Thread by @GeneforTexas

Back from Austin, I had to visit one of my favorite comfort food places:

Xiong's Cafe 老地方
9888 Bellaire Blvd #150, Houston, TX 77036

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So this is one of my family's favorite hole-in-the-wall places. It's a real mom & pop shop. Mom runs the counter and Pop runs the kitchen.

There are few better place for fresh noodles and pot-stickers.

(Pic: That's right, Chinese benches for seats. Old school!)

Outside of noodles and other hot dishes, you can get cold apps from the fridge next to the counter.

Just grab what suits your fancy.

Self-serve millet porridge. Really, old school.

Just add a little chili and soy sauce and you have a tasty appetizer.

(What is millet: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet)

Condiment bar:

Left to right...
Raw dog whole garlic (for real gangstas)
Minced Ginger in oil
Minced Garlic in oil
Garlic chilli paste
Roast chili in oil
Cilantro & soy sauce

Make your own mix. There's no wrong way.

This is what I picked out.

Millet porridge.
Sliced marinated pig ears.
Pickled wood-ear fungus.

The pig ear is a bit tough right out of the fridge, but it's magical when you put it in your hot soup.

The real deal.

Spicy beef tendon soup with fresh noodles.

Soooooooo good. The soup is amazing. Probably cooked for hours.

The broth is deep and rich. So much protein has dissolved in it that your lips stick together after drinking a spoonful.

If you have never had fresh noodles (opposed to dry noodles) you have been missing out.

The texture and springiness are totally different. You'll never go back once you've had it fresh.

Ok. This is going to be contentious.

This is slow cooked beef tendon. It's gooey, slippery, and sticky.

If you grew up eating Asian textures, this is heaven. It feels like food made by someone who cares about you.

If you aren't used to it, it's a sloppy sickly mess.

Pot stickers!

Traditional style, with open ends. Perfectly browned.

Hand made with fresh dough. The skin is wonderfully springy. Juices gush out when you bite down.

Eat it with a little black vinegar and chili paste.

What does all this awesome food cost?

Oh. And...

Soup Noodles = slurping (perfectly acceptable when eating Asian food)

But slurping = dry cleaning.

Here's my patented tie protection maneuver:

(Laugh all you want. It works.)

I'll end as I always do.

Try new thing
Go on adventures
Life is too short
Don't eat boring food

If you like for me to cover a specific place, let me know.