A fellow traveled suggested that we meet in the middle for some culinary adventure. She'd been here before at the behest of her IT guy, so she vouched for it. I can't actually tell you what particular cuisine Cafe 101 represents, but the menu is pretty long. And based on the music background, the young crowd, the young staff, I'm like maybe 15 years too old to really appreciate what this place has to offer. Getting There - Dun Huang Plaza is currently a nightmare squared. At the time of this writing, construction continues on Bellaire Rd, so your best bet is actually coming in from Corporate Drive. Parking - All the popular stuff in Bellaire has awful parking, as it's popular, and everyone and their grandmother (literally tons of grandmas) comes to the businesses in the area. The decor - young, hip modern. Service - friendly to regulars and newbs alike as far as I could tell. Lin/Lynn, our server, was very nice. And she didn't recommend or dissuade either of us on what we wanted to eat. The Food? The lady got fried chicken curry nuggets? It was Karage style fried chicken (google it), with Japanese curry. (the West Indian in me laughs at Japanese Curry. My East Indian peeps would not dignify Japanese curry with any attention - either way, it's some tasty gravy) And the few bites I got from her plate were really good. I initially opted for the Salt and Pepper duck tongues. Wait what? I'm always pushing myself, be it writing, in the gym, or eating. "You need to be pushing them finances", said Sallie Mae 2014 is the year to really get out of my comfort zone. I'd read something about duck tongues, but i'd forgotten exactly what it was that intrigued me. No S&P Tongues, but they had Duck tongue with spicy basil. I think it was King Basil i.e. the kind you'll get in Asian cooking, not the kind you get with Italian cooking. Flavorful sauce with plenty of garlic. And mixed with the greens was about 1/4 to a 1/2 pound of duck tongues. What was it that I forgot about duck tongues? OH, THERE'S A HUGE BONE IN IT. The lady could barely contain herself with laughter...scratch that...could hardly hold in her guffaws as I tongue wrassled (emphasis on wrassle, as opposed to wrestle) the duck tongues whilst trying to keep everything in the mouth piece. It's like a reverse crawfish. Soft on the outside, hard on the inside. It makes for adventurous, although unsightly eating. Glad I wasn't entertaining my friend, as the hilarity, hideousness, and strong garlic aroma would have destroyed any and all chances for romance. The taste - Tastes like animal flesh, but to quote myself, "Yo, these tongues is gamy as a mug" . Did some research post meal, and even where duck tongues are popular, there more of a curiosity rather than a delicacy. Came with a side salad of unripe tomato, iceberg lettuce, and the dressing of the Gods - ginger carrot. It'll make anything taste good. Bowl of rice was to keep it all together... With respect to the "drank", lamed out with Mango Smoothie and Tapioca pearls. I figured the duck tongues would be enough for one day. read more

Cafe 101 - Duck tongue with basil - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

If you're looking for not so authentic Asian food, Cafe 101 is the place to go ! They have a large variety of items on the menu from fried rice, small hot pots, sushi, chicken and beef dishes, milk teas, sake, desserts, etc. For sure you'll be able to find something to satisfy your hunger. The fried tofu is your basic fried tofu. You dip it into a chef special sauce that was pretty good. It also came with a little side of kimichi which was nice. The sesame chicken was great. I've had the peppered chicken before I would say the sesame was sooo much more better. A side of rice, egg roll, and a random veggie side dish comes with the entree too. They have regular and reverse happy hour which is nice. They're also open until 2AM which is perfect if you get hungry late at night. I would come here if I had no idea where to eat in Chinatown or if it's late at night. If you're looking for authentic Chinese food, I'd say look elsewhere. read more

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Cute, colorful drinks (coffee, tea, milk teas, sake, frappes, juice). All bland or syrup-flavored. I am not a fan of syrup-flavored drinks. The alcoholic drinks are watered down. Open late. Service is decent if you can flag them down. Their bacon french fries were pretty good. Had a nice crisp to it, with plenty of garlic for the right amount of flavor. I wasn't happy with any of the drinks I ordered (coffee almond bubble--bland, came out with no boba, then found a fruit fly in it), then I ordered the Silvery Galaxy....bland. I think they use food coloring to make the drinks more colorful. Kinda iffy about giving this place another try although I do love the concept of having boba, alcoholic drinks, and snacks all in one place. Something for everyone! read more

Cafe 101 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Ok, no matter how much they charge for boba ($4/drink!!!), it's worth it. When I go twice in one day, I would say that I need to add a star and I need a support group. To quote the hostess,"Oh! You're...? Back?" just hand over the peach frappé with tapioca and no one gets hurt! Don't judge me. read more

We walked in there to see the menu but it had a funk sewage smell, we walked right out the door.

