"We're all fine"

Sushi Club of Houston members say they're safe in Japan and eating lots ofyou-know-what

The Sushi Club of Houston in front of the main gate to the Narita complex inJapan
Carl Rosa holds the menu at Ramen Bayashi in Japan.
The size and quality cannot be ignored.
"Real Ramen" in the Narita complex in Japan, which members of The Sushi Club ofHouston describe as "nothing like it"
Club members write on their Facebook page: "Enormous pieces of Tamago!"

Despite the horror on the nightly news, there are still parts of Japan where life is going on as usual. Where people are going about their normal routine, drinking sake and eating sushi.

Just ask Carl Rosa.

“We’re fine,” says the founder and president of the Sushi Club of Houston, who is leading a group of 23 club members on a sushi eating tour through Japan right now. “We landed in Narita right after the earthquake occurred. We did experience some aftershocks, but it was more like the rumbling of an 18-wheeler driving by.”

The Sushi Club of Houston, with 2,347 members, claims to be the largest sushi related organization in America. Started by Rosa in 2006, the club holds events at various sushi restaurants around Houston. This is the sixth year Rosa has lead a sushi-eating tour through Japan and he doesn’t seem too fazed by the current events there, saying that Americans are making more of it than the Japanese.

“If not for the news reports, we wouldn’t know anything different was going on here,” he says.

Rosa did check in with the American embassy and was given the OK to stay. And the group is nowhere near the center of the quake or the ailing nuclear plants in the northern part of the country. The closest they’ve come to the effected area was a trip to Tokyo, a good 170 miles south of Fukushima.

Today, they are even further south visiting Hiroshima and Miyajima, a popular tourist island known for its Itsukushima Shrine. And its sake brewery, were Rosa stocked up on $1,270 worth of sake to bring back.

‘We’re having a great time,” he says. “We’re all fine and we’re eating some great sushi.”

The group plans to return to Houston on Sunday.

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coming to River Oaks District

French pastry chef perks up Houston with first U.S. coffee shop and café

Photo by Sébastien Dray

Café Feuillette is coming to River Oaks District.

A French coffee shop and cafe is coming to Houston. Pastry chef Jean-François Feuillette will open the first U.S. location of Café Feuillette in River Oaks District next year.

Located at the corner of Betis and Westcreek on the first floor of the Grey House Apartments, Café Feuillette will be open for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. Diners can expect design elements such as cozy benches and floral wallpaper, according to press materials.

“I’m thrilled to bring the Café Feuillette concept to the United States and especially to Houston,” Feuillette said in a statement. “This city truly won me over. Its energy, cultural richness, and culinary scene made it the ideal place to introduce our French coffee shop concept abroad,”

Café Feuillette’s menu will center on salads, sandwiches, and classic French desserts such as filled madeleines, canelés, brioches, and chocolate fondant. They’ll be paired with drinks named for French desserts such as vanilla flan and Paris-brest.

“We take pride in making everything ourselves, from the vinaigrette to the mayonnaise, and of course, the bread in every sandwich. It’s all about taste. That’s how we stand out, just like we do in our bakeries in France,” Feuillette said.

Chef Feuillette trained at Paris’s celebrated Pierre Hermé bakery before establishment a network of over 100 bakeries in France. He also operates Frédélian in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France and Chez Lucette in Blois.

Café Feuillette is his take on the modern coffee shop. If it’s successful in Houston, the cafe could grow throughout America.

“The potential for growth in the U.S. is endless,” Feuillette said. “We are passionate about showcasing our French know-how to Americans, and this is just the beginning.”

Photo by Sébastien Dray

Café Feuillette is coming to River Oaks District.

chefs openings coffee desserts news-you-can-eat river oaks district