The Most Scrumptious Chinese in Houston

Fat Bao

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1831) • $$

"I've bookmarked this place for awhile now and finallyyyyy had the chance to try it. Definitely what bao bun dreams are made of. Let me get "the ugly" out of the way first. The reason why it didn't get 5 stars is because the employee assisting us was lacking enthusiasm and energy. It's fine, not all of us love what we do buttttttttt it didn't make me excited to order my food. In addition, the avocado chips recommendation was blah. I love avocados, but literally, it's just fried avocados. No real wow factor or stand-out seasoning on them. The good: Bulgogi Bao and Crab Daddy Bao. The Pork Belly Bao is okay. Mediocre. Perhaps the pork belly could have benefited from a touch more seasoning, to my taste buds at least. Overall, I enjoyed all the baos. The steamed bao bun itself is airy and not too dense. Interior is kept tidy and has large communal tables. I like the larger than life black board that serves as their ordering menu. I'll have to come back and try the other baos!"

Mein Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (993) • $$

San Dong Noodle House 山東麵館

★★★★☆ 4.1 (651)

Kim Son

★★★★☆ 3.5 (881) • $$

"Holy shit, people weren't lying when they say that everything is bigger in Texas. This restaurant is massive, what kind of buffet has a designated area reserved for valet parking? What type of person needs their car valet to attend a buffet? LOL. I was very excited to try my first Vietnamese buffet, didn't even know there was such a thing, but we're in Houston where it contains one of the largest Vietnamese population in the states. There's a variety of food; a street food station, dessert station, and noodle soup station. There's no need to order drinks since you can get a sugarcane or thai iced tea drink from the dessert station. The portions for the noodle soup station was just right, just so you can have room to sample more things. At the end of the day, it's still a buffet so it's buffet quality, but for $30 a person for AYCE, I can't complain with the value. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:)"

Taste of China

★★★★☆ 4.2 (594) • $$

"8.24.23 Ordered fried rice & soup to go with dinner. I was making potstickers and I decided I wanted some fried rice and wonton soup (hot & sour soup for hubby) to go with them. I was in the area so I stopped in for my to go order. They are always very friendly and they do a lot of yo go orders. They have the best almond cookies too!"

Star Snow Ice & Teriyaki

★★★★☆ 4 (637) • $$

"So this is the kind of place you visit TWICEFor the perfect smoothies and amazing PRICEOne visit per day won't SUFFICEAny more than I'm able to be CONCISESo forget sushi or a pizza SLICELet me give you sound ADVICEIf you think that Chinese and a smoothie sound NICEGet yourself down to STAR SNOW ICEWHATSome of the best value low budget food and drinks in Texas. Certainly the best deal in Chinatown. You can get hearty snacks for 6 or 7 dollars, and you can get big, filling meals for 9 or 10. So many varieties of noodles, fried dishes, coastal Chinese, Taiwanese style, rice dishes, you name it.The highlight of the menu are the 4 dollar fruit smoothies, which are made using real fruit in a blender, and taste like it, too. Pineapple Blueberry is a highlight, as are Orange Mango or Mango Pineapple and so on. You really can't go wrong with these amazing drinks.The servers are my friends, including some cute and adorable Latina girls who get along well with Barbi and I.They are open until 10 every night, and don't mind serving late. They are one of the longest surviving places in Chinatown, and have been here for, much like the music artist, years and years. Their prices have stayed low, their food has stayed consistent and generous, and their smoothies have stayed amazing. We don't like their bubble tea or tapioca, but you can try it for yourself.There is another location of Star across the street less than half a mile away, if this one is too busy for you.The standout dishes are probably the Udon with Fried Fish, or really any of their meal dishes. All delicious and enormous. But the smoothies are the main reason we keep coming back.And thank you to Mike, who was the owner of the amazing Presotea nearby, which we miss, who first insisted we try this place, and he was right.I snuck into this place cause they left the door AJARThe glass almost hit me, could have left a SCARThe decor was basic, not like a RENOIRThe counter was a long one and stretched quite FARSo I sat in the corner, playing GUITARAnd like OMC, the cashier said "HOW BIZARRE"When it was time to leave I said AU REVOIRAnd told everyone about the smoothie at STARFrom the sands of Morocco and the Marrakesh BAZAARTo the bloated billionaires playing Golf at MAR (A LAGO)Who are so in bed with Russia you can call them TSARAnd betting 1 mil they can stay under PARWhile Karen McDougal drives the little golf CARAnd like most of Donald's girls, used to be an adult STARBut from Africa to Florida, wherever you AREYou won't get smoothies than here at STARSo you wanna eat more White Castle than KUMARTalk more politics than BILL MAHERWrite better novels than JOHN LE CARREBribe more FIFAs than QATARBe a famous drummer like RINGO STARRThen sit around, get high, playing SITARAnd yell at Fox E like Kareem JABARWell first you better go get a smoothie from STARSo if the Premier League is still corrupt with VARAnd if it looks wrong to film L.A. in NOIRFor the best fruit smoothies than I've had so FARCome and get food and smoothies from STAR!WHAT"

