By the time we arrived in Houston, my husband Rory and I were hankering for Viet food. I had been traveling for a week and hadn’t had a drop of fish sauce or bowl of rice. After all the amazing barbecue and Mexican food, we were looking forward to a change of cuisine. Plus, Houston’s Vietnamese community is one of the nation’s largest, the biggest in the American South.
I was looking forward to driving up and down Bellaire Boulevard, the H-Town equivalent to Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California. While there are a few Vietnamese restaurants in the main downtown area where we were staying, the concentration of the Viet shops and services were located in the southwestern part of the city, in what’s referred to as Chinatown. Most of the activity is centered on Bellaire, the main drag. (The former Chinatown was located in the main downtown area but increases in real estate prices drove Asian businesses further out.)
We regrettably only had one-and-a-half days in Houston, and our exploration was limited to Friday afternoon. What struck me as really neat was that at one end of Bellaire, there seemed to be more Chinese businesses with a few Viet ones but as you drove toward Alief, it was reversed. Business signs mostly had Vietnamese and English with just a tiny sprinkling of Chinese characters.
There were a number of handsome, modern shopping centers as well as near-vacant shopping centers from decades ago. With palm trees lining some areas, it reminded me lots of Little Saigon in Southern California. I felt quite at home, but experienced some unexpected things.
Big and Bling
They say that everything is bigger in Texas and it’s true! The shopping centers, markets, restaurants seemed on average much larger than what I’d seen in other parts of the country. The Hong Kong City Mall (11021 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77072) is gigantic. We were there mid-day on a Friday and found it to be sleepy, though the blazing heat outside may have had something to do with it! The mall is arguably the center of the Viet shopping area on Bellaire. Look for it by the iconic signage at the top of this post.
There’s been much talk about the food court at the mall but I found it to be somewhat dark and depressing. There was one table of women digging into a pile of crawfish from Crawfish and Beignets. The stand-alone restaurants in other parts of the maze of the mall seemed more appealing and had more customers. Next time, I’d venture to the food court on a weekend when it’s really jumping.
The Hong Kong Market attached to the mall is huge – like the size of a football field. The above photos don't quite do it justice. The market is a great resource for the community to shop for Asian ingredients.
I was surprised to see all the convenient grab-and-go foods in cases; the set up was more like a regular market because you can buy not just little snacks but combo types of meals in plastic containers. The approach was akin to the deli section of a supermarket. Superstores such as this one have shelf space to carry all kinds of goodies. For example, a visitor to this site recently reported finding bonafide Vietnamese fish sauce at the Hong Kong Market in Houston! (That would not have fit into my carryon luggage.)
Leaving the Hong Kong City Mall, we spotted the largest Lee’s Sandwiches in the nation. It had an American-style drive-thru with a flashy lit up menu. I don't know of any other Vietnamese drive-through restaurant, do you?Turns out that the Bellaire location of Lee’s Sandwiches occupies 10,000 square feet. Wow.
Texas is a colorfully decorated state (remember the décor at Mi Tierra in San Antonio?) and a couple of Viet eateries at the mall had really shiny silver metal chairs. The chairs made everything around them sparkle. Another restaurant (specializing in bun bo Hue, I believe) had a green interior with a big Jesus statue presiding over diners.
Religious and Cultural Diversity
The public display of religious beliefs also surprised me. A fair number of Vietnamese Catholics immigrated to the southern part of the U.S., which explains the Christian statues for sale along with Buddhas, etc. On the other hand, the humongous Teo Chew (Chiu Chow) temple hard to miss as you’re driving down Bellaire. I was so struck by its enormity that I had Rory turn around and find it on what turned out to be Turtlewood Court.
Then there was the astoundingly large Vietnam War monument with a statue of a Vietnamese soldier standing next to an American soldier. The centerpiece of a newish shopping center, the monument was clearly visible from Bellaire. While I expected to see the South Vietnamese flag and the American flag flying together, I didn’t expect to see the flags of Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines too. It was really cool and completely matter-of-fact.
To top it off, at Café Don, where I ordered banh mi sandwiches, the non-Asian cashier (above, in the yellow shirt) spoke Vietnamese. When an order was up for a Viet woman, he loudly called to her, “Chi oi, banh mi thit nuong!” (Sister, your grilled pork sandwich). His intonation were spot on. Seriously.
Fresh and Honest Food
How was the banh mi at Cafe Don? Well done but the bread could have been more crisp and the pickled carrots and daikon were mostly carrot, which lacks the bite of the radish. I ordered the dac biet expecting the works but it lacked the pate; however, the other cold cuts in the sandwich were nicely prepared. My husband’s grilled pork banh mi was surprisingly bland.
