING. I heard it gets pretty packed Fridays and Sundays, so be aware of that. I came on a weekday lunch so it wasn't too crowded. Food: you can def tell it was made with love and details. Everything was so delicious. We got the combo B which came with the following: Beef skewers 8/10: so tender and juicy. I was kinda bummed out bc he ran out of chicken skewers that day but the beef was still really good and flavorful. The peanut sauce it came with really brought the dish together. Char Kuey teow 9/10: this dish is similar to the Chinese chow fun. But this Malaysian style noodle was WAY BETTER. it just had way more flavor than the typical chow funs I get at Chinese restaurants. It wasn't too oily and came with a good amount of meat. Roasted Hainanese chicken rice 10/10: wow my favorite dish I got. The chickens roast was so good especially the skin that was seasoned perfectly and had that nice crisp on the outside. This is a MUST GET. The rice was also garlic/ginger rice which is the best rice to get with this dish. The rice was so fragrant. I also got the Malaysian milk tea. Pro tip: don't get less sweet bc it's already pretty not sweet. I usually like my drinks 50% sweet but the milk tea is already like that. It was a unique drink but it didn't suit my taste that much since it was too strong of a flavor that it almost tasted coffee like (I don't like coffee). The server who made our drink was so nice and explained how he made the drinks. Overall service and food were amazing and I would so come back if I was in town. PLS CHECK THEM Out!

    Bak Kut Teh and Hainan Chicken at my favorite Malaysian in Texas. HIGHLY RECOMMEND
    Marco P.

    Sundays at Uncle Chins are the best, because it's Bak Kut Teh day. I also had Hainan Chicken, that made me feel back in Penang. The Indonesian waitress provided great service and suggested Milk tea. I had such a wonderful experience, I even met the owner.

    Malaysian Sweet and Sour Fish
    Sergio G.

    Check, This, Place, Out!!!! It's very well reviewed for a reason. What I will say from the start is that their service is excellent. I had great interactions with the staff, and they kept a very friendly attitude toward guests. The owner of the store actually noticed that my friend and I were new customers and took the time to thank us for visiting his restaurant. It was definitely a touching moment for me, and he left us with some complimentary ice cream the end of our meals. The restaurant itself isn't large but has enough seating to host a couple of groups and has the option of bar seating as well. It's a comfortable atmosphere to relax and have a good meal at, so I would say it's a good place to eat outside of your home rather than taking the food to-go. The food itself was amazing! The grilled pork was my favorite of the two dishes we tried, it had great flavor and the meat itself was very tender and easy to work with. A very filling meal with the eggs and the greens on the side. The sweet and sour fish was also great in terms of flavor, the fish itself was tender and seasoned well. It had some crispy edges to it which I adored. The sweet and sour sauce was well balanced with a bunch of veggies to complement the fish and a side of rice to fill out the meal. This is a restaurant definitely worth your time, incredibly friendly and easy experience!

    Roti canai
    Will C.

    Have you ever closed your eyes when you eat to really appreciate the flavors? This place definitely does that for me! Let me start by saying the service is top notch. When my wife and I entered, we were greeted by friendly faces and seated immediately. The waitress was really nice, she offered us iced cold water or room temperature. The ambiance here is cozy - nothing too fancy, but you can definitely tell the chef/owner put some thought into it. From the banana leaf covers on the ceiling fan to the pictures of the past, it feels like you walked into his home. What we ordered: Roti canai Combo skewers Char kuey teow The roti canai striked a perfect balance between flakey outside to the soft and chewy inside. It was a perfect vessel to the side of curry that included chicken and potatoes. It came with 2 pieces of roti and a bowl of curry. Perfect starter for 2 people. Next came combo of beef and chicken skewers. The charred aroma quickly makes my mouth water as the plate hits the table. The beef skewer was loaded with flavor and the spices used are visible throughout. Chicken was tender with a gentle smokey kiss from the grill. Chicken Char kuey teow came last. It was a perfect sharing portion for 2 hungry adults. Wok hay was prevalent and you can taste it upon the first bite. The noodles were soft and the chicken was juicy. We ordered mild but next time I plan to be more adventurous and get a hotter level. Overall, I'd make this a staple and go-to whenever I'm in the Katy, TX area.

