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Especially with seafood, Houston is highly underrated. Its a coastal city by every definition of the word, Chicago is a wanna be coastal city that just so happens to be on a large fresh water lake where you won't find even the most basic of seafoods common in the Gulf states...crabs, oysters, & shrimp.
You're more likely to get fresh seafood in Houston, a 45 minute drive from the ocean where its caught & cooked in front of you than you are Chicago where it has to be flown in on dry ice 1,000's of miles from some place else.
Yeah I know what you mean. If you like Americana and all that comes with it, the burgers, the hotdogs, the gyros, the pizzas, the raviolis, stuff of the sort. Or if you like Polish, Italian, Puerto Rican, stuff like that then Chicago's the better food city for that person. The Windy City also has an established foodies culture, they take culinary delights pretty seriously and it's reflected by the high end food there more so than the normal grade, which isn't to say the least since normal grade food is pretty good there.
I see this comparison as a smaller scaled version of New York and Los Angeles, just like that comparison, as a city I prefer New York to Los Angeles, like I prefer Chicago to Houston but for food, which admittedly is one of the FAR more important things to me in life since it's something we can all relate to for day to day survival, I prefer Los Angeles to New York (or prefer it anywhere in the country really) and Houston to Chicago.
Then again, it just goes with what I "like" to eat on a daily basis. I severely lean towards food that are prepared hot and especially stuff that's packed on spice. I'm also a big fan (not to be stereotypical) of rice and Lo Mein (and other types of noodles) and foods that can derive off it as a backbone.
I'm pushing for a relocation to Miami within the next year, compared to the places I've lived in right before it, Washington, Houston, Dallas, Chicago, Singapore, so on. I'm keeping expectation on Seafood, Asian foods, and Mexican food low, to zero. Miami has a cruddy Chinese scene, almost a non-existent Thai scene, and Korean and Japanese fare similarly to Thai there. That's no bueno for me. For being on the coast, it lags behind the flavorful Seafood experience of a Baltimore, Boston, Seattle, New Orleans, Houston, so on and the Mexican food there is next to atrocious. I'll just have to stick to the burger, steak, hotdog, pizza joints there for the most part and the Brazilian stuff.
Oh yeah and I also happen to like Barbeque, another one of those things that I'll be lacking in my next home. Not even getting into the Fusion stuff yet.
Life's about compromises though, I can let the culinary scene slide because I totally dig the metropolis in Southeast Florida.
Last edited by Trafalgar Law; 09-25-2013 at 04:31 PM..
Yeah, that makes sense then. Metropolitan Houston's Asian stronghold is Fort Bend County, Asian everything in terms of population is a high concentration there. Chicago's suburbs don't have a Sugar Land equivalent for the Asian population. The Midwest and the rest of the South with the notable exception of Fairfax County, VA (Washington DC/DMV) and Plano, TX (Dallas-Fort Worth/DFW) don't have anything for Asians like Sugar Land.
Chicago's a great food city but Mexican, Seafood, and Asian (with exception to Indian) are no where close to it's forte and it just so happens that Korean, Thai, Americana, Japanese, Mexican, Chinese, and Vietnamese happen to be my favorite foods of choice. Chicago's strengths are in other types of food, namely Italian and Polish cuisines and of course, Americana.
Houston definitely has better Vietnamese food than Chicago, but Chicago has better Mexican food than Houston despite Houston's proximity to Mexico. Chicago offers more regional Mexican variety, and has a high end mexican food scene that is entirely lacking in Houston where Mexican food is overwhelmingly cheap eats. There is nothing in the league of Mexique or Topolobampo in Houston.
Houston definitely has better Vietnamese food than Chicago, but Chicago has better Mexican food than Houston despite Houston's proximity to Mexico. Chicago offers more regional Mexican variety, and has a high end mexican food scene that is entirely lacking in Houston where Mexican food is overwhelmingly cheap eats. There is nothing in the league of Mexique or Topolobampo in Houston.
Chicago's Mexican food is a hit or miss, the better corridor for it is Pilsen in Chicago where it's ahead of the curve compared to the rest of the city. I wouldn't doubt it if the best of Chicago's authentic Mexican food is better than Houston's authentic Mexican food (the high end stuff). One thing I cant get over is how different and in my opinion lackluster the beans taste in Illinois than compared to Texas or California or Arizona or Colorado. It just tastes, so far different. Practically begs it to being an acquired taste.
