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    Macaron madness!

    Tour de Sweet: Where to get the best macarons in Houston

    Davon D.E. Hatchett
    Mar 30, 2013 | 2:00 pm

    Let’s get something out of the way from the get-go: the extra “o” was not inadvertently left off. The spelling is not a typo. Macarons are not the same as macaroons.

     

    The latter is a flourless, dense cookie typically made with egg whites, condensed milk and coconut. In France the cookie is called rocher à la noix de coco, which translates in English to “coconut rocks.” You can make your own assessments with that one.

     

    Ahh, but macarons!

     
     

      Houston has its own cadre of specialty bake shops that can give you a fix to satisfy even the most intense macaron cravings. Here are my top picks. 

     

     

    They, on the other hand, are a quintessentially French confectionery delight unlike anything else. The light, dainty, sandwich cookie is made with almond flour, sugar and egg whites.

     

    It has a thin and delicate outer crust that, upon biting into it, yields gently to a slightly chewy meringue interior just below it, followed by a creamy filing in the center (like ganache, buttercream or fruit-spread).

     

    It also comes in a deliriously delicious array of flavors. Craving pistachio? Salted caramel? Passion fruit? Saffron orange? Blueberry vanilla bean? There’s a mac(aron) for that.

     

    The macaron has been increasing in popularity with Americans in the last couple of years, rapidly gaining legions of new devotees. The treat is notoriously hard to make, but to get the French palate excited you need only mention one of the most famous macaron authorities: Ladurée.

     

    The world-renowned French pastry shop & café has been making macarons since the early 1900s so they have it down to an art. The macaron has become so popular, in fact, that Ladurée recently opened the first ever stateside location in New York.

     

    But don’t fret! New York isn’t the only place to get your hands on these glorious little treats. Houston has its own cadre of specialty bake shops that can give you a fix to satisfy even the most intense macaron cravings. Here are my top picks:

     

     Macaron by Patisse

     

    Have just one brief chat with Sukaina Rajani, the charming co-owner of this cool "must-try" restaurant, and it becomes clear that this is a woman with a passion for macarons. There is a huge emphasis on quality with strict attention being paid to textures, tastes, ingredients and techniques. Eating a lavender macaron? Expect ground lavender to be in the shell. Eating a pistachio one? Yep, that’s freshly ground pistachios that you taste.

     

    Macarons are made fresh daily with 20 hours of each day being devoted to baking. There are currently 20 different flavors to choose from, and creativity is clearly a priority with flavors such as “Saffron Orange Blossom,” “Cappuccino Dark Chocolate,” and “Blueberry Vanilla Bean.”

     

    If you want to be totally blown away however, try the Fig & Goat Cheese macaron. Trust me. It. Will. Change. Your. Life.

     

     Petite Sweets

     

    The minds behind Petite Sweets want to make sure that all of your sweet treat fantasies come true. Although you’ll find miniature cupcakes, cake pops and the like here, one of the shop's specialties, much to the delight of sweet tooths all over the city, is French macarons.

     

    Pastry chef Susan Molzan and her merry band of sugar fairies whip up a regular rotation of chef-inspired macaron flavors such as “PB & J,” and “S’mores,” in addition to seasonal flavors, such as “Pumpkin Pie” and “Candy Cane” featured during the holidays. Quintessential favorites include Salty Carmel, Red Velvet and Lemon.

     

     Maison Burdisso Parisian Macarons

     

    I first blissfully happened upon Burdisso’s delectable macarons at Kuhl Linscomb. The store sometimes carries small quantities in a variety of ever-changing flavors, and if you visit the Maison site, you’ll see a ton of luscious flavors to choose from. Owner Jackie Burdisso’s culinary pedigree includes a father who was a master French patissier and grandparents who owned a bakery in France, so she knows her way around a macaron.

     

    The most popular places to find her wares are at Houston-area farmers’ markets. During the week check out the Rice University Farmers Market on Tuesdays 3:30 - 6:30 p.m., and if you need a weekend fix go to the Urban Harvest Farmers’ Market on Saturdays (8:00 a.m.-noon).

     

     Flora & Muse

     

    Although you can’t walk into Flora & Muse’s charming French patisserie on any given day and purchase macarons, you can place an order anytime and they will make them especially for you. The perennial flavor offerings include lemon butter; vanilla; chocolate; strawberry; raspberry; lavender; salted caramel; and pistachio. Pick up some fresh flowers when you pick up your macarons and, for a brief second, you’ll feel like you’re in Paris.

     

    Other locations that sell macarons, in case you want to do some additional research for an extended "tour de sweet," include Araya Artisan Chocolate, Foody's Gourmet, and Sweet.

     

    If that still isn't quite enough, for you adventure seekers out there, you can put your do-it-yourself cap on and head to Sur la Table where they offer classes to help you learn how to perfect your baking skills to make your own macarons at home.

