Phat Eatery is a malaysian restaurant in Spring Branch, Houston.
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.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Beef rendang, Roti canai
Must 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.
Address: 23119 Colonial Pkwy, Katy, TX 77449, Houston
Pondicheri in Houston is Anita Jaisinghani's modern Indian room at WestAve on Kirby Drive since 2011, with masala omelette breakfasts, thali plates.
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.
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.
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.
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 Walk-ins usually OK.
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.
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.
Lankford Grocery & Market in Houston is the 1939 corner-store-turned-burger-shack on Dennis Street in Midtown, with the Grim burger, weekday breakfast.
Signature: Grim burger, Eggs and grits breakfast
Order: The Grim (a Hatch chile burger with American cheese, jalapenos and house sauce).
Tip: Cash and card. Closed weekends. Sit at the picnic tables outside; the indoor counter is a single bench.
