Subject:

Vietnamese Food and Cooking

  • Blogs

    February 17, 2012

    One Pho the Money at Pho Saigon

    This past weekend I was sick as a dog. I had to leave work early on Friday to go home and curl into the fetal position, a pitiful display which was broken only by frequent bouts of hydration and moaning. Being sick is the worst, but with the powers of modern science and medicine on my side (Z-pack ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 23, 2012

    Ingredient of the Week: Vietnamese New Year Cake

    Happy New Year! Or as the Vietnamese say, Chuc mung nam moi! It's the lucky year of the Dragon -- those born between today and February 9, 2013, are predicted to live fortunate, prosperous lives. And what better way to celebrate the new year than by eating banh chung or banh Tet, the traditional ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 12, 2011

    Nostalgia Is a Two-Way Street at Mai's

    Last week, we visited C&D Burger Shoppe for a heady dose of nostalgia along with our burgers and Frito pies. And although I didn't grow up eating C&D's mini burgers, the wood-paneled restaurant possessed such a striking sense of place that it was easy co-opt other people's nostalgia as my own. This ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 10, 2011

    A Traditional Vietnamese Family Meal at Thuan Kieu Com Tam

    One of the first times my parents came to visit Houston, their friends invited them to eat at Thuan Kieu Com Tam (10792 Bellaire Blvd; 281-988-8865), which at the time was a rather shabby hole-in-the-wall place. To hear my dad describe it, it was practically slum-like. "When I pulled up, I couldn ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 8, 2011

    Comment of the Day

    ​Katharine Shilcutt is already more than halfway through her 100 favorite dishes in town; today's entry was on pho ga. Commenter Foster Janet took a moment to admire the list so far: One thought after reading list as of now....isn't it fantastic how most of the list is ethnic in nature.  Wh ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 14, 2011

    Only In Houston...

    Hoagies & More: A family-run restaurant serving Salvadoran and Vietnamese food.​While finishing this week's cafe review off Thanh Phuong, the phrase "only in Houston..." kept wandering through my head. "Only in Houston," I thought, "would a chef like Chris Shepherd offer to stage at a tiny, f ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 14, 2011

    Breakfast: Vietnamese Steak & Eggs

    Bit Tet Weekend Special ​A typical Vietnamese breakfast may look a lot like lunch. Savory dishes are preferred; a bowl of noodles, either pho or hu tieu, and chao, a traditional rice porridge, are pretty common breakfast fare. French baguettes are a favored breakfast item as well, especially a ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 12, 2011

    My First: Banh Mi at Les Givrals

    ​My bahn mi cherry has been popped. A few weeks ago, after a vigorous yoga class at YogaOne, my yoga partner and I were famished and she suggested heading around the corner to Les Givrals. I'd never had banh mi and was excited to try it, having read several articles in praise of the Vietnamese ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 11, 2011

    A First Dinner at (New) Mai's

    Joanna O'LearyLotus Root Salad​By the time I heard about Mai's , it no longer existed. As a relative newcomer to Houston, I asked a colleague to recommend a good Vietnamese restaurant. "Mai's is terrific," she said. "I mean, was terrific. [Pause]. It burned down." (Leave it to a drama student ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 9, 2011

    Vegan Curry at Cafe TH

    ​Cafe TH continues to evolve under the careful and creative eye of owner Minh Nguyen, the former University of Houston student who purchased the old Thiem Hung bakery from its previous owners several years ago. He added more standard Vietnamese items to the menu than just banh mi, and is now s ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 4, 2011

    Comment of the Day

    ​Mai Pham went out for oxtail pho with a side of raw veal at Pho Ga So 1 and loved it. Commenter Jay Francis is a fan of the soup too: I agree with you. I came across a recipe that recommended oxtail for the base because of its perfect blend of bone marrow, fat and meat and I haven't looked ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 27, 2011

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    January 17, 2011

    Salty Lemonade at Huynh

    ​I was definitely in the mood for Vietnamese food when some coworkers and I walked into Huynh Restaurant on a chilly day last week. It was then that I realized, even though I had dined there many times before, that the place was named Best Vietnamese Restaurant in the 2010 Houston Press Best o ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 23, 2010

