Southeast Asia

Ole Henriksen Promises to Give Your Eyes a Lift as the World is Coming to an End

That damn Mayan calendar prophecy was bad enough when it was just the world exploding or being swallowed by a black hole or whatever. But, when Ole Henriksen, maker of fine rejuvenating eye care products (and name for Ikea entertainment centers), among other things, discovered that December 21 was a ... More >>

Tony Makes Some Authentic Thai

When we talk about Thai food in Houston, people generally point to Vieng Thai or Asia Market. Everyone seems to overlook the Thai food out on Bellaire Boulevard, which, while not as ubiquitous as Chinese or Vietnamese, can definitely be found. One of my favorites has been Tony Thai, not only becaus ... More >>

Start the Revolution! 10 Songs About Historical Events

If you ever look at music throughout time, along with a history book -- they kind of complement each other. Some of the greatest songs in rock, R&B and rap have chronicled history both social, major news events, sports, entertainment and political. In my opinion, many times, the song is about what ... More >>

When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?

When The Beach Boys Went To The Movies

The Beach Boys have embarked on a 50th-anniversary reunion tour this year, kicking off the media blitz with a Grammy performance featuring everybody from Maroon 5 to Foster the People. As one of the pioneering rock bands of their era, the Beach Boys made a return to the spotlight that was met with ... More >>

RFK, Shot 44 Years Ago Today: Definitive, Indisputable Answers to 5 "What Ifs?" About His Political Future

Forty-four years ago today, Robert Kennedy was shot in an L.A. hotel's kitchen and died a day later. He had just won the California primary and ended his victory speech with "And now it's on to Chicago and let's win there!" But would he have won there? Would he have beaten Richard Nixon? Let's tak ... More >>

JFK At 95: What If He Lived?

Had he not been felled by assassins bullets back in 1963, President John F. Kennedy would have turned 95 years old this week. That's if old age and some tragic and wacky Kennedy curse accident wouldn't have done him in first. Would he and Jackie have spent their entire lives together, or would the ... More >>

''Treasures of Asian Art: A Rockefeller Legacy''

Russian Radio: Top 5 Tasty Cold War Synth Jamz

Hey, remember the Russians? Before they had a gajillion oil dollars and all those supermodels, they wanted to kill us all. But it wasn't all creeping dread and mutually assured destruction. Until the Berlin Wall came down, the Cold War was a common subject in popular culture. Besides KGB trenchcoat ... More >>

The Rolling Stones, King Zog: 5 Famous Exiles, in Honor of Napoleon

This week marks the 198th anniversary of Napoleon being exiled to Elba, a move celebrated by palindrome fans everywhere. (Able was I ere I saw Elba," you know. Exiles have been around forever, people forced to leave their country of choice for one reason or another. Sometimes it's worked out well, ... More >>

2012 Vietnamese Festival

Don't Eat That: A List of Foods to Avoid

This is my close friend Jamie from Hackney, East London, and he will eat anything you put in front of him. Whole, raw jalapenos and Thai chiles, dubious Asian convenience store sandwiches at 3 am -- whatever it is, it doesn't bother him. He once showed me a video from Thailand of him eating ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where we firmly believe that crawfish have been mollycoddled for far too long in this city. With that in mind, get prepared for this crawfish season with a little primer from our own Katharine Shilcutt. It's simple, easy-to-follow, and - f ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 3: Junnajet "Jett" Hurapan of Blu - A Taste of Thai and More

Photos by Mai PhamChef Jett Hurapan's family recipe crispy whole fish with spicy tamarind sauce​The last two days, we've been chatting with Chef Jett Hurapan, who is currently at the helm of the fledgling Blu Restaurant and Lounge in Sugar Land. Today, we try his food. Before meeting Chef Je ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Junnajet "Jett" Hurapan of Blu

