Jollibee

All of a sudden having fried chicken cravings.  Ended up at Jollibee's. 

Stuck with my Chickenjoy selection with 2 piece and fries.

I'm not going to lie, they work some kind of magic so that the fried chicken is not oil and not dry.  It's super moist and not greasy to touch, despite it being fried.  

The fries, however, left letter to be desire.  I would say that I do ask for a side of gravy, and you dip the fries in there.  Weird, I know, but they offer it for a reason, and it works.  Try it.

For dessert, I got the Peach & Mango Pie.

Reminiscing of Mickey D's pies, there are pieces of fruit in here.  It's pretty good.  And even though it looks exactly McD's pies, I won't hold it against them.

Jollibee

8001 S. Main Street

Houston, TX 77025

713-665-8914

https://jollibeeusa.com

 

Van Leeuwen

Went back to Van Leeuwen for some ice cream.

This is something so New York, which I love.  They really do pay attention to details when they open the shops away from their home base.

You see the team is busy training and serving.

If you want to grab some to go, or haven't had a chance to go to the store to grab a pint to go?  No worries, you can grab some here while you wait for your turn.

By the way, I did see folks getting a bunch of sundaes to go.  So that is possible if you are close enough for them to not melt.

So, what did I get?  I got a scoop of Mint Chip.  The mint is not over empowering, the chocolate is a darker flavor than the milk ones you get.  It all are great together.  It is on the pricier side, but for good ice cream once in a while is worth it.

Van Leeuwen

Rice Village

2565 Amherst

Houston, TX 77005

https://vanleeuwenicecream.com/scoop-shops/#houston

 

Hungry's - Memorial Location

This is my first time going to Hungry's on Memorial location.

It has a nice patio and plenty of parking.

When I sat down, the Spinach & Artichoke Dip was just calling my name.... Yum!  So good, needed more chips, but still good.

Then we got more joining our party and we added the Baked Goat Cheese.  It is also good, I'm just partial to the spinach dip!

Got a good o' Gyro Plate.  You get so much meat that comes with the dish, but not enough pita to hold it all.  I would recommend splitting it and then get a side salad and make a lunch out of it.  It does come with veggie, onion, tomato & tzatziki sauce.

The service here is great, maybe because it's small, we were welcomed but not hovered.  They were attentive when we ask for stuff like tea, changes seats due to rain, and dessert.

Hungry's

Memorial Location

14714 Memorial Dr

Houston, TX 77079

281-493-1520

https://hungryscafe.com/locations/memorial-drive/

 

Voodoo Doughnuts - Houston

While we were having dinner across the street, Voodoo Donuts caught my eye.

I knew they have a location on Washington, didn't realized the Montrose location is opened. 

Made popular in Portland, Oregon; they are trying to blend in with the locals by highlighting what Houston has to offer. 

This is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cannolo, it really is like eating Reese's Peanut Buttercup but with bread.  The dough reminds me of kolache taste, but lighter on texture.  I do kinda regret not getting the spicy margarita cannolo though.

In the upper left corner there is part of Tango Mango.  It was actually pretty good, it has real slices of mango in there.  Not too sour, but has enough of a zing in there.  It's pretty good.  Though, eating can get messy.  Best cut it open.

This is Vicious Hibiscus.  The frosting is hibiscus flavor, which you don't see a lot.  In Austin, you can find hibiscus tea easily but not so in Houston.  So, had to try that.  It was sweet but because the texture of the doughnut is the tradition raised yeast, every bite gets a nice little balance in there.  The sweet gets to share with the dough, and comes out not too over empowering.  

I did see a lot of cake doughnuts and usually that's what I'd go for.  Looks like I'll be going back for those. They have the Tradition cake to Old Fashioned.  Of course, must try their Bacon Maple Bar, which is what put them on the map.  Oh and their Apple Fritter is like 3 times as big as the fritters I've been getting, so that's another visit to itself.

The place is fun, bright, the staff play Japanese Anime theme songs that gets the party mode running.  And yes, they are open 24 hours.  With so many variety of doughnuts to choose from, you'll be sure to come back to try different ones again and again.