    Almost Christmas Eve Congee

    Photo by Sebastian Mary​On a recent post about pho ga, the Vietnamese chicken soup, I made mention of a Chow.com graph that has predicted 2011 to be the year of congee (with regard to Asian comfort food dishes). Later on, reader Sunkneelion made the request: "Article on congee, please!" Sunkn ... More >>

  • Blogs

    September 22, 2010

    The Great Food Truck Race: Finale

    ​Well, here we are--at the end of the food truck race, where the truth will be decided and destinies met and justice will fall down like rain...okay, maybe not, but still. It's been kind of fun getting a glimpse into what makes a good food truck run, even if every episode has made me hungrier ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 26, 2010

    Anthony Bourdain: "There Has Never Been a Better Time to Eat in America"

    Anthony Bourdain is a man who requires little introduction. The author of Kitchen Confidential -- the book published almost exactly 10 years ago, which catapulted him to fame -- and host of popular TV shows like A Cook's Tour and No Reservations, Bourdain is the prototypical bad-boy chef, Marco Pier ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 15, 2010

    Brand-New Banh Mi at Cafe Shoppe

    I'm a banh mi-liever.​In the 17 years since Kim Hung Supermarket opened on St. Emmanuel, the once bustling stores inside have mostly closed down and the structure -- except for the long-running grocery store that takes up the left half of the mall -- has become a ghost town. This, of course, ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 7, 2010

    Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #9 Pho at Pho Binh on Beamer

    ​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

  • News

    May 27, 2010

    A Student's Death

    Readers respond to the death of Bellaire senior Tobi Oyedeji.

  • Blogs

    May 19, 2010

    Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes #38 Banh Bot Chien at Tan Tan

    ​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 13, 2010

    Robb Walsh's 100 Favorite Houston Dishes: #42 Banh Mi Xiu Mai at Don Cafe at 9300 Bellaire

    ​Over the course of the next few months, I'm counting down 100 of my favorite Houston dishes. I chose some because they are such quintessential Houston creations, others for their cultural or historical significance, and others because they are just so damn tasty. Share your own nominations in ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 25, 2010

    Food Fight: Battle Banh Bot Chien

    ​Let's face it: You don't want to listen to me ramble on about banh bot chien, do you? If you know what it is, you love it with the kind of passion and devotion usually reserved for the Virgin Mary or rare G.I. Joe figures still in their original packaging. If you don't know what it is, famili ... More >>

  • Blogs

    March 1, 2010

    The Big 3: Shitake Mushrooms, Sriracha Hot Sauce and Monterey Jack Cheese

    ​Sriracha is having its food moment. It's everywhere, from Bon Appetit magazine to numerous chef's tables to Asian dives. And why not? It has a great flavor and allows you to really kick up the heat factor in a dish. Lately, we've been enjoying it with shitake mushrooms and Monterey Jack chees ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 15, 2010

    Bye-Bye, Mai's

    Photos by Craig Hlavaty​...and thanks for all the 2 a.m. pho. The popular Vietnamese restaurant, which had been a staple of Midtown dining since 1978, has been mostly destroyed by a fire that started in the rear of the second floor of the building at 3403 Milam early this morning. Although f ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2010

    Waiter, Where's My Blood?

    ​I ordered bun bo hue at Huong Giang Hue restaurant the other day. Stirring around in the bowl, I couldn't find any congealed blood. When the waiter stopped by my table to see if everything was all right, I complained about the missing ingredient. Bun bo hue just isn't bun bo hue without blood ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 3, 2010

    Vegan's Orders

    ​We recently ordered a meal from Banh Mi Hoàng (3509 Elgin St.) containing no meat products. We normally would send anything without a bone back to the kitchen, but our vegan accomplice urged us to take the plunge and try a vegan-certified Asian lunch. We had a tofu banh mi that was really un ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 20, 2010

    Fast and Fresh: Pho 99

    ​Pho 99 (12002 Veterans Memorial) sits in one of the many unassuming shopping centers along Veterans Memorial. To be completely honest, we were a bit hesitant when we pulled up to the restaurant. Did we have a greasy, stomach ache-inducing lunch in store for us? We walked in to find a friendly ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 4, 2009

    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 >>

  • Blogs

    October 27, 2009

    Banh Cuon: Tay Ho 18

    ​The barbecued pork in the banh cuon thit nuong at Tay Ho 18 in Hong Kong City Mall isn't as charred and crispy as the barbecued pork in the banh cuon thit nuong at Thien Thanh on Bellaire, but it's still pretty tasty. At Tay Ho 18, you can watch through a glass wall while the woman who makes ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 13, 2009

