Best Asian Restaurants in the Galleria and Uptown: 8 Verified Picks

The best Asian restaurants in the Galleria and Uptown, Houston, are Musaafer for Indian, Songkran Thai Kitchen for Thai, Dough Zone and P.F. Chang's for Chinese, Roostar for Vietnamese banh mi, and Nobu, Uchiko and Hidden Omakase for Japanese. All eight sit inside Uptown, the business district around The Galleria and Post Oak Boulevard, and every one was confirmed as operating on its own official website in October 2026.

Here's the line to remember: in Uptown, the best Asian food hides inside a shopping mall, on the second floor of an office complex and behind a reservation that opens at midnight. Musaafer, which lists a Michelin star on its own awards page, is inside The Galleria. The soup dumplings are upstairs at BLVD Place. And Hidden Omakase releases its seats on Resy at midnight, two weeks out.

What counts as the Galleria and Uptown in this guide?

We use the same lines as our other Uptown guides: Loop 610 on the east, Woodway Drive on the north, Chimney Rock Road on the west and Richmond Avenue (both sides) on the south. That takes in The Galleria, the Post Oak Boulevard corridor, Uptown Park, BLVD Place and the blocks along San Felipe and West Alabama.

It also leaves out some well-known names. Le Colonial is in River Oaks District, just east of Loop 610. Kiran's and Pondicheri are in Upper Kirby. The Korean and Vietnamese strips on Westheimer west of Chimney Rock, including the shopping center at 5901 Westheimer, are outside the line too. For the wider neighborhood, start with our Galleria/Uptown area guide.

The quick list

• For a once-a-year Indian dinner: Musaafer, inside The Galleria.
• For a relaxed Thai dinner: Songkran Thai Kitchen in Uptown Park.
• For soup dumplings at lunch: Dough Zone Dumpling House at BLVD Place.
• For a fast, cheap lunch: Roostar Vietnamese Grill on Richmond Avenue.
• For a crowd-pleasing Chinese-American dinner near the mall: P.F. Chang's at Galleria Park.
• For a big-name Japanese night out: Nobu Houston, inside The Galleria.
• For smoky, charred Japanese cooking and happy hour: Uchiko Houston on Post Oak Boulevard.
• For a chef's-counter omakase: Hidden Omakase.

How we chose

We looked for Asian restaurants inside our Uptown boundary that are worth planning a meal around, then kept only places whose own website showed current hours, a current menu or open reservations in October 2026. We wanted range: a white-tablecloth Indian dinner and an under-$20 lunch, a family-style Thai meal and a counter where the chef decides what you eat.

We left out restaurants we could not confirm on an official site, and places that have closed. We also could not verify a Korean restaurant inside these lines. For Korean barbecue, head to the Long Point corridor in Spring Branch, covered in our best Korean BBQ in Houston guide.

Hours, prices and menus change. Treat every time and price below as typical and check the restaurant's site before you go.

Indian

Musaafer

The Galleria, 5115 Westheimer Rd, Suite 3500 · dinner daily, from noon Friday to Sunday

Musaafer is the reason to put Indian food first on this list. The name means "traveler," and the restaurant says it sent a chef on a 100-day journey across 29 Indian states to build the menu. Its own awards page lists a Michelin star for 2024, 2025 and 2026, which makes it the rare Michelin-starred dinner you can reach without leaving a shopping mall.

What to order: Musaafer's journey page highlights an onion xuixo that took 20 failed attempts to get right, butter chicken served three ways, and patrani paneer, a vegetarian take on a Gujarati steamed-fish dish.

Good to know: dinner typically starts at 5 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and the restaurant opens at noon Friday to Sunday. Reserve through the website. More Indian picks across town are in our best Indian restaurants in Houston.

Thai

Songkran Thai Kitchen

Uptown Park, 1101-08 Uptown Park Blvd · lunch and dinner daily

Songkran Thai Kitchen is named for Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival held every April, and it cooks what it calls traditional Bangkok cuisine. In our view it's the most relaxed sit-down Asian meal in Uptown, and the restaurant says both valet and self-parking are free.

What to order: the restaurant names its signature dish as the Wagyu braised short rib in green curry. The crispy whole red snapper and the soft-shell crab with chili glaze are good for sharing, and the lychee and jackfruit crème brûlée is a fun Thai twist on dessert.

Good to know: on weekdays the kitchen typically closes between lunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and dinner (from 5 p.m.). Weekends run straight through from noon. For more Thai cooking across Houston, see our best Thai food in Houston.

Chinese

Dough Zone Dumpling House

BLVD Place, 1700 Post Oak Blvd, Floor 2, Suite 1-250 · open daily

Dough Zone Dumpling House started in 2014 as a mom-and-pop restaurant in Bellevue, Washington, and its Uptown location is one floor up at BLVD Place. Small plates come out fast, so it's the easiest lunch on Post Oak.

What to order: xiao long bao (soup dumplings), the pan-fried Q-Bao buns, dan dan noodles and potstickers. The menu is built for sharing, so order more plates than people.

Good to know: typically open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, with a waitlist you can join online. For cart-style dim sum, you'll need to drive to Bellaire Boulevard; see our best dim sum in Houston.

