Bao Ong

Houston

Restaurant Critic at Houston Chronicle

@HoustonChron restaurant columnist. Proud Vietnamese-speaking Midwesterner. Slowly learning French. Gin collector. Tennis fanatic.

Articles

Review: This is Houston’s top destination for marvelous Japanese hand rolls

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

"Come to Houston for sushi" is not something I thought I’d tell friends and family before moving here a few summers ago. But you don’t need a restaurant critic to tell you that Japanese restaurants continue to open at a clip that dwarfs our city’s newest options for steakhouses or Tex-Mex. Our choices are many: Seafood buffets that go viral on TikTok. Nigiri and sashimi zipping down a conveyor belt. Trendy hand roll bars where you can swoop in for a quick lunch or get tipsy on sake bombs.
Fast casual Nigerian restaurant opens in Humble with burritos, bowls and more

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

Wayne Iluyomade recently opened his first restaurant, Suya Outpost, in a strip center surrounded by businesses including a cigar shop, nail salon, sushi counter and Mexican grill. The Humble location may not be the trendiest, but the tech executive-turned-restaurateur is betting on the appeal of the fast-casual concept’s menu of burritos, bowls, salads and even empanadas rooted in Nigerian flavors.
‘Modern upscale-inspired’ restaurant opening in Energy Corridor this fall

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

Kirkwood, a sprawling upscale restaurant with the backing of a local holding company, is slated to open in Houston’s Energy Corridor this fall. The “modern clubhouse-inspired” restaurant comes from Mac Haik Restaurant Group and will be located on the ground floor of Energy Tower II, 11720 Katy Freeway. Mac Haik owns car dealerships across town, but his holding company Mac Haik Enterprises is largely focused on real estate.
The top 30 Mexican restaurants in Houston

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Alison Cook |Bao Ong |Jody Schmal

Whether it’s Tex-Mex or regional Mexican cuisines, taquerias or seafood spots, high-end restaurants or salt-of-the-earth joints, Houston lays claim to some of the best Mexican food in America. It’s a touchstone that spans cultures here, a foundational element of our ever-evolving local foodways. Mexican food revives us, and soothes us, and sits at the center of many of our civic rituals. We cannot do without it.
The best dishes Houston Chronicle critic Bao Ong ate in April

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

It’s been two months on the job for me as the Chronicle’s new restaurant critic, and as I’ve checked off more restaurants from my list, the number of of memorable dishes keep growing. Maybe it’s because we’re deep into spring and chefs are using ingredients for lighter dishes (like Shawn Gawle’s spectacular carrot cavatelli). Or maybe it’s the desserts that have satiated my sweet tooth (thanks to the shaved ice at Kira).
Perry's pork chop isn't worth it, even at 79 cents, according to our critic

1 week ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

Houston-born chain Perry’s Steakhouse trademarked its tagline: “rare and well done.”Those two words sound like kryptonite when it comes to pork chops. But I figured it wasn’t worth taking the marketing pun literally, so I drove to the restaurant’s 12,000-square-foot, two-level River Oaks flagship this week to check on the crowd-favorite dish.
How Houston’s restaurants helped connect a critic to his Vietnamese roots

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

My dad rarely talked about the Vietnam War, except when April 30 rolled around. It was always the same setting: We’d sit crossed legged on the living room floor sharing dinner in front of our one television. On old newspapers you’d find the usual spread of soup, protein and stir-fried vegetables. My three siblings and I would be scooping rice from our bowls as our parents set down their chopsticks when the news turned to anniversary coverage of the fall of Saigon.
The best restaurants in the Houston Heights

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Jody Schmal |Bao Ong

The Houston Heights has grown leaps and bounds as a dining destination in the past decade. World-class barbecue, award-winning Mexican food and intriguing new contemporary options barely scratch the surface of restaurant options available in an area of just a few square miles. These are our favorite spots right now. Note: The Houston Chronicle pays full price for every meal consumed during restaurant visits.
New ‘no-fuss’ sushi counter opens in Asiatown from team behind hit Midtown bar

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

When Ichijiku opens Tuesday in Asiatown, it’s not looking to join the wave of trendy sushi restaurants like the sleek hand roll counters and restaurants offering pricey omakase menus that have popped up across the city. Houston’s newest sushi spot, which comes from the team behind Midtown cocktail lounge Jethro’s, aims to offer a “no fuss” experience with a touch of “approachable luxury,” said co-owner Russell Malixi.
A national war over seed oils spills over into Houston restaurants

2 weeks ago | houstonchronicle.com | Bao Ong

Each Monday morning, as they slowly simmer stocks and sauces, chef E.J. Miller and his cooks at Chardon also render down the fat from bones, tails, cheeks and other cow parts for tallow. “At Chardon, we take pride in being 100% seed oil-free. Our chefs have developed a menu utilizing premium alternatives including avocado oil, olive oils and beef tallow. Bon appétit!” the new French bistro located in the Thompson Hotel proudly notes on its menu.