Voodoo Doughnuts

1214 Westheimer Rd

Houston, TX 77006

346-355-7666

https://www.voodoodoughnut.com

Acme Oyster House - Houston

Finally got a chance to visit the newly opened, highly acclaimed Acme Oyster House.

Hailed from New Orleans, I do wonder how this all works.

So glad they kept the theatre sign.  One of the few in Houston, and one of 4 inside the loop.

For drink, I got the Pear Mojito.  It's pretty sweet, which is totally to my taste.  So much so that I got second one.

Got Craw Puppies.  One of the best puppies I've had in a long time.  The filling does use true crawfish and you can see bits and chunks.  You don't feel like you're eating batter here.  On top of that, the remoulade sauce matches up perfectly.  Be sure to dip.

Chargrilled Oysters.  The server was just telling us that they do have fresh oysters but it's milky.  Well, in that case then let's to chargrilled.  They put cheese and butter sauce on it.  It's so good, I could do 6 more.... by myself.  YUM!

This is recommended to us by our server, the Butter Bean Plate.  I'm not a beans person, but it does taste very good.  The trick is that you do need to order the hot sausage to go with it, even though it already came with shrimp.  The flavors blend together well.  It does, however, have a very strong resemblance to red beans and rice, except this is lima beans and rice, but still worth checking it out.

The other dish we got was the Seafood Étouffée.  I like the roux, reminds me of the Japanese Curry texture (but not the flavor of course).  Our server taught us a trick and that is ask for the Chipotle Tabasco sauce, and mix it together.  Sure enough, without it is ok, but after adding it, the flavors kicks it up 5 notches.  If you order this, make sure to do that!

Let's talk timing.  First of all, they do not take reservations.  They look like they have a Waitlist on Yelp but that is not on whenever I checked.  So, still check the Waitlist, but do your homework.  I was reading on Yelp for folks that visited recently and have an idea what the wait situation would be.  We were supposed to meet up at 5:30p thinking folks would start early from Happy Hour.  I happen to arrive a few minutes before that, and the seating situation was 45 mins for inside table wait.  Bar, you're welcome to grab a free seat.  I happened to ask about outside seating which they have about 10 tables out there.  And grabbed one of the outside ones.  There are 3 on an upper step and 6-7 out by the side.  Don't worry there are a lot of sidewalks between your table to the curb.  When it rains, however, the wind will blow it over to you and you will get dashed with some rain.

Parking is also a similar story.  When I got there, there were a few spots to be had and I was too slow for them.  Do drive around the block and be sure to read the signs.  On the side of the building where Kung Fu tea faces, has a bunch of spots from a construction lot.  At night, no one is around and it's free for all.  I happen to found a spot behind the building.  Street parking is ok, be sure to look at the signs.

Acme Oyster House

1201 Westheimer Rd

Houston, TX 77006

346-571-2071

closed Mon & Tues

https://acmeoyster.com/houston/

 

Random International Snack

Here's a random international snack. 

This is Lays potato chips but with the Sushi Seaweed Flavor.

I will say that I like the size of it.  It's cute and tiny, so when you have half a pack, you don't feel super guilty about it.  That said, the texture of the chip is definitely not like the natural potato chips texture.  It's more like the olean texture.  Then, the seaweed flavor is definitely saltier but it is also mixed in with someone else.  The flavor overall tasted more artificial than a normal bag of Lays potato chips.  Probably won't try this again, but glad I tried it and found out.  If you tried this before, what did you think?

 

The Cooking Girl

This week looks to be all Asian Cuisine all week.  

Had a Moms Dinner with a neighbor who was craving Cooking Girl.

I got the Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetable.  I just appreciate how pretty they made this dish.  One complaint though, was that there should be a lot of sauce, but it's not the usual amount here.  I love the sauce and pour it over rice, it's so good.

By the way, the vegetable is hidden underneath the pork there, so in case you're curious what its wrapped under, that's basically chopped preserved veggies.

Stir Fried Green Beans, basically they stir fry it with garlic, which is what the little dots you see on there.  Definitely gives it more flavor.

