Familiar faces in Houston media and the hospitality industry share their favorite destinations in Asiatown. This is the third installment of a three-part series. (Here is the first part, here is the second part.) For more features related to Houston’s Asiatown dining scene, click here.
LILY JANG, Lily Jang Real Estate
Ethnic heritage: Asian
How long a Houstonian: Entire life
Favorite Asiatown destinations: Jasmine Asian Cuisine (9938 Bellaire Blvd.), Kim Son (10603 Bellaire Blvd.) and Kung Fu Tea (9889 Bellaire Blvd.)
In the battle of phở vs ramen, who wins? “Pho, hands down.”
Favorite comfort food: Korean barbecue (kalbi)
DAI HUYNH, food writer
Ethnic heritage: Vietnamese
How long a Houstonian: 35 years
Best-kept secret in Asiatown: Harbor Seafood Restaurant
In the battle of phở vs ramen, who wins? “Pho, of course, but only my mother’s. Otherwise, the ramen shops tend to do a better job than the pho shops in Houston. It’s a shame.”
Favorite comfort food: “Lotus-wrapped rice with Chinese sausage, ha cao [shrimp dumplings] and xiu mai [pork and shrimp dumplings] at HK Dim Sum (9889 Bellaire Blvd.). Dim sum and tea are a weekend morning tradition for me and my daughter.”
Kristine Nguyen also created the recipe for the Atatawa Twist cocktail, as featured in the summer 2017 issue of My Table. Photo by Becca Wright
KRISTINE NGUYEN, bartender at Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar & Spirits Lodge
Ethnic heritage: half Korean, half Vietnamese
How long a Houstonian? 5 years
In the battle of phở vs ramen, who wins? “Pho! I grew up eating this dish with my family, so it always feels like comfort food for me. There are different styles of pho as well, so it’s always interesting to try all the different ways people make their broths and how it’s served. You can sort of guess the general area in Vietnam they might be from, or what kind of style they might prefer.
Favorite comfort food: “Banh xeo was something I ate a lot growing up. You can find it at most Vietnamese restaurants as “crispy pancake” or “sizzling cake.” I don’t see bun rieu [a fresh, sour Vietnamese soup, often with crab and tomato] very often, but when I do I order it immediately.”