This was my first time trying this place but I didn't have the food. I only had the milk tea with custard and it is worth writing a review about. The milk tea was amazing but the custard in it was phenomenal! I've never had any drink with custard because I've never seen it on a menu but you should definitely try it here. I always hear the milk tea is great here and all the food pictures look great so next time I'll stop in for a bite too. The restaurant looks very cute on the inside and the food smelled great. It's in a popular area on belaire so parking is hit or miss. The staff is polite but the hostess seemed like she was new because she wasn't familiar with the menu. My bf ordered a green tea milk with jellies and she said they did not have green tea milk tea. Overall, must try the drinks especially with custard! read more

Cafe 101 - Milk tea with custard jelly - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Having gone to the UH Cafe 101 location I thought the mother restaurant would outshine it's sister. However I believe the only thing it surpassed in was the dining aesthetics during dinner. Other than that everything was OK. Food was pricy for the quality I for the sizzling short rib and the meat was mushy. Got the beef kimichi fries which consisted 70% kimichi 10% beef and 20% fries. The Mens restroom had a urinal leak and you had to pee in the one toilet or step in other people's urine. My bill was around 25$. I went with a group and be warned THEY DO NOT SPLIT THE BILL! They will charge cards what you tell them too but I'd you go with a big group and share drinks brinf yourself a calculator. It took us around 15 minutes to settle the splitting. They include the gratuity in the bill. At least for us. Their teas are good. But other than that probably won't be back. read more

Ah, Cafe 101. How I love thee. I love how you are open so late at night and offer a grand selection of various foods and drinks. Their Pink Lady is recommended. I ordered it without tapioca and it tasted quite like a refreshing watermelon/banana smoothie. Interesting, but not in a bad way. I've also tried their Red Bean frapp before, too. I'm a huge fan of red beans so I appreciated the fact that the drink actually tasted like red beans. Sometimes, red bean drinks can be too subtle in flavor. I don't like it that way. I want the red beans to be in my face, creamy and sweet. So I highly recommend this drink to those who are red beans lovers like me. Did you know that they have sushi here? I ordered the Sashimi sampler, I believe, and was not disappointed. The fish tasted fresh and was very supple. The presentation was clean, also. For a tapioca place, their sushi's not half bad. I can't wait to come back here. Great ambiance and great food- that's enough for me. read more

Cafe 101 - Sashimi sampler. - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I decided to give this place another try since my first experience was fairly decent. I called to place an order to-go. I ordered the Satay Beef Fried Noodles w/ Water Celery. They ran out of water celery so replaced it with Chinese broccoli which was no big deal to me. I figured it shouldn't take that long to make a drink, so I asked the girl on the phone if it would be better for me to place my order now or just place the order when I go in to pick up my food. She told me to place my drink order when I come in, so that is what I did. The girls working here are friendly enough, but the service is so slow. My food was ready by the time I arrived, but I waited about an extra 15 min just for my drink. I had ordered an Apple Milk Tea with Tapioca. The first time I came here, I ordered the same drink and just thought they had just given me regular milk tea...once again, I was disappointed. After waiting about an extra 15 min for my drink, it tasted absolutely nothing like apple. Not even a hint of apple flavor. They might as well scratch that option from the menu. I came back to the office, excited to finally eat and when I took a bite of the food, it was so bland. This dish hardly had any flavor to it at all. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. I hate it when what you read in the menu turns out to be better than the actual taste of what you ordered. It was a big letdown and I don't think I will be coming back to this restaurant. Also, the menu pricing that is listed on Yelp is completely different than what their price actually is. I am not sure if what is posted on Yelp is just outdated and Cafe 101 has since raised their prices, but it is a little more expensive than what you see on here. read more

So glad I came in! This place has my new favorite boba. It's super fresh, and all of the fish I had was hecka tasty. The service is quick, the general vibe is awesome (sweet lighting, huuuuge menu, good music), and the hours are great. Thank you! read more

Don't get the milk tea here, what a disappointment! I was better off getting my fav star snow milk tea right down the street. I totally tasted the powder and it was so similar to coffee creamer! It's not worth the taste, fancy smancy glass or price! My friends had the heineken green tea and white peach wine which they say were pretty good. :) So I guess I can recommend that. Waiter service kind of sucks - not gonna lie. So don't expect too much, rather be prepared to chase them down when you see them! read more

I always come here, it's always a hit or miss with this place when it comes to service. Noticed they put up a 30.07 sign and also a 30.06 sign. 30.07 for open carry I understand, but 30.06 means the people with a clean background can not defend themselves. I will no longer support this place because you know criminals will bring their guns and still rob and shoot everyone. Plus at 10pm tonight on a Friday there was NO HPD officer, who's going to keep this place safe? Until the 30.06 sign comes down, I will not be coming back. read more

Cafe 101 - I get the 30.07 for oprn carry, but 30.06 just for fun? You just let criminals know that they can rob this place. No cop today,Friday . - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Pretty cute place but I got food poisoning shortly after. The food was okay and don't get the sushi.

