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    Izakaya sets opening

    Sneak peek: Eagerly anticipated Midtown restaurant sets opening date and reveals menu

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 21, 2015 | 10:56 am

    One of Houston's most eagerly anticipated restaurants has finally set an opening date.

    Izakaya, the "drinks-first" concept from Kata Robata owners The Azuma Group, is now accepting reservations for August 1, according to a statement released Monday. The restaurant will hold a series of invite-only friends and families dinners this week, but could open its doors to the public as soon as Thursday — or, depending on how smoothly the preview runs, could go dark over the weekend and begin accepting walk-in diners next week.

    The menu has six sections: Raw Stuff, Greenery, Starting Line, From the Grill, Nom Nom Nom and Game Over.

    The former Farrago's space has been transformed by Schooley Design into a two-room concept. Up front, the lounge contains the bar, raw bar and a mix of booth and table seating. A tall, central bar showcases Izakaya's sake and spirits selection. Large, tattoo-inspired murals dominate the main dining room, which also features patio seating in an interior courtyard that's shared with neighbors like Fluff Bake Bar and Russo's New York Pizzeria.

    Co-executive chefs Jean-Philippe Gaston (known as Philippe) and Manabu Horiuchi (known as Hori) developed the menu, which takes its inspiration from Asian street food and is built around the popular shareable plates trend. Gaston will be at Izakaya, while Hori-san will remain at Kata Robata full-time. The menu has six sections: Raw Stuff, Greenery, Starting Line, From the Grill, Nom Nom Nom and Game Over.

    Raw items skip traditional sushi in favor of tartares, ceviches and crudos, which recalls the sort of work Gaston did as the chef at Cove Cold Bar. One dish consists of a riff on the Mexican seafood cocktail vuelve a la vida that blends scallop, shrimp, octopus, red onion, garlic, avocado, yuzu hot sauce and crushed sea salt; prices for this section of the menu range from $12 to 23.

    Grilled items include chicken skin, house-made venison sausage, octopus and street corn with bonito flakes ($5 to 14); authentic Japanese wagyu beef is $15 per ounce (min 4-ounces).

    The Nom Nom Nom section includes traditional fare like shumai and a katsu pork sandwich, as well as a chicken fried steak with kimchi-braised collard greens and a Texas quail Scotch egg ($8 to 30). Game Over offers a selection of rice and noodle dishes include two soba dishes, a daily rice bowl and the omu rice, which is wrapped in an egg omelette ($11 to 18).

    Promising concept

    One CultureMap reader who scored a coveted seat at Monday night's invite-only friends and family preview called the Peruvian ceviche "incredible" and the Scotch egg "awesome." Asked to sum up the experience, our mystery diner reports that Izakaya is a "very promising concept." As seen above, the reader's pictures provide a sneak peek inside the space.

    One CultureMap reader who scored a coveted seat at Monday night's invite-only friends and family preview called the Peruvian ceviche "incredible" and the Scotch egg "awesome."

    Izakaya's cocktail program, which has been developed by San Francisco-based consultants Clare Sprouse and Chad Arnholt, takes its inspiration from drinks they experienced during a three-week trip to Japan. The cocktails will incorporate seasonal produce, take advantage of Japanese fermentation and preservation techniques and are designed to be delivered quickly. The initial menu of 16 selections includes the "Good Morning" (shochu, maknut cream soda), a Midori-inspired cocktail of melon, sake, gin, citrus and milk and, of course, a simple blend of Topo Chico and Hokushu 12-year old Japanese whisky.

    Kata Robata general manager Blake Lewis has brought his expertise as a certified sake sommelier to that aspect of Izakaya's offerings, which will also include Korean shochu. Local sommelier Antonio Gianola has selected the restaurant's wine list with an emphasis on white, rose and sparkling varietals. Expect 50 to 70 bottles, with at least a dozen by-the-glass options.

    Taken together, Izakaya offers an exciting new addition to a section of Midtown that's seen a host of promising new arrivals like cocktail bar Spare Key, tapas restaurant Oporto Fooding House & Wine and sweets shop Fluff Bake Bar. While the area remains Houston's most profitable bar district, newcomers like Izakaya are a sign that even Midtown can grow up a bit.

    Tattoo-inspired murals in the main dining room.

    Izakaya interior
      
    Paula Murphy/Facebook
    Tattoo-inspired murals in the main dining room.
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    news/restaurants-bars

    finally coming to H-Town

    Michelin-recognized Austin restaurant group reveals first Houston project

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 12, 2025 | 10:28 am
    Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group chef partners Tavel Bristol-Joseph and Kevin Fink.
    Photo by Jessica Attie
    Emmer & Rye partners Tavel Bristol-Joseph and Kevin Fink.

    One of Texas’ most lauded hospitality groups is finally coming to Houston. Austin-based Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group has claimed the former MF Lobster space in Autry Park for a new restaurant that will open in late 2025.

    At this time, Emmer & Rye isn’t providing any details about the restaurant, including its name or what kind of food it will serve. Given that the group serves everything from Caribbean food at Canje to Mediterranean fare at Ladino, it’s essentially impossible to predict how they’ll utilize the 2,200-square-foot, circular-shaped building.

    Known for concepts such as Hestia, a live restaurant in Austin that earned a Michelin star, and Emmer & Rye, the only Texas restaurant to earn a Michelin green star for sustainability, Emmer & Rye Hospitality operates restaurants in Austin and San Antonio, including Pullman Market, recently named by Robb Report as the No. 3 best new restaurant in America.

    Both chef-partners in the group, Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, have received prestigious Best New Chef awards from Food & Wine. Fink is a two-time James Beard Award finalist, and Bristol-Joseph earned a semifinalist nomination in 2023.

    Southern Smoke Festival 2022 Kevin Fink Tavel Bristol JosephKevin Fink, left, and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, right, at the 2022 Southern Smoke Festival. Photo by Emily Jaschke

    “We’ve had our eye on Houston — and specifically Autry Park — for quite some time,” Bristol-Joseph said in a statement. “When the opportunity to take over such a unique space came along, we couldn’t pass it up. Houston has such a vibrant and diverse culinary community, and we look forward to opening our doors and contributing to the city’s incredible culinary landscape.”

    As for MF Lobster, it closed on Tuesday, June 10, according to press materials. Owner Chris Kinjo has decided to focus on his other restaurants, including MF Sushi in the Museum District and Annam, a recent addition to Autry Park that serves elevated Vietnamese fare.

    “As much as we loved MF Lobster, it sat in an American dining genre that’s outside our natural wheelhouse,” Kinjo said. “We decided it made sense to sell the restaurant and concentrate on culinary ventures that reflect our Vietnamese and Japanese heritage.”

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