end of an era
I-45 freeway project prompts Houston Vietnamese restaurant to close in EaDo
Kim Son is closing this Sunday, October 12.
One of the last remnants of EaDo’s status as Houston’s original Chinatown is closing this week. Kim Son announced that it will close its location at 2001 Jefferson St. this Sunday, October 12.
In a Facebook post, the restaurant states that it is closing due to the I-45 expansion project. Kim Son has operated on Jefferson St. since 1993.
“We’re deeply grateful to our loyal guests, staff, and neighbors who made every visit feel like home. Your support and love have meant the world to us. Though our doors may close, the memories and flavors will live on in our hearts,” the post reads in part.
Founded by Kim Su Tran La — known as “Mama La” — Kim Son serves both Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. With dishes such as Vietnamese fajitas and black pepper crab, the restaurant helped popularize Vietnamese cuisine in Houston. In addition to regular restaurant service, Kim Son’s expansive private dining room has hosted countless celebrations
While the restaurant is leaving a neighborhood it has called home since opening its original location on Pease St. in 1982, Kim Son’s Chinatown location will remain open. In addition to Kim Son’s regular menu, the Chinatown location offers a range of dim sum, continuing the legacy of the restaurant’s Stafford location that closed in 2023.
While the closure ends Kim Son’s presence inside the loop, the restaurant may open a new location on land it owns nearby, chief operating officer Tao La tells the Houston Chronicle.
“We still want to have a downtown presence,” he said. “We’d love to be in the area because it’s where we grew up.”
Kim Son is only the latest restaurant to close due to the I-45 expansion project. Agricole Hospitality closed its three concepts in the neighborhood last year. Vietnamese restaurant Huynh, another neighborhood staple, will relocate from EaDo to Upper Kirby due to the construction, the Houston Chronicle reports.
