It's incredible to think that hard cider nearly vanished from American shelves. During what people like to refer to as the "golden era of hard cider", colonists in 18th-century America were known to offer guests a glass of the beverage (via New England Historical Society). Sadly, because of Prohibition, apple trees used to make cider were cut down, ruining the business for decades, according to the University of Wisconsin. In the 1980s, the industry began to rebound. By 2027, the market value of the sector will have nearly quadrupled due to a major rebound in everything related to craft alcohol (via Market Data Forecast).

Look no further than Houston for proof that hard cider is on the rise once again. Numerous cideries and businesses with a focus on cider have emerged in the Texas town as a result of the growth of craft cider and the inflow of people from the north. The Cidercade, a cider bar, and video game arcade are one of the greatest locations in Houston to experience hard cider. Bishop Cider Company is the owner and operator of The Cidercade. All of the company's hard ciders, kombuchas, and seltzers are available at the arcade. The Pineapple Paradise is a sweet cider lover's dream come true.

In contrast to several places, Houston has a number of Malaysian restaurants, with Phat Eatery being among the best. Chef and restaurant owner Alex Au-Yeung was recognized as a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2022. The restaurant is credited with raising awareness of the area's Katy Asian Town, a plaza home to numerous Asian stores and eateries (via The Buzz Magazines). Malaysian cuisine is fusion in a place where fusion is becoming increasingly prevalent. It combines inspirations from China, Portugal, Singapore, and Thailand, according to Au-Yeung.

There are many standout items on the Phat Eatery menu. The pineapple fried rice is one of the standouts because it strikes the perfect mix between being distinctive and appealing. The roti canai, which combines Indian flatbread and Malaysian tastes, is another menu staple. The Ikan Bakar, a whole fish fried in banana leaves with sambal sauce, is an excellent option for seafood lovers (via Texas Lifestyle & Travel Magazine).

Kolaches are one of the distinctive pastries you must have at least once. They were introduced to Texas by Eastern European immigrants in the 1800s. These classic Czech pastries were served for decades at bazaars, church feasts, and fundraisers and were made with yeast-risen dough (via NPR). These "Czexan" pastries gained popularity in the United States in the middle of the 2010s after gradually blending into Texas popular culture and becoming commercialized. The typical filling for kolaches is cream cheese and sweet fruit, but at some point, a Texas-inspired filling of sausage, cheese, and jalapenos was added. Even today, there is a heated argument over what constitutes a true kolache, with some calling the meat-filled pastries klobásnky.

Finding a kolache in Houston is simply because they are available everywhere. There are nonetheless specialty kolache stores worth your attention. There are several other kinds of kolaches available at The Original Kolache Shoppe, including the contentious meat-filled kind. The Bomber at Kolache Bar, which is loaded with breakfast sausage, bacon, gravy, and jalapeno, would be worth trying for those with more contemporary tastes. Koala Kolache features pastries loaded with everything from smoked brisket to mac 'n cheese if you want something straight out of a Texas barbeque (via Houstonia).

There is a heated argument over where the breakfast taco originated; some even refer to it as a "taco war" (via WOAI). However, the majority of popular tortilla-based snacks may be purchased in breakfast form throughout Texas, including Houston. Unquestionably a Texas innovation, breakfast tacos often consist of scrambled eggs, refried beans, fried potatoes, and chorizo or bacon, however, there are variants.

There are many restaurants in Houston where you can grab a nice breakfast taco (via Houston Food Finder). Many people concur that Brothers Taco House serves some of the greatest breakfast tacos in the area, and there is often a line out the door to attest to this. Although La Guadalupana Bakery & Café specializes in baked goods, its selection of morning tacos is unquestionably a good enough reason to visit. The Cuban-Tex-Mex breakfast tacos at El Rey Taqueria come with eggs, fried plantains, and black beans if you have a craving for the Caribbean. There are various breakfast taco versions available at Tacos a Go Go, including vegetarian and Migas taco alternatives.