I like their online ordering system.  It lets you pay with PayPal or in person.  The staff there are on the ready when I walked in to pick up.  Everything packed and ready to go, as a matter of fact, orders were all lined at the bar for pickup.  Very efficient system.  You can also order via DoorDash or GrubHub for delivery too.

Cooking Girl

2400 W. Holcomb Blvd

Houston, TX 

832-548-1338

https://www.thecookinggirls.com

 

Kim Son - Rice Village

For a rainy day, some comfort food is needed.

Kim Son had since took over the NAM space in Rice Village.

We started the appetizer with fried egg roll.  You're supposed to grab some lettuce, wrap the egg roll inside and then dip into the fish sauce.  I love these growing up, so it's definitely fun and crunchy goodness.

Then we ordered good o' fashion pho with beef.  You see it comes with a lot of broth, and you can add noodles if you know you'll be enjoying the noodles more.  Tons of beef slices, onion and the pack came with bean sprouts, mint leaves, and lime.  Of course they pack you with sauces and spoon too.  They really think of everything you would want to add to a bowl of pho.  

They gave you so much broth as a matter of fact that we had enough to make our own noodle soup the next day.  So you get a lot out of one order.  The online ordering is super easy and ready to be pick up quickly after the order has been confirmed.  Super convenient.

Kim Son Cafe

Rice Village

2512 Rice Blvd

Houston, Tx 77005

713-533-1188

https://kimsoncafe.com

 

Hako Bento

Went back to order from Hako Bento.

 

This time they are offering the Baby Bento.  Less frills but all the essentials are there.  I got the Teriyaki Beef which comes with rice and side of veggie, which I chose kimchi to kick up some flavors.   That is for $6, which is a great price for the flavor and quality you get.

Since it was Tako(yaki) Tuesday, I also ordered a serving for $5.  I would say, compare to couple other places in town.  They have the most squid and less batter.  For $5 is well worth ordering, it is usually $7 per order.

This blob of mess is actually hiding Brussels sprouts underneath.  It's in there, I promise.  They poured on the bonito flakes.  I was hoping the sprouts has more crisp to it.  It's not bad, but because it's delivered, it was a tad soggier on the bottom than on the top layer.  But not bad.

I like that they have so many customization on their online ordering system.  And talk about being the best people pleaser, they also have set up with the most commonly used food delivery service too.  So, it makes it super easy to have lunch delivered to you.

Hako Bento

2802 S. Shepherd

Houston, TX 77098

https://www.hakobento.com

Teahouse

All of a sudden have a hankering for Bubble Tea.

Which did you all hear about the Boba Shortage.  I don't think it's here in Houston yet, but be careful, it's on its way.

Even though what I had in mind walking in was a Bubble tea, when I saw the menu, I had a change of mind.  Instead I got the Red Bean Cream Blend.  It's basically cooked aduki beans and add ice to blend.  Sadly, there were still lots of ice chunks but otherwise the flavor is nostalgic and tasty.  It's something I get when it's hot and I want something sweet with texture.  It is thicker than milk tea, and cooked aduki is already have this muddy spread texture and to blend ice with it, it's thicker.  Which I don't need any boba to add to that.

Teahouse

2089 Westheimer Rd

Houston, TX 77098

713-526-6123

http://teahousebeverage.com

 

Lady M

First you order on line, and you get to pick when they will deliver.

Perfect for planning any kinds of occasions.  Of course, having a fancy cooler bag to keep is also a perk. 

Ahh, the logo that I know and love.

We got the Fans Favorite, which is a mix match of their most popular sellers and a seasonal cake.

We have Chocolate Mille Crepes, which by the way, they provide you a little tube of chocolate shavings to go along with it.

Green tea Mill Crepes, which comes with Matcha powder for you to sprinkle on top.

This is the seasonal flavor, which is Passionfruit.  It does have a little zing to it.

Of course, the must-have is the Vanilla.

Now having had it, I was reminded why their cake so special.  Every bite has the proportion of cake with cream.  The cream is not heavy or over-bearing yet they definitely express the flavor to you, and there's not mistake about it.  You get that every bite.  That's why they are able to sell their cakes as much as they do. 

