Best Vietnamese: Xin Chào
Houston has another gem on its hand, and it’s this game-changing Vietnamese kitchen and bar from MasterChef winner Christine Ha (Blind Goat) and chef Tony John “TJ” Nguyen (Saigon House). It’s part neighborhood hangout, part outlandishly good restaurant—the kind of place where you can split pandan fried chicken and Viet-Cajun roasted Gulf Coast oysters with friends or bring a date to have your minds blown over post oak-smoked Texas beef ribs and noodles, fresh-off-the-boat whole fried fish, and smoked duck salad. Make sure to add stellar cocktails and dessert (the Rubbish Apple Pie a la Mode won the heart of Gordon Ramsay, and we’re sure it will you, too).
2310 Decatur
832-740-4888
xinchaohtx.com