E Tao in the Galleria

Eat here for possibly the best Chinese food in Houston. Asian friends of ours, David and Suzanne, turned us onto this hidden gem in the Galleria (on the second floor near Nordstrom) last year and we've been back many times. We feasted here with them tonight, and boy, what a treat. They ordered mostly from the Chinese menu on the last two pages (there is an English translation, so have no fear.) We started with everyone's favorite steamed Shanghai soup dumplings, which must be handled delicately so as not to burst the thin dough wrapper and lose the delicious soup inside (which we managed to do a couple of times!) The scallion pancake appetizer was tasty and crunchy. My favorite main dish was the fried brown rice with soft shell crab, pine nuts, and fish eggs (#187). It was incredible. Don't let the fish eggs scare you. They were very tiny orange beads that added crunch to the rice, which had superb texture and flavor. The crab was lighted breaded and crispy. We savored huge stir-fried prawns in a ginger sauce (#181), the just right slightly chewy ho fun (flat rice noodles) with tender slices of stir-fried beef (#116A), the flavorful stewed eggplant with diced chicken, and tofu with snow pea shoots (which you won't find on the regular menu). We tasted the special XO sauce, which isn't a sauce at all, but rather a crispy topping of fried minced garlic, hot peppers, black beans, and crunchy white noodle strings. Wow! Terrific and very spicy. The menu is extensive and moderately priced, so the next time you are craving Chinese food, come to E Tao for an exceptional, authentic meal.