Houston’s Chinese food scene is far too sprawling—and its diners far too opinionated—for everyone to agree on a single favorite. Is it the restaurant that has been serving the same beloved egg rolls for decades? A dim sum institution where weekend lunch means a table crowded with dumplings? A Sichuan restaurant capable of making your forehead sweat? Or the neighborhood takeout spot whose order has remained unchanged since childhood?
DiningOut Houston recently posed versions of that question to readers on Facebook, and Houstonians had plenty to say. Across two posts, nearly 900 comments poured in, naming 29 different restaurants around the city and suburbs. The responses spanned generations, neighborhoods, and styles of cooking, but one restaurant emerged as the unmistakable favorite: China Garden.
The longtime Leland Street restaurant earned 78 mentions—nearly twice as many as second-place Fung’s Kitchen, which received 44. Cafe Ginger followed with 29, while Mala Sichuan Bistro and Cooking Girl rounded out the top five with 25 and 19 mentions, respectively. But the results also sparked a very Houston debate: What exactly do we mean when we say “Chinese food”?
China Garden didn’t simply win the poll—it ran away with it. The Leland Street institution inspired the kind of nostalgia that can be difficult for newer restaurants to replicate, with readers repeatedly singling out dishes they’ve returned for over the years…