this week in dining

These are the 6 best food and drink events in Houston this week

Dine at popular Montrose spot Kau Ba and cheer on chef Nikki Tran during her Street Food appearance on Wednesday.

The biggest events this week pay tribute to teachers, and eateries around town have special deals as Teacher Appreciation Week kicks off. There’s plenty for the non-teachers out there, too, however, including the return of a popular steak night and a great dinner from Chef Monica Pope.

Here, then, are the best food and drink events of the week.

Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 10

Teacher Appreciation Deals Across Houston
Teachers who show ID at any Pei Wei location will receive 33 percent off a regular entrees (although some exceptions apply) for dine-in orders only. Meanwhile, at Ooh La La Dessert Boutique, teachers can get a free jumbo cupcake when they present their school IDs. And at all Grimaldi’s Pizzeria locations, teachers receive 15 percent off all week long. In addition, the chain will select one teacher from a school at each of its neighborhood locations to win a pizza party. Nomination forms are available on the Grimaldi’s site.

Wednesday, May 8

Street Food Viewing at Kau Ba Saigon
Chef and owner Nikki Tran is featured in the first season of the new Netflix series Street Food, from the creator of the popular series, Chef’s Table. She appears in the episode about Vietnamese street food, and is hosting a viewing part of that show at her Montrose restaurant, Kau Ba (which the Houston Chronicle named best new restaurant in 2018). Guests can see the episode, ask Tran questions, and partake in a special one-off menu comprised of Tran’s favorite Vietnamese street foods. All cocktails will also be half priced.

Steak Night at Goodnight Charlie’s
Houston’s chic honky tonk brings back its popular midweek promotion. Starting at 4 pm, get a strip steak with Tajin butter, elote-style creamed corn, and fried loaded potatoes for $20. The deal is available until the steak runs out.

Saturday, May 11

8th Wonder Distilled Spirits Launch Party at 8th Wonder Brewery
The popular local craft brewery has teamed up with Present Company to create its own line of distilled spirits. To mark the milestone, there’s a party from 1 to 6 pm, where guests can check out cocktails made with 8x Distilled Vodka and Hopped Gin, using Cascade hops. Look for plenty of swag items, and 8th Wonder resident artist, Donkeeboy, will be painting live starting at 2 pm.

Houston Tacos and Margs Crawl on Washington Avenue
Get your fix of a variety of tacos and margaritas from several Washington Avenue favorites such as Clutch Bar, Kung Fu Saloon and Daisy Duke’s. Seven spots are included on the crawl, with different selections available at each. Tickets are $17.99 per person. 2 pm.

Positive Table Dinner at LIFEHTX
Chef Monica Pope creates a curated, seasonal meal hosted by Define Body & Mind Owner, Henry Richardson and Justine Fanarof. The menu includes multiple courses of healthy fare prepared as only Pope can create. Tickets are $150 per person, and the evening begins with tonics at 6:30 pm; dinner follows, beginning at 7:15 pm.

lunch dinner news-you-can-eat

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.