Tucked away on the side of a parking garage, Cooking Girl would be easy to miss. While Chinese restaurants are prolifically scattered throughout Houston, this little place might be worth your time.
A simple garden aesthetic, a friendly staff, and good food. What more could you ask for?
For us, the Generals chicken is a great litmus test for Chinese restaurants: Cooking Girl did not disappoint. The Red Dumplings were fantastic. The Dan Dan noodles were not--over cooked, gummy noodles, lacking any outstanding flavor, we set those aside and focused on the better offerings at the table. Our waiter was quick to notice, though, and quickly offered other items on the menu to compensate for our disappointment. Although we declined, he brought us a delightful and complimentary fruit tea and removed the noodles from our bill. Fantastic service.
The bathroom is also really nice and accommodating to all sorts of womanly needs.
#2 Xiaolong Dumpling
Great new restaurant at 1901 Taft St. Close to the intersection of Taft & West Gray. Very nice ambience. Soft music playing in the background. Excellent food and service. Always checking on us to make sure we were okay. I ordered General Tso's Chicken and my partner ordered Chicken with mixed vegetables. Both were excellent. Great portion sizes (we brought home leftovers for another day). The owner (Helen) sent complimentary Hot & Sour soup along with extra rice home with us. I want to go back and try other entrees along with some of the appetizers soon!
#3 MF Lobster & Ceviche
Got a chance to try MF Lobster & Ceviche on St Patrick's Day. The restaurant was gorgeous and the ambience was wonderful. The staff were very helpful and really helped guide us with the menu. We ordered a few drinks and they were all 100% on point. The food though, nothing short of amazing!! You can tell how fresh the products were and that a lot of pride and effort went into the preparation. Would definitely recommend and can't wait to go back and try other items!
Located on the second floor of a food/shopping area/Whole Foods Market, Dough Zone is a great place to enjoy some good, homemade, tasty dumplings and other Asian foods without having to break the bank!
I was recommended by a friend to come and try out this place, any have said that this place was a good substitute to the infamous Din Tai Fung. I was at first a little speculative because I usually have my own places that I would like to go to have dumplings and etc.
Some of the items that we ordered were the Beef Sandwich, Pan Fried Dumplings, Pork and Shrimp Xiao Long Bao, Green Onion Pancake, and Dan Dan Noodles. Overall as a meal, I enjoyed all of these things, especially since most of these things you are able to share with a friend.
The service and servers were nice and efficent when taking care of my friend and I. They were polite, and they don't push you out quickly like other Asian restaurants do to get more business. There was plenty of seating and the place gets pretty full with hungry customers.
My only thing I would be aware of when planning for this food adventure is the parking. There are some parking spots in the front near the escalator that takes you upstairs to the restaurant, but there is also a parking garage, so have no fear!
I dropped by Pizzana shortly after they opened. I've visited them in Dallas and was excited to have them here in River Oaks!
The good: the pizzas were great. The Diavola and the Pepperoni were top notch all around. The restaurant has great design and sure doesn't feel like a Starbucks anymore. Staff are really passionate about the brand and the pizzas. Oh, and the Panna Cotta was life changing!
The less-so: the bar was really struggling on the night we visited. Our first round didn't show up until midway through the appetizer. Our dessert drink didn't show up until after we long since finished dessert. For the price point of the drinks ($16), they really need to up their game. But the time you visit, this may be resolved. I also had no issues with the price point of the pizzas, but when bundled with the prices of drinks, apps, and dessert, this quickly becomes a pricy pizza outing. At the same time, it's a unique experience. So just know what you're getting into.
All that said, very much looking forward to my next Pizzana pie. Their composition is just too hard to resist and a to-go order just too simple to place. Welcome to Houston!
Let's discuss in the comments: What's your favorite restaurant in Houston? What restaurant will you never visit again?
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