North China Restaurant

North China Restaurant Family owned and operated restaurant serving authentic Korean-Chinese and Mandarin cuisine since 1976 Many people think that all Chinese cooking is similar.
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We Chinese have an expression: “Chi fan le mei you,” which literally means: “Have you eaten yet?” It is used universally as a greeting, just as one would ask in English, “How are you?” It is also a wish for one’s health and happiness. It is entirely appropriate phrase, since food to the Chinese culture has always meant much more than mere sustenance, and the process of the cultivating, selecting,

cooking and consuming it are embedded into the world’s oldest culture. The history of our cooking began in the Northeastern region of China, where the knowledge of Chinese cuisine was nurtured simply by listening to dinner table conversations and discussing what we were to eat, how it would be prepared what our favorite dishes were, and the best methods for cooking various delicacies; Oriental cooking is like an artist, talking about art to his peers. For our family food is more than a passion; it is a truism that food is life, but within our culture it is also health and a symbol of other good things such as luck and prosperity. At each meal a Chinese adds to his or her's virtue and strengthens resistance to ills of the body and mind, rendering the body capable of better work. The five early cooking styles of Peking, Hunan, Szuchuan, Canton and Fukien share a common technique. Our chefs have over 100 years combined cooking experience in preparing the best three Oriental culture: Chinese because its flavor; Korean because of its spices; Japanese because its mildness. Our chefs create a distinct and memorable taste in our food. A well prepared dish is expected to appeal more senses than one of taste, its colors should be pleasing to the eye, the ingredients should be of uniform size, it should be aromatic, the effort is to create a pleasing balance. Our family owned and operated a traditional restaurant in Seoul, Korea for over two decades before coming to America. Our family thinks of our customers as guests of our family, and will be served with our very best, as if they were dining in our home. A customer once said, “Your restaurant is Houston’s best kept secret. This is the best Oriental food I have eaten!” Enjoy our Unique food entrees, allow our staff to assist you with your food, beverage & dessert selections; Welcome to the house of Wu.

Appreciate the love from and last week on our local TV! We're humbled to be featured alongside and as a Chinese offe...
10/17/2025

Appreciate the love from and last week on our local TV! We're humbled to be featured alongside and as a Chinese offering in the city.

Thank you so much for helping us tell our story and show off some dishes that newcomers might miss.

Catch the ep on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YFtL5o-AvdI
Read about it: https://www.click2houston.com/features/2025/10/11/not-your-typical-chinese-takeout-houstons-regional-chinese-restaurants-serve-up-authenticity-in-every-bite/

List of dishes featured:

Kimchi
Beijing Fish Buns
Sizzling Rice Soup
Water Boiled Fish Dumplings
Ponglai Beef
Mandarin Hot Tofu
Chow Ma Mian
Zhajiang Mian

Happy Lunar from the Wus to you and yours!Many of y’all have been with us since our old location and can remember Peter ...
02/03/2025

Happy Lunar from the Wus to you and yours!

Many of y’all have been with us since our old location and can remember Peter and April when they had a full head of dark hair, and maybe me when I was a sulking kid doing homework on a small table in the back, but we’re all grey headed now!

We are ever grateful for all of the support y’all have given us throughout the years, and are eager to carry on the legacy my grandparents began way back in the 70s. Thank you all for allowing us to do so.

In our family (and by extension restaurant) we've had a Lunar New Year dinner tradition that would happen yearly long be...
01/28/2025

In our family (and by extension restaurant) we've had a Lunar New Year dinner tradition that would happen yearly long before I was even around. There'd be a huge spread of food that we'd share with our family and staff members after the restaurant would close for the day, as well as plenty of gifts in the forms of well wishes, hong baos, and flowers.

The main attraction and enduring piece of the event however, would be these coin-laden boiled dumplings that we'd hide among the piles of other dumplings! The goal was find as many of these as you could while you ate, and in turn exchange them for a dollar, which the matron of the family would count and pass out at the end of dinner.

Having this type of dynamic always adds another layer of festiveness, as you'd hear the surprised exclamations of people all around the dining room finding one of these little prizes while eating.

(don't worry, we make sure these are well separated from the ones we sell!)

12/08/2024

Now's the perfect weather to enjoy our Sizzling Rice Soup optimally! Those of you who can't finish it in one go, make sure to take it home, as it tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have a chance to coalesce!

