Best Quality Daughter
Restaurant · North River District
602 Avenue A, San Antonio, TX 78215
Highlights
Creative Asian fusion in a funky, restored historic house
Creative Asian fusion in a funky, restored historic house
"Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin is the mastermind behind Best Quality Daughter, an Asian American hit that established her reputation prior to opening Jue Let." - ByKate Kassin
"A restaurant that fuses Chinese-American heritage with Texas upbringing to create personal, hybrid dishes reflecting immigrant narratives and regional flavors." - Regan Stephens
"Born from a series of pop-ups exploring Chinese American identity, this inventive pan‑Asian restaurant from chef‑owner Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin balances concept with playfulness, turning out dishes like Korean corn cheese egg rolls, mochi cheddar hush puppies, dan dan noodles tossed with wagyu guisada, and a drunken noodle dripping in red curry mole. Drinks are just as creative—think boozy boba and cocktails such as a Toki whisky–based concoction with lemongrass and Thai spice bitters—and the dining rooms (including a Victorian veranda and four wallpaper‑wrapped spaces) make for a bright, linger-worthy setting." - Brandon Watson
"As much of an art project as a restaurant, BQD began as a series of pop-ups exploring Chinese American identity. The food, however, never feels academic. Chef and owner Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin turns out witty pan-Asian surprises such as Korean corn cheese egg rolls and dan dan noodles tossed with wagyu guisada. The Victorian veranda has plenty of outdoor seats for lolling away sunny days, but the four Chinoiserie wallpaper-wrapped dining rooms glow brighter." - Brandon Watson
"This Asian–Texas restaurant is led by chef-owner Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin, a Chinese–Taiwanese American and multiple James Beard Award semifinalist (including Emerging Chef finalist in 2023 and a recent semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas). Opened in 2020, the restaurant reflects Dobbertin’s roots as a Chinese–Taiwanese American raised and still living in Texas; its bar program is closely connected to the forthcoming tribute cocktail bar, with Lis Forsythe (the mastermind behind this restaurant’s bar menu) tapped as beverage director for the new project. Discussing her motivation for the new bar after the recent semifinalist recognition, Dobbertin says: “The only thing I knew about it was what I saw among my peers in the restaurant industry — that mostly white male chefs that run fancy restaurants really want this award,” she says. “I assumed James Beard was a white male chef that ran fancy restaurants, but he was an incredibly dynamic man.” She emphasizes Beard’s unexpected Chinese influences in childhood: “I also learned he had a Chinese nanny, grew up with another Chinese family, and was surrounded by Chinese culture during childhood,” Dobbertin says, framing her existing restaurant’s perspective and the new project as part of an effort to surface overlooked figures and histories in American food culture." - Brittany Britto Garley
