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...A meal at Hu-Dat in Fulton seemed all but obligatory in that Texas A&M All-American linebacker Dat Nguyen's parents are owner-operators -- and, as we learned, all-stars themselves at preparing sesame shrimp, orange chicken and fresh redfish with noodles.
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While we waited for a table at this packed Vietnamese-Chinese-seafood spot, we read the framed articles on the walls about local-football-star-turned-Dallas-Cowboys-player Dat Nguyen (his parents own this place) Our companion's Hu-Dat Combo—a massive plate of stone claws, shrimp, crabs, sausages, potatoes, and corn—lacked the spice and punch he was craving. But our bún thit nuong tasted more than fine. Next time we'll try one of the many pho offerings. Beer & wine. Open Sun & Tue-Thur 11-9, Fri & Sat 11-10. Closed Mon. Inexpensive. AE MC, V.
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Speaking of fusion, you really have to make a special pilgrimage to any restaurant that promotes its cuisine as 'Oriental Seafood Cajun.' This is Hu-Dat (61 Broadway, 361-790-7621), a ramshackle landmark right at the Fulton Beach fishing piers. Its name is a punning tribute to Dat Nguyen, whose Vietnamese family put him through Texas A&M with earnings from the seafood business of their adopted homeland. Now Dat plays linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, so he probably doesn't require much financial help.
Dat stuff---NCAA trophies, Aggie jerseys, big-game newspaper clippings---form a veritable shrine at the entrance. Yet inside is a solid, serious and affordable mix of straight Gulf seafood, popular Chinese and a miniscule dollop of very real Vietnamese. Only in America!
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...If you want to venture a little farther from your home away from home, there are several fantastic places to dine in the Lamar/Fulton area. Hu Dat is perfect for lunch or dinner
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The restaurant, called Hu-Dat's for both Dat and his brother Hung, is painted white with maroon trim. Inside, the walls are covered with plaques and pictures of Nguyen's athletic triumphs.
In one corner rests a glass case with a signed football and his Texas A&M jersey.
It is a shrine of sorts, speaking both to Nguyen's athletic ability and to the assimilation of the Vietnamese people into the Texas Gulf Coast lifestyle.
Cultures mix freely in the restaurant. If there were any scars of racial bias, or hardship, they have been erased. Hu-Dat's is a gathering place to enjoy Vietnamese and Chinese food, and an information center for locals who want to know how Nguyen is doing with the Cowboys.
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