The February Hit List: Mastrantos, Burger-Chan, Musaafer, and More

The last two years have witnessed an explosion of tasting-menu offerings in Houston — and here’s another worthy contender from chef Billy Kin, formerly of Blackbird Izakaya and Hidden Omakase. Kin’s intimate 14-seat omakase spot, named for a city in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, focuses on Edomae-style sushi with ingredients flown in weekly from Toyosu Market in Tokyo. Recent highlights from the ever-changing multi-course menu have included bluefin otoro topped with Hawaiian sea salt and seared with Japanese oak charcoal, Hokkaido scallop served with seared foie gras, and Kin’s famous uni pasta, resurrected from Blackbird Izakaya’s menu.

The pandemic forced Willet Feng and Diane Wu Feng to close their celebrated burger counter in Greenway Plaza’s underground food court in August 2020 as work-from-home life became the new norm. However, the couple reassured customers it wasn’t the end for their acclaimed smash-style burgers, and sure enough, in January, Burger-Chan (2.0) returned with a sleek new brick-and-mortar shop in the Galleria area.

In addition to the original burger — a two-ounce 44 Farms ground chuck patty that’s glazed with Willet’s signature butter-soy-mushroom-Worcestershire sauce, then expertly smashed and seared on the flat-top — the expanded menu also includes a smashed five-ounce patty that’s finished on the grill for an added smokiness. Guests can customize their orders with a choice of bun (a sweet sourdough reminiscent of a Hawaiian roll, a Bread Man Baking Co. brioche bun, an earthy rye bread, or lettuce if you’re low-carbing it) and a variety of accoutrements (kimchi relish, spam, and housemade scallion aioli and sambal mayo are just a few of the options). Can’t decide? Chef-inspired creations like the BBQ burger or Mushroom Swiss are also on offer. Save room for the sweet potato fries loaded with spam, kimchi, scallion aioli, and green onions.

Willet and Diane are also the duo behind Food is Love, an initiative that used funds from pop-ups, contributions, and T-shirt sales to pay local restaurants to make lunches they delivered to other restaurants, bars, and cafes. Inspired by chef Chris Shepherd’s Southern Smoke Foundation, the Fengs wanted to use this platform as a way to support the food and beverage industry and “take care of their own” during the pandemic.

Speaking of Chris Shepherd and delicious burgers, the philanthropic chef’s highly anticipated burger joint at the Houston Farmers Market on Airline Drive is finally open for service. The star of the show here is an update on Shepherd’s Cease and Desist burger from his recently closed restaurant The Hay Merchant. The double meat, double cheese burger uses locally sourced 44 Farms beef and is served on a pillowy potato bun with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. A wagyu version made with beef from neighboring R-C Ranch butcher shop is also available, as well as a veggie burger, a crispy black pepper buttermilk chicken sandwich, milkshakes, and ranch-dusted sidewinder fries.

Another Underbelly Hospitality concept — Wild Oats, led by chef Nick Fine — is tentatively scheduled to make its debut at the Houston Farmers Market in mid-February.

Chef-partner Felipe Riccio and his team wrapped up their exploration of Andalusia and Murcia early last month and now are preparing to take diners on an exciting new culinary journey — a flavor-filled voyage to the historic region of Occitania, in the South of France, which includes cities from Bayonne and Bordeaux to Marseille and Nice. The six-course and nine-course tasting menus will be built on a foundation of Mediterranean and Atlantic ingredients, including the use of garlic, olives, salted fish, shellfish, olive oil, cheese, duck, and butter. Make your Resys now for February 10 and beyond.

This breathtakingly gorgeous Indian restaurant housed within the Galleria’s Saks wing serves up dishes that are as bold — and yes, as beautiful — as its opulent interior. Chef Mayank Istwal drew inspiration for the eclectic menu from his travels across 29 Indian states, gathering regional recipes and stories along the way. The offerings range from the inventive to the familiar — all with innovative presentations. The butter chicken, for example, comes two ways (one in the traditional tomato-based red sauce and the other in a spicy Mexican-influenced green sauce). The restaurant is currently taking reservations for a specially curated tasting experience for Valentine’s Day.

Crawfish season has officially commenced and there’s no shortage of excellent options in the Bayou City to get your fix. Those who favor the garlicky, buttery Viet-Cajun variety should head to this no-frills spot tucked away in a quiet corner of Hong Kong Mall in Houston’s Asiatown. (There’s a location in the Heights as well.) The restaurant is best known for its garlic butter-doused mudbugs, but other flavors include original Cajun (Louisiana style), lemon pepper, Thai basil, and coconut citrus. Diners can also create their own flavor blend by mixing sauces of their choice. Don’t sleep on the garlic noodles either.

With temps outside still hovering in the chilly zone (although with Houston weather you just never know) nothing says cozy like a flaming pasta. Rosie Cannonball tosses its penne alla vodka in a creamy tomato sauce and tops it with a generous sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano and Lira Rossa cheese before warming it in the hearth and then lighting it on fire in front of you. The handmade pappardelle, with its hearty ragu made from hen of the woods and king trumpet mushrooms resting atop a lemon ricotta spread, also makes for a comforting option.

After a successful soft opening last fall, this new dim sum spot from the distinguished Fung’s Kitchen family is celebrating its grand opening and the Lunar New Year on February 3 and 4. On those evenings, the restaurant will serve a special $88 five-course dinner menu featuring chile garlic Persian cucumber salad, roast pork belly, golden egg yolk Maine lobster, Hunan grouper filet, and golden masago lobster Chinese sausage fried rice. Pastry chef Dory Fung will create dessert for the big occasion: coconut almond jello with hibiscus lychee and red bean sesame ball. A lion dance performance by Lee’s Golden Dragon will also help usher in the Year of the Tiger.

Call 832-835-0981 for tickets.

Let the team at this Heights favorite from Venezuelan husband-and-wife duo Xavier and Mari Godoy take the wheel for Valentine’s Day dinner with a special $80 three-course prix fixe meal. All you have to do is choose your protein (plant, meat, or fish) and chef-partner Tony Castillo takes care of the rest. If it’s anything like the regular menu — which showcases global flavors and an array of beautiful housemade pasta dishes — you’ll be in good hands. Resys are now open.

Because this Galleria-area charmer with its cozy second-floor dining room and chic, redesigned outdoor patio provides a perfect date-night setting for Valentine’s Day (or any other day for that matter). The beloved French restaurant will offer a $110 three-course prix fixe menu with a choice of options for each course, including an exquisite mushroom mille-feuille with Parmesan mousseline. Make your Resy today.