Pho A&A: It's Pho Sure Good

Restaurant: Pho A&A
Address: 6700 Denton Highway, Watauga, Texas
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 10/2/19

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Today I will be writing about my first time trying a popular Vietnamese dish: Pho. Pho is basically Vietnamese beef noodle soup. It is really popular in Houston and, but there's no spot in Houston that has halal beef pho even though it's one thing that so many people want. In fact, there are only three Vietnamese spots in the entire country that have halal pho. One is Pho Ellie in Fullerton, California (Orange County), Simply Banh Mi in Washington DC, and the place I went and I am writing about now: Pho A&A in Watauga, which is about 11 miles northeast of Fort Worth. I first heard about it after one of my Instagram followers from the DFW area tried it and loved it. I immediately put it in my list of places to try. The only issue is that whenever I visit the DFW area, I usually go to the Dallas side since I have relatives in Allen (near Plano). Pho A&A is about an hour from there.

So how was I able to go and try it? Well, I went on a business trip to Fort Worth, and I happened to have time to try it. After checking in at the hotel, I went and tried it.



Let The Experience Begin!
Pho A&A is located at the intersection of Denton Highway (US 377) and Chapman Road. It was empty, so I helped myself to the table. After looking through the menu, I was ready to order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered a large pho bowl, which costed $11.99 + tax. Along with the bowl came bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, and lime. The waiting time was 12 minutes and 21 seconds.



Menu: Menu (click to view)

It's amazing how much variety of pho they have, AND they're fully halal. They have a whomping 5 varieteies of halal pho to choose from. Along with the regular steak pho, they have one which has steak along with tendons and tenderloins, a chicken pho, a shrimp pho, and a vegetarian pho. Another menu item that looks really promising is the Korean Short Ribs, another thing not available in Houston. They also have a Thai menu to choose from.

Large Steak Pho

How it's presented. You Mix the bowl before eating

Bean Sprouts, Basil, Lime, and Jalapenos (aka the condiments of the Pho Bowl)

The Verdict:
For someone having it for the first time, it was legit! The way it works is that you add as much of the condiments as possible to give the bowl its flavor. The bowl was very flavorful, and it was also really big. Great value for how much it costs. The meat was nice and tender, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. They pho sure feel you well. No issues with the service.



Conclusion:
If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, take the drive there. Halal pho is a rare thing in this country, and this is the only spot in all of Texas to have halal pho. The people are friendly, and they feed you well. I hope there will be one in Houston in the future.



Grading:
Food: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Total: 17/20 = 80% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Pho A&A
6700 Denton Highway, Watauga, Texas
Phone: (817) 656-4878
Website: None
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoAandA
Timings: Tue - Thu & Sun: 11:30 AM - 9 PM; Fri - Sat: 11:30 AM - 10 PM
Caters: yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Bento Hut: A Halal Pan-Asian Restaurant in Northern Georgia

Restaurant: Bento Hut
Address: 349 Decatur Street Southeast, Atlanta, Georgia
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of visit: 8/28/16



Background:
Salam/hey guys! Today  will be talking about a restaurant that is popular in downtown Atlanta, and has a huge variety of options available. This place is called Bento Hut. The name suggests that it is a Japanese place, but it offers a lot more than just Japanese food. I will explain in detail in the Menu section. I first heard about this place when they followed me on Instagram. I saw the menu and I was mind blown. Since it was planned that I was coming to Atlanta, I decided to give it a try when I get to hang out with a childhood friend. Fast forward to August, and I was in downtown Atlanta. I went to CNN Center after trying grits for the first time (they were NASTY, one of the worst things I've ever eaten in my life). It is basically where the global CNN headquarters are. I then went over to the World of Coca Cola after walking through Centennial Olympic Park. There, we overindulged on sodas (they have a place where you can try over 100 sodas), where they give you free Coke when you enter, and when you exit. The best memory I have of the trip was when my friend played a prank on me by telling me that the Beverly soda was the best one. It was literally the worst soda that I have ever tried in my entire life. Turns out it's a common dislike among many. We then walked to the car and then drove to Bento Hut.



Let The Experience Begin!
Bento Hut is located near the Downtown Connector. It was a while until we managed to successfully park. Inside, there was a TV playing, and there were tables. We decided to sit comfortably. After looking at the menu, it was time to order.



