Planet Houston: For All Your Pho and Fufu Needs

Planet Houston, this week's cover story, focuses on immigrant food. After all, we're a nation -- and a city -- of immigrants. In keeping with this year's Best of Houston® theme, Destination: Bayou City, we wanted to know about the foods of all the folks who have made Houston their destination over the years.

Not every newcomer to Houston from abroad brings with them the same attitude toward dining. In the case of Tina Amedlue and Lillie Hunegan -- the mother-daughter duo who run Blue Nile -- it was important to them to bring a taste of Ethiopia with them to Texas. Everything they serve tastes almost exactly the way it did back home, to the great delight of their Ethiopian customers.

But in the case of Bosnian refugee Brane Poledic, who worked his way up from a busboy to the manager of one of Houston's swankiest hotels, coming to America meant discarding his Balkan mindset entirely. He and his wife occasionally eat at Cafe Pita + when they're feeling nostalgic, but they're far more likely to fix Tex-Mex at home or head to Mark's for a night out.

But no matter what your view or your background, you can find cuisine from nearly every corner of the earth in Houston. Did you know we have Bangladeshi food? Afghani food? Ghanian food? Take your pick and go on an adventure.

I want to know, readers: What's your favorite ethnic food in Houston? If you're from another country, what were you surprised to find here? What are you still hoping to find?

Chances are if you're answering that last question, someone in Houston will be able to point you in the right direction. So let's have it.