houston restaurant review: hu’s cooking

Houston, Texas is the mecca of Chinese food in the South. And whether you’ve grown up eating Americanized staples like orange chicken or dining on dim sum weekly, Houston has something for everyone’s Chinese craving. 

As a non-Houstonian, this breadth and depth of Chinese cuisine was intimidating at first. From Peking Duck to specialty noodle dishes, there’s just so much Chinese food that we didn’t know where to start! But after a few months of gradually exploring Houston, we’ve found a place that truly stands out from the pack. And that place is Hu’s Cooking! 

The thing about Hu’s Cooking is its quality. The caliber for food here has remained high and consistent. From the eggplant with garlic sauce to the pan-fried pork dumplings, it’s clear that each dish is created with a ~flavorful~ purpose. Huever (get it 😏) started Hu’s Cooking is a diligent and committed individual, because their food is shipshape. I’m sure you guys would much rather hear about the actual food now, so I’ll get to it now!

As my friends know, I consider myself an eggplant with garlic sauce connoisseur – and the eggplant at Hu’s cooking might be the best I’ve ever had 👀. Chinese eggplant is traditionally grilled until it’s smokey and crispy, then cooked in a rich savory garlic sauce. Now doesn’t that just sound good anyway? So it was to my surprise that Hu’s eggplant was noticeably different than other ones I’ve had. The garlic sauce was the sweetest I’ve ever tasted, and while this is a savory dish, the sweetness of the sauce and the savory eggplant just melt into delightfulness.

Another dish that caught our eye was their Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings. Dumplings are usually not the mainstay of a Chinese restaurant that doesn’t specialize in dim sum. But Hu’s dumplings were noticeably delicious. These dumplings have a dichotomous texture – with a crispy, seared bottom, yet with a smooth top. On top of that, the pork is good quality and tasty. Moreover, I think these dumplings are so good that I’ve gotten them every time I’ve ordered from Hu’s! 

Lastly, I really like their Fried Noodles, especially the House Combination version. Chinese noodles are usually cooked fairly quickly after they have been cut and shaped; this ensures the noodles keep moisture so that they can absorb the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. And let me tell you, these noodles are tasteful indeed 😏. 

I have enjoyed Hu’s Cooking very much during my time in Houston thus far, and so have some of my medical classmates! (hi Parker lol) So go give Hu’s Cooking a try and share with us what you think!