Houston's newest tasting menu restaurant has made its debut. ReikiNa debuted last week in CityCentre (799 Town & Country, Suite 200).
Located above Urban Outfitters, the 3,500-square foot restaurant features a 20-seat communal table that currently hosts one seating per night. Chef Thomas Stacy, formerly a prep cook at Uchi, serves an eight-course, $150 menu that will change approximately every six weeks.
Currently, the restaurant offers one seating Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm. For now, it is BYOB but will soon offer beer, wine, and sake.
At opening, the menu consists of:
- Oyster with sake mignonette emulsion and cilantro oil
- Yellowtail with pineapple vierge and lemondrop melon
- Chicken liver mousse with lychee reduction and radish kimchi
- Stuffed squid with "Caesar," parmesan rice chicharron, and Old Bay togarashi
- Crab cake with miso orange emulsion, pickles, and lettuce wrap
- Smoked, buttered eggplant with goat cheese, sesame honey, and walnut
- Char siu pork with cherry bao, pickled fennel, and marigold
- Matcha-white chocolate mousse with nectarine sorbet
ReikiNa, which takes its name from the Japanese words reiki (translated as "divine energy") and sakana (snacks paired with sake), evolved out of meals Stacy served at his home during the pandemic. Initially available to close friends, the meals developed a sufficient following to allow him to make the pop-up permanent.
Joining Stacy in the kitchen are two cooks who've worked for BCN and MAD, sous chef Jacob Larimore and pastry chef Carla Briseño. Ultimately, the team plans to expand the restaurant's offerings to include a second seating as well as two a la carte options: "Lombok," which will serve Southeast Asian-inspired snacks and cocktails on the space's patio, and "The Cafe," a bar and six table section near the restaurant's entrance that will serve a four-course menu.
Interior details include limewash walls that Stacy painted, an 11-foot table made from 200-year old barn siding, and a 105-foot gallery wall that displays works by local artists. Stacy's collection of 400 vinyl records provides the restaurant's soundtrack.
“I can’t describe the joy that I am feeling at this moment,” Stacy said in a statement. “I am extremely grateful for the support and blessings that have come my way on this journey.”
Reikina will serve an eight-course tasting menu.
