Thailand

What Is Houston Cowboy?

I spend too much time on the Internet, but occasionally get rewarded for my rabbit-holing with stuff like Houston Cowboy. (And this GIF of a kitten getting slapped by a cat for wearing a dumb bowler hat.) I saw Houston Cowboy floating around in a few places yesterday and decided to figure out what t ... 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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

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 >>

Bros Roofie'ing Bros

The Hangover Part II: Didn't we already see this movie?

Ethnic and Geopolitical Culinary Stereotypes as Expressed Through Google; Or, Why Do White People Eat Breakfast?

Yes, this exact thing is taking place in Thailand right now. Except not really.​The interesting thing about Google is that we ask it the kind of deeply intimate questions that we would never ask another human being, even a friend or loved one. Embarrassing questions; compromising questions; da ... 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 >>

Bangkok Soft-Shell Crabs at Nidda Thai Cuisine

​Geri Maria Harris's recent post on Houston's Top 5 Thai Restaurants definitely included one of my favorites: Nidda. Geri named stir-fried eggplant and the Nidda Shrimp as standout dishes; to that list I would add the Bangkok Soft-Shell Crabs. I'm always seeking out my favorite crustacean ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Thai Eggplant

add1sun​What is it? As you can see, they look like babies of the large, purple eggplants we're used to seeing in the grocery store. They're denser and firmer in texture than their larger, Western counterparts. The difference in texture and flavor led me to believe that these tiny eggplants w ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Thai Red Rice

​ What is it? There are several varieties of red rice. This particular bag, as far as I can tell, is just a medium grain rice with a red bran on the outside instead of brown. It is nuttier, sweeter and a bit chewier than white rice and contains more nutrients and fiber because it still contai ... 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 >>

Capsule Stage Reviews: Chess, Driving Miss Daisy, Sleuth, The Waiting Room

Trying the Pitaya

​The dragonfruit, or pitaya, is known for its great health benefits, and it's touted on the side of juice bottles and energy drinks for its vitamin, fiber and mineral-rich context. Bolder distributors even state that the fruit has been used to treat everything from diabetes to asthma. Really.

Teala's Thai-Mexican Fusion: Cochinita Pibil

​It's a little known fact that Teala's Mexican Restaurant and Bar on West Dallas actually serves a Thai-Mexican fusion menu. Thai and Mexican flavors have a lot in common -- they both use lime, cilantro and very hot peppers -- so the marriage of the two cuisines is a logical pairing.

Spotlight On: The Mangosteen

​A couple months ago, I ventured out to 99 Ranch Market and saw some fresh mangosteens parked in the middle of the fruit section. Although I was curious about how they tasted, I was put off by the price ($8.99/pound) and the fact that they looked pretty tired in comparison to the surrounding a ... 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 >>

Yummy Water Beetle Essence

​ Thai mang da, known in Vietnamese as ca cuong, is available in the U.S. in the form of an artificial extract. It has a pleasant floral aroma with a slightly funky background scent. It is an essential flavor in North Vietnamese cuisine. Former residents of Hanoi put a drop of the stuff in the ... More >>

The Burmese Come to Houston

Get in, get out. Refugees have a shrinking window of support until it's time to fend for themselves.

No Reservations: Thailand

When Anthony Bourdain and his crew visited Thailand in April, Bangkok was in political upheaval. This week's episode of No Reservations opened with flickering images of soldiers, protesters and smoke, with Bourdain admitting, "I don't know what to say about Thailand. I don't know how to make sense o ... More >>

Tony Thai & Sushi Restaurant #2

Sun Rises In East, Sets In West

Headlines that make you stand up and go "whoa": Well, not really.Fox 26 reported on a Houstonian who got picked up in Thailand for his habit of diddling young children.The headline? "Captured Fugitive Led Secret Life."Nooooo shit. We're just shocked the guy chose not to follow what is apparently the ... More >>

UH Prof, Mia Farrow Tour Third World

Red Elvises

The Red Elvises appear Monday, November 6, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk. Call 713-528-5999 for more info.

So How Big Are the Fries?

So How Big Are the Fries?

Poly Siam

All You Need Is Larb

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

Crab Shells and Stink Beans

The most authentic Thai restaurant in Space City is a wild Asian-food ride

Thai High

Do you want your dinner "bong-hit hot" or "acid-flashback hot"?

Clayed Out

An '80s yukster wants you to roll with the Dice

Man Eating Mermaid

Erawan Authentic Thai Cuisine

Bangkok on Everything

Terry Allen's lost post-Vietnam-era soundtrack re-emerges decades later

Thai Raid

In America, Thai dishes are being toned down. The Thai government wants to step in to stop it.

A Fusion Formula

Chef Chai's Italian lemonade

Where the Home Fires Really Burn

Vung Thai Cafe serves the food your mom would make -- if she were Thai

Getting to Know You, Again

Sumptuous, massive and lyrical, Anna and the King is a classic reborn

News of the Weird

Hot Plate

Dish

Press Picks

Sticking to Tradition

The Golden Room has a way of keeping the spirits happy

Thai One On

Sawadee trades in summery charm and sweet -- but engaging -- Thai cuisine

Thai and Thai Again

Nit Noi Thai restaurant has cloned itself -- which means more of their exquisite sauces to go around