houston food – ChefsGirl

Thai Spice Express (Sharpstown, Houston, TX)

chefsgirlnola@gmail.com — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 00:49:36 +0000

Every time I go to Houston, it’s mandatory that I go to Thai Spice Express. There’s multiple locations throughout Houston but this one is my favorite! It’s got the best and homiest Thai food around! I’ve also tried quite a few other restaurants in the city and they may be nice BUT not as flavorful. There’s counter service, they bring the food to you, and you pay afterwards.

Pad Ka Praw. Ground Meat. Green Beans. Chili Basil Sauce.

Spicy Combination Pad Thai (with chicken, shrimp, tofu, and egg).

Yellow Chicken Curry.

My favorite items to order are Pad Ka Praw, Spicy Pad Thai, Yellow Curry, and Green Curry. The portions here are usually rather large so it’s best shared family style. You can add spice to anything to kick it up a notch. Other items that I enjoy: Fried Whole Fish, Thai Tea.

Any particular specials to pay attention too? YES! If you’re looking for single portions, there’s a great lunch special for $6.99. If you happen to work in the area and looking for a homey, delicious lunch, this is THE spot. I miss it and wish we had one in New Orleans!

Rating: 5/5 spoons!

Pizaro’s Pizza Napoletana (Montrose, Houston, TX)

chefsgirlnola@gmail.com — Tue, 21 Jun 2016 04:37:39 +0000

I recently made a quick trip to Houston, TX to visit some friends and a new pizza place had popped up in my old neighborhood! It’s called Pizaro’s, a family-owned restaurant that began in the Memorial area and has now expanded to Montrose. They make fresh dough in-house and bake their pizza pies in a brick oven. It’s BYOB so be sure to take advantage of that if you like to enjoy your pizza with friends and an ice cold beer or glass of wine!

Fresh dough, made in-house.

Pizza Makers ready to go!

House Salad.

Fumé. Olive oil. Garlic. Smoked Mozzarella. Basil. Smoked Prosciutto.

Patata e Funghi. Sausage. Mushroom. Truffle Oil. Mozzarella. Rosemary. Garlic.

Arugula Pizza with Iberico Ham (the most expensive ham in the world!). Note: There is an upcharge for Iberico Ham for $11.

The pizzas came out very quickly! Service was great and even though it was counter service, someone would come by occasionally to check on us. The pizzas were quite good. The crust was thin and doughy. I do wish there was a bit more of a chewiness to the dough, but I still enjoyed it. The space is very family friendly and great for large groups as well. Looking for Napoletana pizza in the Houston area? Pizaro’s is the home of napoletana pizza in Houston! The customer service was exceptional and really made our large group feel welcome!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Tan Tan (Chinatown/Sharpstown, Houston, TX)

chefsgirlnola@gmail.com — Mon, 04 May 2015 18:00:43 +0000

Houston has a ton of late night food options and Chinatown probably has a majority of them. One of the more popular spots has to be Tan Tan. My mom and I drove in from New Orleans around 12:30 AM and were looking for something good to eat. We’ve been to Tan Tan and they’re well-known for their hot pots. We ordered the Seafood Hot Pot…

Great late night food option. You’ll even see families out here!

Hot pot veggies.

Seafood selection.

The server brought out a huge plate of veggies and a plate filled with an array of seafood: shrimp, fish, mussels, oysters, fish balls, etc. The veggies were fresh and I loved that they provided a lot, but I can’t say the same for the seafood. The amount of seafood was okay, but the quality was subpar. The fish seemed freezer burned. The shrimp and mussels seemed somewhat chemical-like, as if they put something on it to preserve it. The only thing that I could eat on that seafood plate was the oysters, fish balls, and imitation crabmeat.

I’ve been to Tan Tan in the past and I know their stir-fry and appetizer dishes aren’t bad. I would never order anything that is “fresh” here again, but then again, they didn’t advertise “fresh” on the menu. Just Seafood Hotpot. I will be back to Tan Tan, but for safer options like the fried rice or egg pancake. I’m just disappointed that considering they are known for their hot pot, they failed. Tan Tan continues to be a decent late night option, but be cautious of the quality and freshness of seafood and meats.

Rating: 2/5 spoons

Crave Cupcakes (Rice Village, Houston, TX)

chefsgirlnola@gmail.com — Mon, 04 May 2015 02:58:13 +0000

Cupcakes are the perfect dessert. It’s a portion controlled sized cake. I’m not saying it’s a healthy option, but it’s definitely a smaller version of a could-be much larger cake slice. There was once a time I was obsessed with Sprinkles’ Strawberry cupcake, that is, until I found out about Crave’s delicious Strawberry Cupcake…

Coconut Cupcake. Vanilla Cupcake. Strawberry Cupcake. Margarita Cupcake.