Yesterday, we chatted with Blu's Executive Chef Jett Hurapan about his love of racing cars, and his background as a corporate chef opening restaurants in New York City. Today, he tells us what it's like working with his pastry chef wife, what to expect from his food at Blu, and the foods that bring ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Chef Junnajet "Jett" Hurapan of Blu Loves Race Car Driving

Executive Chef Junnajet "Jett" Hurapan of the new Blu Restaurant and Lounge (2248 Texas Dr; www.blusugarland.com) in Sugar Land's Town Square, couldn't stop smiling when I was taking pictures of him in the kitchen. "In New York, the photographers didn't want me to smile," he says, but for me he smil ... More >>

The Rise of Single-Dish Restaurants in America

Like it or leave it, restaurants specializing in macaroni and cheese -- that ultimate "white people comfort food," as my baffled brown friends call it -- are becoming increasingly popular across the United States. From Connecticut's J.B. Mack, which bills itself as "America's 1st Macaroni and Cheese ... More >>

Invasive Black Tiger Shrimp On the Rise in the Gulf of Mexico

Black tiger shrimp are monsters, the kind of creatures that make you think that maybe "jumbo shrimp" isn't such an oxymoron after all. The distinctive black-and-orange-striped shrimp can grow to more than a foot in length and over a pound in weight. And according to the Galveston Daily News, they're ... More >>

Anal Exceus, Shi'tia Alford: More of the Best Names We've Found In Harris County Records

Every now and then, Hair Balls reports the oddest, funniest, and most puzzling names we come across in Harris County official records -- usually but not always the crime reports. As always, a couple of disclaimers are in order. Not all, indeed not necessarily any, of these people were convicted of ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Mark Gabriel Medina of Kata Robata

Photo by Mai PhamChef de Cuisine Mark Gabriel Medina of Kata Robata​When I asked Mark Gabriel "Gabe" Medina, the current Chef de Cuisine at Kata Robata, if he would be willing to do a chef chat with me, the 29-year-old, soft-spoken chef, who's been flying under the radar since he assumed his c ... More >>

The Eight Toughest Soldiers Texas Ever Produced (Featuring Heroism, Betrayal & Many Dead Bodies)

Audie Murphy, starring in the story of his own life​Our war heroes are presented to us in different varieties. There are those we create for ourselves, in the mold of what we think a hero should be: David Crockett (nobody but Walt Disney called him Davey), astride the ramparts at the Alamo goi ... More >>

The 10 Best Warplane Films, According to Real Aviation Buffs (No Top Gun, Thank You)

Featuring a proto-beatnik jet pilot​With the possible exceptions of horses and ships, no other non-speaking entity has starred in so many motion pictures as the airplane. And we love airplanes. We love them so much we've probably seen every last airplane movie worth watching, and even more tha ... More >>

Green Berets' 50th Birthday: Five Best Pop-Culture Moments

One hundred men we'll test today, but only three win the Green Beret.​The Green Berets, at least the unit everyone thinks of when they think of the Green Berets, are 50 years old tomorrow. President Kennedy, on one of his romantic James Bond flights of fancy, approved activating the U.S. Army' ... More >>

Hybrid Theory

Stars in Indonesia, Houston rockers VerseCity hope their new album catches them up at home.

Ingredient of the Week: Soy Sauce

Photo by John SuhKikkoman low-sodium: good for dipping sauces​Last week, we brought you fish sauce, the essential ingredient of southeast Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese. This week, we feature a sauce of Chinese origin whose use has spread all over Asia and even the world. Read on, a ... More >>

Tuesday, August 9, 2011 Deals of the Day

​Today's VOICE Daily Deal from the Houston Press is good for 50 percent off ($20 for $40) authentic Thai cuisine at Bangkok Chef. You'll find Thailand in the middle of Downtown Houston with Thai classics including noodles, fried rice, curry, seafood, duck specialties and vegetarian options all ... More >>

Bin Laden Mission: Six Other Notable Raids; Three That Worked And Three That Didn't

