Are you interested in discovering some of the best Vietnamese food in Houston? Maybe you’re just visiting for a day or you’ve lived in Houston for most your life. No matter how familiar you are with the cuisine, you’re definitely missing out if you’ve never tried the Vietnamese food. We spent the day mainly on Bellaire Blvd digging into delicious Vietnamese dishes as well as other Asian specialties that’ll make your mouth water.
Personally, my love for the cuisine of Vietnam comes from the flavors and ingredients used in most of the recipes. There’s so much more than just bánh mì and phở when it comes to Vietnamese cuisine, and I can’t wait to share with you some recommendations below! That said, just keep reading to see where you can find the best Vietnamese/Asian inspired food in Houston:
1. The perfect Breakfast of Cơm Tấm
Cơm tấm is a Vietnamese rice plate served with broken rice, a fried egg, cucumber, carrots, lettuce, and your choice of meat/protein. Additionally, it’s served with a small cup of sweet fish sauce which you can drizzle over the entire dish. Each spoonful of this dish is packed with a multitude of flavors, it’s sure to satisfy all your taste buds. That said, I recommend stopping at Bún Bò Huế Tây Đô on Bellaire Blvd for cơm tấm with grilled pork. The portions are pretty big which means you’ll leave feeling very satisfied and ready to take on the rest of the day. For more restaurant information, head over here!
2. a warm Bowl of Hủ tiếu
Move over phở! Hủ tiếu is in the house. If you’ve never tried this delectable dish, then put it on your list next time you’re in Houston. The common ingredients include pork bones for the broth, diverse kinds of noodles, herbs, and meats or seafood, usually shrimp. You can order hủ tiếu either with broth or without, but I typically always choose with broth. In Houston, there’s a restaurant called Viet Alley which serves this dish along with a plethora of other Vietnamese dishes. Check out their website to see the menu. They also have a variety of milk tea drinks, including corn milk, which is quite tasty.
3. Shake it up with Boba Tea
Although Boba tea originated in Taiwan, I wanted to include it in this list because it’s DELICIOUS. If you’re not familiar with boba tea, it’s a milk-based tea served with chewy tapioca balls. Typically, this drink can be very sweet depending on the flavor, but you can always ask for less sugar. Of course, it’s one of those drinks you’d want to consume in moderation for your health. That said, boba tea has become quite popular in North America, and you’ll find an exhaustive list of choices in Houston. If you’re not sure where to go, try Jtea on Bellaire Blvd. Their menu has a lot to chose from; however, the matcha green tea and brown sugar milk tea specialty drinks are quite interesting and different. If you’ve never tried boba tea, give it a try at least once and see what you think!
4. Try the Tastiest Peking Duck
In the mood for some peking duck? Then head over to the restaurant called A Lỳ on Bellaire Blvd for some of the best peking duck. Although not Vietnamese, Peking duck is a dish that originated from Beijing, China and it’s characterized by the crispy skin of the duck. It’s eaten with thin slices of green onion and cucumber, then wrapped in a bread-like roll spread with a little hoisin sauce. Other toppings can be used as well, but I typically will eat peking duck with just green onion, cucumber, and hoisin sauce. We also ordered the fried tofu and shaking beef with fried rice. Definitely give this restaurant a try during your next Houston day trip.
5. The Sweetness of Chè
Ready for some Vietnamese dessert? Chè is a traditional dessert similar to a pudding or sweet beverage. It can be made with a handful of ingredients, most commonly which include, beans, rice, jellies, tapioca, corn, fruits, and coconut cream. The restaurant called Duc Phuong Thach Che on Bellaire Blvd serves a ton of different types of chè to satisfy your sweet tooth. Additionally, they have other Vietnamese desserts, such as bánh bò nướng, a chewy honeycomb cake (pictured in the front of the photo above).
There you have it! I hope some of these recommendations got you craving a dose of Vietnamese goodness. This list doesn’t even come close to covering everything you can find in Houston, so let me know some of your favorites in the comments below! I don’t know about you, but I’m already planning my next trip to devour more Vietnamese food in Houston again soon. Interested in traveling the rest of the country for Vietnamese cuisine? Check out my post about spending one day in Orange County here for inspiration. Happy eating! Ăn thôi! 😋