I'm more Tex-Mex either way. Fajitas and burritos are more my style, both of which, I wouldn't consider authentic Mexican food. Oh and Tex-Mex enchiladas too.
Like I mentioned before, high end across the board will go to Chicago.
Houston definitely has better Vietnamese food than Chicago, but Chicago has better Mexican food than Houston despite Houston's proximity to Mexico. Chicago offers more regional Mexican variety, and has a high end mexican food scene that is entirely lacking in Houston where Mexican food is overwhelmingly cheap eats. There is nothing in the league of Mexique or Topolobampo in Houston.
Chicago does have some good chichi Mexican eateries, but Houston wins with over 1,100 mexican restaurants including the popular restaurants below, and especially with Hugo's. Hugo's is by far one of the best in the country.
I've never had shark fin soup... you can most definitely buy shark fins and shark fin soup in Chinatown Chicago though, they sell many different kinds of dried shark fins at $$$ per ounce. Not that I pay attention to them... but I've definitely seen them there. How recent is this ban. I just checked one of the restaurants I like that is quite popular, and it's still on the menu.
"
Black-bone Chicken Soup with Cordyceps Flowers
5. (2) ........................................$8.00
Fish Maw Soup with Golden Mushroom
6. (2) ........................................$8.00
Crabmeat and Tofu Soup
7. (2) .......................................$16.00
Shark’s Fin Soup
"
They also have it as a meal, as well as have abalone.
"Abalone Hong Kong Style
2. 黄金汤捞鱼翅 ........................................$30.00/位
Golden Shark’s Fin Macau Style
3. 鲍汁扣原只辽参 ......................................$20.00/只
Sea Cucumber Liao Ning Style in Abalone Sauce
4. 青椒焖原只辽参 ......................................$20.00/只
Special Spicy Sea Cucumber
5. 一品花篮龙虾 （姜葱，清蒸，椒盐，香辣，神仙）..........时价/MP
Royal Lobster
(Ginger & Scallion, Steamed, Salt & Pepper,
Dry Chili, Hot Pot Flavor）
6. 宫廷珍味大蟹 （姜葱，清蒸，椒盐，香辣，神仙）..........时价/MP
Palace Crab
(Ginger & Scallion, Steamed, Salt & Pepper,
Dry Chili, Hot Pot Flavor)
7. 绿茶鲜菇海鲜钵 .........................................$25.00
Sea Food with Green Tea and Mushroom
8. 奇妙脆皮虾球 ...........................................$20.00
Special Crispy Shrimp
I've never had shark fin soup... you can most definitely buy shark fins and shark fin soup in Chinatown Chicago though, they sell many different kinds of dried shark fins at $$$ per ounce. Not that I pay attention to them... but I've definitely seen them there. How recent is this ban. I just checked one of the restaurants I like that is quite popular, and it's still on the menu.
"
Black-bone Chicken Soup with Cordyceps Flowers
5. (2) ........................................$8.00
Fish Maw Soup with Golden Mushroom
6. (2) ........................................$8.00
Crabmeat and Tofu Soup
7. (2) .......................................$16.00
Shark’s Fin Soup
"
Don't buy shark's fin soup. It is cruel. Wait until I make my fin prosthetic and they pass mandatory laws where if you take the fin you have to strap the prosthetic on them before you buy any shark fin.
Most of the best places from each city, most of you people haven't been to anyways.
"Known" places and "featured" places are good, but those that only hometowners know of are usually the best.
For example, pizza from Lou Malnatis, Giordanos, Ginos would be remarked by hometowner and traveler alike. But how many travelers know of Pequods? Which I prefer to all other deep dish in the city.
Houston crushes chicago, we have the best foods here. Houston population has a HUGE diversity, such as asians (this includes middle east and indians, because they are asians). We have better asian food than chicago, because in belaire there are lots of awesome restaurants.
I kmow because I have been living in houston for over a decade, and I am asian.
Ps:We beat chicago in tex-mex.
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