Reason #15 Houston Food pwns - Pho Danh

T

TXHookem

1,000+ Posts
I've heard so much about Pho Danh as one of the best pho places in town. Didn't disappoint. I went to the Hong Kong Market location on Bellaire and picked up a small #1 pho - really good. The place was packed and I was one of two non-Asians in there - always a good sign. Highly recommended... even if you don't like pho, go there so you can see the sign on the entrance doors... "No Guns, No Pop Pop, No Fireworks"
 
While the place might be good, I wouldn't compare Houston food to Austin any day of the week. My wife reminds me daily how good Austin food is and how much she wants to move back.

That said, maybe I can talk her into trying this place out.
 
Austin has Pluckers on Houston. It also has far superior BBQ. I'll even throw in that you have a better selection of sandwich shops in Austin too. However, every other category belongs to Houston, from Asian to Greek to Seafood.
 
Problem is, this "great" food is in Houston. I don't give a **** how great the food may be, it isn't near good enough to get me to spend any time in that town.
 
When I go out for pho or dim sum, I want to be one of the few "round eyes" in the joint... and for pho.. pile on the chili sauce, cock sauce and satay.
 
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I will not give in to the Houston crowd when talking BBQ, Mexican food, comfort food or burgers. I also don't believe there is anything close to Hudson's on the Bend in H-town. Then there is Jeffry's, which can hold its own.

Though there is an argument, locally, about which is best, there are no better pancakes in the world than Kerbey Lane or Magnolia.

Oh...even though it falls into the Mexican food category, Fonda San Miguel needs to be mentioned on its own, as an upscale.











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I don't even know where to begin. Anyone who thinks that Austin food is even in the same league as Houston food is so ignorant of the facts that a discussion of them would be pointless.

Hudson's on the Bend?? Yeah.. It's nice. I've been there several times. The problem is that there are dozens of Houston restaurants that are equal to or better than Hudson's. To say that none can hold a candle is just plain silly.

Ever been to Tony's? Mark's? Cafe Annie? DeMarco? Mockingbird? Fuad's? Vargo's? Post Oak Grill? Polos? Churrasco's? America's? Rainbow Lodge? Ruggles? Masraff's? Colombe d'Or?

Bernard
 
...and you're naming some of the more famous/established ones. A place like Dolce Vita has pizza that is light years ahead of anything in Austin. Go across the street from Dolce Vita to So Vino and you can have another fantastic dining experience on a totally different level. Places like the Grove or Voice are nowhere to be found in Austin.

Oh... and then you've got the amazing "kid in a candy store" type of experience you can have at Phoenicia. I finally visited for the first time today and there were so many items I wanted to buy. Unbelievable. We're making kafta kabobs tomorrow...The Link
 
Thanks for all of the suggestions. I'll have to hit a couple of those places the next time I am in Houston, which should be........never.
 
Wow, I guess I hit a nerve.
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Whether or not anyone agrees with me, it's my opinion. With the limited sample I've had in both Houston and Austin, I personally would pick Austin any day.I don't have enough money or time to try all of these places y'all have mentioned so my opinion is based on what I've experienced.

In reply to:
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A couple of thoughts:

This thread wasn't a slap at Austin, so all you Houston-haters should try to get a life.

Pho Dahn is great and we love it. We sometime s stop in there after dim sum at Ocean Palace.

I just discovered a new Pho place closer to my house at Wilcrest and Westheimer called Pho One. We're having lunch there today.

Phoenicia Market is awesome. I've been going there for years, (back when it was a tiny little place across Westheimer from the current superstore location). Dozens of kinds of olive oil, olives, pistachios, cheeses, wines, etc., etc., etc. Love that place. The sun dried tomatoes are worth the trip.

Within five minutes of Phoenicia:

Mexicos' Deli - #1 Authentic Mexican in Houston per the Houston Press. Tacos, and tortas.

Sushi Jin - #1 Authentic Japanese in Houston per the Houston Press. (We go twice a week.)

Riojas - Spanish tapas and paella.

Singha - Killer Thai food.

Tejas - Gulf Coast Mexican food. Blackened, Stuffed Redfish is incredible.

Ashiana - Classic Indian.


...and that's all within a five minute radius of the third largest city in the country.

Yeah, Houston food pwns all.

BUT, if you don't wanna come to Houston for it, "Thank you!".

More for ME!!!
 
Also within 5 minutes of Phoenicia and worth visiting are places like...

Cafe Pita Plus + - Bosnian
Marini's Original Empanadas - Argentinians
Cafay Malay - Indonesian
713 Lounge - Sushi
Inka - South American

Not a chain in the lot and all excellent
 
I've heard good things about the food at Malay... the atmosphere, not so much. Then again, a gem like Himalaya is lacking in atmosphere but it otherwise a taste bud feast.
 
IRC.. is Little Chinatown just south of downtown Houston still thriving? When I was in law school in the early 80s, we hit a number of those places... there was a small liquor store in that part of town that had a "green bamboo liquor." OH MY GOD...

As for haters of Houston and other towns, sometimes, I'm amazed at the parochialism. You can pretty much find something good to like in major cities. I'm a Dallas guy but spent 3 years in Houston in the early 80s. While I didnt particularly care at all for the humidity, or traffic or lack of zoning, the opera was exceptional and the selection and quality of restaurants was great. I wouldn't live in Houston but am not going to diss the place because of some of the good things it offers.

Some of you people sound like you're hillbillies from the Land Thief state.
 
You don't really place that much credence on those stupid fattest cities surveys, do you? After all, five Texas cities are "fatter" than Houston... Arlington, San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso and Dallas -The Link

Oh... I'm sure the survey is "now" worthless.

As for Wendy's, I'm not a fattie, despite living in Houston, and haven't eaten there in I don't know how long so I wouldn't know the nuances between Austin fast food chains and Houston fast food chains.
 
Lidig8r,

Yes,the "downtown Chinatown" still thrives though there has been some shrinkage. However, the Bellaire strip from about Gessner out to around Dairy Ashford has far surpassed it.

I've never heard of green bamboo liquor, but maybe I'll look for it the next time we're out that way.

Regarding the fattest city nonsense, I noticed that Houston lost points for a lack of snowboarding and cross-country skiing facilities.
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