    L4. (Weekday Lunch - Mon to Fri. 11am-2pm Only) Sweet & Sour Chicken
    Joelex D.

    Let me start with the charm of this restaurant, as it can be easily missed behind the numerous fast food chains along Mason Rd. But somehow when you walk in you're immediately taken back in time to when our grandparents used to welcome us into their home for a home cooked meal. The owner and chef Uncle Chin engages with his guests and even brings out treats. I've heard he sometimes sings too. I think it's great practice to make customers feel at home and special!! The food is as advertised, I had the lunch special and it was amazing!! Tasty, fresh, and lots of flavor!! The roti was crisp and fluffy and paired well with the curry. I'll be back to try more!

    Carmen S.

    Curry chicken was really tasty. They didn't ask spice level when I ordered, but it had a hint of spiciness which was perfect. It was lunch time. The customers were coming in like a revolving door. We got the last table & then there was up to an hour wait. The server explained that the chef cooks every dish himself like a home cook meal so you should expect a wait especially if they are crowded. The 4 homemade sauces that come with the roasted chicken were quite good. Dont recall the names but the one like a garlic chimichuri was my favorite followed by an orange sauce. The 3rd sauce was a more traditional soy sauce based sauce. There is definitely a wait for the food if you come during peak hour. By the time we left the people coming in got their food pretty quickly. They have a nice waitlist system where you leave your name & phone number and they call you about 5 min before your table is ready. I recommend you check them out!

    Alex N.

    Good place to get singaporean/malaysian food in Katy. Very very homey feel which is one of my favorite things about this resturant. We got the hainanese chicken and flat noodle and again were all unique flavors, very authentic and homey feel, felt like i was at my grandpa's house. Good prices for a good amount of food, I'd come back!

    L3. (Weekday Lunch - Mon to Fri. 11am-2pm Only) Malaysian Mee Goreng (Stir-fry Noodles)
    Tracey Z.

    First of all, love this family business! There's so much heart poured out in this place. The owner even sang for us! The food is delicious. Made fresh to order. The hainanese chicken rice is good, could use more flavor though. The curry chicken was delicious - my bowl was lacking chicken though. The mee goreng noodles were really salty. Favorite dish was the curry and roti. Same curry as the curry chicken with flaky roti. Lunch special is such a good deal.

    Adam S.

    Uncle Chin's is close to my house and has always had great ratings. It's hidden behind the Sonic in a strip mall. Yes, it is a very small place, so get there early for lunch on a Sunday. We saw some folks turn around and go somewhere else because there was sent any room. My wife and I had the chicken satay skewers to start. The meat was marinated perfectly. Awesome peanut sauce for dipping. We had the stir-fry flat noodles. I had seafood while my wife had chicken. Both dishes were incredible. We ordered an egg roti canai for my daughter and she enjoyed it. I ate the chicken curry a day or two later and it was very good. Service was good, recommendations were given and the food arrived fairly quickly. I want to return and have some more curry and try the hainenese chicken. Great food, I wish we would have come here sooner.

    Cendol drink

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food. Uncle Chin literally does everything! He's the boat, the server, and the chef- but doesn't miss a beat.

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    9 months ago

    Their service was great! And so was the food very authentic and delicious! No long wait either :)

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    1 year ago

    Very delicious food and great service. Everyone loved the roti bread. Will be back soon!

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    Incredible, seriously amazed by the food here. The Roti Canai was INSANE!! It's a must try for sure.

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    Page 2 of 7

    Ask the Community - Uncle Chin's Kitchen

    Is this place BYOB? Is there corkage service and fee?

    Hello Michael - Yes, you can BYOB. For wine, the corkage fee is $8 per bottle. For beer, it is $8 per dozen.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The chili prawn reminded me a lot of Singapore chili crab style sauce at Jumbo Seafood. Really well…read moremade. Roti is excellent - crispy hot and flaky. I would maybe eat it with the Beef Randang over the chicken curry they give. But all in all, excellent lunch experience.