11/28/2024

CLOSED for Thanksgiving Thursday! Reopening on Friday (11/29)!

More old pics here. This is my grandma standing in front of the original original first edition North China Restaurant i...
09/07/2024

More old pics here. This is my grandma standing in front of the original original first edition North China Restaurant in 1977, back when it was a little 1000 sq. ft thing.

The super loud and cramped kitchen would be roaring daily with fiery woks amid the yells of customers' orders from my grandma to my grandpa, and they always sounded like they were fighting, but the food would never fail to come out right.

Business back in the day was all about wearing every single hat to run the operation, and my grandma was the Front of House Manager, Server, Cashier, Accountant, Dumpling Maker, Janitor, Busser, and Human Resources of the operation while my grandpa took care of everything Back of House related.

Her kids were always around to help, but as studies always came first, she would be left to hold it down at the restaurant on her own sometimes, but we obviously made it through those times.

I remember a few years ago, she was surprised to see me back at the restaurant, learning to take over, as she never wished that lifestyle on anyone else. The long hours they worked at North China Restaurant were all to ensure her kids could go to school and avoid the restaurant life, especially her grandkids. We're more than happy to continue her and my grandpa's legacies however, and the restaurant life really ain't that bad.

Thank you for all your hard work 爷爷 and 奶奶! Don't worry, we're happy to keep it going!

Many of you will be surprised to know that we had a second location of North China Restaurant for a few years in the 80s...
09/01/2024

Many of you will be surprised to know that we had a second location of North China Restaurant for a few years in the 80s, I know I was!

Located in Sharpstown, it was actually my Uncle Roger who ran the place after some family drama, taking the restaurant's hands off of one of his disgruntled uncles. The stint was short-lived however, as business wasn't that great, and my Roger was much more focused on growing his car business (which is still around today!). They decided to close the restaurant's doors after a few years and focus entirely on our original location which kept going until 2006.

Pictured here is my parents at their 1987 wedding reception and young Peter standing at the entrance of the second restaurant.

Beginnings of our uniquely Northern Chinese Fish Dumplings! This is a particular dish my family brought with them and i...
08/30/2024

Beginnings of our uniquely Northern Chinese Fish Dumplings!

This is a particular dish my family brought with them and is unique to our humble beginnings in ShanDong Province in Northeastern China. We make a few batches of these types of dumplings every few weeks for those who wish to try some of our even more authentic cuisine.

The filling of these dumplings consists of white fish, chives, ginger, rice wine, and a nice ratio of salt and white pepper. The taste is clean, and light, which can be a contrast to our heavier pork dumpling filling.

PSA if you're ordering through a 3rd Party Courier service (UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub):We encourage you to use DoorDas...
07/13/2024

PSA if you're ordering through a 3rd Party Courier service (UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub):

We encourage you to use DoorDash or GrubHub, as the prices reflected on there are much closer to our regular menu prices.

UberEats will have highly inflated prices because they charge a gigantic commission for every sale they make.

Of course, the absolute best course of action is to just get it directly from us, and pick it up yourselves to cut out the middleman and get the freshest experience!

Power, AC, and all that good stuff here! Business as usual at WE ARE OPEN!
07/11/2024

Power, AC, and all that good stuff here! Business as usual at

WE ARE OPEN!

Father's Day weekend is here! Still have plenty of room on the books tomorrow, so feel free to call in or walk in!Privat...
06/15/2024

Father's Day weekend is here!

Still have plenty of room on the books tomorrow, so feel free to call in or walk in!

Private Dining Room tables available.

Address

14525 Katy Freeway
Houston, TX
77079

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 2:30pm
4:30pm - 9pm
Tuesday 11am - 2:30pm
4:30pm - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 2:30pm
4:30pm - 9pm
Thursday 11am - 2:30pm
4:30pm - 9pm
Friday 11am - 2:30pm
4:30pm - 9pm
Saturday 11:30am - 9pm
Sunday 11:30am - 9pm

Telephone

(832) 379-8881

Website

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Our Story

Since 1976, we’ve been slinging Chinese food on the west side of Houston, and we’re proud to say that not much has changed; our menu has stayed true to our Chinese-Korean roots with original chef Pen-Chung Wu’s culinary flavors resonating through our dishes. Family-owned and operated since its conception, we here at North China desire nothing more than to carry on his legacy through our take on Chinese cuisine.

Walk in, call in, we welcome all comers. (No delivery though, sorry.)