Lubna Overnight in Houston, Texas
Everything is big in Texas, as they say. This holds particularly true for the huge variety of food choices available there as well. When Azfar and I saw ridiculously low fares from Denver to Houston ( $30 roundtrip to be exact), it was a no-brainer to get on a plane for a day-long food fest in Houston. You would think that we couldn’t cover much in a day, but thanks to very helpful and accommodating friends, Amer and Noshin, we certainly got an exceptional sampling of cuisines during our short stay.
Other sights
Houston skyline 
Sugarland Town Center 
Hey! They named a street after me 😉 
Our first stop from the airport was at Aga’s. I normally don’t like to judge a book by its cover, or a restaurant by its exterior, but just the sight of the long line outside was enough to indicate how popular this place is. I mean if people are willing to brave the Texas heat to wait in line for lunch, the food must be good! The specialty here is goat chops, and they were in fact very tender, juicy, and spiced just right. The interior was clean, the staff seemed well-trained and professional. Our order was to go and ready when we walked in.
Noshin had whipped up a delicious seafood extravaganza for us, complete with baked salmon and coconut shrimp. Unfortunately, we devoured most of it up so no pictures to share but the memory of a delectable lunch will certainly endure!
I’m usually not a big coffee drinker, but when I do its loaded with sugar. This was the first cup of cappuccino that I’ve had without ANY sugar! Credit to our host for fresh ground coffee and some pretty expert coffee making skills! 
Refreshing Green tea post-lunch!
Determined to maximize our time, we set out again. This time to Agha’s Juice. Azfar really wanted some fresh sugarcane juice ( Ganey ka juice). Man proposes and God disposes! Unfortunately, their juice machine was out of order and he had to settle for lemonade. I got a kulfi. It tasted good but it could have been creamier.
When we bought tickets for Houston, my sole demand was that we better not return without eating Paan. For those who are unfamiliar with this after-dinner mouth freshener, it is essentially a concoction of syrups and fillings like fennel seeds wrapped in a beetle nut leaf. There are different varieties like one with sweet shredded coconut, or more basic ones. You can also get these made sweet or ‘saada’ (plain). There was a paan shop just next to Agha’s and I think I got greedy and ordered A LOT! Tip: This place only takes cash so make sure you have plenty of change! Please note: I don’t fit the stereotypical image of someone who is constantly chewing paan, but I do enjoy the occasional indulgence 😊 Since I never stopped complaining of how I didn’t get any paan on our Chicago trip, Azfar made sure this was the prime order of the day!
All that Paan! 
fresh paan leaves 
different fillings
Amer, Azfar’s friend, was determined to be successful on the quest for finding sugarcane juice. The beauty of Houston is that you can hop over a few strip malls down, and you are bound to find another kabob shop or desi store nearby. Sure enough, Azfar got his fix from Baloch Kebob House, and I stole a few sips from him!
Since we were not traveling with the boys, we felt fairly guilty that they couldn’t partake in all this food heaven. Our plan was to take some kebobs back to Denver for them. Next Stop: Bundu Khan. For Lahorites, Bundu khan is pretty much a family name. We got kebabs to go, froze them, and brought them back to Denver. I’m sure other travelers on the plane must have been wondering what all we were carrying with us!
Our last stop for the day was Bijaans, a Persian restaurant. I’m glad we decided to go with a slightly different cuisine than the typical desi route. The risk paid off, and we were rewarded with a mouthwatering platter of chicken, sirloin, and beef kebobs served alongside beautiful, fluffy rice topped with pine nuts and sultanas. The restaurant owner, Reza came up and we had a nice chat with him. He especially got tea made for us. What a great way to end an already eventful day – surrounded by good food and great company!
