Yes, This Is Houston: Superb fried chicken at a Vietnamese steak house? Oh, why the heck not? The succulent Cajun-fried Cornish hen at Super Steak & More [2826 Kirby, (713)523-3200] will suspend your disbelief. The trick, says owner Joe Ng, is deep-frying the plump little hens in a flash of pure vegetable oil, which renders the skin super-crispy while keeping the meat within moist and tender. We suspect the real magic is his “secret blend of spices” rubbed in after the frying’s done: garlicky and spicy with just a touch of sweetness, a little bit Asian, a little bit Cajun. The dinner plate ($10.95) includes a whole Cornish hen, your choice of two vegetable sides, a house salad and a sweet yellow dinner roll. At lunchtime get a half-hen with the same trimmings for only $6.99. You can dine in at the tiny cafe next door to Becks Prime, pick up orders to go or ask for home delivery in a limited area. Nice touch: Each item in your go-box is carefully wrapped in foil before Styrofoam boxing, so what’s hot stays hot. (Oh, and did we mention the steaks are darned good, too?)
This article appears in Oct 14-20, 1999.