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 its small area with tables, or opt for takeout –  the most popular option.

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

It’s hard not to love this fashionable Malaysian eatery by Alex Au-Yeung, a 2022 James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Best Chef Texas. Walk inside, and you’re greeted by a giant neon sign that says “FEED ME” and a breakdown of “Phat,” an acronym for “pretty hot and tempting.”  What’s more, if you don’t know what to order, knowledgeable servers are well-equipped to assemble a belly-busting family-style tasting menu filled with the restaurant’s greatest hits, like roti canai, Hainanese chicken, beef rendang, sizzling tofu, and mee go reng. A la carte options are also available, along with Phat’s new handcrafted dim sum menu. Go hungry, and plan on having leftovers.

The claim to fame at this pho house is the #16 yummy pho, which comes with a giant short rib. Fish out the short rib and cut it up using the provided pair of scissors to perfect the meatiest, tastiest 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, because why not? If you’re up for the challenge, try taking on the $50 Pho Challenge —  two pounds of meat and two pounds of noodles, plus broth — for a chance to win a $200 cash prize.

Don’t want to venture to Chinatown for your Vietnamese food fix? The restaurateur who operates Com Tam Saigon used to own a place on Bellaire Boulevard, but sold it a few years ago, only to set up shop in Katy Asian Town. This means those beloved plates of com tam bi cha thit nuong (broken rice with shredded pork skin, steamed egg meatloaf, and grilled pork) are the real deal. No frills and family-friendly, this place is also easy on the pocketbook, with most standard rice plates ringing in under $10. If you’re longing for something other than broken rice, the menu offers a selection of appetizers, bun (rice vermicelli), fried rice, banh hoi (thin rice vermicelli), and stir-fries as well.

At this moderately-priced, family-friendly spot, bop to the sound of K-pop while dining on Korean staples ranging from seafood pancakes and the beautifully plated dolsot bibimbap rice, to Korean Army Stew hot pot. Post-COVID, the “galbi” part of the bon galbi name is now only offered in two forms: as a sizzling platter of spicy pork ribs (dwaeji galbi), or in the stewed, galbi jjim version. The latter usually sells out by dinnertime, so if you want to indulge in beef galbi, better to stop in at lunch.

A great spot for when you’re craving an ice-cold treat, Sul Bing Su offers the Korean answer to Taiwanese shaved ice – bingsu, a finely milled shaved ice dessert. The sweets shop has also expanded its menu to include Mochinut mochi donuts and Chung Chun Korean hot dogs, so it’s now a triple Korean threat. Start with the Volcano Spicy Hot Cheeto Dog, add in a half dozen or dozen assorted mochi donuts with flavors like churros or black sesame, then top off your night with a strawberry cheesecake or mango bingsu.

If you grew up on Fung’s Kitchen dim sum, then you’ll love Dim Sum Box Katy. A new concept by Gilbert Fung, whose family owns Fung’s Kitchen, you’ll find more than 40 steamed and fried dim sum dishes — shao mai dumplings, har gow dumplings, lava buns, and more — as well as excellent, super-crispy Peking duck at this stylish fast-casual, counter-service spot. With communal seating and a handful of tables, this location is ideally suited to smaller parties, but takeout reigns supreme. Packaged in bright red, microwave-safe takeout boxes affixed with adorable har gow logo stickers, order extra for breakfast or lunch the morning after.

One of the most famous international hot pot chains in the world, Hai Di Lao is 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 your real-life server is otherwise occupied. The restaurant also excels in food quality, with an extensive complimentary sauce bar, the option to have not just two but four types of broths, and signature items like Kobe beef, and dancing noodles, which comes with its own dancing noodle show. Birthdays are especially fun, with an elaborate song and dance show, while 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 quieter than its Bellaire Boulevard counterpart, but it still has the goods. Decorated with mood-setting neon, a colorful mural, and a wall sign that glows with the words “Hennything is Possible,” Giau serves as an excellent late-night spot for drinks and superb Vietnamese drinking food, 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 then order whatever nibbles you’re in the mood for. Solid choices include the fish sauce wings and the bo luc lac shaking beef rice plate.

Known for its traditional presentations of Japanese ramen, this Seattle import is serving up some of the best ramen in the greater Houston area with six types of noodles and a variety of broths, including shoyu, shio, tonkotsu, spicy, and more.  Start with a bowl of the best-selling garlic tonkotsu shoyu, add the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly for good measure, then revel in the soulful depth of the milky, 20-plus hour pork bone broth. Other highlights include the tsukemen dipping ramen and izakaya-style small plates, like gyoza or agedashi tofu.