Nevertheless, the scene was something else. The two Viet ladies behind the counter worked lightning fast to satisfy customers who ranged in age, race, and ethnicity. One guy came from the back kitchen with a half pan piled high with meat. We chased down the sandwich with an ice coffee, watching the customers keep streaming in.
I didn’t have time to explore markets other than the Hong Kong Market but felt like it was pretty representative of the Houston selection of Asian groceries. While the size of the market was on part with say, the Shun Fat Superstores in California, I was struck by how most of the produce at the Hong Kong Market was not pre-bagged.
An Asian produce department manager once told me that bagging Asian vegetables prevented customers from rummaging through the selection and destroying it for the next customers in line. The range of produce was similar to other Asian markets that I have visited, although in the American South, you can often get fresh banana leaves. It was great to see a pile of them at the market.
The seafood counter included a few things not often seen in my neck of the woods, such as whelk and mudfish (ca loc). The fish can be used for tart fish soup (canh chua ca), pickled fish (mam ca loc), and grilled turmeric fish (cha ca). The whelk can be steamed, stuffed, or simmered into a noodles soup. I wished I had an H-Town kitchen to cook some of that seafood.
Though we were on Bellaire for a couple of hours, a banh mi was not enough. We also had to have pho. Tucked in the back of the Hong Kong City Mall was Pho Danh, which was doing a brisk business. The wait staff all had uniforms and name tags, which I’d never seen in the U.S. The pho came out quickly but not too fast, which was nice. It was fantastic tasting, on the salty rather than sweet side. The noodles were easily separated and not clumpy as if they’d been sitting in the bowl for too long before the broth was ladled on top.
The broth was well balanced and savory, but the outstanding part of the bowl at Pho Danh was the cooked meat. Texas has really good beef and the cooked beef in the pho was exceptional. We ate the pho with relish, emptying our bowls, MSG high be damned. (We didn't suffer one!)
I went to Texas as a blank slate and returned home filled with glee, knowing that there are many good stewards of food in the Lone Star State. Before going on this trip, I didn’t give Texas much thought but now, I’m looking for a reason to visit again!
P.S. Reef was fabulous for seafood and Vic and Anthony’s offered exceptional steaks. Mi Tiempo, El Real, and Hugo’s will have to wait for the next Houston trip.
If you're familiar with Houston and have a favorite Asian market or café/restaurant (Asian or not), let the rest of us in on your picks.
Little Saigons related posts:
- Cambramatta in Australia, near Sydney
- New York City
- Westminster, California
- Denver
Thuy
I love pho Nguyen on wilcrest and beechnut.
Viet Hoa market on Sam Houston and Beechnut is alot cleaner than Hong Kong 4.
Tan Ba Le on Beechnut and Boone has really good bo ne and banh mi.
At the food court at Hong Kong 4, there is a really good crawfish place. She usually sells out by afternoon time. It's the Catholic lady not the Buddhist one.
Harrison
I like Sinh Sinh for Bot Chien & Kim Son for Dim Sum & a viet buffet.
agree about Viet Hoa! A much better market than Hong Kong 4. Hong Kong Mall is really a touristy place now, there's better places in Houston to go. My dad actually told me that there's been a rumor/joke that the guy who owns the Hong Kong markets all over Houston and one in New Orleans, he opens one for every mistress he has haha.
There's a really really really popular pho place in Houston...but it's out of a trailer. Pho Binh Trailer. But it's still popular because it's so good. It reminds me of Vietnam I guess with using your home.
The gioi may loc nuoc
Thanks for share! So sweet 🙂
grow lights
I can see here so many fantastic and the attractive things of the Houston.Its with City Mall,Shopping Centre,Restaurants,Foods and all.Nice to see these all the things.
Madeline
I always had in mind that I will travel to Texas someday- Houston and Austin in particular. This post just added to the reasons to make that trip. Thanks for the yummy recommendations.
Mytah
Whenever we go to Houston. Hong Kong mall is a must stop. Their selection of melamine tableware is the best I have found in the south. Thanks to the above posters I know have more places to check out on my radar. Keep 'em coming. 🙂
Andrea Nguyen
Harrison: I've been waiting/wanting/fantasizing about pho from a trailer. It does have an extra authentic feel. Hopefully, they set plastic baby chairs and tables out for customers...
