Flavor Boulevard

The Texas kolaches

American
1. Hearsay Gastro Lounge – what to order: stuffed chicken breast
2. kolaches
3. Little Big – what to order: sliders
4. Potatoe Patch – what to oder: hot rolls
5. Ruggles Green – what to order: bread pudding

Chinese
1. Hot Pot City – what to order: hot pot (duh)
2. Tây Đô restaurant – what to order: Don’t go here, it’s not that great.

European
1. Antica Osteria (Italian) – what to order: garlic bread, black pepper pan-fried duck
2. Feast (British) – what to order: NOTHING! This place is really NOT worth it.
3. Cafe Du Bois (French) – what to order: yucca fries
4. Cafe Rabelais (French) – what to order: ice cream profiteroles
5. Phillipe’s Restaurant & Lounge (French) – what to order: garlic-butter escargot

Korean fried chicken from Toreore, Houston

Korean
1. Il Mi Jeong (Il Mi Jung) – what to order: bossam
2. Korea Garden – what to order: grilled meat
3. Korean Garden Grille [CLOSED]
4. Myung Dong – what to order: haemul pa jeon (seafood pancake)
5. Seoul House
6. Super H Mart food court, including: Toreore, Daddy & Daughter, Sobahn Express (Bibijo), and Jumma
7. Tofu Village – what to order: “nutrition rice”

Japanese
1. Kaneyama – what to order: saba shio
2. Kata Robata – what to order: fois gras unagi, black sesame panna cotta
3. Shabu House – what to order: shabu (hot pot) (what else?!)
4. Tokyo One (buffet)

Mongolian
1. Great Khan Mongolian Grill

Persian
1. Istanbul Grill (Turkish cuisine) – what to order: iskender kebab

South American (and I mean everything south of the border, which includes Cuba and Mexico)
1. Artista (Nicaraguan cuisine)
2. El Meson (Cuban) – what to order: crab cakes

Appetizers from Saigon Buffet

Thai
1. Nara Thai – what to order: anything with duck

Vietnamese
1. Alpha Bakery & Deli
– bánh xu xê (couple cookie)
2. Bánh Canh Quê Anh & Quê Em
3. Bánh Cuốn Hoa II – what to order: bun mang vit (duck and bamboo noodle soup)
4. Bánh Cuốn Tây Hồ 18 (old location: Hong Kong Market) – what to order: banh cuon (steamed rice roll with pork and mushroom filling)
—- Interview with the owner at the new location near Kim Son
5. Bánh Hỏi Châu Đốc – what to order: banh canh cua
6. Bún Bò Huế Cố Đô – what to order: bun bo Hue (duh!)
7. Giò Chả Đức Hương
— bánh dầy giò
— bánh giò
— bánh ít
— chả lụa
— chả chiên: chả heo chiên, chả gà, chả bò, chả cốm
8. Hot Pot City – what to order: hot pot
9. Quán Huế Hương Giang – what to order: bun suong

Tet festival at Kim Son, Bellaire

10. Kim Sơn restaurant (Bellaire) (buffet)
— chè trôi nước, chè bắp (sweet corn pudding)
— bánh canh and bún bò Huế
— canh chua cá (sour fish soup)
11. Lee’s Sandwiches (Bellaire) – what to order:
— bánh mì ba chỉ pâté
— chè bột báng, chè đậu (tapioca and black eye pea puddings), chè khoai (taro pudding)
12. Mai’s Restaurant
13. Phở Danh – what to order: pho with a side of pickled onion
14. Red Pier Restaurant and Bar – what to order: it’s pretty standard here, nothing stands out
15. Rosemary Garden Bistro (Làng nướng Vườn Hồng) – what to order: stir-fried eel in coconut curry sauce
16. Saigon Buffet [CLOSED]
17. Tây Đô restaurant – what to order: NOTHING. It’s not that great.
18. Thanh Đa Quán – what to order: claypot fish
19. Thiên Phú – what to order: bò 7 món (7 courses of beef) and cá nướng da giòn (crunchy-skin grilled fish)
20. Tinh Luat Vegetarian Buffet – what to order: sugarcane juice and the noodle soups
21. T.P. Bánh Bao – what to order: banh bao (steamed dumpling)
22. Tường Ký Fastfood – what to order: banh bia (Suzhou mooncake)