Craving Chinese barbecue? You’ll know you’ve arrived at the right place when you see the roast ducks hanging in the window. A traditional Hong Kong-style barbecue spot, this humble mom-and-pop is the place to go in Katy Asian Town for Cantonese roast duck, Peking duck, char siu, crispy roast pork, and more, with the option to order combination rice plates. Dine-in at the small restaurant, or opt for takeout –  the most popular option.

It’s hard not to love this Malaysian eatery by Alex Au-Yeung, a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist. A giant neon sign that reads “FEED ME” greets guest, along with a breakdown of the word “Phat,” an acronym for “pretty hot and tempting.” If stumped on what to order, rely on the knowledgeable servers who are well-equipped to assemble a belly-busting family-style tasting menu with the restaurant’s greatest hits, like roti canai, Hainanese chicken, beef rendang, sizzling tofu, and mee go reng. Go hungry, and plan on having leftovers.

You’ll want to spend hours at this Korean restaurant and soju bar. Communal tables encourage plate-sharing and imbibing, a giant flat-screen TV shows K-pop videos, and there are private rooms for karaoke. The menu is huge, spanning a variety of soups, Korean fried chicken, tteokbokki rice cakes, and everything in between — all meant to be paired with your favorite soju, beer, or cocktail. Just press the button for service.

The claim to fame at this pho house is the “Yummy” pho special, which comes with a giant short rib. Fish out the short rib and cut it up using the provided pair of scissors, resulting in one of the meatiest bowls of pho in the city. Second to the pho, try the bo ne, or sizzling Vietnamese steak and eggs, served with a thick slice of spam. If you’re up for it, try the $50 Pho Challenge —  two pounds of meat and two pounds of noodles, plus broth — for a chance to win a $200 cash prize.

A solid player in greater Houston’s Viet-Cajun food scene, Yummy Seafood & Oyster Bar is a place where you can pair seafood with a house butter-garlic sauce, spiced the way you want it. Can’t decide what you want? Splurge on the “Yummy Nator”, which comes with snow crab, crawfish, blue crabs, head-on-shrimp, and more — all in one big bowl. The micheladas are big and beautiful, and so are the Gulf oysters — just $1.00 during the daily happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m.

Located inside H Mart, this steamed bun shop is the perfect spot for baozi, filled whole buns, and guabao, folded-over sandwich-like buns. The BBQ chicken baozi with mozzarella makes for an epic cheese pull, while the juicy pork baozi is pan fried and filled with marinated pork and mushrooms. Guabao options include a Baorias, a riff on a birria taco that is fried and topped with onions, cilantro, and cheese. Make it a meal, and go with a combo that comes with French fries or a salad.

Katy Asian Town visitors looking for lighter fare can opt to build their own poke bowls at Square Root Poke. A small bowl comes with 2 proteins ,while a large offers an extra scoop of options like tuna, salmon, shrimp, and scallops. Get as creative as you like, with mix-ins including edamame, pineapple, corn, seaweed salad, and crispy garlic, then choose a sauce to tie it all together.

This Vietnamese noodle house specializes in hủ tiếu, a pork bone-based broth from South Vietnam. Bowls come with sliced lean pork and pork liver, minced pork, and shrimp. Choose between thick or thin egg noodles, or soft or chewy rice starch noodles. Pro-tip: Order a side of giò cháo quẩy, Chinese fried breadstick that can be tossed into the broth, adding a crunchy bite.

Tan Tan Wok in Katy Asian Town boasts the same menu of Chinese Vietnamese classics as its sister restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard. Find bánh bột chiên, a fried rice flour cake covered in eggs, sizzling seafood dishes, and crispy noodles. Portions are large and are meant to be shared family style. Don’t expect the same late night hours as its Bellaire location — Tan Tan Wok in Katy closes at 9pm daily.

Sul Bing Su offers a Korean twist on Taiwanese shaved ice, with bingsu, a finely milled shaved ice dessert. The sweets shop is a triple threat, as it also features Mochinut mochi donuts and Chung Chun Korean hot dogs. Start with the volcano spicy Hot Cheeto dog, add a dozen assorted mochi donuts in flavors like churros or black sesame, and top off your night with mango bingsu for the full experience.

ThaiCoon offers playful cocktails, happy hour, and a menu of Thai favorites, from som tum papaya salad to panang curry. The restaurant is spacious and clean, and features a robot server that runs food to tables. Instagram-worthy orders include the blooming pad thai, which is wrapped in a thin omelet shell, and pineapple fried rice, served in a fresh-cut pineapple shell. 

Tim Ho Wan is known as the “world’s most inexpensive Michelin starred restaurant” and it recently opened an outpost in Katy Asian Town. Get classic dim sum dishes like har gow, shu mai, braised chicken feet and steamed pork ribs. The restaurant’s most popular item by far is the char sui buns, meaty buns with a baked, slightly sweet and crispy shell. End the meal with lava custard balls.

Hai Di Lao is one of the most well known international hot pot chains in the world. Known for pampering its guests with an overflow waiting area with complimentary snacks, restrooms decked out with spa-like amenities, and robot servers for when the real-life servers are occupied, the restaurant offers Kobe beef, a complimentary sauce bar, and the option to have not just two, but four types of broths. Don’t eat and run. The nightly face-changing dance –  a form of Sichuan opera wherein the dancer’s face mask magically changes during the course of the dance – never ceases to amaze.

Tucked away in the far corner of a strip mall, this Vietnamese bar and lounge is much more low-key than its Bellaire Boulevard counterpart. Illuminated with neon lights and a glowing wall sign that reads “Hennything is Possible,” Giau serves as an excellent late-night destination for eats and drinks, particularly on weekends, when live DJs spin tunes. Try the “Bubbly Pineapple,” a passion fruit and pineapple cocktail topped with a giant bubble that pops, and order hearty nibbles like fish sauce wings or the bo luc lac shaking beef rice plate.