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.

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Rumor no more?

Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung may finally be coming to Houston

Din Tai Fung/Facebook

Din Tai Fung is known for its soup dumplings, noodles dishes, and more

One of the world’s most famous Chinese restaurants could be coming to Houston. Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung appears to be moving forward with a location in the Galleria.

According to an entry on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website, the restaurant will replace Japanese restaurant Nobu, along with some adjacent suites, to create a total area of almost 16,800 square feet. The project is expected to begin in February 2027 and end in mid-June, although that timeline is only an estimate and is very likely to shift significantly. Its projected cost is $1 million, although that is also an estimate that could change. TDLR filings are preliminary and may not indicate an official lease has been signed.

At this time, Nobu's Houston location is still open and has not announced plans to close. The restaurant debuted in 2018 with a splashy grand opening party that featured an appearance by its three co-owners: chef Nobu Matsuhisa, co-founder Meir Teper, and legendary actor Robert De Niro.

Founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1958 as a cooking oil shop, Din Tai Fung rose to prominence on the strength of its xiao long bao (soup dumplings) that are known for their delicate skins and savory, aromatic broth. Since then, the restaurant has grown to more than 165 locations worldwide, with U.S. outposts in cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York. Four of those locations hold Bib Gourmand designations in the Michelin Guide.

In addition to their massive size, Din Tai Fung’s location are known for the sheer quantity of food they can produce. Its New York location reportedly makes more than 10,000 dumplings per day — by hand. In addition to dumplings, the restaurant is also known for its vegetable plates, noodle dishes, and other dim sum-style fare.

CultureMap has contacted representatives for the Galleria, Din Tai Fung, and Nobu to learn more information about this development. We will update the article when they reply.

Axios Houston was first to report on the TDLR filing.

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