The contestants on Top Chef have nothing on the man breaking down papayas and pineapples behind the counter at Chinatown’s Star Ice & Teriyaki when it comes to knife skills and speed. The fruit is for the variety of shakes and shave ice, but this little counter service cafe (not to be confused with drinks-only Star Snow Ice) also specializes in Taiwanese comfort food.
Lines are out the door on weekends, with people clamoring for fried silken tofu cubes, golden brown and garnished with sautéed onions and jalapenos, and a milk tea. If you’re new to bubble tea, the simple strong black tea and cream mixture is a good entry point but there are all manner of flavors available from melon to taro. A few tofu cubes come toppled on top of the generous rice plates as well, the most popular being the fried pork chop with fried egg and bok choy in a portion large enough for two. It is a little greasy, but not more than you might expect from fried meat, and certainly tender. The beef noodle soup is also extremely popular and an equally large portion of flat noodles and melt-in-your-mouth beef.
After ordering, grab whatever free table you can find. A server will find you – I don’t know how, since you aren’t given a number, he just will – and bring you your food. Be prepared for reverse sticker shock as two people can feast for $10 or under. Money just works different in Chinatown.
Note: The restaurant, located at 9889 Bellaire Blvd., is cash only. If you’re having trouble finding it, look for the Don Huang supermarket. Star Ice is in the same shopping center near Juice Box and Fu Fu Cafe.