Mala Sichuan Bistro in Houston is the Bellaire Boulevard Sichuan room since 2011, a Michelin-recommended kitchen with serious mapo tofu, dan dan noodles and chilli-oil dumplings.
Signature dishes: Mapo tofu, Dan dan noodles
Must order: Mapo tofu, dan dan noodles, dry-fried green beans, chilli-oil dumplings.
Tip: Cold appetiser cabinet near the door has marinated beef and tendon that are the menu's quiet stars.
Address: 9348 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
Phat Eatery in Katy (west of Houston) is the Malaysian street food kitchen in Katy Asian Town from the late Alex Au-Yeung, with beef rendang, roti canai and char kway teow.
Signature: Beef rendang, Roti canai
Order: Beef rendang, roti canai with curry chicken dip, char kway teow.
Tip: Katy is 30 miles west of Houston. Combine with H Mart and Asian Town. The Woodlands second location is the other option.
Pondicheri in Houston is Anita Jaisinghani's modern Indian room at WestAve on Kirby Drive since 2011, with masala omelette breakfasts, thali plates and a Bake Lab counter upstairs.
Signature: Masala omelette and roti, Thali plates
Order: Masala omelette and roti at breakfast. The thali plate at dinner. The Bake Lab's chai bun for the road.
Tip: Breakfast (7am to 11am) is the lesser-known peak. The thali changes daily; ask first.
The Original Ninfa's on Navigation in Houston is Ninfa Laurenzo's 1973 Tex-Mex room, the birthplace of the restaurant fajita, still serving skirt steak tacos al carbon and Ninfaritas.
Signature: Fajitas (tacos al carbon), Ninfaritas
Order: Fajitas (tacos al carbon) for two, a Ninfarita on the rocks, queso and chips.
Tip: Back patio under the strings of lights beats the front room. The bar opens 90 minutes before the dining room.
Himalaya in Houston is Kaiser Lashkari's Pakistani-and-Indian room on the Southwest Freeway since 2004, a James Beard semifinalist kitchen with lamb biryani and hunter's beef.
Signature: Lamb biryani, Hunter's beef
Order: Lamb biryani, hunter's beef, chai-glazed lamb chops, garlic naan.
Tip: Weekday lunch buffet is the value entry. BYOB, with a corner liquor store across Hillcroft.
London Sizzler in Houston is the British-Indian-Pakistani room in the Olympic Center on the Southwest Freeway, with mixed-grill sizzlers, tandoori lamb chops and the Hillcroft late dinner crowd.
Signature: Mixed grill sizzler, Tandoori lamb chops
Order: Mixed-grill sizzler for two. Tandoori lamb chops. A sweet lassi.
Tip: Kitchen runs late on weekends, to 11pm. Closed Mondays.
The Original Marini's Empanada House in Houston is the Argentine family kitchen on Westheimer in Westchase since 2007 (1971 in Montrose), with 80 savoury and 39 sweet empanada flavours.
Signature: Beef empanadas, Argentine flan
Order: Classic beef empanada (baked, the original), the corn empanada, the dulce de leche dessert version.
Tip: Order half-dozen mixed (savoury) plus a single sweet to taste. The fried versions are heavier; baked is closer to the Argentine original.