Andrea Nguyen
And everyone -- thanks for sharing your picks and community insights (gossip). Future trips to Houston will not be the same. 😉
Nate@House of Annie
When we were in Houston, we didn't get to sample the Vietnamese cuisine there. That is one reason I'd want to go back.
What does mudfish look like? I've been hankering for some cha ca.
Henry
Oh, my home town. Houston is an underrated foodie destination - I miss it even from my perch here in the Bay Area.
My family likes the newish Ranch 99 on the Katy Freeway and... Blalock or Bunker Hill? Used to be a Fiesta. The food court is sparkling new - wonder why we can't get that kind of food court in a Ranch 99 here.
You've done it justice. Thanks.
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By the time we arrived in Houston, my husband Rory and I were hankering for Viet food. I had been traveling for a week and hadn’t had a drop of fish sauce or bowl of rice. After all the amazing barbecue and Mexican food, we were looking forward to a change of cuisine. Plus, Houston’s Vietnamese community is one of the nation’s largest, the biggest in the American South. I was looking forward to driving up and down Bellaire Boulevard, the H-Town equivalent to Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California. While there are a few Vietnamese restaurants in the main downtown area where we were staying, the concentration of the Viet shops and services were located in the southwestern part of the city, in what’s referred to as Chinatown. Most of the activity is centered on Bellaire, the main drag. (The former Chinatown was located in the main downtown area but...
Xuanie
Your comment about pho is exactly what I have been thinking for a long time. I live in the Midwest and beef is everywhere. Pho seems to be much better around here thanks to the beef. I've eaten pho on East and West coasts but the meat always seem to turn me off. And often times, cooks substituted in fat for meat (cheaper that way?).
Andrea Nguyen
Henry--funny that you say Houston is underrated for food. I tend to think that you are right. Before going we planned more time in San Antonio but it turned out rather boring and touristy. Houston is where things are happenin'!
Andrea Nguyen
Xuanie: yep, beefy bones and meat make pho taste extra good. That brisket I'm the Pho Danh bowl was extraordinary. I'm not one for tender filet or wagyu beef in pho because those pricey cuts are fatty and rich. They are not necessarily beefy! What is pho Bo if it is not about neediness?
Lee-Lee
Been reading your blog for over a year and this is the first time commenting! I have lived in Houston all my life, except for one summer when I moved to New Jersey for a summer internship. There is tons of good Vietnamese restaurants. If you come back to Houston and stay in the downtown area again, stop by Pho Saigon for very delicious pho. Also Van Loc restaurant down from Pho Saigon serves up great home cooked Vietnamese food.
However, if you venture down to Bellaire again, as I assume you would, you should get banh cuon at Thien Thanh, which is right across the Hong Kong Mall you went to. It's in the same shopping complex as Lee's Sandwiches. Thien Thanh has the best banh cuon!
Also, for really good banh mi, Alpha Bakery in Hong Kong Mall has been my favorite for years. They pack their sandwiches with lots of meat!
Thanks for writing a great blog. I enjoy reading it. Hope you return back to Houston soon!
Katherine Roland
Andrea, the absolutely best place for Vietnamese food in Houston is Huynh, at 912 St. Emmanuel, behind the convention center in Old Chinatown. You'll wonder what kind of neighborhood you're getting into, but you won't care once you eat that food! If you go, read about it on Yelp and try everything that's recommended. Also ask your server for suggestions--they are glad to share their enthusiasm for the food!
Annie
Forget about El Real and go straigh to Xuco Xicana for Tex-Mex. Yelapa is also outstanding.
For authentic Vietnamese food, try Que Huong. Nguyen Ngo hands down has the best Banh Mi in Houston, their pate is to die for.
The next time you in Houston, drive out to Tomball for Bootsie's Heritage Cafe for tasting. Guarantee it's worth the drive and you won't be disappointed.
June
I'm originally from Houston and now live in San Jose. I truly miss really good Viet food which I haven't been able to find in San Jose.
Pho Binh is a must... love the pho ga kho there!
Vince Henderson
Im a big fan of the hong kong city mall. you will always find what you want from there.
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You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!
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Tien
Pho Ga Dakao has the best pho ga! Only serves pho ga, and other ga dishes!
marlon
The centerpiece of a newish shopping center, the monument was clearly visible from Bellaire.
Mr. Cooking Grill
Well i am very much foody and i always like to make new dishes.This cookbook is really help me to make new dishes.thanks for sharing such a great Article.
marlon
They say that everything is bigger in Texas and it’s true! The shopping centers, markets, restaurants seemed on average much larger than what I’d seen in other parts of the country.