Tan Tan

★★★★☆ 3.5 (773) • $$

"One of my family's go-to restaurants. They seem to have renovated and gotten more staff. They are very attentive now; we actually had to tell them no to refilling our waters multiple times. Prices have increased, though.The hot pot is great during cold weather. It's not your typical Chinese or Mongolian hotpot. The wonton Noodle soup or banh xep (bigger shrimp pork wontons) are both delicious and our go-to.Peking duck whole $41.96 - comes with 10 baos. Super crispy, thin skin. Lots of meat. They also stir fry the leftover meat with veggies and serve it as an additional entree.Rice Cake $10.50 - their infamous appetizer. Always good and crispy.Salt toasted squid $16.95 - very crispySeafood pan fried noodles $16.95 - I get the crunchy noodles. Comes with a lot of seafood (they used to be stingy) and noodles.Snow pea leaves with garlic sauce $15.95 - not cheap but big serving.General tso chicken, walnut shrimp, and beef flat rice noodle are also good. I would like to try the salt toasted chicken wings."

Heights Asian Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.8 (639) • $$

"Great Asian spot in the Heights. Typical American Style Chinese menu but a step up in quality. Dining in is an even better experience, but either way I've always enjoyed this spot. Lots of good options to try and friendly staff."

Cafe 101

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (769) • $$

"Cafe 101 was very nice. My first time there to dine. Met a Client there for lunch and was pleasantly pleased. Server was good. It was a slow time just after lunch so we got all the attention. I got this awesome Watermelon Mango drink. It was so refreshing. The food is good. My chicken was over fried and a little tough to chew but not too bad. The Ambiance is nice."

Rakuu

★★★★☆ 4.2 (404) • $$

"Amazing food and service, the place is clean the food is delicious, they actually have a large variety of Asian food from chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and sushi very reasonable price as well"

Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodles

★★★★★ 4.8 (305) • $$

"My friends took me here for lunch when I was exploring Katy Asian Town and this was my first time coming. It was raining and kind of gloomy, so I was wanting something cozy and warm and this place was suggested. The restaurant itself is relatively small, but still comfortable.We all ordered our own "make it your own" ramen/hotpot type deal & so I ordered the tomato broth. They serve it hot right at your table and you can add in whatever you like and always order more at an extra cost. It comes with A LOT of noodles, meats, and veggies. The broth tasted like a thick tomato soup, which isn't entirely what I expected basing it off of the tomato bases from other hot pot places, but it was still really good. After putting in all the fixing's, I just waited a few seconds to ensure it was all getting cooked properly, and it was ready to eat. The meat was tender and the noodles were really nice, thick, and had a good chew. The noodles were probably the best part of the meal since it really had good texture and bite. It was very filling though. I felt that I barely made a dent in my noodles and only placed 1/3 of it into my broth - it was really filling.We also ordered some appetizers, but I forgot to take some pictures. We ordered the takoyaki, popcorn chicken, and the Schezwan spiced beef tripe. I am a sucker for takoyaki and popcorn chicken anywhere, so I was very happy with the appetizer selection. The beef tripe was interesting... not really my cup of tea, but it was good. However, I was eating the takoyaki like crazy and enjoying the popcorn chicken like no one's business.Overall, I had a really good experience here and the food was just as good. Completely came here blind, not knowing what to expect, and left feeling happy and glad I tried something new that I definitely will come back for."