You don't want Chuck Bronson coming after you.​There are uncountable things that could have gone wrong in the raid that ended up with Osama Bin Laden dead; operations like this usually have the odds against them. The Bin Laden raid will join the ranks of historic missions, some famous because ... More >>

My Favorite Meatball Banh Mi at Thim Hing

Mai Pham​Walking into Thim Hing Banh Mi (11107 Bellaire Boulevard at Boone), it's as if I've been transported to somewhere in Vietnam. The grayish-green linoleum has seen better days, the Formica- topped tables are chipped, the dark-brown diner chairs have that circa-1970s look, and if I worr ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Fava Beans

luvjnx​What are they? Immortalized by Dr. Hannibal Lector in the Oscar-winning film Silence of the Lambs, these fat, light green legumes are one of the oldest cultivated plants in civilization, and they're currently in season. Coming in a pod that's around six inches long, they require a lit ... More >>

Breakfast of Champorado-ions

​On my last visit to Filipino restaurant/grocery store Wok n Roll (which is, itself, inside another grocery store -- the H-E-B at Bellaire and Highway 6), I picked up a few items to take home. One of those, a bright red pouch of champorado, has been languishing in my pantry ever since. Champo ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

According to foraging experts, there is food in this picture. Hahahaha. Those silly bastards.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where in ten years we'll make a fortune when we start auctioning off our stockpile of Four Loko. We kicked the week off with a cautionary f ... More >>

Ten Songs Worse Than A TSA Pat-Down

​Today is the biggest travel day in the United States, according to the airlines. That means many of you will be experiencing for the first time the intrusive X-rays or demeaning pat-downs handed out by TSA as part of their new "You Assholes Don't Have to Fly, You Know" business strategy. Kee ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

A gentleman from Animal Farm lays out some bait to capture the elusive ManBearPig, said to be delicious if prepared properly.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where trading leftover Halloween candy has eclipsed fantasy football around the office. We've even got a st ... More >>

Top Five Under-Appreciated Juices

Food ThinkersWhatever happened to carrot juice? ​I know everyone and their mother are gaga for pomegranate and acai, but there's other ways to get your fruits and vegetables in liquid form without reverting to boring old apple and orange juice. Here are five juices you may have overlooked rec ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

It would be easier to keep Godzilla out of your neighborhood.​ Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where discussions on where to go for lunch routinely erupt into violence, the way our comments section almost did over our article on food vs. service. Some believe that, ... More >>

Jonathan's Grill/Pampanga's

Stir-Fried Ong Choy with Garlic

​When I was growing up, one of the few ways my mom got me to eat my veggies was by stir-frying them. Looking back, I'm glad it was this and not a broccoli milkshake. Ong choy is a green, leafy vegetable native to East and Southeast Asia. However, because it has grown like a weed since its in ... More >>

Top 5 Chicken Soups to Fight Off the Winter Blues

​Between the unforgivingly cold and dreary winter we have experienced this season and the plethora of respiratory infections it brings, soup is on our mind - chicken soup. Isn't it funny how we ignore this dish ten months out of the year, but relish it when we need a warming winter pick-me-up? ... More >>

Banh Cuon and Bug Juice

According to an expert, North Vietnamese food without water beetle essence is like a hot dog without mustard.

Enough About Mi

Is the authentic little Vietnamese noodle shop Banh Cuon Hoa #2 too adventurous for your tastes?

Tony Thai & Sushi Restaurant #2

Under the Sea 3D

Web exclusive!

The Fish Fall in Love

The Global Lens Film Initiative screens two movies about women and destiny

All You Need Is Larb

The food can be great at Sabai Thai, as long as you order the right dishes

Steak and Peanut Butter

Lemongrass Cafe: A hip Bellaire spot with a hit-or-miss menu

Desperately Seeking Sandwiches

With Givral's temporarily out of commission, Houstonians scramble to get their banh mi thit fix

Reel Worlds

Houston mines international gold with the Pan-Cultural Film Festival

Dish

Back to Wok

A pair of Asian pioneers return to blaze new (if familiar) paths

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