Per Governor Greg Abbott’s plan to reopen Texas, restaurants are among the businesses allowed to open back up. But as we all continue safe social distancing practices, many restaurants have chosen to continue to offer ways for you to “dine out” at home, rocking some mighty fine takeout and delivery options. In our “Dining ‘Out’ at Home” series, we’ll cover some of the best to-go options in town, from the juicy burgers that hold up in transit to restaurants bringing happy hour to your door.
Whether you’re looking for traditional Cantonese cuisine or mouth-numbing Sichuan, Houston’s array of Chinese restaurants will not disappoint. Here, we highlight five local favorites offering takeout and/or delivery.
5 Must Try Takeout Chinese Spots in Houston
- Hunan Bistro in Asiatown – Scallion pancake, pork soup dumpling, fried whole fish in bean sauce, cumin beef, and Hunan-style rice and noodles are all on the menu at this Asiatown standby. As are hot and sour chicken gizzards, braised pork with chili peppers, and pressed salted duck. Order online for takeout, or get delivery via GrubHub and DoorDash.
- Mala Sichuan in Asiatown, Katy Asiatown, & Montrose – With a James Beard nom under its belt, this fiery Sichuan eatery has become a Houston institution. At Mala, complex spices comes in two forms: the “ma” flavor, a pleasant numbing sensation you get thanks to Sichuan peppercorns; and the “la” flavor, that fun, tongue-scorching heat you get from chili peppers. House favorites include the couples lung slices (spiced, simmered, and chilled slices of beef shank, beef tendon, and honeycomb beef tripe), hot red oil dumplings, water boiled fish and beef, mapo tofu, and tea-smoked duck (there are specials by location as well, including Montrose’s dry pot prawns and Chinatown’s live tilapias). Order online for pickup, or get via UberEats and Favor.
- Mein Restaurant in Asiatown – If you’re not in the Asiatown area, this modern Cantonese spot from restaurateur Mike Tran is now available on DoorDash. Look out for fantastic dishes from head-on soy prawns, honey roasted charsiu, and bone-in crispy duck to squid ink fried rice, fried shrimp pork rolls, and Hong Kong style wonton soup.
- Pepper Twins in Montrose & more – Rocking locations in Montrose, River Oaks, Galleria, Upper Kirby, Pearland, and Katy, this local gem highlights peppercorns imported from Sichuan, China alongside high-quality ingredients from farm-raised Berkshire pork and organic eggs to Kokuho rice and Spring Mountain chicken. Dig into hot diving fish, dan dan noodles, sweet and sour eggplant, Mongolian beef, and fried rice with chicken and pineapple. Call the nearest location for pickup or lookout for delivery on apps including DoorDash, UberEats, and Eat24 (varies by location).
- Siu Lap City in Midtown – You’ll find real deal Chinese barbecue at this Midtown haunt, previously a popular bbq spot in the now-closed Long Sing Supermarket. Grab takeout to dig into rice plates loaded with succulent, crisp roasted pork, pork belly, and duck alongside duck sauce and hot chili oil; or go for Peking duck, bbq pork ribs, braised beef tendon, and soy sauce chicken. Delivery is also available via GrubHub.
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