The April Hit List: East Side King, Rare Steakhouse, Saigon Hustle, and More

This Japanese street food counter from Paul Qui and Moto Utsunomiya, situated in downtown’s Post food hall, may arguably offer the best omakase deal in town right now. For just $49 per person, budget-minded diners get to experience a 12-piece nigiri tasting menu with some of the freshest fish available — that is, straight from its next-door neighbor Golfstrømmen seafood market, also run by Qui with Norwegian star chef Christopher Haatuft. (Golfstrømmen chef de cuisine Alberto Cruz used to be the head sushi chef for both Uchi Houston and Uchi Austin, where Qui was once chef de cuisine.)

It’s truly a no-frills meal — each seating is timed for 45-60 minutes — but you’re guaranteed high-quality cuts, which in the past has included salmon belly, tuna belly, snapper, amberjack, dayboat scallop, and Jonah crab, among other ingredients. You won’t want to sleep on this deal.

This Southeast Asian-inspired pop-up from chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu may sound familiar if you’re not already in the know. That’s because Garcia is currently competing on season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” which takes place in Space City. Garcia, the only local contestant on the show, returned to Houston after 10 years honing her skills in New York City and opened Kin HTX with Lu in Rice Village’s short-lived food hall Politan Row, which shut down after a year in November 2020 due to the pandemic. Garcia and Lu then pivoted to catering and selling their food and line of spices and condiments — their KinChup is a spin on ketchup that’s been kicked up a notch with cumin and tamarind — at farmers markets around town. Recent pop-ups have seen menu items such as a savory brisket bao, red curry cauliflower salad, and hot chocolate rice pudding with ube foam.

Follow Kin on Instagram to find out where they’ll be next and for updates on their new brick-and-mortar spot, coming soon.

Chef Don Bowie, owner of Taste Bar + Kitchen in Midtown, has partnered with R&B/hip-hop artist Akon and former Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson for his new modern steakhouse venture on the Washington Corridor. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant includes two posh levels: an elegant 62-seat dining room with marble floors and bright-red banquettes, plus a 24-seat bar on the ground level; and the SIP lounge upstairs with indoor/outdoor seating for post-dinner drinks and live entertainment, as well as a cigar patio. Guests can expect USDA Prime steaks, including a 32-ounce Tomahawk priced at $175, seafood, and Southern-inspired appetizers and sides such as charbroiled oysters, sweet potato souffle, and white mac ‘n’ cheese topped with truffle, lobster, crab, or bacon.

Cassie Ghaffar and Sandy Tran — the entrepreneurial minds behind chic all-day cafe Sunday Press and healthy grab-and-go spot Ginger Kale in Hermann Park — are back at it with a new concept: a fast-casual counter-service Vietnamese restaurant complete with a vibrant covered patio for those who prefer to enjoy their meal on-site, and a drive-thru window featuring a digital menu for those in a hurry. The colorful spot, which was once a gas station and a tire shop, serves Vietnamese staples such as banh mi, vermicelli bowls, and rice bowls with protein choices that include chargrilled barbecue pork, chargrilled barbecue rib eye, honey soy barbecued chicken, honey-glazed lemongrass salmon, and honey-glazed lemongrass crispy tofu. Other menu items also include a variety of egg rolls and spring rolls, as well as crispy chicken wings tossed in a sweet and savory garlic sauce and ABC beef soup (if you know, you know.)

While it’s new on Resy, this beloved culinary institution has been filling the bellies of happy Houstonians with delicious Mexican fare for nearly 40 years. Helmed by executive chef­ and owner Arnaldo Richards, the restaurant’s menu utilizes contemporary culinary concepts while also honoring the traditional flavors of the seven regions of Mexican cuisine. Frequent patrons know they can’t go wrong with any of the mole-smothered dishes or sizzling fajitas. Pro tip: Be sure to complement your meal with one of their signature premium shaker margaritas.

With its charming patio and equally appealing rustic interior, this all-occasion Garden Oaks restaurant works for everything from intimate date nights to casual, kid-friendly family brunches. The New American menu offers dishes like wood-fired pizzas and hand-made pastas, as well as entrees such as grilled Texas quail served with cherry olive tapenade and crispy quinoa, and confit chicken thighs with smashed garlic potatoes.

Food is quite literally imitating art at this venerable hot spot located within the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. As part of its Culinary Canvas series, the restaurant is bringing the museum’s revolving exhibits to life through specially curated dishes. First up: an a la carte menu inspired by “Virtual Realities: The Art of M.C. Escher from the Michael S. Sachs Collection,” which is on display through Sept. 5. Expect gorgeously designed offerings such as the pan-fried scallops with cauliflower fondant, black courant coulis, and tuile noire; the black and white sesame seeds praline dessert with raspberry reduction and Oreo sable; and the “Checkered Past” cocktail featuring Puerto Rican rum, Pernod pastis, coconut, pineapple, and lime — all of which pay homage to Escher’s complex and monochromatic works.

This much-anticipated culinary mash-up from Texas barbecue virtuoso Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole of Uchi — their third location for the concept — markets itself as an “Asian smokehouse.” (So, think grilled and smoked meats with Southeast Asian and Japanese-inspired sauces, sides, and appetizers.) Located in an airy, sun-drenched space that was once home to a church, the fast-casual restaurant boasts a modern vibe with its high vaulted ceilings and large, welcoming patio. But of course, the main reason to check out Loro is the food. The star of the show, naturally, is the smoked beef brisket with chile gastrique (sweet-and-sour sauce) and Thai herbs. The Malaysian chicken bo ssam with yellow curry-yuzu vinaigrette and Thai basil is also a winner. And trust us when we say you won’t want to skip the crispy potatoes with miso mustard, yuzu aioli, and toasted white sesame, either.

Longtime Houstonians will surely recognize the space where this luxe new restaurant, which opened its doors in February, now takes up residence. The address, 5888 Westheimer Road, was once home to Houston’s, a chain restaurant beloved for its comforting American fare before it abruptly shuttered in 2019, after almost four decades in service. Chef Antoine Ware will be leading the kitchen at The Warwick, which promises a menu of New American cuisine layered with Southern influences. Diners can expect dishes such as butter-poached lobster tails, Mediterranean-inspired lamb chops, and raw and char-grilled oysters. Ware will also pay homage to Houston’s with dishes like “The Dip,” a play on the now-closed restaurant’s popular spinach artichoke dip.

Veteran restauranteur Brian Doke and the team at Savoir are entering the steakhouse game with their latest venture, Patton’s. Nestled in the space formerly taken up by Savoir’s speakeasy cocktail bar Sip — and accessible only through a hidden door in Savoir’s wine cellar — Patton’s has also assumed an old-fashioned speakeasy vibe with its moody lighting, white tablecloths, and live jazz performances. The menu will also offer the classics: expect starters such as Waldorf salad, tuna tartare, and shrimp cocktail, and traditional mains that include rib eye (bone-in or out), wagyu, filet mignon, and New York strip.