While I visited Houston, I had to visit my top favorite places to eat and Crave Cupcakes was one of them. (Especially since I’ve been craving cake so badly lately!). I find that the Strawberry Cupcake is much more wholesome and fruity. There are small chunks of strawberry within the super moist cupcake and the flavoring is very subtle. I really enjoy the sprinkle that Crave Cupcakes uses too. It’s a softer and more edible sprinkle compared to Sprinkle’s sprinkle (theirs is almost unedibly hard). My only disappointment is that we don’t have a cupcake place this good in New Orleans!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Common Bond Cafe & Bakery (Montrose, Houston, TX)

chefsgirl — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 19:37:12 +0000

During a mini trip to Houston to move my last few belongings back to New Orleans, a friend had recommended Common Bond for “the best croissants”. I did a little research and found that the chefs and staff at Common Bond all have extensive training from the top restaurants and culinary schools from around the country as well as experience in Europe. Looks like a pretty accomplished staff and it’s very evident…

Pastry display.

Macarons.

Americano.

Cappacino.

Soft Scramble. Daily veg.

Homemade Sausage, Egg, and Pork Sandwich.

From top to bottom there was something so refined about every menu item. It was pretty busy, but service was still great! I loved the soft scramble. It was very delicate so I would recommend adding a sandwich to make the meal a little heartier. I really liked the almond croissant (not pictured). It was light flavored with amaretto and wasn’t too sweet. Unfortunately, I’m leaving Houston so I won’t be able to frequent Common Bond as often as I’d like, but I’ll definitely be back.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Straits (Westchase, Houston, TX)

chefsgirl — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 04:24:00 +0000

On a mini tour through Texas and my first stop..Houston! My previous post was on a great sandwich joint called Local Foods (click HERE for my review)…a local sandwich shop owned by Benjy’s. After a great lunch with the boyfriend, the next stop? A girl’s night at Straits. They had a great dinner menu filled with small, delicious plates. The restaurant atmostphere was perfect for a girls night out...trendy, but still comfy! And the drinks were delicious…unfortunately, they were gone before I could photograph them…

Roti Prata. Yellow curry dipping sauce.

Spring Rolls.

Singapore Satay Sticks. Spicy Peanut Sauce.

Murtabak. Roti Prata. Spiced Beef. Curry Dip.

Every dish left me wanting more. For a bar scene, the dishes were well thought out and infused with homey, yet rich flavors. I’m not gonna lie…we ordered more than one Roti Prata. It’s not a girl’s night if you can’t load up on carbs! haha…It’s okay. We paid for it at the gym…

I have yet to try their official dinner entrees, but if these small plates are a reflection of what they have to offer, then I can’t wait!

Local Foods (Rice Village, Houston, TX)

chefsgirl — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 03:31:57 +0000

There are plenty of restaurants in Houston, but I’m so surprised by this “local” food joint! Decor is very cool yet still very casual.

Truffle Egg Salad. Market greens. Parmesan. Aioli. Pretzel bun.

Posole. Green chili. Chicken. Cilantro. Lime.

Duck Confit. Arugula. Cranberry Preserve Aioli.

This has to be my favorite sandwich joint in Houston! I’m not even the biggest fan of chicken/egg salad type sandwiches, but their Truffle Egg Salad blew me away.

Fat Bao (Houston, TX : Kirby)

chefsgirl — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:26:00 +0000

There’s a new restaurant in town! Fat Bao took the traditional steamed bun and converted it into a delicious new concept. Steamed buns were most popularly stuffed with delicious roasted Peking duck, but Fat Bao has taken that idea and created their own variety of stuffed steamed buns, delicious appetizers, and even desserts…

Avocado Chips. Panko crusted w/ Jalapeno Dip

Crab Daddy Bao. Soft shell crab. Spicy mayo. Asian Slaw. Bulgogi Bao. Beef ribeye. Kimchi. Green onions. Peking Duck Bao. Roasted Duck. Green onions. Hoisin sauce.

Curry Bao. Beef brisket. Cilantro. Pickled Red Onions.Crab Daddy. (close up)

Peking Duck (left) and *Special*: Fried Portabello Bao w/ Asian Slaw

Fried Bao: Cafe du Monde Bao (left) Spicy Chocolate Bao (right)

Something so simple, but transformed into something so delicious! The idea of stuffed baos is not only impressive but the quality of the food is unexpected. Along with good food, the customer service here is awesome! Check this place out..you’ll love it!

Torchy’s Tacos (Houston, TX)

chefsgirl — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 04:08:00 +0000

I travel a lot between New Orleans and Houston so I thought I’d spice this blog up a little with some Mexican food!

Torchy’s Tacos was originally an Austin taco joint, which expanded and finally reached Houston. Austin is known for it’s laid back atmosphere and character and you can definitely see that in Torchy’s menu and atmosphere…

I ordered To Go so it’s not plated up as nice as when you’re dining in, but I tried!

Chicken Fajita. Tender marinated & grilled chicken breast. Grilled onions and peppers, cheese and pico. Flour tortilla.

Taco of the Month: Tuk Tuk. Marinated and grilled Thai beef fajitas. Cooked cabbage slaw. Pickled cucumbers and carrots. Sriracha. Avocado sauce. Jack Cheese. Lime. Crushed peanuts and mint. Corn Tortilla.

The next taco I’d love to try is “The Independent”…it has hand-battered deep fried portobello mushroom strips and more…but it had me at portobello…

Whether you’re dining in or ordering take out, Torchy’s is a great place when you’re craving some delicious tacos. The service is always friendly and helpful and food service is quick. The tacos vary from authentic Mexican versions to creative concoctions that are just as delicious. I know Houston has tons of taco joints, but Torchy’s will definitely satiate that taco craving!