If you are able to catch any shipping deal or any discount, I highly encourage you order from them.  Even though it's frozen, the quality did not compromise.  I would do this again for another special occasion. 

Lady M

https://www.ladym.com

 

McHugh's tea - Mother's Day Tea to-go option

For Mother's Day, we're still not quite ready to dine-indoors...

Luckily, McHugh's tea has an to-go option just for that reason.

We have a very nicely plated dessert.  It has Rose Cupcake, Brownie, and Lemon Bar.  The Lemon Bar is pretty buttery and the Brownie is pretty darn chocolatey.

For tea sandwiches we have Cucumber sandwiches, which I thought that was too much butter on that.  Chicken Salad Sandwich which are pretty good.  Last but not least, Pimento Cheese sandwich which are as classic as they come. 

For scones, this was interesting... we got Vanilla Matcha and Blueberry scones that day.  I've never had Matcha scones before.  The flavor wasn't too empowering, it went well with the clotted cream, strawberry jam and lemon curd just fine.  The blueberry you can really eat chunks of the blueberries.  I really fell in love of the spread, all 3 of them are worthy.

So what about the 'tea' part of the tea?  Well, they give you these little tea bags and you can to pick your own tea on the wall.  At first, I thought they would brew it for me instantly, but instead they gave me the loose leaf tea in a 2oz bag with these filter tea bags to bring home.  Those bags cost anywhere from $10-12, so I'm pretty impressed with that.  Now, I have to get more tea bags or find my sifter.

Even for to-go you do need to make a reservation for it, so that they have enough for that day.  Also they are pretty clear that they do not text, even though their phone number does look like it wouldn't, it's a good o' fashion land line.  So, please make sure you speak to someone.  

McHugh's Tea

5305D Bissonnet St

Bellaire, TX 77401

713-218-6300

https://www.mchughtea.com

 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

Been eyeing the Van Leeuwen truck all around town for the entire week. 

Instead, I caught their station, no truck.  

Yellow Rose Bourbon Pecan Pie.  I did not went inside to throw in a shot of bourbon, since I was driving, but it was a neat idea!

The day of the Grand Opening, they even invited DonkeeBoy to do a mural for auction.  He made a special design just for the occasion.  It totally reflects the ice cream and Houston. 

When I got there, I was 2nd in line.  The girl that was 1st in line was there 2 hours before me.  She was even pitching in to help the team get ready.  Not to mention, we got to talk to both Ben & Pete Van Leeuwen quite a bit.

So, what did I get?  I got their Earl Grey tea flavor.  It's one of the originals and one of my favorite from them.  It was totally worth waiting for 45 mins in line.  Because the rest of the day, the line did not die down.  It was crazy.

Friend of mine was asking, so what's the big deal.  Well, they are an ice cream institution in NY/NJ area.  I've been to a shop near my office and it is very classic NY feel.  

In talking with Pete, we were just asking, why did you guys think to open in Texas.  Since most of their shops are Northeast, and their expansion was going out West Coast.  He said out of the blue, he was thinking Dallas and Houston.  And they were talking about different metrics and realized for as big of a city Houston is, there's not a lot of artisan ice cream.  That is true.  Houstonian are loyal to Blue Bell just for a sentimental reason.  But Van Leeuwen is offering artisan flavor that are Vegan friendly, ingredients going back to the basics and just making good ice creams.  You don't get too many of those here in Houston.  That is true.  We have gelato around town, we have Amy's which is from Austin.  And you can forget trying to get Underground, you have to set a timer and get the riddle, which is like if you don't have a certain IQ, you cannot obtain.  If I have to try so hard to get a pint of ice cream, it's seems like too much work (yes, totally sour grape there).  But here you have Van Leeuwen, easily accessible in the Rice Village. The new locations will be coming to Uptown & Montrose.  I'm looking forward to more yummy goodness.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream 

Rice Village

2565A Amherst

Houston, TX 77005

https://vanleeuwenicecream.com