I have been going here since high school and this place is so chill to hang and eat! I'd always get the bento box because you get a little of everything different but it does get boring so that's why they have so many things for you can try! Especially drinks oh me gee. My favorite thing to eat here is the hotpot and I get the kimchi jigae! It's so good! My friends liked what they order too! So if you're trying something new and coming out of your closet they never dissatisfied you! I say everything I eat is good when I come. Con: It gets CROWDED at night! Trust me! It's probably cause it open late and the food is fusion and oh SO good! Well depends what you get lol read more

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I use to be a regular and was there almost weekly. This is definitely a hotspot for young Asians. L.e.d. lights around the booths, pop music videos or sports playing on the tv screens, and trendy decor reflect that. If you come during the day, the atmosphere is very different, but not in a bad way. In fact, some may prefer it to the club feel at night. The food is hit or miss. One thing to remember, is that the portions are smaller even though the prices are the same or even higher than most nearby establishments. The food is not served family-style. Most of the entrees are served with a tiny trio of sides including pickled cabbage, egg roll, potato salad, and other various vegetables that are rotated. Don't bother with these as they usually taste like crap and have been sitting out all day. Entrees also include a tiny dessert item, usually a green tea gelatin or red bean with mini tapioca. I enjoy these simple sweet treats after the meal. My favorite dishes are curry chicken nugget and kimchi fried noodles. Try the fried tofu appetizer everyone on here raves about. The garlic-infused dipping sauce is what really makes it delicious! I would pass on the sushi and the hotpots. You can easily find better nearby. Service often is spotty. The turnover rate is high with the servers, but there are a few that seem to have stuck around. Whenever I get a new girl, I almost cringe because I expect the service to be horrible... Here's a hint, they hire girls based on looks more than anything. If you come at the right time, they have good specials. I love that they are open until 2 a.m. read more

It's been a couple years, but I would still have to give this a 3-4 star rating. Went here with a couple of friends and we ordered an array of items. Drinks: -Young Girls Dream: a drink that is similar to a Baby Blue, but red in color. There was whipped cream at the top and boba at the bottom. -Watermelon juice: you can't really go wrong with watermelon juice. It was served in a mason jar which added a nice touch! -Caramel drink: forgot the actual name, but it contains egg pudding, caramel, boba, and shaved ice I think. Super good and super sweet. Food: -Popcorn chicken: pretty good! Served on a small plate and was crispy. -Basil fries: simple yet almost refreshing with the basil flavors -intestines: my friend ordered this, but I had to try. Sweet and sour sauce was served on the side. I have to admit, it was pretty good. Crispy on the outside and soft/chewy on the inside. -my friend also ordered this stuffed shell, which was alright but had a little bit too much cheese. Service: This is why this place gets points knocked off. The service is horrible! The last time I went (couple years ago), there was a hiring sign on the front door. This time I went, the same sign was still there! If that doesn't say something about management, I don't know what does. Food took forever to get to us and the waitress forgot to put an order for my sisters drink (ironically similar to what happened last time where the waiter forgot to put an order for my sisters meal Lol) read more

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My new go-to sushi spot! Came here with my boyfriend and cousin and enjoyed it! We ordered the Shaggy dog and the "Once upon a Time" both had fried shrimp tempura and were soooooo good! One thing that makes this restaurant unique is that they have teas and smoothies you can add boba too which I loved! I got a strawberry banana smoothie with boba and my boyfriend got a black tea. Everything was good, food came fast, highly recommend! read more

Cafe 101 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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All the fried appetizers were over cooked and tasted like the grease was old. The service was slow and waitress was irritated. I got the Ninja roll and it was very one note. Super dissatisfied. read more

Great ambiance, lots of hot girls. Food was delicious, music was awesome, club like atmosphere. Only thing i would change is that they serve sushi late nites also. read more

