The crown jewel in restaurateur Mike Tran’s growing empire, Mein is one of the city’s best spots for Cantonese cuisine. The housemade noodles are a star of the menu, made from scratch daily and tossed in XO sauce or served with a variety of meats, veggies, garnishes, and broth on the side. The crispy duck leg, served with tender pancakes, is also a must.

Dim Sum King has been in operation for over a decade and continues to provide Houstonians with dim sum dishes galore. Whether it's the steamed shrimp dumplings, rice soup with pork blood, spareribs, chicken feet, or king crab shu mai, Dim Sum King offers an array of flavors and dumplings that don’t disappoint.

Launched in 2007 with the goal to share some of the most riveting aspects of Korean cuisine, this national restaurant chain is a top spot for Korean BBQ in Asiatown. Head to the Asiatown location in a group and start with an appetizer, like warm tofu or kimchi and pork soup and an order of pan-fried or steamed dumplings. Then, dive into cuts of marinated barbecue beef, pork, and chicken that you grill in the middle of your table.

For the best soup dumplings and crispy-bottomed bao in Asiatown, no place holds a candle to One Dragon Restaurant. A mom-and-pop shop with just 10 tables, the husband is the cook, while the wife runs the front of the house. Staff are friendly, and there’s always a wait during peak hours. Beyond the dumplings, highlights on this Shanghainese menu include braised pork belly, seasonal vegetable plates, and the crispy red bean dessert.

Bring a crowd and order one of the excellently-priced group meals at this James Beard-nominated Sichuan eatery, which comes with a variety of house favorites like water boiled fish, cumin beef, pot-roasted tilapia, and a selection of appetizers. For solo diners, the mapo tofu and red oil dumplings are not to be missed. Beyond its Asiatown outpost, Mala has four other locations in and around the city.

This beloved OG Asiatown restaurant does a little bit of everything. Want Chinese barbecue? Roast duck, roast pork, soy sauce chicken, and char siu can be eaten in or taken to go. Want live seafood? The tanks house everything from live king crab to spot prawns and fresh fish. Hot pot and stir fry, fried rice, and noodles are also on offer. The key here is to order multiple dishes and enjoy them family style.

Since 2013, this Asiatown establishment has been offering its take on Chinese and Vietnamese seafood, with dishes like peppercorn Dungeness crab — as visually appealing as is is delicious. The black pepper lobster, crab fried rice, king crab, and walnut shrimp are more than enough to satisfy a seafood lover, but if looking for a different form of protein, try the Peking duck with a side of snow peas.

With three locations in Sugar Land, Plano, and Houston, this Taiwanese breakfast spot has earned rave reviews for its rice rolls and savory crepes filled with fix-ins like kimchi, egg, seafood, bacon, sausage, and more. Try their soy milk that’s offered sweet or salted.

Belly up to one of Houston’s best bowls of pho at this chef-endorsed pho spot. A loyal crowd of regulars, including lauded chef Justin Yu, swear by its noodle soup as one of the best lunches in town and an ideal hangover cure. If the pho craving strikes late, head to its sister shop Pho Binh By Night for noodles from 4 p.m. to midnight.

For traditional pull cart service and delicate dumplings, head to this dim sum haven known for its truffle shu mai, tofu pork rolls with oyster sauce, and delicious, steamed mushroom and chicken bao. Be warned — this place gets packed with lines winding outside of the building, but service is usually swift.

Find traditional Malaysian cuisine in a fast-casual setting at Banana Leaf. The Penang assam laksa, or hot and sour noodles in fish broth are worth writing home about, as is the restaurant’s housemade roti with curry dipping sauce.

Spotlighted on David Chang’s Houston episode of Ugly Delicious, this modest family-run restaurant specializes in Central Vietnamese cuisine. People fall head over heels for the steamed rice cake saucers called banh beo chen and the chewy glutinous shrimp dumplings (banh quai vac). Regional specialties like bun bo hue (spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup) and mi quang (turmeric noodles with pork and shrimp) are also solid picks.

The owners of Duck N Bao recently opened this all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant in Asiatown’s Dun Huang Plaza. Priced at $33 per guest, guests are welcome to enjoy their choice of meats and seafood — all grilled in the center of the table — along with banchan during a 90-minute window. As a bonus, the restaurant features a menu of South Korean spirits like soju and makgeolli.

As its name playfully suggests, this restaurant puts the spotlight on Japanese-style hot pot, aka shabu shabu. Choose from proteins like sirloin bavette, filet mignon, pork belly, and prime ribeye and watch your meat cook in boiling hot bowls of broth that are available in 6-, 8-, or 14-ounce sizes. Add fish balls with roe or a whole egg to amp up your pot.