Aki Steak & Sushi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (369) • $$

Noodle Master

★★★★☆ 4.4 (320) • $$

"DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS PLACE!! I don't care where you live in Houston this place is FIREEEEE!!!I've been cravings soup and wontons and all the things and this place had a menu full of options for everyone!I wanted to order 4 more things but it was a solo lunch and I was on a time crunch... Food was 10 stars!! It came out fast and hot hot hot... fairly priced and the portions were enough for 2! The service was wonderful and as a first timer, the service was helpful too!! I really appreciate help and a friendly attitude when Im a newbie!!Totally impressed and wanna try the Orange Chicken, Shu mai, and Dry Popcorn Chicken (can't remember exact name but it looked AMAZING)GET HERE Now y'all!!"

Alings Chinese Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.5 (491) • $$

Sinh Sinh

★★★☆☆ 3 (644) • $$

"Sinh Sinh is the place to be while in the Chinatown District of Houston. Our party of 7 ordered five dishes to share family style --1) one whole Peking Duck (comes with a bowl of duck soup)2) Chinese Broccoli with Garlic3) House Spicy Tofu with Minced Pork4) Singapore Style Vermicelli Noodles - extra spicy5) Steamed Striped Bass with Ginger, Scallions, and CilantroEverything was perfect. From taste to presentation, these guys are in the game hard. I'm not from the area but I take it that this is the restaurant to be at in Houston for a Chinese family style dinner.The menu is huge -- pages and pages of so many speciality dishes. I'm so impressed that I'm at a loss for words.I'll definitely be back for another meal!"

Kim Son

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (559) • $$

"This is an easy five star review. I am shocked I am barely reviewing this place and I am also shocked I don't come here more. Everything was really good. Probably the best general tsos chicken I have ever had! Cooked to crispy perfection. Food: we had quite the selection of food. Generals tsos chicken which was amazing. I really liked it a lot! Fried to crispy perfection! Full of flavor. The chicken fried rice was excellent! Their small size is huge. The teriyaki chicken was really good too. So much flavor and very fresh. The wings were very good as well. My girl had the hunan beef and it was very good too. All of the dishes we had were very tasty. This will be my go to for Chinese/viet when I am in the area. The service was great too! In and out. Food came out fresh and fast. Waitstaff is very good and helpful. We will be back soon"

Ginger & Fork

★★★★☆ 4.1 (337) • $$

"Have you ever notice that you never see Chinese Fine dining? Meh you can say PF Chang but that's a franchise and it doesn't stand out for me. Ginger & Fork however is a true gem and my first experience with actual Cantonese Fine Dining!!! This restaurant is spacious, clean the service welcomes everyone with a warm greeting like they've been expecting you!! And yes!! It's a family owned business and they're all so awesome!! We've gone twice and I actually dream about their steamed dumplings!!! Oh so good!! And their craft cocktails are one to beat!! They're open to new ideas and they do their best to incorporate Cantonese flavors to enhance the flavors of your food! They're just brilliant!And the chef is super talented...so far we haven't tried a dish that we didn't like! Everything is full of rich flavors, savory and nothing but yummy deliciousness. The quality and freshness of the ingredients are stellar! Bottom line, this place is phenomenal! Atmosphere is chill and cool but the staff is also really friendly. They know what they're doing and what they're talking about, and you can tell making the customers happy is their main priority. The food is everything, some Cantonese classics and some twists, and for their prices it's 100% worth it! Be sure to make your reservations!! This place is getting popular and are booking fast!! Pro Top: If the online reservations are full, give them a call and see if they have any openings!!"

Grand Imperial Chinese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (355) • $$

Thai Jin

★★★★☆ 3.7 (350)

"This was such a great quick lunch spot. The service was remarkable. Everyone was extremely friendly. Had a hot & sour soup which was delicious and the garlic on fire dish, medium heat, with beef...very good. I love a great sauce and this was it!! I'll be back very soon."

Viva Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (284) • $$

"We were here for lunch yesterday. The restaurant is pretty full. Staffs are courteous. Food was just OK nothing great.Some items are not too good."

