Behind the Review: Tan Tan

• I've lived in Houston for the better part of 35 years and have eaten in every portion of this city, even the "sketchy" neighborhoods.  I can't say I've EVER seen a security guard roam around inside a restaurant like Katharine described.  It's weird!! 

• "I have sent back meals at Stella Sola and RDG for being uninspired and poorly executed." WHAT a tool.

• no she shouldn't. nor should any of us.

• then you should be used to the sight of security guards in restaurants

• A relative newcomer? I was born and raised in Houston. Three decades and lovin' it, baby.

• Katherine, I have to vehemently disagree with this review.  I have been going to the Westheimer location at least once a week since it opened.  In that entire time I have yet to be served a single  bad dish or had anything approaching bad service.  I have sent back meals at Stella Sola and RDG for being uninspired and poorly executed and have yet to do that at this location because it is always consistently good, not great, but definitely good for its price point. Now as for some of your other issues, I know you are a relative newcomer to our fair city so you wouldn't remember the days when wanna-be gangsters turned Chinatown into drunken fight central and every restaurant in Chinatown had armed security, especially the Bellaire Tan Tan which seemingly had 4 or 5 HPD officers posted there on a permanent basis. If anything the security guard is a holdover from those days and not a consequence of the location as you derisively stated. On another point, sometimes people don't want to drive all the way into Chinatown for a relatively cheap, consistent meal. When i used to live by Chinatown i had no qualms going there but now that I live by the Galleria, the Westheimer Tan Tan serves my needs without the hassle of a commute.

• Wow, the "new" Tan Tan is that bad?  I thought it was decent, but then again, haven't been there in awhile.  Maybe they did slip.  But the banh bot chien definitely made it to the new location, no?  I've ordered it several times.  What a shame.  Chinatown food, oh how we love you.

• I tried Tan Tan on Westheimer a few times shortly after they opened and thought it was great, especially the bahn bot chien. Won ton soup also rocked. Maybe they've slipped? I still don't think the one on Bellaire has been eclipsed in quality by most Asian places on Bellaire. The beef they use, for one, is way above the rest normally found in Chinatown.

• I've always loved Tan Tan on Bellaire so I tried the one on Westheimer and boy was I disappointed. The service was slow and the food wad horrific. I didn't even know an Asian restaurant could make standard dishes inedible but they did. Truly left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm the type that gives places the benefit of the doubt usually. After not one, but two horrible experiences there, I won't be going back either.

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