Pasta Party

Popular local chef plots pasta party for new downtown food hall

The Bravery Chef Hall is starting to take shape. The new downtown food hall, a project that unites Prohibition owners Ahn Mai and Lian Nguyen with partner Shepard Ross, will feature five stands operated by local chefs.

Already announced are Nuna Nikkei Bar, a Peruvian concept from Andes Cafe owner David Guerrero, Blind Goat, a Vietnamese restaurant from Masterchef winner Christine Ha, and Cherry Block Craft Butcher and Seasonal Kitchen, a steakhouse from Black Hill Meats owner Felix Florez. Next up is BOH Pasta, an Italian concept from local chef Ben McPherson.

Although McPherson is known for his work at Batanga, Prohibition Supper Club, and, most recently, Krisp Bird & Batter, he's always had a passion for Italian cooking. Childhood trips to Italy cemented a love for the country's cuisine.

“I was in college by the time my dad moved to Italy," McPherson said in a statement. "My love for food had already started. Everyone in culinary school wanted to cook Southern and I had this thing for Italian I couldn’t shake.”

Named after both the industry term for kitchen workers (back of the house) as well as an Italian phrase meaning "I don't know," BOH will serve handmade pastas as well as Italian charcuterie and cheeses. A wood-burning Marra Forni oven will produce both Neapolitan-style pizzas and wood-roasted entrees.

McPherson has always had a commitment to sourcing great ingredients, and BOH is no exception. Pasta doughs will be made with heirloom flours from Texas' Barton Springs Mill, Hayden Flour Mills or Southern legend Anson Mills. Farm fresh eggs and seasonal produce are also on the agenda. Of course, Ross will contribute wine pairings for the various dishes.

Diners can get a preview of what the chef is working on at a special pop-up on April 10. The meal will include appetizers like artichokes alla Romana and bruschetta, two pastas, pizza, and porchetta with salsa verde. Tickets are on sale now for $50.

McPherson tells CultureMap that he'll spend most of April and early May in Romagna, Tuscany, Rome, and Piedmont conducting additional "research" in the form of eating and drinking. Tough work to be sure, but one that Houston diners will benefit from when Bravery arrives this summer.

14-layer lasagna bolognese.

Ben McPherson BOH Pasta lasagna bolognese

Courtesy photo

14-layer lasagna bolognese.

openings chefs

firing up Montrose

New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

“My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

“Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

“It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

“We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.