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One Dim Sum
On my way into downtown yesterday, I came across the signage to this restaurant driving down Gray. I knew of the Michelin-Starred Dim Sum restaurant heading into Katy Asiatown, but had no clue this was even in the works. Apparently the former sous chef of Yauatcha has found a new home in what was once Maba Pan-Asian Diner. It was too late for me to stop in last night, so I made it my first stop this morning before I ran any errands. It was a good thing because the place quickly filled 15 minutes into the restaurant opening at 11AM. I was apparently the only Asian who missed the…
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Bellaire Street Food – Fat Ni BBQ
While you can usually find me at soft openings of the latest food offerings around town, I specifically waited a few months to let some of the crowd die down a bit at the Bellaire Street Food before braving the crowds. I wish I could say I was rewarded for my patience, but it was a HUGE disappointment. Fat Ni BBQ was rather unimpressive and that’s putting it mildly. I ordered a variety of things and all the skewers tasted the same — like it was sandblasted multiple times in cumin. Actually, I’m pretty sure the animal pre-slaughtered was fed a diet of strictly cumin and then sent to die…
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Spicy Girl
I’ve long decided that I prefer Cantonese food to Sichuanese food, but still wanted to try this place out and see how it compared to the other Sichuanese restaurants popping up around town. Visiting on a weekday, I was able to easily find parking and was seated promptly upon arriving for a 7:45PM dinner. Our server was incredibly nice and able to offer suggestions on what to order when I told him I liked spicy but didn’t like Sichuan Peppers. I would have loved to try the 3 course Duck dish ($56), but not knowing if I would like the quality of the food, I didn’t want my first meal…
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Wanna Bao (Take 2)
I couldn’t stop thinking about their scallion pancakes so I made another visit to Wanna Bao — this time in the evening right as they were opening up for business. Since I had multiple dining companions with me, I was able to order and sample more items off their menu. The pancakes were on point and will be a staple order whenever I dine here. Unlike the previous dining experience, the shrimp soup dumplings arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. They were flavorful, but comparable soup dumplings CAN be found in Bellaire. I do, however, like the option of having authentic tasting dumplings near work. The Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck…
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Wanna Bao
Having seen the restaurant show up repeatedly in my social media feeds this week, I decided to stop by for lunch today. They have a fairly decent parking lot that accommodates around 20+ cars, but all those spots were taken at 11:40AM. Add to it the Midtown construction and neighboring streets with the no parking signs, and the whole ordeal made for a stressful parking situation. The restaurant was packed and it took a good 5 minutes before the hostess sat me. It was then I realized that they were severely understaffed with only 2 waitstaff serving the entire restaurant and the hostess doing double work. I was given a…