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How well do you really know all of the food and culture Pearland has to offer? On the new Pearland International Cuisine Trail, designed by The Pearland Convention And Visitors Bureau, you may discover not only new culinary delights, but also a favorite restaurant you’ll return to over and over again! There are currently seven stops on the trail, but check back often to see new additions!

To take part in the fun (and good eating), download the free, digital passport to your mobile device (no app installation needed!), and track your visits at participating restaurants. Use the app to “check in” at each location. Once you have reached three or more check-ins, you will be entered into a quarterly drawing for prizes from the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau office, including exclusive swag! In addition to the rewards, there are discounts on purchases at some locations. Check the Trail website regularly for current restaurants and discounts.

Are you a restaurant owner who would like to be included? Email the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau for information about how to participate!

Craft your own adventure with dining destinations from throughout the world. Inaugural trail restaurants include seven locations representing the Mediterranean and southeastern Asia.

Arabella Mediterranean Kitchen + Grill, 10228 Broadway: This laidback café gets its name from the owner’s hometown in Jordan, and the menu reflects traditional cultural dishes. Load up on Mediterranean specialities such as hummus, baba ghanouj, falafel and Pomegranate Eggplant — or get the Meze Platter to try an assortment of appetizers. Entrées include shawarma and kebabs available alone or in hearty wraps and gyros; create your own combo with an assortment of meat and side options to suit appetites small and large. There are build-your-own salad bowls too, that come with a base of Greek or Shepherd Salad with falafel or a choice of meat. Feed a crowd with shawarma or kebob platters, which include sides and condiments. Don’t skip the housemade bread, which enhances any dish, or the desserts such as baklava and rice pudding.

Boiling Dragon, 11625 Broadway: Chef-owner Harold Wong opened his casual seafood spot in summer of 2020, and loyal patrons love his selections of fresh-catch fish and seafood, housemade soups, po’ boys and more. 

Must-try starters include tempura fried Fire Cracker Shrimp tossed in a sweet and spicy Korean aioli, edamame spiked with garlic butter and campechana loaded with fresh shrimp, krab stick, lump crab, olives, onion and avocado. Visit year-round for seasonal boiled seafood that is sold by the pound at market prices. Choose from three heat levels and six flavors, such as Thai basil and garlic butter. Selections include shrimp, snow crab, crawfish and blue crab, or the Captain’s Feast, which comes with snow crab, 10 shrimp, blue crab (when available), corn, potatoes and sausage. Classic baskets arrive filled with a choice of catfish, tilapia, shrimp, oysters, chicken wings or chicken strips plus French fries. Sandwich fans can order po’ boys filled with shrimp, crawfish, oyster, catfish, soft shell crab or chicken. 

In addition to the Cajun-style offerings, there are four kinds of bao, which is a steamed bun stuffed with a variety of fillings. Try the Peking Chicken with fried chicken, cilantro, pickled garlic cucumber, Japanese mayo and Peking sauce or Lil Miss Piggy with slow-braised pork belly, cilantro, peanuts and pickled mustard greens. 

Choose from a variety of a la carte add-ons such as garlic fries, egg rolls, hush puppies and more. Visit for dine-in and takeout, or order third-party delivery. Note: due to market variations, certain menu item prices are variable. Please contact the restaurant for current prices, including those on lunch specials.

Sambal Chef Malaysian Restaurant, 9721 Broadway: Visit this casual spot for authentic and high-flavor Malaysian fare. Customers rave about the roti canai with curry dip, salted egg calamari and ikan bakar (fish), Malaysian milk tea and more.

Choose from six lunch specials for $9.50 each Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Try options such as mango chicken with onions, bell peppers, shredded mango and a sweet and spicy sauce, curry chicken rice with Malaysian spices and coconut milk or the vibrant-hued yellow mee goreng filled with sambal tomato sauce, egg, dry tofu, vegetables, chicken and shrimp. 

Dinner entrées cover a variety of tastes and textures, too, with dishes such as Malaysian Style Fried Spareribs, which are lightly battered and fried with sauce, beef rendang with lemongrass and curry sauce, Hainanese chicken rice (half chicken with traditional oily rice), ikan bakar grilled fish with sambal sauce and Salted Egg Golden Calamari in which calamari is lightly battered and fried, then sautéed with a salted egg yolk.There are also soups, rice dishes, noodles and seafood such as chili prawns, lemongrass clams, black pepper shrimp and more.

Santa Barbara Italian Cafe, 5020 West Broadway: Fill up on traditional Italian comfort food at this local mainstay owned and operated by chef Jordana Tovich. Starters touch plenty of savory notes with dishes such as breaded ravioli, bruschetta, spinach cream cheese dip and peppered shrimp & scallops with butter garlic sauce. Try a bit of everything with Mamma’s Sampler Platter that includes fried ravioli, cheese sticks, calamari, jalapeno peppers and spinach dip with corn chips.