     

    One final note, y’all. Although we southerners are known for our delightfully charming drawls, the best way to make sure you get a macaron instead of a macaroon is to pronounce it properly. Once you have that first bite and are transported into a state of sweet culinary bliss, you’ll happily drop that second “o” and roll your “r” to perfection. /Mah-kah-ROHN/, anyone?

    The minds behind Petite Sweets want to make sure that all of your sweet treat fantasies come true.

    Petite Sweets, macarons
      
    Petite Sweets Facebook
    The minds behind Petite Sweets want to make sure that all of your sweet treat fantasies come true.
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    roll out

    Self-taught chef slices into Houston with high-quality sushi to go

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 17, 2025 | 5:57 pm
    Kaisen Sushi Houston nigiri
    Courtesy of Kaisen Sushi Houston
    Each order of nigiri comes with a house made sushi sauce.

    The ghost kitchen phenomenon may have diminished somewhat since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the idea of a delivery and to-go-only restaurant still draws talented chefs who want to focus on food at a lower overhead than a traditional brick-and-mortar. One of those chefs is Sunny Bertsch, whose restaurant Kaisen Sushi Houston is already drawing buzz from inner loopers looking for a more affordable, at-home sushi experience.

    Located at the Blodgett Food Hall in Third Ward, Kaisen Sushi serves typical nigiri, maki, and temaki (hand rolls), along with a steak bowl. Prices are a little lower than what someone would find at a typical sushi restaurant, with an eight-piece nigiri set priced at $18.99 when ordered through the Blodgett Food Hall website (expect to pay more if ordering via a third-party delivery service such as Uber Eats or DoorDash).

    While Bertsch’s food may be familiar, his story is not. The diners who’ve rated Kaisen with 4.9 stars on Google may be surprised to learn that he’s only been cooking professionally for two years. As Bertsch tells CultureMap, prior to becoming a professional chef, he worked in fields as varied as aerospace and dog walking.

    “I’d always been interested in cooking,” he says. “I was blessed to be born into a great Korean American family. My dad and my grandparents always cooked great food. I learned by osmosis.”

    Bertsch began his career as a private chef by working for friends. He built his business by catering lunches to powerhouse law firm Vinson & Elkins. Eventually, his clients asked for private sushi dinners, and he had to figure things out.

    “I got an opportunity to do a sushi omakase. It was brutal. It was messy. But I knew once I did that, I wanted to dedicate my life to sushi,” he says. “Since then, I have studied and practiced. I threw a lot of money and time and fish at it.”

    Bertsch improved his speed and knife skills by taking a $13-per-hour job at Japanese grocery store Seiwa Market. While there, he says he made thousands of pieces of nigiri, rolls, and sushi bowls. That experience, along with meals from similar to-go-only concepts in New York and San Francisco, convinced him to open Kaisen as a ghost kitchen.

    “So far, I’ve spent $90,000. That’s more than the average investment for a food hall kitchen,” Bertsch explains. “I’m a clean freak. I’m a technology freak. I’m an authenticity freak. I outfitted my kitchen in the way I thought was necessary for long-term success.”

    Just as he spared no expense in specing out his kitchen, Bertsch puts thoughtful touches into his food, too. For example, every order of nigiri comes with a dipping sauce Bertsch makes himself from low sodium soy sauce, kombu, vinegar, and sake.

    “It’s a complex sauce that’s less salty and tastes good,” he says. “You know when you don’t have it and you’re given cheap soy sauce.”

    Similarly, his California rolls use imitation crab (as do most restaurants), but it’s seasoned with a housemade, Japanese-style kewpie mayo, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and sesame oil for more umami and less sweetness. Since the chef uses more crab mix than other restaurants do in their rolls, Kaisen’s California roll not only tastes better — at $11.99, it’s a better value, too.

    The chef showcases Japanese techniques and Korean influences with his $25 steak bowl. A USDA Choice ribeye or strip is cooked sous vide with a marinade made from garlic, tamari, and seasoning salt. Once a diner orders the entree, the steak is seared in a pan, basted with Kerrygold butter, seasoned with furikake and sesame oil, and served with short-grain sushi rice and microgreens from local farm Zero Point Organics.

    Word of mouth has been building. Even though it’s only been open for a month, Kaisen already has over 2,000 followers on Instagram. Once he’s able to hire a full roster of cooks, Bertsch plans to expand the menu and offer lunch service. Despite some challenges, he’s pleased with the restaurant’s progress.

    “The support I've gotten on social media has blown me away,” he says. “It’s been amazing. I could not have done it without Instagram. It blows my mind.”

    Kaisen Sushi Houston nigiri
      

    Courtesy of Kaisen Sushi Houston

    Each order of nigiri comes with a house made sushi sauce.

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