    Delicious & Flavorful Came for dinner with a group of 5 and…read moreloved every dish we tried. We got the roti canai and salt and pepper calamari as appetizers, and the sizzling tofu, beef rendang, CK teow as entrees. - Sizzling tofu (6/5): A MUST TRY! I've never had tofu with this texture before. The outside is slightly crisp and the inside so light and fluffy, it feels like bitting into a cloud. The tofu tastes like a creamy egg soufflé and the sauce is savory and salty with pieces of sauté onions that add a nice crunch. The presentation was also very striking with the server pouring the sizzling sauce over the tofu. It's just such a beautiful dish that I would go back solely for! - Beef rendang (4.5/5): Overall a delicious and hearty dish. The beef was very tender and juicy, and there was a generous amount of it. The potatoes soaked up the sauce very well and made the dish extra filling. I forgot if we got to pick a spice level, but the dish had a nice kick to it and wasn't overwhelming spicy. - "CK teow" char kway teow (4/5): This dish had a lovely char tasted to it that made it very addictive. Just a nice savory noodle dish. I think my only complaint was that the portion was on the smaller side - Salt & pepper calamari (3.6/5): This was a pretty good calamari. The calamari had a light and crispy exterior and was pretty tender and seasoned really well. The chunky veggies were a nice touch texture wise. - Roti Canai (3.6/5): the Indian bread was so nice and flakey, I could've eaten it alone. The curry was also really tasty and flavorful, just a little bit watery. Service/ambiance: Service was excellent and they gave us so much rice. The restaurant was dimly lit, giving it a nice ambiance for dinner or a date night.

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    PappaRich - Roti Prata with Rendang

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    PappaRich is my favorite Malaysian restaurant in the Houston area. I've been going to them since…read morethey first opened, and they have always been consistent and never failed to impress. The restaurant is small and clean. The servers are always nice, and the foods are always delicious. I recently stopped by around 5pm on a Saturday for an early dinner for two. It wasn't busy yet when I first arrived, but more and more customers started coming in as it got closer to dinner hours. I always have to order my two favorites: Steamed Hainese Chicken Rice set and the Roti Canai with Beef Rendan. The steamed Hainese chicken here are some of the best in Houston area. It's always super tender and flavorful. I absolutely love the roti canai here. It's always light, fluffy, and just right, and I don't think anywhere else makes them as good as PappaRich.

    PappaRich is a popular Malaysian restaurant that originated in Malaysia, and has grown to over 100…read morelocations worldwide. It's one of the only 2 US locations, with the other being in New York. You can visit them on Bellaire Food Street. It's a clean restaurant. We walked in and were immediately greeted and sat by a nice woman. We came because we were craving one thing only: Hainanese Chicken. They also have the fried option as well, but we decided on steamed. We got the half chicken and it was enough to feed 2 people. The chicken was so tender. The chicken rice was cooked perfectly, so moist and flavorful. The chicken, rice, some scallion ginger, a bit of sriracha: the perfect bite! We also had the mixed skewers (beef and chicken). The dipping sauce was good. I prefer the chicken over the beef skewers. The beef skewers were a bit tough. I wasn't the biggest fan of the seasoning they used. However, if I were to get these again, I would just opt for the chicken skewers only. If you never had Malaysian food, I recommend giving this place try. I will definitely be back to order the fried hainanese chicken.

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    I stopped by last night because I've wanted to give it another shot & love Malaysian food. Imagine…read moremy surprise when I see their menu has changed and features only Chinese dishes. The beef rendang, Hainanese chicken, Nasi lemak, and roti canai are gone and replaced with mapo tofu, braised pork, cumin beef and lamb, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love Chinese food but I eat it too often and wanted variety by coming here. I settled for the Sizzling Malay Tofu (luckily the only thing I was craving stayed on the menu) but the price was $18. I found the price a bit steep considering the ingredients are very cheap and the portion was okay. The dish itself tasted the same (except they replaced the seafood with minced meat) & the texture of the tofu was perfect. The waiter was hovering quite a bit which made my meal less enjoyable. Very sad that I came when they were testing out their Chinese menu. I don't think the pivot is good since people come here for Malaysian food.