In the 1970s, many refugees from the Vietnam War moved along the Gulf Coast in the United States and adopted the customary crawfish boil (via Vice). Numerous Vietnamese immigrants sought employment in Houston during the 1970s and 1980s. Vietnamese families started dipping their boiling crawfish in a sauce made with traditional Asian flavors like garlic, ginger, and lemongrass at some point before or after this migration. Vietnamese families moved to Houston in greater numbers after Hurricane Katrina, and somewhere in the mid-2000s, Viet-Cajun crawfish became popular, eventually making their way back to Louisiana and beyond.

Viet-Cajun crawfish may now be found all around the city. Cajun Crawfish #1 is the place to go if you want a cheap, straightforward experience. The crawfish at Cajun Kitchen has been highlighted in publications like The Washington Post and the renowned PBS series "Mind of a Chef" if you want a more high-profile experience (via Houstonia). There is an effective way to crack and peel crawfish if you've never done it. Grab the body with one hand and the tail with the other to start. Pull back the exoskeleton rings retaining the tail meat after twisting off the tail. Take off the tail meat, then coat it with your Vietnamese Cajun sauce. The next professional technique is to extract the juice from the head portion.

"Chopped" has been on television for more than 50 seasons. The Food Network program has not only entertained you for endless hours, but it has also come to represent a sort of endorsement, particularly for "Chopped" winners who win their episode. The first Houstonian chef to win "Chopped champion" status was Shannen Tune in 2016, soon before he unveiled his Craft Burger food truck (via Houston Press). Currently, Craft Burger is a gourmet burger restaurant with two physical locations, one of which is in Houston.

According to the restaurant's official website, the chef-owner creates each one of the restaurant's specialty burgers using only organic, locally sourced ingredients. The bacon BBQ burger, which is one of the standout items on the menu, is topped with thick-cut bacon, American cheese, crunchy onion straws, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato, and Craft Burger's own sauce. The Morning After Burger, which was highlighted on Food Network, is yet another menu standout. This one comes on bacon-cheddar waffle "buns" and is topped with brown sugar and chili-rubbed bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato, and a sunny-side-up egg.

It was a match made in heaven when European immigrants introduced their love of brisket to Texas cattle country in the 1800s (via MasterClass). The delicious smoked brisket that you know today is not an instant result of this perfect marriage. The 1950s saw the introduction of smoked brisket into barbecue restaurants, a development fueled by the Texas custom of grilling meat over blazing open pits. In the years that followed, the smoked brisket was linked to Texas.

There are many locations in Houston where you may enjoy excellent smoked brisket. Gatlin's BBQ offers a brisket combo platter that comes with your choice of two sides, including mac 'n' cheese, fried okra, and baked beans. The Pit Room's brisket was named "best barbecue brisket" by the Houston Press in 2021 for its delicate slices and just-right peppery crust. Consider Blood Bros. BBQ, where pitmaster Quy Hoang infuses flavors from his Vietnamese roots if you're searching for a distinctive take on Texas brisket.

Mexican food attracts a lot of attention, and for good reason. Each of Mexico's several regions offers a plethora of flavors and cooking styles. The deep, varied flavor possibilities of Mexican cuisine are perhaps best exemplified by mole sauce. Mole is a spicy, peppery, sweet, and nutty sauce that tastes well with meats and vegetables. Mole is frequently produced with tens of components and simmered over a period of days or even weeks.

Hugo Ortega, a chef at the restaurant Xochi in Houston, arguably makes some of the greatest moles in Texas. Ortega, the first Mexican chef to get the coveted James Beard Award, was born in Mexico City to parents who are from Puebla. He did so in 2017 (via Texas Monthly). Mole is made the day before it is served at Xochi. Herbs, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chilies are simmered for four hours before being pureed. The mole is cooked the following day after the addition of chicken stock. The mole is finally fried to reduce bitterness. You should try the mole tasting, which includes four traditional mole variants served with Oaxacan cheese, beans, and a toasted tortilla called a tlayuda, if you're visiting Xochi for this fabled sauce.