Hughie's Vietnamese Tavern and Grille may be the quintessential Houston restaurant at this point in time, perfectly capturing that transitory moment when Vietnamese food officially transitioned into the mainstream. The surprising star at Hughie's is the chicken fried steak: crispy batter encases a rugged piece of steak cooked to a rosy medium in its thickest part, with a creamy sausage gravy that looks as if it has come straight from a cast-iron skillet full of drippings.