Siu Lap City 燒臘城

★★★★☆ 4.3 (255) • $

"Siu Lap City (燒臘城) is one of the most established Asian family-owned businesses in all of Houston. They're among the remaining spots from a time where a multitude of Chinese / Vietnamese bizes clustered in this part of Midtown. They seem to have adapted well with the times and have become the premier Cantonese BBQ (#1) provider in all of the city. They have a good selection of meats, which range from Peking Duck, BBQ pork, soya chicken, roast pork belly, and even roast pig. They also sell organ meats, such as beef tendon, tripe, and braised organ parts. I sometimes rock their roast pig, which is a huge hit for any house party or pot luck. It's not cheap at $260 for their smallest (16-20Ibs) and it's strictly cash only and must be ordered at least 48 hours in advance.They've done a good job with getting a consistent flow of regulars daily. A big part of this is their popular lunch special, which they offer a small / large rice plate in which one can choose a meat and vegetables on it. I think it's an oka deal ($9-13). I personally would highly recommend calling in ito confirm certain items are available.The family speaks a number of languages, which include Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and English. They're the friendliest folks and are quite good about modding their selections to adhere to one's tastebuds. It's always a delight for me to be here and I'm always excited to eat their food.They just don't make places like this anymore. Go now and thank me later.____________(#1) 烧味. Siu Mei all day every day."

Dumpling King

★★★★☆ 3.8 (319) • $$

"Great spot that I've come to for years with my family! You cannot beat these prices and the food is magnificent and true to their flavors.The lo mein is one of the best Chinese renditions with incredible flavor! The steamed pork dumplings are by far the best dumplings in Houston! The beef and broccoli is as flavorful as the picture entails!Truly a gem of a restaurant! Very nice staff! Love coming to eat here! Will be coming back frequently!Cheers"

Wok & Roll

★★★★☆ 4.1 (259) • $$

"It was our first time ordering from here and we enjoyed our food! It's nice to know there is a Chinese resto that is not too far away where you can get decent Chinese to-go. I admit - we were craving salt and pepper chicken wings and the wings didn't taste like we thought, but I think it may have been different if we had of dined in. (May have been crispier). The General Tao's was excellent and so were our other appetizers. Only downside is that were out of ribs, but I can only assume they are a best selling item and that's why."

Nee Hao Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (271)

"I don't live around here but my friend wanted some Chinese food before she left for England and this place popped up for Yelp. I'd give this place a five star but the facility isn't really ideal for dining in. Plus the surrounding area is a bit suspish...HOWEVER!! This is one of the BEST hole in the wall Chinese restaurants I have ever eaten at!The food was fresh, the meat was tender and the dish was full of flavor! I'm just blown away at the quality of food and the portion is definitely BANG for your buck!!! Whatever savings they're making on rent, it's definitely going into their amazing food. Plus the service was fast and they're super friendly. I may have to make the drive to come back and get an order to go next time!!"

Bamboo Spice

★★★★☆ 4.3 (229) • $$

"This is another restaurant that when I first moved to the area I found delicious and just kept coming back.And even if I was far away I'd make the drive for their food.My favorite dish is their spicy crispy chicken, this stuff is addicting, we also get the spicy crispy shrimp which is the same seasoning except with shell on shrimp, it's fried crispy so you can eat it with the shell! Their sesame chicken is actually quite good, once again it's because it's crispy! Most places it's super soggy.For beef dishes we usually get black pepper beef or beef and broccoli.We also like the string beans and the eggplant dishes here.We've sampled so many items and everything is good.The staff is super friendly and remember your names."

Pho Mai Tai

★★★★☆ 3.9 (278)

"Came here for the first time with my wife. Ordered the beef combination, fried spring rolls, bbq pork banh mi, and bbq chicken vermicelli. We also ordered some Vietnamese coffee. Everything was crazy delicious. They had all the condiments that I needed to make my special dipping sauce and the pho broth was on point. The banh mi bread was so warm and crunchy soft. The vermicelli would probably be better with bbq pork instead. Highly recommend this place.Moving here from Hawaii eating legit dishes, then moving to Texas where food were tasty, but not the same. This place reminds me of home. Food were all fantastic, portions were big and for a reasonable price.All the staff were friendly and fast. Large parking lot and lots of tables and chairs."

Golden China

★★★★☆ 4.1 (249)

"Wait but how is this place so good????? Honestly if I was not told to go here I would never have stopped by from the looks of the outside. But wow!! The food here is so good for American Chinese food. Before you judge me some times you just need that good american chinese. I love this place!! the prices are fair, the food comes out quickly and they give you a big portion. I will definitely be coming back."