Let's Eat!
It took a while for me to decide what to get because there were so many choices that I had. I ended up ordering halal ramen- a first for me. I also ordered quail egg sashimi (yes I'm adventurous) and also chicken katsu. Think of it as a halal version of the ramen you get at Jinya. I never had quail egg before, so I wanted to give it a try. I also wanted to try the chicken katsu because chicken katsu is a rare thing (katsu is usually made with pork a.k.a. tonkatsu). My friend ordered a chicken bulgogi plate. I paid between $10-15 (tax included). The waiting time was 15 minutes and 4 seconds.



Menu: http://www.thebentohut.com/BentoHutmenu.pdf
Literally all I can say is WOW. SO MANY ASIAN OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM! Not even Houston, New York or Los Angeles has many options. It has from Japanese to Korean to Chinese to Malaysian to Thai options! They even have plenty of sushi and sashimi options available to choose from. I seriously believe that a halal Pan-Asian place that has so many options would succeed in Houston.

Clockwise from top left: Ramen, Chicken Bulgogi with Jasmine Rice, quail egg sashimi, and chicken katsu

The Verdict:

The food was actually good. To be more specific, everything was good except the ramen. The ramen was just ok. The first time trying quail egg was good, and I didn't fall sick from eating a raw egg lol B). The bulgogi was fantastic. Lots of flavor in the dish. We both had water.

The people were really nice, so no complaints about the service. They were also helpful when it came to giving us more time to decide what to get as well as giving out some recommendations.

Conclusion:

Bento Hut was a good way to end my Atlanta trip of trying places. They have items you don't see at halal places in Houston. I certainly wouldn't mind visiting here again and trying some more of their dishes as well as the chicken bulgogi.

Grading:

Service: 9/10

Food: 8/10

Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)

Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Bento Hut
349 Decatur Street Southeast, Atlanta, Georgia
Phone: (404) 614-6199
Website: http://thebentohut.com/
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Fri: 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM and 4 PM - 10 PM; Sat: 12 PM - 10 PM; Sun: 12 PM - 9:30 PM
Caters: Yes
Online ordering and delivery available

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Thai Gourmet - Partially Halal, but still great!

Restaurant: Thai Gourmet

Address: 6324 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77057

Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte

Date of visit: 1/9/16

UPDATE 8/13/16: I went a few days ago to give this place a second shot. I did mention that I was going to order a curry, but instead I ordered the same Pad Thai with the mild spice level. It made a huge difference. My mouth didn't burn, and the dish tasted amazing! There was a lot more flavor. The dish was very fresh. The Pad Thai here is definitely at the same level as Anothai. I would give it a 9/10

Background:

Salam/hey guys, and welcome to the first review of the year! Today I will be reviewing a popular Thai place in Houston. It is called Thai Gourmet. I decided to go here because of a poll that I had conducted on Twitter. Basically at the start of every year, I let you guys decide where I should do my first review of the year. 

I actually heard a lot of praises about the place. The people would say that the food is the best Thai restaurant in Houston. They also would say about how the place had a lot of flavor and how good it was priced. The time came for me to try after attending a gathering of bloggers from all over Houston. There wasn't anything vegetarian there with the exception of plantains (not a fan of them), and I hadn't eaten anything during the day. So after saying goodbye to the bloggers I met, I headed to the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

Thai Gourmet is located right opposite Cafe Layal at the back of the strip complex. I always used to think that Thai Gourmet would be empty because Layal has hookah, and hookah usually means that a place would get a lot of business and would be packed. But I was wrong. Inside was really packed! When I went it, the waitress asked whether I would sit inside or outside. I sat outside. I was then directed to a free table, and then handed the menu.

Let's Eat!

I decided to try their Pad Thai with chicken. I wanted to see how their Pad Thai would compare to Anothai. I got the medium spicy level. To drink, I just had water. I paid a total of $12.45 (tax included). The waiting time was 16 minutes and 6 seconds. To wait, I was just shivering in the cold.

Menu: They do have a website, but the menu isn't up to date. Everything, including the lunch specials, is priced higher here than Anothai. The difference is more than $1. Thai Gourmet however has more options, but there is one significant difference between the places: only the chicken at Thai Gourmet is halal. Be cautious as they also have pork. The menu says that it can be used in place of another meat.

