What's Eric Eating Episode 245

Houston's Top Chef Season 19 star dishes on her TV time and new restaurant, plus the latest food news

Chef Evelyn Garcia is this week's guest.

Photo by David Moir/Bravo

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," chef Evelyn Garcia joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss her time on Top Chef Season 19 and her upcoming restaurant, Jūn by Kin. The conversation opens with Garcia explaining her decision to participate in the show and how she reacted when she found out it would be filmed in her hometown of Houston.

The conversation touches on a number of topics, including Garcia's status as the unofficial "tour guide" for her fellow cheftestants, her favorite dishes from the various challenges, and when she started thinking about the dishes she served during the final episode. Sandler asks the chef about her emotional interviews where she wasn't afraid to get a little weepy.

"Guys were like, 'oh, I'd never cry on TV.' I was, like, whatever. I don't care," Garcia says. "This is who I am. I feel all the emotions, and I feel all the emotions now. If I'm not trying to hold back in my cooking, I was like I'm not holding back on being me."

The conversation concludes with Garcia discussing Jūn by Kin, the restaurant in The Heights she's opening with her business partner Henry Lu. She explains Lu's role in the project and describes the process of recruiting him to move from New York to Houston. Sandler asks about how the cuisine will be different from her stint at Decatur Bar & Pop-Up Factory, the innovative concept that closed in 2019.

"As we've seen in the show, it's very important for me to connect with my food. It's part of my philosophy and the way that I cook. That's the core of what Jun is going to be," she says.

"It's going to speak to my story, Henry's story. We're both first-generation American. I'm Mexican-Salvadorian. He's Chinese American via New York. We're calling it 'New Asian American,' because it's inspired by Asian flavors but Henry has a lot of influence from Peruvian flavors. His ceviches are killers. It's really going to speak a lot to Houston and really going to connect to us."

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Matt Harris discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: the Texas winners of this year's James Beard Awards; Phat Eatery's plans to open a new location in The Woodlands; Ronnie Killen hiring former J-Bar-M Barbecue chefs Willow Villarreal and Jasmine Barela; and globally-renown South African restaurant Nando's Peri-Peri's upcoming entrance into the Houston market.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Harris discuss their recent meal at Hugo's. Listen to the full episode to hear why the Houston classic might be better than ever.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at 1 pm on ESPN 97.5.

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there goes my hero

Trill Burgers partners with popular anime series for limited time collab

Photo by Dylan McEwan

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Calling all heroes! The anime megahit My Hero Academia is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and parent company Toho International has partnered with Houston hip-hop legend and restaurateur Bun B to release exclusive menu items and merchandise related to the series. The superhero sandwich, side, and sip will be available at all Trill Burgers locations starting July 11 through August 9.

“My Hero Academia is one of the most iconic anime of this generation, and working with them has been a thrill for the entire Trill Burgers team,” Trill Burgers co-founder Andy Nguyen said. “We always want to be creative and thoughtful with our collaborations, and to have a partner the caliber of My Hero Academia is a testament to the hard work of the Trill Burgers team, and the dedication of the series’ fans. We can’t wait for people to check out this collaboration.”

“I always get excited about a new Trill Burgers collaboration, and this one is special,” added co-founder Bun B . “I know our Trill Burgers fans will love this, and I hope we make some new fans with this incredible collaboration with My Hero Academia. This is something a little different, and I’m excited to see our guests try out these new Trill Burgers flavors.”

What's on the Menu?

Trill Burgers has created three new My Hero Academia items, all of which are served in containers with graphics celebrating the series. The "One For All Burger" is a cheeseburger with demi-glazed beef gravy, American cheese, cabbage, onion, and an Asian-inspired sesame-citrus dressing to give it that proper anime flavor profile. It can be served served with the standard Trill Burgers seasoned fries or one of the other new offerings.

Trill Burgers My Hero Academia The offerings include a burger, fries, and lemonade.Photo by Quit Nguyen

"Plus Ultra Fries" (named for the anime's school's motto) takes the Trill Burgers signature side and adds a Japanese twist. The fries come with okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, Japanese furikake seasoning, and bonito (dried tuna) flakes.

In addition, Trill Burgers is launching Detroit Smash Lemonade, a neon-green concoction made of lemon, pineapple pieces, slices of mango and a kiwi syrup base. All items will come in speciality packaging. Trill Burgers/My Hero Academia t-shirts will also be for sale.

Fans who want a longer-lasting souvenir can purchase a special T-shirt that celebrates the collaboration. The bright white unisex T-shirts feature the My Hero Academia logo and Trill Burgers branding on the front with My Hero Academia’s Izuku Midoriya (Deku) on the back.

Trill Burgers My Hero Academia Remember the collab with this special T-shirt.Photo by Quit Nguyen

All four items will be available at Trill Burgers' three Houston-area locations in Upper Kirby/Montrose, Spring, and Missouri City.

“I always get excited about a new Trill Burgers collaboration, and this one is special,” Bun B said. “I know our Trill Burgers fans will love this, and I hope we make some new fans with this incredible collaboration with My Hero Academia. This is something a little different, and I’m excited to see our guests try out these new Trill Burgers flavors.”

A Decade of Dazzling Stories

My Hero Academia was first released as a manga in Japan in 2014 written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The series takes place in a world where almost the entire population is born with superpowers. A boy named Izuku Midoriya is one of the few "normal" people until the most powerful hero on Earth bequeaths him his abilities. Midoriya then attends a prestigious hero school with other powered people.

The manga was an instant success and was turned into a weekly anime by Toho and studio Bones in 2016. It developed a following in America thanks to Adult Swim's Toonami block, quickly becoming one of the most popular animes in the United States. The series has always had a large connection to Houston thanks to the English dub voice cast, which includes local stars like John Swasey, David Matranga, and Monica Rial. The regular series finished in December 2025, but a special epilogue episode titled "More" was released in May.

Toho acknowledged the support of the series in Houston in an official statement.

“As My Hero Academia celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re excited to continue to bring the series to fans in new and unexpected ways”, said Kristin Parcell, general manager of Toho International. “We’re proud to once again partner with Trill Burgers, this time bringing the spirit of My Hero Academia into a real-world fan experience rooted in community and culture that has defined the franchise for the past decade.”

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