Photo by Alex Hu on Unsplash
Popular Chinese Food in Houston
If you’re in the mood for Chinese food, you have quite a few tasty options to choose from. Of course, you could always go with the more Americanized options like sesame chicken or General Tso’s–it’s cheap and easy to find.
But maybe you’re looking for more authentic fare. You might want dim sum, a Cantonese style of cuisine made up of various dumplings and snack cakes. Or maybe you’re looking for some soup dumplings: delicious steamed buns, each filled with flavorful broth. You could keep it simple and classic with fried rice, a mix of rice, vegetables, eggs, and the protein of your choice stir-fried in oil. On top of all that, there are, of course, plenty of noodles to choose from.
Take a look at our list to find out where you can try some of the best Chinese food in Houston.
Best Chinese Restaurants in Houston – Authentic Chinese Food Places
1. Mala Sichuan Bistro
courtesy Mala Sichuan Bistro
An excellent choice for spice lovers, Mala Sichuan Bistro was founded by a husband-and-wife duo who wanted to bring genuine Sichuan cooking to the Houston Chinese food scene. The menu includes water boiled fish, cumin beef, tea-smoked duck, and pot roasted tilapia. It also features a lot of bamboo shoots and spicy peppers. The Bistro now has four separate locations all over Houston, but many agree that the original Chinatown location, which was nominated for a James Beard award, is the best. As a side note: this restaurant does a great job of labeling allergens, including gluten, which makes it perfect for the Chinese-food lover who has to avoid soy sauce.
Where: 9348 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
2. Fu Fu Café
via Yelp
Fu Fu Café is a small, no-frills Chinese restaurant that stays open late. If you’re craving soup dumplings at 1 a.m., Fu Fu is the place for you! The food is affordable and filling. Standouts include the pork pan-fried dumplings, the scallion pancakes, and sizzling black bean with mixed seafood. Because it’s located in the heart of Houston’s Asiantown in Bellaire, you can always walk a few doors down to hit up a boba tea shop or get some shaved ice.
Where: 9889 Bellaire Blvd Ste 105, Houston, TX 77063
3. Hu’s Cooking
courtesy Hu’s Cooking
Closer to the Medical Center, Hu’s Cooking promises that numb-mouthed goodness that only comes with Sichuan cuisine. Look out for the shabu shabu lamb, the mapo tofu, the cumin lamb, and the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. It has a mix of both Sichuan and Taiwanese dishes and bills itself as fusion. If you’re not a fan of spicier food, it’s a good idea to let your server know; these dishes run pretty hot. The restaurant is pretty popular, so expect it to be busy (and the parking to be tricky to navigate). Prices are reasonable, though, and the staff is friendly and attentive.
Where: 2502 W Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
4. Mein Restaurant
courtesy Mein Restaurant
If you’re looking to eat Cantonese cuisine in a modern and trendy setting, check out Mein Restaurant. The restaurant’s ethos is serving “everyday food” that represents what the average Cantonese immigrant might consider standard fare. The menu is pretty large, but some of the standouts are the crispy duck leg, the cold hand-pulled chicken, the char siu pork, and the fresh house-made noodles. You can also enjoy wine, beer, and coffee, as well as a variety of desserts, such as gelato, lava toast, and sugar egg puffs, a type of Chinese donut.
Where: 9630 Clarewood Dr Ste A-131, Houston, TX 77036
5. Spicy Girl
courtesy Spicy Girl
Spicy Girl is one of the trendier and more laid-back places to get Chinese food in Houston. It’s a Sichaun-style restaurant with dumplings in hot chile oil as a menu highlight, along with other standouts such as mapo tofu and curried noodles. The Beijing duck trio is also a customer favorite. A roasted duck is served in three courses. First, it’s sliced and served with gua bao buns. Then, the thigh and leg meat is stir fried. For the final course, the bones are used to make duck soup. The popcorn chicken dish is another favorite, although you once again need to be wary of the tongue-numbing effects of the Sichuan peppercorns and the spice level in general. The name of the restaurant isn’t just for show.
Where: 917 Winbern St Unit B, Houston, TX 77002
Oriental Gardens Chinese Restaurant in Houston
Best Chinese Restaurants in Houston – Continued
6. One Dragon Restaurant
photo credit Victoria N. via Yelp
One Dragon Restaurant is a family-owned Shanghai cuisine restaurant run by a husband and wife. It’s a small restaurant with somewhat limited seating, but the food is outstanding. Dumplings are the main draw here, especially the crispy-bottomed dumplings and the soup dumplings. The braised pork belly and onion pancakes are also very tasty. This restaurant is very traditional, so look forward to a red-bean dish for dessert. If you’re not a fan of waiting, try to avoid peak hours — this place can get pretty busy.
Where: 9310 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
7. Ginger & Fork
courtesy Ginger & Fork
Ginger & Fork is a neat, comfy bistro with some modern touches. The menu is mostly made up of Cantonese dishes. This place is perfect for the Chinese-food lover on a plant-based diet. It has several very tasty vegan and vegetarian menu options, including fried mushroom fries, fried cauliflower, and herbivore fried rice. The menu also includes an extensive cocktail, wine, and spirits list. Other standouts are the bone brittle flounder appetizer (a whole flounder served over its own battered bones), the curry coated noodles, and the steel pot beef, which is tender beef stewed with mushrooms.
Where: 4705 Inker St, Houston, TX 77007
8. Tan Tan Restaurant
courtesy Tan Tan Restaurant
Part of the local restaurant scene for 35 years, Tan Tan Restaurant’s menu features a mouthwatering blend of Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. It includes Chinese staples like hot and sour soup and chow mein as well as bo luc lac shaking beef rice plates and Vietnamese hot pot. The food can range from traditional comfort food like congee (rice porridge) and noodles to platters of lobster and Peking duck.
Where: 6816 Ranchester Dr, Houston, TX 77036
9. Golden Dumpling House
photo credit Sam C. vie Yelp
Golden Dumpling House is as straightforward as it gets. They have a wide variety of dumplings, and you can order them boiled, steamed, or fried. You can also order noodles and some appetizers, but the focus here is definitely on the dumplings. The dumplings are plump and full of filling, the dough is handmade in-house, and the prices are low. You can even buy frozen dumplings in bulk to take home and make later. Everything is made to order, so be prepared to wait a little bit. The pork dumplings are a standout, especially with leeks.
Where: 9896 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
10. Qin’s Noodle Kitchen
photo credit Bijou N. via Yelp
Qin’s Noodle Kitchen is another no-frills, casual eatery that still manages to be one of the best places to eat Chinese food in Houston. The menu is a mix of Chinese and Taiwanese dishes, and the food is mostly served family-style. Favorites here include the house special noodle soup with scallops and shrimp, Dan Dan noodles, beef pancake, and noodles in bean sauce, or zhajiangmian. The prices are very affordable, partly because the restaurant is mostly self-serve. If you dine in, though, you’ll get free egg drop or sweet and sour soup.
Where: 9889 Bellaire Blvd Ste 306, Houston, TX 77036
Not in the mood for Chinese food today? No problem! Check out our Best 10 Restaurants for your favorite cuisines in our Food & Drinks section.
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