Appetizers, Soups, and Noodles

Front

Thai Salads, Beef, and Fried Rice

Seafood, Duck, and Extras

Chicken and Vegetarian

Luncheons (a.k.a. their lunch special). Sorry for some of the prices being blurred out. They range between $6.95 and $8.95

The Pad Thai

The Verdict:

Normally when you order something with a medium spicy level, you would expect it to be not too spicy and not too mild right? Well here at Thai Gourmet, this doesn't apply. One bite of the chicken Pad Thai, and it was literally burning my mouth, and this is coming from someone who eats home cooked spicy food on a regular basis. I honestly wonder whether anyone has survived their Thai Hot level. The food was still great, and I was able to cool my mouth with the big glass of water that they gave me. 

The service was ok. I have neither praise nor criticism to give.

Conclusion:

Thai Gourmet is better than Thai Choice, that much is known. However, I will not give a verdict on whether it is better than Anothai. I will give the verdict on my next trip, where I will try their curries. If you want halal Thai inside the tollway, then you should totally come here, even though only the chicken is halal. I hope that one day they get halal beef!



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Total: 16.5/20 = 82.5% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Thai Gourmet
6324 Richmond Avenue, Houston, Texas 77057
Phone: (713) 780-7955
Website: http://www.thaigourmethouston.com/
Facebook: none
Timings:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 11 AM - 2:30 PM and 5 PM - 9:30 PM
Friday: 11 AM - 2:30 PM and 5 PM - 10:30 PM
Saturday: 11 AM - 10 PM
Sunday: Closed

Caters: yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Noodle Wave- Halal Thai Food in the DFW Metroplex

Restaurant: Noodle Wave
Address: 2775 S Central Expressway Suite #180, McKinney, Texas 75049
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 5/27/15

Photo Credit: http://s3-media2.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/Fox5CcpnsPHW7MZFT7J4DQ/o.jpg

Background:

Salam/hey guys! Welcome to my latest review! Today's review is (at long last) Noodle Wave. Noodle Wave has three locations in the DFW Metroplex: Richardson, Frisco, and McKinney. This review is for the McKinney location. This is somewhere I wanted to go to for a really long time. Everyone I knew back in Houston would tell me about this place and about how amazing this place was. I would always get recommendations from people back in Houston about this place. I never got the chance to try, because no one in my family except me likes Thai food ( I am not kidding). I remember my parents talking about how horrible it tastes. Plus I never had a car to myself for all the Dallas trips that I have made, At long last, the time came for me to try when I decided to go out an try a place and write up about it. This restaurant was the first one that came up to my mind. It was literally 10 minutes from my aunt's house in Allen. The drive was quite long though, mainly because I was on the feeder of US 75 and foolishly missed the Eldorado bypass. Nevertheless, I arrived at the place.

Let The Experience Begin!

Noodle Wave sits next to a bank and a Mattress Firm. Inside, the restaurant had a very nice ambiance. There was music playing, which made it soothing for the customers. I was immediately helped by a waitress. After looking at the menu and getting some water, I was ready to order.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the lunch special. It consisted of a spicy onion soup, chicken tun tac (Asian vegetables, bean sprouts, egg, peanuts, and thai seasongs stir fried with big flat noodles with chicken), herbal chicken, which was crispy chicken infused with Thai herbs and seasonings topped with crispy basil leaves. The last part of the lunch special was dessert, which I got chocolate ice cream. Normaly at Thai places, I would order the Pad Thai, but since the price of all this food was $11.80 (tax included), it was something that I couldn't resist getting. The waiting time was 12 minutes and 3 seconds. 

Menu: http://www.noodlewave.com/NoodleWave-Menu.pdf

The menu here is more extensive than the other Thai places that I have been to. You even get specialties from southern Thailand. Fried ice cream looks really tempting to me. There are so many noodle options and curry options, some of which I had never seen before. I also like that this place has non-alcoholic tiramisu.

