Trip to Houston, June 2016: Rani's World Foods

*vegetarian

There is a Chinese saying that goes, "Good things come in pairs" ("Hou xi seng seong"). As a true Malaysian-Chinese, I completed day 1 in Houston with 2 meals of Indian cuisine, which made AK really happy!

Rani's World Foods
16711, Hollister Street    
Houston
Texas 77066.
Tel: (+1) 281-440-8080
Business hours: Sun - Thurs  11:00a.m. - 9:00p.m., Fri & Sat 10:00a.m. - 10:00p.m.
URL: Rani's World Foods
GPS: 29.9725622,-95.5239209

I know it's very strange to kick-start an "American trip" with Asian food & what more Indian vegetarian food in a land filled with red meat. But hey, I eat everything & I have plans to eat a variety of cuisines while I'm here in Houston! :D

Rani's World Foods wasn't in my initial plan, but AK mentioned that this was one place where she could get her Indian vegetarian meal, so I drove us to Rani's after half a blazing-hot day of shopping at the premier outlet. This place offers more than just cooked/pre-cooked Indian vegetarian meals, but it's actually a supermarket filled with items from India to cater to the Indian community in the area.

You'll find raw & fresh goods, Indian herbs & spices & even those instant packet meals to go, which AK bought quite a few to keep her going for the week just in case. For that particular evening, as it was quite late by the time we got there, we just decided to get a dosa (we call it 'thosai' here in Malaysia, & NO, it's not the Malay word for 'sin'...hahaha...). We ended up trying their spring dosa, which is something like our Thosai Masala, with stuffing of potatoes, vegetables, herbs & spices.

We made a mistake to order 1 spring dosa each as the American-size of the dosa is HUGE & could feed 2 very comfortably. It was quite a challenge to stuff so much carbs into our small mouths & narrow tummies (kakakaka....) at around 10:00p.m. Yes, we forgot about dinner time amidst all the shopping, thus ended up having dinner so late. If you're hungry or have a huge appetite, this is TRULY WORTH IT!

Each set of the spring dosa (and every other dosa set, if I remember correctly) comes with a serving of dhal, mint chutney & tomato chutney. The dosa, dhal & chutneys were tasty, well-balanced in herbs & spices, plus I dare say the serving is generous for $7.99/set (not including tax).

I was so stuffed...like SO stuffed that I could hardly move after the meal. I didn't even manage to finish the entire spring dosa. Gosh...Asians really need to share a portion of meal when they're in the US! Hahaha...

If you're a vegetarian & you love Indian vegetarian, you can count on Rani's World Foods when you're in Houston ;) There are limited options for vegetarians here in Houston, so The Ruthless Eater has graciously shared with you 2 very reliable options (Rangoli & Rani's) that you won't regret knowing...hahaha...enjoy!


Ratings:
Presentation (does it look mouth-watering): * * *
Price (is it affordable - more stars = YES): * * * 1/2
Environment (is the place comfortable, cosy, clean, pleasant): * * 1/2
Taste (is the food delicious, worth coming back for more): * * *
Service (are the service providers friendly, efficient, polite): * * *


Overall:






Had my fair share of Indian cuisine in Houston,