    Downtown Saigon Soup Stop

    ​When a reader asked me to recommend an excellent pho shop close to downtown where he could get a quick lunch, I sent him to the Pho Saigon location at 2808 Milam. And I told him to remember to put a napkin over his tie. The original Midtown location was opened by Houston's P.B. Tran in 1998. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 18, 2009

    Noodles You Need to Know About

    Photos by Robb Walsh​I got a medium pho with steak and brisket at Pho Binh at 10815 Beechnut for lunch the other day. I was coming down with a cold and it worked at least as well as chicken soup. Pho Binh on Beechnut is located in a shopping center. It was the winner of Best Pho in the 2007 Ho ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 7, 2009

    Protest Erupts as Alpha Bakery Suspends "Buy 5, Get 1 Free" Policy

    Photos by Robb Walsh​I was shocked to discover that the price of the banh mi thit at Alpha Bakery in the Hong Kong City Mall had gone up, but my reaction was downright civil compared to the guy in line behind me. Sandwiches were only $1.85 a couple of years ago, with the usual Vietnamese sandw ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 31, 2009

    Houston: One Tough Town for Noodles

    ​Tho Lam, a waiter at Pho One on Westheimer at Wilcrest, told me his life story the other day. Tho works for his parents Thamh Lam and Kim Oanh Vu who own the place. The name of the restaurant is a wordplay on his mom's middle name. Kim Oanh Vu comes from a famous pho family. Her father and Th ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 4, 2009

    Fish Story: Crazy Irishman Sushi Roll

    In Café this week, we sampled the "Crazy Irishman" at Soma on Washington Avenue -- one of the wildest looking sushi rolls in town. It's one of the spiciest too. The roll contains salmon, tuna, and avocado which is all wrapped in green soy bean paper and then flash-fried. The crispy roll is then t ... More >>

  • Dining

    October 23, 2008

    Shabu Chic at Shabu House

    In Café this week, we sampled the "Crazy Irishman" at Soma on Washington Avenue -- one of the wildest looking sushi rolls in town. It's one of the spiciest too. The roll contains salmon, tuna, and avocado which is all wrapped in green soy bean paper and then flash-fried. The crispy roll is then t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 10, 2008

    $13 at Nam Vietnamese Cuisine Restaurant on Fondren

    In Café this week, we sampled the "Crazy Irishman" at Soma on Washington Avenue -- one of the wildest looking sushi rolls in town. It's one of the spiciest too. The roll contains salmon, tuna, and avocado which is all wrapped in green soy bean paper and then flash-fried. The crispy roll is then t ... More >>

  • Dining

    March 23, 2006

    Pho Real

    Soup comes with chrysanthemum stalks at Pho Dung

  • News

    March 3, 2005

    Chop Sticklers

    Veterans of regular etiquette still can get forked over on ethnic foods

  • Best of Houston

    September 23, 2004

    Best Vietnamese Restaurant

    Veterans of regular etiquette still can get forked over on ethnic foods

  • Best of Houston

    September 23, 2004

    Best Asian Grocery

    Veterans of regular etiquette still can get forked over on ethnic foods

  • Best of Houston

    September 25, 2003

    Best Mall Alternative

    Kim Hung Mall

  • Best of Houston

    September 25, 2003

    Best Dim Sum Restaurant

    Kim Son

  • Dining

    September 20, 2001

    Desperately Seeking Sandwiches

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

  • Best of Houston

    September 20, 2001

    Best Vietnamese Restaurant

    Vietopia

  • Best of Houston

    September 20, 2001

    Best Pho

    Pho Tau Bay

  • Dining

    October 9, 1997

    Huynh-ing Combination

    At Miss Saigon, restaurateur Doan Huynh gets everything right

  • Dining

    January 25, 1996

    Family Affairs

    Mai's and Van Loc revel in large similarities - and small differences

  • Dining

    September 14, 1995

    Out of Vietnam

    The lowly sandwich is elevated to new heights as bnh m" thit

  • News

    February 9, 1995

    Casualties of War

    Houston's Vietnamese now call Texas home, but they continue to be haunted by ghosts of the conflict that drove them here

  • More >>
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