P.F. Chang's (Galleria Park)

Galleria Park, 5251 Westheimer Rd · open daily, late on weekends

P.F. Chang's is a national chain, but its Galleria location solves a real problem: a reliable sit-down dinner for a big group, open late, right across Sage Road from Saks Fifth Avenue. It's an easy choice with kids or with picky eaters after a day at the mall.

What to order: Chang's chicken lettuce wraps, which the restaurant calls its signature dish, plus Mongolian beef and Chang's spicy chicken. The Great Wall of Chocolate feeds a table.

Insider tip: park in the 5251 garage off Sage Road; the restaurant validates your ticket. Happy hour typically runs 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Vietnamese

Roostar Vietnamese Grill

Richmond Avenue, 5551 Richmond Ave · open daily from 10 a.m.

Roostar is our pick for the best-value meal on this list and an easy workday lunch. Its owners both hold hotel and restaurant management degrees from the University of Houston, and the restaurant says its recipes trace back to a sandwich shop one owner's grandmother ran in Vietnam.

What to order: a banh mi first, made from what Roostar calls its grandma-approved family recipes. The restaurant also serves noodle and rice dishes and specialty coffees.

Good to know: typically open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and until 9 p.m. Sunday. Want pho? Our best Vietnamese restaurants in Houston guide covers the bowls on Bellaire Boulevard.

Japanese

Nobu Houston

The Galleria, 5115 Westheimer Rd · dinner daily

Nobu Houston is the big-night-out pick, inside The Galleria at 5115 Westheimer Road. The Japanese-Peruvian classics are all here.

What to order: yellowtail jalapeño, rock shrimp tempura and black cod miso.

Insider tip: the seat to book is at the sushi bar. On Thursdays and Fridays, Nobu typically runs a 17-course sushi bar omakase that starts at 7 p.m. and is limited to four guests. If you'd rather not plan ahead, the bar and lounge pour Tanoshi Hours drinks and bites daily from 5 to 8 p.m.

Uchiko Houston

Post Oak Boulevard, 1801 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 110 · lunch and dinner daily

Uchiko is the sister restaurant to Uchi from James Beard Award–winning chef Tyson Cole, and the restaurant says it takes "a fiery turn," adding smoke and char to the sushi-bar style Uchi is known for.

What to order: the gyutoro nigiri made with 72-hour short rib, plus whatever comes off the hearth, such as the hearth-roasted lobster.

Good to know: lunch is typically served daily, and happy hour runs 4 to 6 p.m. every day. More counters are in our best sushi in Houston guide.

Hidden Omakase

Uptown · Tuesday to Saturday, two seatings a night

Hidden Omakase is a set-menu omakase counter in Uptown whose chef team includes Uchi alumni, so you can taste two sides of that family tree in one district. The restaurant shows Michelin Guide badges for 2024 and 2025 on its website.

Good to know: seatings typically run at 6 and 8:30 p.m., the meal is about $225 a person, and bookings are Resy-only, released two weeks ahead at midnight. The restaurant has been serving through a temporary residency at Moon while its original dining room is repaired, and its website lists no street address, so confirm where you are going on your Resy booking.

Save this: an Uptown Asian food checklist

• Lunch on a workday: Roostar banh mi or Dough Zone soup dumplings.
• Shopping-day dinner without a reservation: P.F. Chang's at Galleria Park, with validated parking.
• Relaxed family-style dinner: Songkran Thai Kitchen in Uptown Park.
• Happy hour: Uchiko, 4 to 6 p.m. daily, or Nobu's Tanoshi Hours, 5 to 8 p.m.
• The splurge: dinner at Musaafer, Nobu's four-seat Thursday or Friday omakase, or Hidden Omakase.
• Book ahead for: Musaafer, Nobu's omakase and Hidden Omakase (set an alarm for midnight).
• After dinner: walk to the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park or skate at the ice rink inside The Galleria.

More to eat in the Galleria and Uptown

Building a whole day here? Our best restaurants in Galleria/Uptown covers every cuisine, and our date night guide for the Galleria and Uptown pairs dinner with drinks and a walk.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the Galleria?

Yes. Musaafer, inside The Galleria at 5115 Westheimer Road in Houston, lists a Michelin star on its official awards page. It typically serves dinner daily and opens at noon Friday to Sunday.

Where can I get soup dumplings near the Galleria?

Dough Zone Dumpling House at BLVD Place, 1700 Post Oak Boulevard, serves xiao long bao (soup dumplings). It is typically open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

What is the best Thai restaurant in Uptown Houston?

Our pick is Songkran Thai Kitchen in Uptown Park, which cooks Bangkok-style Thai food. Its signature dish is a Wagyu braised short rib in green curry.

Is there Vietnamese food in the Galleria area?

Yes. Roostar Vietnamese Grill at 5551 Richmond Avenue serves banh mi, noodle and rice dishes. It typically opens at 10 a.m. daily.

Are there Korean restaurants in the Galleria and Uptown?

We couldn't verify a Korean restaurant inside Uptown's core (Loop 610 to Chimney Rock Road, Woodway Drive to Richmond Avenue). For Korean barbecue, head to the Long Point Road area in Spring Branch.

Where can I get omakase in Uptown Houston?

Hidden Omakase runs a chef's-counter omakase Tuesday to Saturday, and Nobu Houston in The Galleria offers a 17-course sushi bar omakase for four guests on Thursdays and Fridays. Both need reservations.