R House 華洋 — Restaurant in Houston

I recently tried out this Chinese restaurant, and it left quite a bit to be desired. The food was okay, nothing to write home about – pretty much in line with what you'd find at other Chinese places in Chinatown. On the plus side, the prices won't break the bank, so there's that.

Now, onto the not-so-rosy part: the service. It was slow. I mean, "watching-paint-dry" slow. There was a single waitress bravely attempting to manage the entire dining area, and communication was a bit of a challenge due to the language barrier. We had our own version of charades going on.

As for the restaurant's cleanliness, well, let's just say it left something to be desired. Greasy menus and tables strewn with dirty dishes don't exactly scream "sanitary." And don't even get me started on the restroom – it was a sight I won't easily forget.

We decided to take the plunge and ordered four entrees, hoping they'd make up for the less-than-stellar experience so far. However, patience was truly tested as we waited a solid 30 minutes for those dishes to grace our table. We realized we hadn't ordered noodles, so we made that request. But after waiting an additional 40 minutes with no noodles in sight, we threw in the towel.

In conclusion, unless you have a lot of time to spare and an unshakeable tolerance for slow service and questionable cleanliness, this might not be the place for you. While the prices are reasonable, the overall experience falls short...

This is my favourite place for Cantonese-style fare in Houston. The service has always been friendly and quick. Plus, it is open late so one can get some late night comfort food.

I have enjoyed al the dishes I have ordered from their extensive menu.

The pan fried dumplings were filled with generously filled with a nice mix of pork and vegetables. The bottoms were fried till they were a little crispy, giving a nice blend of textures.

The congee was rich and flavourful (mildly, as it should be). The accompanying fried bread sticks were freshly fried and not greasy. They make a great snack for the drive home when I am getting take out.

The Ma Po Tofu is chocked full of minced pork, slivers of preserved vegetables and perfectly cooked tofu. It is perfect for serving over plain white rice to absorb the delicious sauce.

The deep fried smelts in the Appetizer section were a great discovery. They are perfectly cooked and not greasy. The slivers of mildly hot peppers and diced garlic complement the flavour of the fish perfectly. I end up ordering this every time I visit.

The eggplant dish is another favourite of mine. The eggplant pieces are cooked until tender but not overcooked. The mildly spicy sauce is rich without being heavy and goes well with...

Came on a saturday, completely forgot that it gets busy around here at most restaurants, saw this place and was a little confused about not seeing anybody in here… just to realize why we didn’t see anybody in here. I was extremely hungry and just ordered the first thing that came to mind and immediately regretted it when the food was brought out. the chicken was literally just boiled. no seasoning, no sauce, just bland plain naked chicken. I didn’t eat it.. I tried to give it a chance and couldn’t eat it. the spicy chicken however was a lot better and i ate that (it was a tolerable meal, it wasn’t the best but it was tolerable to eat), and pushed the chicken and broccoli to the side. Definitely do not recommend this place if you have other options. I was extremely disappointed in the food and won’t be coming back. However the bland chicken would be a pretty good treat for our cat and that’s the only reason why we took it home!

• UPDATE: we tried feeding some to our cat and even he did NOT want to eat it… which says a lot because he loves to...