Cafe 101 - Nice interior! @@@ - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came late night after a long evening of work and was super hungry. It happen to be happy hour I believe during my 10:30pm visit. The ambiance was a little upscale compared to your mom and pop cafe. They had club music playing which threw me off a bit but I'm guessing it caters to the crowd. I ordered the mint green milk tea it was so delicious and refreshing. I felt a bit guilty drinking it before bed but I have no regrets. I ordered spicy scallop, tuna, and salmon nigiri. It was really fresh to my surprise and filling. I also ordered the fried oysters which I love. I would definitely come back again. I would like to try more of their specialty drinks, especially the blue baby because when I tried to order it the waitress said they were out. read more

Cafe 101 - Spicy chopped scallop, tuna, and salmon nigiri - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Definitely one of the more hipster places in Ctown, Cafe 101 is also one of the only establishments open when a college student decides to give up trying to work at 1am and wants to drown his sorrows in food. The bright lights and festive decorations will lighten any mood, and it's definitely a good place to chill with friends. Sadly, service is definitely on the slower end, no matter how crowded it appears to be. Additionally, while the mango boba I had was creamy and sweet, the food (beef noodle soup and Taiwanese nuggets) was average at best. If you want a place with good ambience to hang with friends, this may be the place for you. If you want good late night food, not so much. read more

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Service is pretty good here, chicken nuggets are super tasty, love the beef noodle soup. Jasmine milk tea and tropical fruit green tea are bonuses! read more

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This place is always packed everytime I go. Went here in the evening for a late dinner after work. The music and decor was really nice to my liking. Service was great too. Now talking about the food, I wasn't that crazy about it but it wasn't that bad either. This is more like a chill late hangout kind of place. read more

Cafe 101 - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I love it here! I always get calamari and sushi here. There sushi is a little expensive but it's good lol Good service and love the deco. To me it's a pretty big place and it gets pack quick on the weekends. It's a place I would recommend :) read more

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Horrible service and very mediocre food. This place used to be our go to late night place but the service and food quality just declined so much over the years. We ordered pick up one night, not only it took forever to get our food, when asked the waitress to please check on the food she gave really bad attitude. Will not come here again. read more

When they first opened, I was skeptical about this place since their selling points seem to be waitress with mini skirts as uniforms. I was never really excited the times I visited. I've been there several times with friends.One of the times was to attend a friend's birthday dinner. Food was average, you get really thirsty afterwards so you kind of have a feel on how much MSG they add. Moreover, the tip they added on for a large party was pretty ridiculous. Drinks are expensive averaging to about 4 bucks for a milk tea only. The wait staff aren't very attentive. One time my friend and I waited for 30 minutes for our waitress to come cash us out . She was just standing with another waitstaff talking. Overall, food is average, drinks are average and a little on the $$$ side. I'll come just to chill with friends and grab a drink occassionally but not a huge fan in any ways. read more

I've been coming here for years for late night eating or casual drinking with friends just to do a little catching up. The ambiance is pretty chill. The interior décor is trendy. Service can be a hit or miss here. Sometimes, it can be extremely lack lusting or it can be good. I think the waitresses are better than the waiters here. One night when it was guy male servers working, my date and I waited for 15+ minutes to have someone greet our table. One thing for me, I don't expect for outstanding service when dining here so that'll obviate some of the disappointment in the end. I always wonder what it is that draws me back to them... but HEY! It is Bellaire (china town) so I guess it can be expected. The menu is extensive. There are a lot of varieties to choose from. I normally try something new every time I venture in. The kim chi undon is pretty good. Happy hour used to be good, but it has changed over the years. A lot of items have been removed from it. So the happy hour is just "ok." The food isn't the best and service can be sketchy at times, but it's a nice place that stays open until 2 in the morning if you want to hang out with friends late at night. I normally don't come here unless my friends tell me to meet them up. read more

I don't know why Cafe 101 doesn't have better reviews. I come here often, and it has been consistently yummy. My most recent visit was with my parents and my grandpa, who is notoriously picky about food, but he liked everything we ordered. For starters, we ordered fried tofu, which now comes with kimchi! The tofu was absolutely delicious, with a perfect crunchy coating and silky inside - my grandpa said it reminded him of stinky tofu from Taiwan. I was pleasantly surprised by the kimchi, which is usually hit or miss for even Korean restaurants but was perfectly spicy and tangy here. For my main course, I got a caterpillar roll, which was beautifully made and covered with fresh avocado. My grandpa also got a longan tea which looked and smelled really good. In terms of their cooked dishes, I really like the honey lemon chicken, meat sauce over rice, and any of the sizzling clay pot stuff. The ambience is really hip, and the waitstaff is always very nice and helpful. When we went during lunch on Saturday, the restaurant wasn't too busy, so the service was fast. This is a great place for a fun and chill meal. They have awesome drinks too! read more

