Xin Chao, Bludorn, Yelo, and More: Houston Dining’s Best in 2021

Viet-Cajun oysters that pack a spicy, garlicky punch. Crispy-chewy fried flat rice noodles served with a smoky beef rib so tender and flavorful you’ll still be thinking about it days later. A whole fried fish of the day so incredibly succulent you’ll be scavenging whatever meat remains on the bones long after you’re done devouring it. These mouthwatering offerings and others are what keep loyal diners returning for more at co-chefs Christine Ha and Tony J. Nguyen’s modern Vietnamese hot spot.

Ha (a.k.a. “the blind cook” and winner of “MasterChef” season three) and Nguyen (who’s set to reopen his popular Saigon House sometime next spring) launched their collaborative venture in late 2020 with a menu that successfully infuses their favorite traditional Vietnamese dishes — like braised pork belly, shaking beef, and congee — with a bit of Gulf Coast flare. The result is truly delicious food that honors the chefs’ Asian and Texas heritages.

Chef Aaron Bludorn, who previously served as executive chef of New York’s celebrated Café Boulud, opened his eponymous restaurant in the former Pass & Provisions space during the pandemic in August 2020. A year and a half later, this elegant addition to the city’s dining scene has become a reliable standby for Houstonians, who visit regularly for a rotating menu of French-inspired New American fare. One dish that’s always on offer: the lobster pot pie. Bludorn’s luxurious take on this American classic is comfort food at its most decadent — and it’s worth the splurge on a special night out. The pot pie features a flaky, buttery housemade pastry shell filled with hefty chunks of succulent lobster meat and seasonal vegetables swimming in a creamy chowder, then finished off tableside with lime crème fraiche.

Elaborate tasting menus became a hot trend in Houston in 2021 and the Kirby Group’s latest offering gives diners one of the city’s finest experiences. According to Esquire, it’s one of the nation’s, too. The Spring Branch newcomer, which debuted in January, landed at No. 19 on the magazine’s annual list of top new restaurants, and the honor is well deserved. The intimate, 20-seat counter places co-chefs Javier Becerra and Erico Mackins in plain view in the open kitchen at the center, where the duo riffs off each other as they assemble and explain the genesis behind each attractively arranged small plate. (It’s so much fun to watch the pair’s playfully grumpy dynamic that it feels like dinner and a show.)

Many of the dishes — with their Mexican and Spanish influences, prepared with Japanese techniques — are inspired by the chefs’ roots. Others, simply by what’s in season in the garden. The garlic soup, for example, made with green garlic plucked fresh from the back, sings with umami. Pro tip: upgrade the duck breast in pink mole course with the seared foie gras. You can thank us later.

With so many stellar barbecue joints cropping up in the Bayou City in recent years, brisket-hungry Houstonians no longer need to make the trek out to Texas Hill Country to appease their growling bellies. This no-frills spot from Houston siblings Robin and Terry Wong and their childhood friend Quy Hoang does just that — and kicks it up an extra notch to boot. The partners take traditional Texas ’cue and infuse it with Asian flavors influenced by their Chinese and Vietnamese upbringings, as well as by the culturally diverse community in which they grew up.

Originally a pop-up, Blood Bros. became a permanent brick-and-mortar spot in 2018, where it serves up superb smoked brisket alongside imaginative items like pho rub beef belly spring rolls and spicy-sweet gochujang glazed pork ribs. Word of the partners’ innovative offerings has traveled beyond Houston city limits, too: the partners expanded their brand to Resorts World Las Vegas this year and also received recent shoutouts on the New York Times’ 2021 Restaurant List and in Texas Monthly’s annual 50 Best BBQ Joints issue.

Massive changes are underway at chef Chris Shepherd’s Underbelly Hospitality restaurant empire — the impending closures of UB Preserv and The Hay Merchant, the opening of several new concepts, and Georgia James steakhouse’s relocation are chief among them — but at least one spot remains firmly in place: George James Tavern, which opened to acclaim this summer in downtown Houston. The casual offshoot of Shepherd’s more upscale steakhouse bills itself as a place serving up dishes that guests will want to eat every day, like salads, sandwiches, burgers, and cast-iron seared steaks. But we’re especially excited to see what UB Preserv executive chef Nick Wong — who previously worked in New York City’s famed Gramercy Tavern — cooks up when he takes over the kitchen at the end of the year.

Food intersects gorgeously with art at this Museum District stunner from Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli, a former protégé of renowned chefs Alain Passard and the late Joël Robuchon. Nestled within the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Kinder Building, the restaurant (which has sister locales in New York City and Miami) derives its name from the French phrase for “the gardener” — entirely appropriate for an establishment where seasonal, farm-fresh produce serve as the main showpieces, and where sustainably sourced proteins take on supporting roles. Each flawlessly plated dish — the King Kampachi with butternut squash, green grapes, white sesame, and Kaluga caviar comes to mind — is almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

Houstonians love a good Vietnamese sandwich, and this cozy Katy Asian Town spot from chef Cuc Lam (formerly of Sing) and Phat Eatery’s Alex Au-Yeung delivers. Yelo opened its doors in March after a brief showing at Blodgett Food Hall, the ghost kitchen that popped up in the Third Ward in 2020. Diners can tuck into traditional offerings like the special cold cut combo banh mi or opt for more inspired fare such as the char siu xiu mai banh mi, which is made with peppery Chinese barbecue-marinated pork meatballs and slathered in housemade garlic aioli. The sandwich stuffed with Phat Eatery’s savory beef rendang is also a winner in our book.

This exciting spot made its debut inside Bravery Chef Hall in late summer, bringing contemporary regional Mexican cuisine to the downtown set. Jonathan Gallardo (Secret Garden HTX), former Caracol executive chef Tim Reading, and Rebecca Aguirre, also a Caracol alumnus, lead the charge here. Our advice: Start with the beautifully light ceviche made from the day’s catch or the shrimp aguachile before diving into heartier dishes like the citrus-marinated prime flank steak or the crispy roasted half chicken with creamy pipian rojo (a classic Mexican sauce similar to mole). The birria flameado, an ooey-gooey braised brisket queso that literally comes out flaming, is also a dependable favorite.

Call 281-653-6767 to reserve the chef’s table tasting experience.

This charming 26-seat counter from Uchi veterans Patrick Pham and Daniel Lee is one of few Japanese restaurants in Houston that specializes in hand rolls. Crafting a perfect hand roll — one that strikes the right balance between ingredients, flavors, and sushi rice, all while keeping the nori super crisp — is no small feat. But Handies does this exquisitely. You can typically find them served eight different ways, with: avocado, sake (salmon), spicy tuna, hamachi (yellowtail), kani (crab), hotate (scallop), negitoro (fatty tuna), or uni (sea urchin). The restaurant started lunch service in November as well.

The cuisines of Portugal and India meet and mingle in delectable fashion at this new concept from Shiva and Rick Di Virgilio, the husband-and-wife chef duo behind Oporto Fooding House & Wine in Midtown. Standouts on the menu include the super-tender East African-style charcoal grilled picanha beef skewers served with bullet butter yucca, and the Goan fish served in a turmeric coconut curry masala. For the latter, be sure to order a side of the buttery bullet naan to sop up all the sauce.

Call 281-888-7806 for reservations.