Vinh Hoa

★★★★☆ 3.7 (297)

"My last visit was disappointing. Perhaps expectations were too high or the wrong menu items were chosen this time around. Either way, my last experience left me no desire to come back here ever again.My wife and I wanted to have dinner with my family somewhere traditional so we decided to give this place a chance. Since we had eight people all together, we decided to choose a pre-set menu of soup, crab, veggies, shrimp, chicken, and more. Price was $280 for all of this (or about $35 per person before tax and tip).The food came out one by one relatively quickly, but sadly nothing caught my eye. Portions were small and some of the dishes did not taste fresh. Even just by looking at the plates, I knew in my mind that the next one was going to be a disappointment. The food just simply wasn't that good.I wish the best for this place because it's sad to see old establishments fade away. Hopefully they improve."

Vietnam Coast

★★★★☆ 4 (227) • $$

Xin Jiang BBQ

★★★★☆ 4.1 (213) • $

"This place is a must if you're visiting Chinatown in Houston! First off, cheapest beers! Second, so many skewer options cooked to order and perfection! I know how busy this place gets on weeknights and opted to go early on a Sunday after they opened up at noon. Keep it mind during peak hours the skewers take a bit longer as they are cooked to order. It's been years since I've been here and they've renovated the interior. Looks much better. Now the bathroom, that's a different story lol.The Food:Big Plate Chicken- A signature dish and I like how they present it now. Fits the name. It use to come in a basic white bowl and the chicken "stew" was separate. Now it's all plated together. Skewers- We got a variety. All decent. Tendon was a lil chewy. I personally like the squid tentacles and enoki mushrooms. Cucumbers- I like this basic dish to balance and cleanse my palate. The servers were a bit older but they were pleasant and since it's slow it wasn't overwhelming for them. My go to place for Chinese BBQ."

Bao's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (214) • $$

"My cousin just moved into the area and wanted to try this restaurant. We got the jalenpeno chicken, magnolia beef, shrimp lomein and egg roll (sorry for the misspelling ) Everything was absolutely yummy and fresh. The egg roll was literally filled with cabbage wasn't bad tho. The lomein was on the ginger side 7/10 but the shrimp size is big! Service was good- it is cold in there so bring a jacket. It's also very reasonable pricing"

Cafe India

★★★★☆ 3.9 (212) • $$

"I had picked up a curry for my UberEats customer. Today, I stopped by here. I was ready to eat.I visited around 2 pm. Lunchtime was almost over. I found a lunch box for $12. While I was waiting, I found a lucky cat doll. It really looked like a Japanese restaurant instead of an Indian. The lunch box was super excellent. It is located far from my house.If I had to visit this area again, I would like to go!"

Shan Hu Chinese Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (188) • $$

"10/30/21Quality/Quantity - Good.Steamed Dumpling (6) - Good size, but needed soy sauce for flavor.Ja-Jang Myun - I thought I was spoiled with Bay Area food (Ja-Jang dishes) or maybe I was accustomed to their taste...? It was good, but not the same as the Bay Area.Maybe I just needed more flavor or salt?House Fried Rice - My favorite - comfort foodAll decent quantities, especially for the price.Atmosphere -  Very busy today. Had a Birthday party taking half the restaurant.I especially like your "Who's Who at Shan Hu" wall.Clean bathrooms.Small but enough parking spaces.Service - Good. Quick.Price - $28.11 + tip; another good meal for a GREAT price.Owner Suggestion - Keep up the good work. Nice good business you got here. I would invest in a little more updates to the place."

Sakura Asian Bistro

★★★★☆ 3.6 (239) • $$

Your Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.5 (150) • $

"So we've driven by this spot multiple times and never noticed what that building was. Located at the corner of Bunker Hill and Long Point, this restaurant is a small nondescript building in a semi run down shopping plaza on Long Point. The interior is a very 90's / early 00's style but I do appreciate the hole in the wall feel and authenticity to not overly appeal to the millennials. We got the basil noodles with pork and pad Thai with chicken. I really enjoyed the pad Thai though it was a little bit on the sweet side. The basil noodles were good but I do prefer the pad see ew from some other Thai spots in terms of flavor. Overall, I think it's a great spot for takeout in the area and it's priced very fairly for 2023!"