Yakitori. 

Spicy Cucumbers.

Spicy Shoyu Ramen. 

Fried Doughnuts and Pandan Custard.

Tiger Den is located in the hottest strip mall in Chinatown, Houston amongst the some of the best such as ShareTea, Kung Fu Tea, Juicebox, Fu Fu, and many others. There was a clipboard where you could sign your name on a list, but we waited no more than 10 minutes at 9 o’clock on a Sunday night. The restaurant has a darker, bar-like feel that is immediately brightened up by their enthusiastic servers. We were seated on a long community table but there were booth and table options as well. Loved it!

The menu consists of a number of appetizers as well as an extensive Yakitori menu, which makes this a great spot for bar hopping. Yakitori literally means “grilled bird”, but as the menu states, the more modern interpretation of yakitori could be any type of protein grilled on a skewer over a charcoal grill. We ordered the Chicken Wings yakitori with soy marinade. These wings were a treat! You could really taste the chargrilled flavor!

The spicy cucumbers are a must-have. The spices appeared a bit overwhelming, but the cucumbers were light and refreshing, a necessity for a balanced ramen meal.

I can’t enjoy  my ramen without a bit of kick so I opted for the Spicy Shoyu Ramen. The broth was well-balanced with the right about of spice and the perfect amount of richness. I find that ramen restaurants tend to veer towards an overly rich broth, but Tiger Den does it well with the perfect mixture of richness and depth.

I’m not finished yet! The Fried Doughnuts and Pandan Custard were amazing. It’s a simple and fairly “light” end to a great meal. Excellent job Tiger Den!

Regrets: Not trying the Tsukemen, dipping ramen noodles. It was highly recommended but we weren’t in the mood.

Rating: 5/5 spoons!

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

Uh oh! Watch out Teahouse! It looks like there’s a new tea house in town! I’ve been going to Teahouse for many years. It got me through graduate school. It’s always so refreshing and Teahouse hours are excellent for students! I love that Teahouse is open very early, however, I’ve recently been going to Kung Fu for my bubble tea needs and I must admit that the balls are more delicious here. Other bubble tea joints will either have the texture down, but no flavor or vice versa. The combination of good flavor and texture is rarity…until Kung Fu Tea! The teas here are very true to flavor. None of that watered down, bottled stuff. The tapioca pearls are the perfect texture and are very sweet. My only complaints are that Kung Fu Tea doesn’t open early and I wish it was a more convenient drive. There are two locations: Sharpstown and Montrose. Don’t get me wrong, Teahouse will always hold a place in my heart, but Kung Fu Tea is new favorite.

My go-to drinks: Black Tea with half sugar and tapioca OR Black Milk Tea with tapioca

Rating: 5/5 spoons

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

Har Gow. Chicken Feet. Xiu Mai. 

Steamed Sticky Rice with Mushroom and Pork. 

Steamed Egg Custard Bun. 

Xiu Mai Rice Noodle. 

Shrimp Rice Noodle. 

The staple dim sum dishes are the rice noodles, xiu mai, har gow, and when you’re ready for it…chicken feet. Chicken feet is considered a dim sum delicacy. Fung’s Kitchen has THE best. It has the perfect balance of flavor, but only order whenever you’re ready for it. There is an off-the-menu item, which I don’t know the Chinese name of but I order directly through the waitress. It’s called “The Rice Noodle with the Crunchy Stuff, Shrimp, and Chives”. They used to offer it every day, but now they no longer offer it on busy days or weekends. It’s my favorite rice noodle dish though so be sure to order it if you’re there on a weekday. Another item that I love at Fung’s Kitchen is more of a dessert option: Egg Custard Steamed Bun. It’s a moist sweet bun filled with ooey gooey goodness.

For those who are new to dim sum, you may be subject to all sorts of new and interested tastes and textures. Once I took my friend here for the first time, she was weary at first but began craving dim sum every Sunday for the next few years we were both in Houston. It’s that good!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

It was Restaurant Week in Houston so there were some options to choose from on their tasting menu…

Bradley’s Caesar. Whole leaf romaine. Parmesan. Croutons.

Popcorn Shrimp. Watermelon. Cilantro. Chili-lime aioli.

Pan Roasted Trout. Corn relish. Cherry tomatoes. Brown Butter Caper Sauce.

Yankee Pot Roast. Garlic Mashed potatoes. Roasted baby carrots. Buttered breadcrumbs.

Chocolate Banana Cake. Chocolate Cookie crumble. Salted Caramel Ice Cream.

Bradley’s Butterscotch Pudding. Brown Sugar Rosemary Cookie.

Yum. What else can I say? Everything was presented beautifully and well-composed. The flavors were on point. From the tasting menu that we ordered, my favorites were the Popcorn Shrimp, the Pot Roast, and the Butterscotch Pudding. Being a Southern girl and coming from a place where seafood is exorbitant and prepared just “a bit” differently, I’d have to say that the fish was a little under-seasoned for my taste but is probably great for West Coast palates. Down South, we tend to “blacken” our fish and it could be overwhelming for milder palates, but Bradley’s fish was a more delicate and refined dish. Still, very good! “The Chef” ordered one dessert and I ordered another so we’d have a variety, but I really wish we ordered two of the Butterscotch Puddings. It was surprisingly delightful…and I wish I didn’t have to share it! 

What can I say? I’ve been here twice and I’ve enjoyed every bite! Why are you still here? Set your reservation tonight!

Rating: 4/5 spoons

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

It’s like a gem hiding among some chain restaurants and establishments…

My view.

Smoked Salmon Sliders. 

Crab Cake con Piri Piri. Garlic Pepper Aioli. Avocado Puree.

Kobe Beef Burger with carmelized onions. 

 Fish N Chips. Alaskan cod.

Our meal definitely lived up to the expectations…Best fish n chips I’ve ever had. Maybe it was the amount of delicate crispiness or maybe it was the perfectly cooked tenderness of the Cod OR it was just plain delicious!

Honestly, every dish was delicious…I wouldn’t mind going to THIS diner right about now…

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.