Houston • Chinatown food day
My Houston Chinatown Food Day: Bánh Mì, Fish Cake Soup & Taiwanese Chicken
I spent a morning eating my way along Bellaire, starting with a Vietnamese sandwich and somehow still finding room for soup, a smoothie and fried chicken. These were easy stops for trying different flavors without making every meal a big splurge.
What I ordered
Don’s Cafe: special-combo bánh mì
I’d had the ham and pork sandwiches before, but this time I tried the special combo and ate inside. It came out quickly, with meat, cilantro, carrots, cucumber and jalapeños.
The bread had some crackle without scraping the roof of my mouth. It was filling and easy to eat. Of the ham, pork and special-combo sandwiches I’d tried, the ham was still my favorite.
Bún Chả Cá Đà Nẵng: fish cake noodle soup
After the sandwich, I ordered a small bowl of fish cake noodle soup. I loved the firm, dense texture of the fish cake, with its little bit of sweetness and savory flavor.
The broth was light and clean-tasting. I added herbs, vegetables and Thai chilies, then enjoyed the noodles and bamboo shoots with it. This was comforting without feeling overly heavy.
Linda’s Tropical Fruits: a bright pink smoothie
I stopped for a smoothie and found it refreshing and less sweet than I expected. It had red dragon fruit, but I don’t remember the exact menu name. That bright pink color definitely stood out.
Tapioca House: Taiwanese chicken nuggets
I ordered the snack-size chicken nuggets at spice level three out of five. The pieces were bigger than I expected and stayed juicy inside. I loved the fried basil with the chicken.
Level three didn’t taste spicy to me, so next time I’d go higher. Even the snack portion had plenty of chicken.
How much was it?
- Don’s Cafe sandwich: $5.25; my sandwich and bottled water were about $7
- Fish cake noodle soup: Small $10.95; large $11.95
- Tapioca House snack-size chicken: About $6
These are the prices shared with my June 2024 video. I don’t have a confirmed price for the smoothie because I also bought fruit. Check current menus before visiting.
What would I order again?
I’d go back for Don’s ham bánh mì, the fish cake soup and Tapioca House’s chicken with fried basil. For the chicken, I’d choose a higher spice level next time.
Restaurant details
Don’s Cafe
Address: 9300 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
Bún Chả Cá Đà Nẵng
Address: 12168 Bellaire Blvd, Ste 333, Houston, TX 77072
Linda’s Tropical Fruits
Address: 10600 Bellaire Blvd, Ste 114, Houston, TX 77072
Tapioca House
Address: 9104 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
Check each stop’s current hours before planning your food day.