Photo taken from my Snapchat: halalreviewer

The Main Meal

The Verdict:

Needless to say, everyone who told me about Noodle Wave was roughly 90% right. This place IS REALLY GOOD, but for the most part. The chicken tun tac was phenomenal. It had a lot of flavor and the chicken was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were fresh also. I also enjoyed the egg roll. I find it interesting how they also put the nuts in the sweet and sour sauce. Note, if you have a nut allergy, you gotta warn the waiter/waitress about it. The only place that messed up though was the herbal chicken. It could've been better. It could use some more flavor. Overall, one thumb up for the tun tac and egg roll, and one side thumb for the herbal chicken. The ice cream was a nice end to the meal.

The service was very good and expedite. The waitress was friendly and I got my meal within 15 minutes.

Conclusion:

Everyone was right about Noodle Wave being good. Literally the only thing that has to be fixed was the herbal chicken. Nevertheless, it's now one of the places that I hope to go back again and eat at the next time I visit Dallas. I hope to come back and try their Pad Thai along with their curries and specialties. If you are in Dallas, whether you are staying somewhere or just need to take a quick break from driving if you are going out of state on US 75, then you should definitely give this place a try!

Grading:
Service: 8.5/10

Food: 8.5/10 (10/10 for tun tac, 7/10 for herbal chicken)

Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)

Restaurant Information: 

Noodle Wave

2775 S Central Expressway Suite #180, McKinney, Texas 75049

Phone: (972) 542-4542

Website: http://www.noodlewave.com/home.php

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoodleWaveThai

Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 3 PM and 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 3 PM and 4:30 PM - 10 PM; Sat: 11:30 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 11:30 AM - 9 PM

Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook or Twitter, or email me!

Cheers!

Zain Mohammed

Zato Thai- A Halal Restaurant in Montgomery County

Restaurant: Zato Thai
Address: 421 Sawdust Road, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of Visit: 1/6/15

Photo Credit: http://woodlandsevents.com/images/stories/dining/zato-thai.png

UPDATE 8/10/15: Per their menu on their website, they no longer serve any pork.

Background: 

Salam/hey guys! I am back after a while! Today I will be reviewing Zato Thai in The Woodlands. This is the first time I am reviewing a halal restaurant in Montgomery County. All Houston Metro counties except Waller, Liberty, and Chambers have at least one halal restaurant. I was in the Woodlands because I was hanging out with one of my best friends from high school. After playing FIFA 14, we were hungry, and were eager to go and try a restaurant before we went bowling. Initially, I was planning on going to a sushi place, but it was expensive. Then I thought of Thai, since I wasn't able to try Noodle Wave when I was in Dallas. He agreed on that. After the smooth 10 minute ride, we arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin!

The restaurant is located in the big strip mall that is near I-45. The ambiance was really nice. It was like a normal diner. We got a table for 3, since one more person was coming to hang out. While waiting for him, we ordered the food.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the beef Pad Thai, while my friend went with the Thai Fried Rice. When the other friend came, he ordered the corn patties. To drink, I had a Diet Pepsi while the others had water. The waiting time was good at 11 minutes and 24 seconds.

Menu: http://www.zatowoodlands.com/#!menu/c21ei

Once you click the link, you will have to choose which part of the menu you want to see. They have regular Thai food, like the curries, the noodles, and the fried rice. There is pork on the menu, but the people assured me that  that they have halal meat available and they cook it separately.

Beef Pad Thai

Chicken Thai Fried Rice

Corn Patties

The Verdict:

The Pad Thai was decent, but not as great as Anothai to be very honest. The corn patties were really good, and this is coming from a guy that isn't really a big corn fan. My friend really liked his Thai Fried rice. Overall, one thumb up.

The service was good. I really appreciate their honesty regarding the halal status. This makes me confident that the business is being truthful in their practices.

Conclusion:

Zato Thai is a good addition to the halal food scene. I hope there will be more halal restaurants in Montgomery county in the future. But if you want the best Thai restaurant in town, then I would suggest you make the drive to Anothai.

