Houston Chinatown and Asiatown

Houston's Chinatown is not one street but a huge stretch of the south-west, and visitors often hear it called Asiatown. Along Bellaire Boulevard and the roads around it, shopping centres, supermarkets, bakeries and noodle houses serve Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese and Thai communities in a space that can feel like a separate city. We come for a long, slow food crawl, and we never leave hungry.

A move from the east to the south-west

The original Chinatown lay near Dowling Street, today Emancipation Avenue, in what is now EaDo. As the community grew in the 1970s and 1980s, businesses moved to the south-west, where land was more available and cheaper, and Bellaire Boulevard became the main axis. The old district still carries traces, and you can read more in our EaDo and the East End guide, which describes the current character of the area.

Supermarkets as destinations

We love the big Asian supermarkets, where live seafood tanks, towers of fresh herbs, exotic fruit and rows of sauces make a grocery trip feel like sightseeing. 99 Ranch Market is a well-known anchor, and nearby malls such as Dun Huang Plaza and Hong Kong City Mall hold small restaurants, jewellers, tea shops and bakeries. Browsing is half the fun, and a bag of egg tarts from a bakery makes an ideal snack. For wider spending options, our Shopping in Houston guide compares these markets with the Galleria.

What to eat on Bellaire

Dim sum is a weekend ritual, and the large banquet halls fill with families sharing carts of dumplings, rice rolls and steamed buns. Noodle shops serve hand-pulled noodles, beef soups and Taiwanese specialities, while hot pot restaurants cluster along the boulevard. Boba tea shops are everywhere, offering endless flavours of tapioca drinks. Korean barbecue and Japanese ramen are also close at hand, and you can eat three different cuisines in an afternoon without leaving the same block.

The Vietnamese and Cajun blend

Houston's Vietnamese community, the second largest in the United States by some counts, invented Viet-Cajun crawfish, boiled with garlic butter, lemongrass and chilli. Crawfish season runs through spring, and restaurants along Bellaire serve them by the tray, to be eaten with gloves and a lot of napkins. Our dedicated Vietnamese and Viet-Cajun page explains the style in more detail and points to other neighbourhoods where it thrives.

Getting there and getting around

No METRORail line reaches Bellaire Boulevard, so we go by car or rideshare, and a car is useful once there because the shopping centres are widely spread with large car parks between them. From the Galleria it takes only a short drive, so combining the two on a single day is simple. See our Galleria and Uptown guide for the neighbouring district.

Timing your visit

Weekends are the busiest and most atmospheric, but lunch queues at popular restaurants can be long. We often arrive just before the main rush, share dishes and order extra, because portions are generous and tables are large. During the lunar new year season, lion dances, parades and decorated malls add colour. Many places prefer cash for small purchases, so carry a little, although most restaurants accept cards.

Bringing something home

Tea, dried mushrooms, chilli crisp, instant noodle brands from across Asia and beautifully packaged snacks make easy gifts that travel well in a suitcase. Kitchen supply stores sell bamboo steamers, clay pots and rice cookers at sensible sizes for the journey.

A relaxed afternoon plan

Start with dim sum, spend an hour wandering a supermarket, then stop for boba and a bakery treat. Finish with a Viet-Cajun dinner if the season suits. The heat can sap energy in summer, so we shop in air-conditioned malls between meals and let the day unfold at a gentle pace.