Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right this minute?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to discover which local businesses have been on the tips of diners' tongues this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Houston businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring this autumn.
Bao Shi Yi
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Sharpstown's Bao Shi Yi, the Chinese spot, which offers breakfast, lunch and early dinner, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Chinese" on Yelp saw a median 2.1% increase in new reviews over the past month, Bao Shi Yi bagged a significant 277.8% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight upward trend from a 2.5-star rating a month ago to its current three stars.
There's more that's trending on Houston's Chinese scene: Neway Restaurant & Lounge has seen a 77.8% increase in reviews, and Taste of China and Chow Wok have seen 84.6% and 57.1% increases, respectively.
Open at 9715 Bellaire Blvd., Suite B, since July, Bao Shi Yi offers authentic Chinese fare and noodle dishes made with a modern twist. Wonton dumplings, porridge, sweet and sour spare ribs, red oil bamboo shoots and rice platters are also on the menu.
Bao Shi Yi is open from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (It's closed on Tuesday.)
Kokoro
Downtown Houston's Kokoro is also making waves. Open since July at 409 Travis St., Suite 366, the sushi bar and izakaya has seen a significant 333.3% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.7% for all businesses tagged "Sushi Bars" on Yelp.
Kokoro serves fresh sushi rolls, sashimi and yakitori, as well as sake, sodas and green tea. Over the past month, it's seen its Yelp rating tick down from five stars to 4.5 stars.
Kokoro is open from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–10 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and Sunday, and 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
B.B. Lemon
Montrose's B.B. Lemon is currently on the upswing in the New American category on Yelp.
While businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, this cocktail bar and event space increased its new reviews by 100% — with its Yelp rating declining slightly from four stars to 3.5 stars.
Open for business at 4319 Montrose Blvd. since July, B.B. Lemon offers upscale New American fare, such as raw oysters, hamburgers, stuffed flounder, corned beef and cabbage, omelets and more.
B.B. Lemon is open from 11 a.m.–midnight on Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.–1 a.m. on Friday-Sunday.
This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.