Salads seekers can try the Mediterranean Salad filled with veggies, black and green olives, sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese, and Spinach Mushroom Strawberry Salad with sweet bell peppers, bacon and roasted walnuts. As is expected, the rest of the menu is extensive and inviting, with a variety of subs, pizzas and pastas featuring chicken, veal, seafood and vegetables. Samples include Neapolitan Lasagna, penne Calabrese with blackened chicken or shrimp, eggplant parmigiana, seafood risotto and Italian boneless pork chops. Pizzas, pastas and entrées come with a choice of the salad or daily soup, plus garlic bread.

Round out the visit with espresso drinks, beer, wine (BYOB for $2.79 per person corkage fee) and sodas. End on a sweet note, and choose from eight specialty desserts such as carrot pineapple cake, cannoli with cream cheese and chocolate chips and tiramisu. Whole cakes are available with enough notice. Call the restaurant for details.

Spicy Panda, 2110 Pearland Parkway: Chef Jun Sun brings decades of experience to his role at Spicy Panda, having worked at restaurants in China, Singapore and other countries. His claim to fame is authentic Peking duck, which he serves with pancakes, hoisin sauce, green onions, cucumber and duck soup. It is $25 for a half duck and $45 for a whole duck. 

Essential small bites on the extensive menu of Szechuan and other Asian-inspired dishes includes egg rolls, Chinese crab puffs, red oil wontons, dumplings and Dan Dan noodles. Entrée selections cover a lot of ground, with chef specialties such as Crispy Pork Steak With Garlic Flavor, Three Flavor Pepper Chicken, Sizzling Black Pepper Beef and Spicy Fish Fillet. There are Szechuan hot pots, too, with a choice of shrimp, beef, lotus & cauliflower, or chicken, plus a variety of vegetable dishes, curries, fried rice and noodles. Visit for dine-in and to-go, or order online.

Super Bowl Asian Cuisine & Tea House, 4310 Bailey: This family-owned and -operated Taiwanese café is popular for Asian specialties and teas. Visit for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. 

Everything on the menu is under $12, and many dishes fall below $10 (before tax). Heat levels are customized per guest preferences, from no heat to “really spicy,” and diner reviews suggest ambitious eaters take caution with menu items marked by the hot pepper. 

Start with small bites such as lemongrass wings, kimchi & pork steamed dumplings, Taiwan Style Pop Corn Chicken and egg rolls. There are four soups, including Egg Flower, Tomato Seaweed and Wonton.

A variety of ramens are available, such as the spicy Devil Tonkotsu Ramen, miso ramen and curry shrimp ramen, plus chow mein with choice of vegetable, chicken, beef, jumbo shrimp or house special. Choose from 14 kinds of rice spiked with an assortment of add-ins such as curry coconut shrimp, teriyaki chicken, silk egg & shrimp or fish katsu. Low-carb seekers can choose from six stir-fry dishes featuring vegetables or a meat and vegetable combo with shrimp, chicken or beef.

Take advantage of the weekday lunch special available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., which includes an egg roll, miso soup and flavored ice tea add-on to any entrée for just $2.50 per entree.

Follow Super Bowl Asian Cuisine’s Facebook page to keep up with occasional closings that accommodate karate tournament commitments of family members.

Szechuan Spice, 3422 Business Center Drive: Dine on traditional Chinese cuisine at this laidback restaurant that opened in Pearland in 2019. Signature dishes include salt and pepper shrimp, whole or half Peking duck and Three Flavor Pepper Chicken. There is plenty more from which to choose, including bao and an extensive menu of entrées featuring chicken, beef, pork, lamb and seafood. 

Look for sweet, spicy and savory selections such as Green Peppercorn Chicken, Pineapple Chicken, Shredded Pork With Garlic Sauce, Braised Pork Belly With Taro, Cumin Lamb and Stewed Beef Brisket With Bamboo Shoots. In addition to the salt and pepper shrimp, seafood specialties include Basil Seafood with fish, shrimp and calamari, and two pre-order fish items that require one day’s notice: Scallion Pot Roasted Whole Sea Bass and Sweet & Sour Whole Fish. There are hot pots, too, focused on a choice of protein such as chicken, shrimp and beef, or lotus & cauliflower.

Save room for desserts, which include Crispy Fried Milk (a creamy combination of milk, thickening agent and sugar) and sesame balls. 

Visit for dine-in, or order online for takeout and delivery.

Keep up with International Cuisine Trail updates on the website, and check out the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau on social media for the latest news. Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. There is even a YouTube channel with videos that take you right to the people and places that make Pearland a great food and drink destination!

Ellie Sharp