post up here
Downtown's massive new food hall serves up 11 more cutting-edge global concepts and local favorites
Downtown's massive new food hall has made another major announcement. Post Houston revealed 11 more vendors for its 53,000-square-foot Post Market that includes vendors from Norway, Spain, California, Austin, and Houston.
Let's start with the out-of-towners. They are:
- Golfstrømmen Seafood Market: The first American concept from chef Christopher Haatuft of Bergen Norway’s Lysverket, Golfstrømmen (Norwegian for Gulf Stream) will bring the chef's minimal techniques to fresh Gulf seafood. The restaurant will also sell raw seafood to-go.
- Saison Cellar: Sommelier Mark Bright, a partner in San Francisco's award-winning, two Michelin star restaurant Saison, will serve both wines he makes and others he sources from around the world to this wine bar.
- Hawker Street Food Bar: Chef Laila Bazahm's first U.S. project will be a version of the restaurant she operates in Barcelona that serves dishes inspired by Latin American and Southeast Asian street food.
- East Side King: Chef Paul Qui's popular Japanese street food concept will finally expand from Austin to Houston.
- Soy Pinoy: Qui's second restaurant in the market will serve Filipino fare, including Kinilawin, Vegan Kare Kare, Fried Chicken Adobo, Chicken Inasal, Lechon and Lumpia.
- Thai Kun: The Austin favorite from chef Thai Chanthong (and co-founded by Qui) serves Thai-style street food such as pad thai, black noodles, crab rice, som tum, and khao man gai.
Haatuft appears to be quite an interesting culinarian. In a profile in the New York Times, the chef, who has an American mother and trained at top restaurants such as Per Se and Blue Hill at Stone Barns as well as restaurants in Europe, coined the term "neo-fjordic" for his attempts to put a modern spin on traditional Norwegian cooking. If nothing else, he should enjoy Houston's warmer's temperatures.
Qui remains a controversial figure in the culinary world. Both the winner of Top Chef: Texas and a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, Qui was arrested on assault charges in 2016; they were dismissed in 2018 when the woman he allegedly assaulted declined to testify. The chef has said publicly he's doing the work necessary to learn from his past mistakes, but, as a lengthy essay by Texas Monthly's Dan Solomon notes, that's difficult for outsiders to evaluate.
Through a representative, Post Houston provided the following statement about Qui: "Paul has made long strides in his commitment to recovery over the past five years. We've personally seen the sustained efforts that he has made and are confident in his progress. We look forward to showcasing his culinary viewpoint at Post."
Turning to the locals, Post Houston has landed a diverse mix of concepts. They are:
- ChòpnBlọk: Featured on the Houston episode of chef Marcus Samuelsson's PBS series No Passport Required, Ope Amosu's West African-inspired pop-up will finally get a brick-and-mortar home.
- Andes Café: Chef David Guerrero will revive his East Side restaurant that celebrated the cuisine of seven South American countries from Ecuador to Argentina. Look for ceviches, lomo saltado, and other popular dishes.
- Blendin Coffee Club: The Sugar Land-based cafe known for its scientific approach to coffee roasting and brewing will open its third Houston-area location in the food hall.
- Abu Omar Halal: The rapidly expanding food truck and restaurant will bring its signature wraps and rice bowls.
- Sweets with L&L: This stand by Tameia Frank Jones serves 20 different flavors of cotton candy.
"We're excited to open ChòpnBlọk's first brick and mortar location at Post Market. Representation is extremely important to us and having the opportunity to showcase West African cuisine along a diverse and multi-faceted vendor lineup is valuable,” Amosu said in a statement. “The food hall's plug and play nature will allow us to hit the ground running during the pandemic recovery and we're excited to bring our hometown along for the ride."
All of these concepts join seven previously announced tenants, including Salt & Time Butcher Shop, Lea Jane's Hot Chicken, and Vietnamese concept SOUPreme.
“In an effort to create a destination that celebrates diversity through food, art and culture, we are committed to opening a property that offers businesses of all sizes opportunities to grow and showcase their product at Post Houston,” Frank Liu, president of real estate developer Lovett Commercial, said. “Our vision from the start has been to create a one-of-a-kind cultural experience for Houstonians and the millions of visitors that come through our incredible city each year.”
Expected to open this fall, Post Houston will feature a rooftop garden, co-working spaces, retail shopping, and more. Developers previously announced the property will be home to The Terminal, a 5,000-capacity live music venue that will be operated by Live Nation.
