Convenience Big Store: Houston's best banh xeo are in a new food hall

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What's cooking?

We are rounding the corner on our annual Top 100 Restaurants list. You can be the first to see the list if you buy a ticket to our Houston Culinary Stars party October 19. Not only will the full list be unveiled, dozens of the city's top chefs and restaurants will be serving food. Wine will also be involved. There are many surprises on the 2023 list; you won't want to miss it.

Jody Schmal, Food Editor

jody.schmal@houstonchronicle.com

The Banh Xeo Saigon a Vietnamese crepe made with pork belly and shrimp at Xeo Yum at Conservator Food Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023 in Houston.

Photo by: Karen Warren, Staff Photographer

H-Town's newest food hall is home to stellar Vietnamese crepes

Xeo Yum specializes in banh xeo, a southern Vietnamese dish featuring a golden, turmeric-tinged crepe filled with pork, shrimp and bean sprouts.

Local eats

Guests pose for a picture at the Houston Chronicle 2019 Culinary Stars event.

Photo by: Pu YIng Huang

Tickets going fast for Chronicle Top 100 restaurants party

Participating restaurants include Amrina, Blood Bros. BBQ, MAD, March, Musaafer, Navy Blue, Street to Kitchen, Tatemo, Xochi and more. Get tickets here.

Signature board (spiced chicken cracklings, fried gizzards, glazed crispy chicken feet, smoked chicken liver pate, and spiced quail) at Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, a new restaurant from Greg Gatlin, owner of Gatlin's BBQ, that will specialize in Gulf seafood, fried chicken, and familiar Texas comfort foods opening July 15 at 302 W. Crosstimbers in the Independence Heights neighborhood.

Photo by: Becca Wright

New York Times names two Houston spots on 50 best restaurant list

The Gray Lady highlights Gatlin's Fins & Feathers and El Hidalguense among its favorites this year.

The Fountains on the Lake retail center is a 589,201-square-foot open-air center located in Stafford, an affluent submarket of Houston. The Fountains has a strategic location on the Southwest Freeway (US 59). The Southwest Freeway is the most heavily traveled highway between downtown Houston and southwest Houston. KIM SON RESTAURANT

Photo by: Courtesy Photo

Beloved Vietnamese restaurant Kim Son to close Stafford location

The Stafford location of Kim Son opened in 1999 and helped cement the Vietnamese restaurant as a Houston institution with dim sum and wedding banquets.

Tuna hand roll, left, and spicy salmon hand roll at Norigami.

Photo by: Michael Anthony

Sushi hand roll restaurant with a hidden bar to open in West U

Norigami is the latest restaurant to feed Houston's sushi obsession, but this time it comes with a secret bar.

Lilly Seafood has been a popular restaurant in League City for more than a decade. Now under new ownership, the seafood eatery is now introducing Indian and Pakistani dishes to customers.

Photo by: Lilly Seafood

Lilly Seafood expands menu with Indian, Pakistani dishes

The Khans bought Lilly Seafood when the previous owners retired, and they are gradually introducing its own Indian influences into the menu.

Whataburger and the Houston Texans join forces to benefit the Houston Food Bank. Through Oct. 9, Houston-area Whataburgers will offer a coupon for a free Whataburger for a $1 donation to the food bank.

Photo by: Whataburger

Whataburger and Houston Texans team up to fight area hunger

Fundraiser offers free Whataburger with purchase for $1 donation to Houston Food Bank through Oct. 9.

Chopd & Stewd, a culinary festival celebrating the West African diaspora, will take place at Post Houston on Sept. 30.

Photo by: Chopd & Stewd

'Chopd & Stewd' festival to celebrate West African culture at POST Houston

Culinary offerings will be at the center of a new cultural festival Sept. 30 celebrating the West African diaspora.

Paul Lewis, executive chef of Vinny's Pizza cuts a pizza into slices on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Houston.

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Staff Photographer

EaDo pizzeria's partnerships aim to benefit H-Town communities

Vinny's teams up with various organizations in town to create special pizzas and donate a portion of the proceeds.

Houston's top restaurants

Tiger cry ribeye with a side of funky som tam lao at Street to Kitchen.

Photo by: Annie Mulligan, Contributor

Houston Chronicle's top 100 Restaurants, according to our food critics

Houston's dining scene is exceptional. We feature the very best our city has to offer in this list.

Aprons on

Amaranth Grain Salad from Anita Jaisinghani

Photo by: Carolina Ayala, Contributor

Try this delicious and nutritious amaranth pilaf for dinner

Kodri millet cooks fast, is easy to digest, high in protein and rich in phytochemicals, says Houston chef and recipe creator Anita Jaisinghani.

Enchilada Queen Sylvia Caseres' cheese enchiladas with chili gravy are among nearly two dozen enchiladas available at Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen.

Photo by: Paula Murphy

42 iconic Houston recipes you can make at home

To celebrate Houston's favorite foods, we compiled a cookbook of dishes and drinks from the city's favorite chefs and restaurants.

Barbecue

Photo by: J.C. Reid / Contributor

How Mimsy's barbecue joint in Crockett is changing with the times

As inflation continues to push consumers to find lower cost options for dining out, barbecue restaurants have been subtly rebranding and revamping menus.

25 best places to get barbecue in the Houston area: The Greater Houston area is enjoying a new era of smoked meat supremacy, making it, perhaps, the new capital of Texas barbecue. Here are some of the shining stars.