Asia Market Swaps Locations for Larger Digs Outside the Heights

The beloved Thai grocery and restaurant Asia Market has had a good run in the Heights, earning years of adorations since opening its doors in 1983 at its original location at 4721 N Main  -- soon to become the dwelling space of another Thai concept, Foreign Correspondents -- but owners Lawrence and Narumol (Noi) Allen are ready for an upgrade.

In a late night email announcement, the husband and wife team announced their move to a larger property at 4822 Fulton in the Northside Village neighborhood. This marks the third move for the business, which relocated to its current location at 1010 West Cavalcade in 1987 under its original owner. The Fulton location will also become the first full-fledged, stand-alone restaurant since the pair took over ownership duties in 2007. Under their direction, the menu expanded and additional seating were included to the in-store restaurant. The new location -- which is currently undergoing renovations -- is spacious, providing more room for diners.

As for the market portion, Thai, Cambodian, Lao and other Southeast Asian delicacies will continue to be readily available on Cavalcade. Whether the Allens will expand the retail component to accommodate for more goods or keep an abbreviated menu are unknown for now.

With a larger dedicated space for cooking and dining, it'll be interesting to see if further dishes will be added to the already expansive menu. One thing is for certain: Chef Chris Shepherd of Underbelly, whose cooking is heavily influenced by the restaurant, will be a regular as will the many fans of this longtime Houston fixture.