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    Sambal Chef - Chili soft shell crab

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    4.1(82 reviews)
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    Honestly everything was delicious! Ordered a good amount of…read morefood for a group of 5 and got: - Curry Laksa (With yellow noodle and chicken. Broth was super flavorful) - Salted Egg Shrimp (shrimps were HUGE and crispy) - Ikan Bakar (Whole flounder thats fried and crispy/nicely seasoned) - Salted Egg Fried Chicken Wings (same seasoning as the shrimp and tender/crispy) - Roti with curry sauces - Malaysia Style Sizzling Tofu (this was really yummy and flavorful as well) - Salt Pepper Spare Ribs (not too salty and tender) - Water spinach - Singapore Chilli Crab (tasted like the taiwanese egg and tomato dish sauce. Crab was pretty meaty) Staff were attentive and nice. Parking - within the plaza as denny's Restroom - kinda clean

    This place was a bit tucked away, next to the Dun Huang plaza. Plenty of parking. We came here for…read moredinner and it didn't disappoint. Plenty of tables with a homey vibe. We were seated right away. Their menu was pretty extensive with plenty of options to choose from. We ordered some of their Malaysian specialties to share as a group: - Hainanese chicken - Roti canai - Water spinach with sambal sauce - Mee goreng - Beef rendang - Beef satay Everything we tried was delish. My favorite was the beef rendang. Beef was very tender and packed with flavors. Hainanese chicken was also cooked to perfection. We wanted to see the difference between their mee goreng versus the instant noodle. It was more like a stir fried noodle. This was plenty of food to share among 4 people. We didn't have to wait too long for the food to come out. Service was friendly. This was a good spot to grab a family-style meal.

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    Merlion is still a solid 5 star in my books. We went last night for a date night, I tried the…read moresignature dish with a Chilean sea bass upgrade per our waiter's recommendation which was absolutely phenomenal. Merlion was super busy yet the service was surprisingly attentive from the entire staff despite having to park several blocks over due to the crowd! I actually came back to update this review to give a shout out to our waiter Bryan. He's been our waiter the last 5 or so visits regardless of when we come or what part of the restaurant we sit in, and he somehow manages to elevate the already fantastic experience we have. He's insightful on the menu without being pushy, remembers our unique requests, checks in on us without being too much, and strikes a great balance on engagement without intruding. I haven't been writing as many reviews as of late but Bryan's service had me dusting off the old digital keyboard. All that to say thanks Merlion, I'd say never change but over the years every change yall have made has been for the better!

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    So happy we found this Woodlands location..we moved up this way from Katy and missed Phat Eatery a…read morelot!! One the most authentic Asian cuisine places I've found in Texas since my travels through Asia!!

    I had very high expectations for this restaurant after seeing all of the positive reviews online…read moreand learning that it had been recognized by the James Beard Foundation. I genuinely wanted to give this place five stars, but unfortunately our experience was disappointing overall. When we first arrived, there was nobody at the front to greet or seat us, and we waited several minutes before anyone acknowledged us. Service started off decent enough, but once our food arrived, it felt like we were completely forgotten. Nobody checked on our table afterward, we never received water refills, and our server was essentially unavailable for the rest of the meal. We were also seated next to an extremely loud party that was yelling throughout dinner. We wanted to request another table because it was disrupting the experience, but our server never returned to our section, so we never had the opportunity to ask. For a restaurant that presents itself as high caliber, I was surprised that management allowed such a disruptive atmosphere to continue. As for the food, the BBQ Pork Buns and Siu Mai were both very good. The award-winning Beef Rendang was easily the highlight of the meal and the best dish we ordered. Unfortunately, the Mee Goreng and Malaysian Fried Rice were major disappointments. Both dishes had an unpleasant smell and lacked flavor or seasoning, making them very unappetizing. Another issue was finding a bug on our table during dinner. I understand things can happen, but combined with everything else, it added to an already frustrating experience. We even wanted additional napkins, but again, our server never came back to check on us. Eventually, we became so frustrated waiting for service that we got up and paid the bill ourselves. Ironically, that was the moment our server finally reappeared. To make matters worse, gratuity appeared to already be added to the bill, which honestly did not feel deserved given the level of service we received. Overall, the BBQ Pork Buns and Beef Rendang were the only parts of the experience that saved the meal for us. It's disappointing because the restaurant itself is beautifully designed and has a great ambiance, which made us even more excited to try it. Unfortunately, the poor service and inconsistent food quality overshadowed what could have been a much better dining experience.

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    Uncle Chin's Kitchen - malaysian - Updated May 2026

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