Grading: 

Service: 9/10

Food: 7.5/10

Waiting Time: 10/10

Total: 26.5/30 = 88.3% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$

Restaurant Information:

Zato Thai
421 Sawdust Road, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Phone: (281) 419-7619
Website: http://www.zatowoodlands.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zato-Thai-Restaurant/167158783464811
Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 3 PM and 5 PM - 10 PM; Fri: 11 AM - 3 PM and 5 PM - 11 PM; Sat: Noon - 11 PM; Sun: Noon - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me an email, or message me on Facebook!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Thai Choice- Another Halal Thai Option in Town

Restaurant: Thai Choice
Address: 11161 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042
Buffet or a-la-carte: A-la-carte
Date of Visit: 12/16/14

Photo Credit:http://places2.assets.gotime.com/cc639b9cbe982fc9c7e2de2decd5538c64e71933_l.jpg

UPDATE 8/31/16: This place has closed down

Background:

Salam/hey guys! After nearly a whole month of preparing for finals I am back! Now let me tell you something. There was something that I had never seen before. The last restaurant I visited was El Greco near UH. The food was good, but there was a major problem. Shortly after going there, I decided to check up on them and ask whether they cook it separately or not by surprise. Why is it a surprise? Because cooking halal meat separately is a fundamental of properly preparing halal meat. The prime examples of this are Stanton's and Elevation Burger. They make sure that the haram meat is separate from the halal meat. It turned out that they DON'T cook it separately. I tried to contact them via Facebook, but they just ignored me. Thus, I have decided to not put their review. Another thing that has happened is that my parents are desperately trying to limit me from eating out. They feel that eating out is not good for me, and that I should only stick to home food. Nonetheless, a friend had said that we would hang out, but at the last minute, he had something come up, so he couldn't make it. So it was just me. After battling through rush hour traffic, and nearly ending up at a wrong place. I arrived at the restaurant



Let The Experience Begin!
Thai Choice is located at the intersection of Westheimer and Wilcrest. The place looked deserted at night; even the inside was empty except for one table. I confirmed that the food was halal, and they even had the halal certificate hanging. After getting some water, I looked through the menu.



Let's Eat!
I ordered something that I have longed to try: Roast duck. I confirmed with the waiter about the halal status of the duck. He said that the duck is also halal. This concludes the end of my quest to eat duck.
Many of the halal duck places are located in Sugar Land, which is far from both my house and UH. I was really excited as I wanted to try it ever since I started this food blog.  There were four spice levels available: mild, spicy, very spicy, and Thai spicy. I took Thai spicy. Normally when I go to non Indian/Pakistani places, I like to eat the things that are popular in a specific country. For example, if I go to a Greek restaurant, I would get a souvlaki as they are a really popular in Greece, or if I go to a Turkish restaurant, I would either get Iskender or a mixed grill, since kebaps and doner meats are popular in Turkey. In Thai cuisine, many of the meats can be rotated. For example, Pad Thai and many other curries can be enjoyed with either chicken, beef, or even tofu. I paid $20.51 (Tax included). The waiting time was 9 minutes and 33 seconds



Menu: http://thaichoicehouston.com/Menu_2.php
This restaurant's menu is very similar to Anothai's on FM 1960. You have your usual curries, noodle and rice dishes, soups, and appetizers. One thing that makes Thai Choice stand out is that you don't have popular Chinese dishes such as kung pao chicken and teriyaki. Another way this stands out over Anothai is that their duck is actually halal. Last time I went, I was told that the duck is not halal. Thankfully however they cook it separately. With the exception of the duck and seafood dishes, the pricing is very good. They even have a lunch menu, where your entree comes with Jasmine rice, egg roll, and soup

The Halal Certificate. Waiter assured me the duck is also from here

Fork and Jasmine rice on the roasted duck and vegetables. Notice the brown texture of the duck.

The Roasted Duck itself

The Verdict:
So how would I describe the long wait to eat duck? Well, it was absolutely worth it! The duck was very crisp, but it had a lot of taste! The duck tasted a lot like chicken, but with crisp!  The vegetables were tasty, but the sauce could do better in terms of taste. The Jasmine rice was nice and fresh. I was actually able to withstand the heat from the spices. Overall, one thumb up.
The service was good. The waiter was very nice. I saw him communicate with other customers, and he was smiling all the time. And unlike El Greco, he did not back away when I confirmed the halal status of this restaurant.



Conclusion:
Thai Choice is a decent place to dine if you want some halal Thai in town. Their food is nearly identical to Anothai's. I would definitely be back and try other things like Pad Thai and their red curry.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Waiting Time: 10/10
Overall: 26.5/30 = 88.3% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Thai Choice
11161 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77042
Phone: (713) 780-8323
Website: http://thaichoicehouston.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thai-Choice-Restaurant/691439794202883
Timings: Mon-Fri: 11 AM - 3 PM and 5 PM - 10 PM; Sat-Sun: 12 PM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes


Feel free to leave a comment below, send me an email, or message me on Facebook.

