Getting Phat in The Woodlands

Acclaimed Katy restaurant bringing Malaysian fare and dim sum to The Woodlands

From top right: Beef rendang, mango prawn, Kang Kung, and roti.

Photo by Chuck Cook

Katy’s best restaurant is coming to The Woodlands. Phat Eatery will open its second location in the Grogan’s Mill neighborhood in early 2023.

The restaurant will occupy a former Fuddruckers at 2290 Buckthorne Pl. With approximately 7,800-square-feet of space, the new Phat Eatery is more than twice the size of the original and will include three private dining rooms. It is expected to seat 180 people.

“I’ve been thinking about expanding to The Woodlands for a while,” Au-Yeung said in a statement. “It’s not easy to find good real estate in The Woodlands, but we've found the perfect spot with room to do the menu I've always wanted.”

Opened in 2018 in the Katy Asian Town development, Phat Eatery serves chef-owner Alex Au-Yeung’s eclectic take on Malaysian fare. Over time, the menu has evolved to include Malaysian staples such as roti canai, curry laksa, and beef rendang alongside Hong Kong-style dim sum such as shrimp siu mai and bbq pork buns. Au-Yeung’s specials have included everything from a Malaysian riff on Viet-Cajun crawfish to smoked dishes created in collaboration with Katy’s Brett’s Barbecue Shop.

All of that creativity has brought Phat Eatery considerable acclaim. Au-Yeung earned a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination this year in the Best Chef: Category as well as being named a finalist for both Chef of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. The New York Timescited it as one example of a great restaurant that had opened in the suburbs of a major city.

The New York Times article contains a tidbit that helps explain Au-Yeung’s decision to open in The Woodlands. He tells author Priya Krishna that, although he opened in a development designed to appeal to Asian Americans, 80-percent of his customers are white. Speaking to CultureMap at Phat Eatery’s fourth anniversary party, he explains that The Woodlands contains a similar population of energy industry employees who have experienced Malaysian food during work-related trips. In addition, he has customers who regularly make the 40-plus mile drive from The Woodlands to Katy. Those factors contributed his decision to pick this new location.

Phat Eatery will use the additional space to expand its menu. Au-Yeung’s plans include a full dim sum menu with steamed rice rolls and xiao long bao. In addition, he'll showcase Chinese BBQ dishes such as Peking duck and roast pork. Lunch specials that pair barbecue meat or a stir fry with sides will be available.

The restaurant will offer an extensive selection of beverages including beer, wine, sake, and cocktails. Non-alcoholic options such as tea and soft drinks will also be available.

Phat Eatery joins a growing movement of Houston restaurants that are coming to The Woodlands. In the next several months, both Bosscat Kitchen and Kirby Ice House will open new locations there. Goode Co. recently debuted its new seafood restaurant, Goode Co. Fish Camp, in the prosperous suburb.

Phat Eatery's Malaysian fare is coming to The Woodlands.

Phat Eatery Beef Rendang, Mango Prawn, Kang Kung, Roti

Photo by Chuck Cook

Phat Eatery's Malaysian fare is coming to The Woodlands.

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family-friendly outdoor bar

Massive, German-inspired beer garden coming to new Energy Corridor project

Photo by Eric Sandler

The new beer garden will be similar to Katy Beer Garden.

One of Houston’s most successful bar operators is bringing his talents to the Energy Corridor. Steven Salazar is opening Ashford Beer Garden at the Ashford Yard mixed-use development.

Slated to open in early 2026, Ashford Beer Garden will build on the success Salazar has had with Katy Beer Garden, the project he opened last summer at The Dryer, a mixed-use development on the property of Katy’s historic Cardiff Rice Dryer. Like KBG, Ashford Beer Garden will be large — roughly 21,000 square feet — divided into a 10,000-square-foot indoor beer hall with a companion cocktail bar and a 11,000-square-foot outdoor beer garden that’s shaded by trees.

“We’re sticking with that Bavarian charm,” Salazar says about his vision for Ashford Beer Garden. “Bring your family. It’s really relaxed. The kids are playing. You have multiple generations hanging out. It’s worked well in Katy. We’re excited to bring it to a new area.”

Of course, the new project will make some improvements on the original. Most importantly, Ashford will have a full kitchen (KBG mostly relies on food trucks and a nearby food court). Salazar says he’s looking for a chef to lead the kitchen.

In response to customer demand for private event space, Ashford Beer Garden will also have a larger second floor patio than KBG does. The beer garden will have a larger screen to make it easier for people to watch sports.

Located on the site of a former Schlumberger campus near the intersection of Dairy Ashford Rd. and Briar Forest Dr., Ashford Yard is a 12.7-acre development that will include apartments, restaurants, and retail tenants. Salazar says he found his values aligned with the projects developers, Houston real estate firms Market Square Companies and Tenon Property Company.

“We have a similar vision of quality for the community and creating a space and having great neighbors. Not being a strip center but a true development that’s above and beyond what the area has to offer,” Salazar says. Later, he adds, “It seems great for us to be surrounded by companies such as Shell and Baker Hughes and all these great neighborhoods."

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