Cafe 101 - Fried tofu is so yum! Love the sauce - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

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They play good music. I always find myself shazaming while I'm eating. The service is fast and prompt. They chicken nugget appetizer is the bomb! Ask for the squid sauce on the side with it, it will change your life. The fried tofu and calamari appetizers are great too. The seafood udon is yummy and filling. They aren't shy with the seafood and give you a lot! They have reverse happy hour, which is great for people who are studying or night owls. read more

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This is place definitely exceeded my preconceived thought. When I first came to cafe 101 about two years ago I wasn't really satisfied with the food, but the tapioca was pretty good. This time the tapioca was still really good and the food was tasteful as well! I guess the first time I just ordered the wrong thing. Their Milk tea is amazing & I wont be ordering it from anywhere else now! (Yes it's really that good) If you want authentic tapioca & yummy food go to cafe 101 & order milk tea! read more

Cafe 101 - Sweetened milk tea - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Cafe 101 is popular amongst my friends and a nice place to catch up with friends. They have an extensive list of mostly Taiwanese based food, but since there are so many options, all the food seems average. Their milk tea tastes just like frothy milk, and their new kimchi fries has a base of potato wedges rather than the crispy oily fries that I like. But the bulgogi meat was good, as well as the Taiwanese chicken nuggets. The service is good too, and their waitresses are attentive to our water supply and kept checking up on us. read more

Cafe 101 - Fried Tofu, Chicken Nuggets, Kimchi Fries - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Dined in during COVID. Place was big enough so that customers were able to be seated. Food was fairly decent. If you are looking for a new place to try I would recommend. Not bad by any standards. Have a good time! read more

This pace was good. Staff were honest about their foods and had good suggestions. I got the beef soup and it was pretty good. Not the best but I'd get it again. We also got the fried calamari and that was very delicious. The dipping sauce was fantastic. The menu was quite large and take up a lot of space. Overall, this pace was pretty good. read more

Cafe 101 - The beef noodle soup - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

I understand that the restaurant does not allow outside drink because they offer a variety of drinks, but they force us to throw the drinks away or take it to the car. Even leaving it on the table and not drinking it is not allowed. This is ridiculous. We will never eat here again. Oh, somehow they are extremely slow. It is a Thursday lunch and we have been waiting for more than 30 min. Now we will be late for work. read more

So I had the mango boba with tapioca and I have to say I love it! Made a Chic happy here :) read more

Cafe 101 - Mango bubble tapioca - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Worst service every, don't think I'll come back again!!! Food came out at different times and I had to wait at least 30 min for the second order came out for the other person. Other food was cold and the order was incorrect. The servers are horrible and had to ask for take out box 2 times!! Update got the food after 40 min of waiting and it tasted horrible and the people next to our table also complained about their food. Hopefully they can get better training for the employees. If I could give it no stars I would. read more

We went for happy hour, the Kim chi fries was amazing! We had really great service. Great selection of drinks

We come here pretty often and never wrote a review before. Food is always pretty good and the drinks are unique. We always order calamari and fried tofu that come with a very tasty dipping sauce. This time I ordered the pepper short rib which was a little dry but pretty good. My wife always gets the stir fried flounder. Most items we have tried in the menu are pretty good and haven't had a bad dish yet. For the newbies this place is very trendy and has a club vibe. It almost feels like they should have a dance floor and live Dj. read more

Hubby wanted a foot massage, so we trekked it to Chinatown and decided to give this place a try. It looked pretty busy so we thought food might be good. We started out with the kimchi fries w/a fried egg. Would've been better if the fries were crispier. Hubby ordered the general tso's which was okay, not good or bad. I ordered the Taiwanese noodles soup with porkchops. The noodle soup was bland but the porkchops......salty as heck!! I could feel my body swelling up! I know I'm gonna be drinking a lot of water tonight. All in all, bleh. I need some shaved ice to cleanse my palate now. read more

Cafe 101 - Soggy fries - Chinese Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this place!!! As a frequent Chinatown diner, this is definitely a never fail go-to. I love that you can come in here at any time of the day and never be disappointed. With an extensive menu, there are plenty of items to choose from. We always start with fried tofu and fried squid for the table (MUST!) and order entrees. Some of my favorites to order would be: kimchi fried rice, udon, chicken nuggets, Japanese curry pork, flounder, ANY OF THE SUSHI, and definitely a drink from their drink menu (non alcoholic). read more