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Anothai Cuisine- Awesome Thai food

Restaurant: Anothai Cuisine
11049 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77065
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 1/8/2014

Photo Credit: http://anothaicuisine.com/images/logo.jpg

========================================================================

UPDATE: 8/10/15

Been back on two occasions. Their red curry is really good. I again had the Pad Thai on my third trip

========================================================================

**ORIGINAL REVIEW**

Background:

Salam/hey guys. Sorry I am writing this review late. I've been busy around my house as I have guests coming over and a lunch party the next day. Today I am reviewing a new halal Thai restaurant in the north side of Houston. This restaurant is called Anothai. It's a welcoming change. There used to be a halal Thai place called Thai Chili, which was located next to Jamillah. It used to be halal before the management switched. I've been there long before I started this blog, and it was decent. I got the chance to go when I was going over to my friend's house to play Xbox. I had not eaten anything since the previous night, so I was really hungry. After a smooth drive, I arrived at the restaurant.

Let The Experience Begin! 

Anothai has locations on FM 1960, Highway 290, and on Louetta Rd. Both places are halal. The one I went to is on FM 1960. The restaurant is located near the intersection of FM 1960 and Jones road. The inside looked like I was in a high end restaurant! There was Thai letters on the wall, and there were some artifacts too. The window view was very nice from the tables that were set there. A friendly waiter noticed me and guided me to a table. I confirmed that the restaurant was halal by asking him, and him saying yes. I was then handed a menu by a friendly waitress. After looking at it for 5 minutes, I was ready to order.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the beef Pad Thai lunch special. Pad Thai is often regarded to be one of the main national dish of Thailand. It is stir fried rice noodle with eggs, scallions, carrots, bean sprouts, soy-tamarind sauce, meat, and peanuts. For those who are allergic to nuts, they put the nuts on the side of the dish, or you can simply ask them to not put the peanuts. Pad Thai is often served as street food and casual food in Thailand. So I was basically eating a normal Thai dish. The lunch special includes lemongrass soup (Thai chicken soup), spring roll, and jasmine rice. The jasmine rice only comes with the non rice noodle dishes. To drink I got a glass of Pepsi. Not just a small glass, a really large one! I paid a total of $10.72 (tax included). The waiting time was a swift 7 minutes and 34 seconds. While waiting, I watched the traffic go on 1960.



Menu (click to view): Appetizers, Soup, Thai Salad, Entrees, Noodles & Rice, Signature Dishes, Kids, Desserts, Drinks (no alcohol served), Catering, Lunch Special
I really like how the restaurant keeps an organized structure on their menu on the website. The structure is like Masala Wok. Different prices for different kinds of meats. The prices definitely seem right. Duck is also halal, so you could enjoy a rare meat. Lunch Special is served from 11 AM to 3 PM on Mondays to Fridays for dine-in customers only.

Beef Pad Thai

The Verdict:
The Pad Thai was delicious! It definitely trumps the taste of Thai Chili. The rice noodles were perfectly cooked. The beef had flavor and was not rubbery. The vegetables were fresh. Another plus for them more making it perfectly spicy. The lemongrass soup and the spring roll were both awesome. The lemongrass soup had a lot of flavor in it, and was not too watery. The spring roll was very crispy, and awesome at the same time. This wonderful meal was washed down with a refreshing glass of Pepsi. Overall, two thumbs up for the food.
The service was really good. Everything was done with a smile. The waitress serving me was very friendly. They even have coloring books with crayons for the children under 10 years old, so it would be an ideal place to go with your family.



Conclusion:
It really feels great to have a halal Thai restaurant in northern Houston once again. With great food and great service, Anothai should be a place that you should try. You will come out a happy customer, just as I did.



Grading:
Service: 9/10
Food: 10/10
Waiting time: 10/10
Total: 29/30 = 96.7% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Anothai Cuisine
11049 FM 1960 West, Houston, Texas 77065
Phone: (281) 890-4455
Website: http://www.anothaicuisine.com/main.html
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Thu & Sun: 11 AM - 9:30 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed