Where to Eat Now

Where to Eat Now: 12 new restaurants from veteran chefs, rising stars, and interesting out-of-towners

After a torrid spring, the pace of new restaurants has slowed a bit. That’s good news for diners still trying to catch up on high-profile post-Super Bowl arrivals like Star Fish, Yauatcha and Field & Tides, but it also means this column is a bit tardy.

If the quantity of new spots is down a bit, the quality is still good. Imports from out of town continue to make a splash both inside and outside the loop, but locally-owned concepts from both veteran chefs and rising stars also show solid potential to become new favorites.

As always, this list’s order corresponds to how quickly I think you should try them, but they’re all worth exploring.

Roka Akor
This stylish new restaurant that serves both steak and sushi has the potential to draw see-and-be-seen types away from the hotspots in River Oaks District. With locations in Scottsdale, Chicago, and San Francisco, Roka Akor brings an acclaimed pedigree to its new space at 2929 Wesleyan, where the understated, elegant design provides a luxurious environment for both lunch and dinner.

A friend and I left a recent meal impressed by the restaurant’s ability to serve both well-prepared sushi and meats from the massive robata grill that’s visible throughout the dining room. Highlights from the raw section included screamingly fresh Hokkaido uni, sweet, succulent king crab, and tuna tartare.

While the restaurant offers domestic wagyu from Snake River Farms, those looking to indulge will want to consider Japanese beef from one of three prefectures. We opted for Miyazaki beef based on the chef’s suggestion that it had more texture (i.e., less of that melt-in-your-mouth quality associated with ultra-fatty beef) than the other choices. Priced at $35 per ounce, the presentation in a basket with a smoky piece of charcoal enhances the experience, but it’s the deeply beefy flavor that justifies the price. 2929 Weslayan

85°C Bakery Cafe
Fresh off the arrival of Los Angeles-based Sichuan restaurant Chengdu Taste, another California transplant is drawing crowds to Chinatown. With a diverse selection of sweet and savory breads, pastries, and espresso-based coffee drinks, 85C has a something-for-everyone appeal. No wonder the Houston location is the company’s 1,000th worldwide.

First time visitors should start with signature items like the marble taro loaf (a sweet roll filled with taro paste), the classic egg custard tart, and the sea salt coffee. Just don’t call it “the Starbucks of Taiwan;” 85C’s pastries are much too delicious to be lumped in with the offerings from Seattle’s most popular export. 9750 Bellaire

Lowbrow
A month or so after assuming control of the former Creek Group spot, chef John Sheely has puts his spin on the Montrose cafe’s look and food. The interior has been cleaned up and the patio renovated. More importantly, a new menu offers the sort of classic bistro cuisine that earned Sheely legions of fans at Mockingbird Bistro.

During brunch, a friend and I split a starter of smoked salmon served with marble rye, cream cheese, chopped onion, and capers. Chicken biscuits offered plenty of comfort, and my wings and waffle delivered both the proper level of sweetness from the waffle and a little spice from the wings’ Sriracha-honey glaze.

Friendly, attentive service, even in the face of a full restaurant, helped make the experience one I’ll aim to repeat soon. 1601 W Main

Tarka Indian Kitchen
Despite all of the new restaurants opening in the Heights, the area lacked an Indian restaurant. Thankfully, this Austin-based fast casual concept has given the neighborhood a steady supply of veggie samosas, chicken tikka masala, and lamb vindaloo. The menu is affordable (nothing costs more than $10), and the dishes arrive quickly.

Of course the sauces don’t have the depth of Hillcroft’s best restaurants, but the flavors and execution are solid. A family-friend environment and an appealing selection of wine and craft beer should ensure Tarka becomes a neighborhood favorite. 721 W 19th

Marais
The town of Dickinson doesn’t usually generate a blip of the foodie radar, but the suburb also probably hasn’t ever seen a restaurant quite like Marais, which fills the gap for special occasion dining that last year’s closure of Cullen’s left for Clear Lake and other points south. The expansive restaurant features a casual bar downstairs, an outdoor beer garden, and a luxuriously-appointed main dining room.

With dishes like steak, osso bucco, and Creole-style seafood, the restaurant’s food skews classic, but everything was prepared well. We particularly enjoyed a seafood cocktail that combined crab with avocado and mango and creme brulee topped with luxardo cherries. 2015 FM 517

SeaSide Poke
No dish has become trendier in 2017 than poke. Every month seems to bring a new restaurant or two devoted to the dish, which is essentially a raw fish salad served over rice. Think of it as a deconstructed sushi roll with a wider array of toppings. Diners choose their proteins and toppings along a Chipotle-style line.

While most of the restaurants are serving fairly similar fare — I have yet to hear from someone who passionately argues for the superiority of, say, Ono Poke over Pokeology or vice versa — SeaSide has a few elements that make it stand out, courtesy of chefs Tai Nguyen and Vuthy "Tee" Srey, who bring experiences from Uchi and MF Sushi, respectively, to the menu.

For example, the salmon ponzu bowl gets a little welcome pop of acidity from orange slices, and the spicy tuna gets its heat from Korean gochujang, instead of Sriracha or red chile sauce. While I would like to taste a little more vinegar in the rice, overall the bowls are satisfying, well-constructed, and affordable. All of which make SeaSide a welcome addition to EaDo’s rapidly expanding mix of dining options. 2118 Lamar

Alice Blue
“You won’t find a menu that’s groundbreaking, but it’s well-executed with a European and French bent,” Houston Press food editor Gwendolyn Knapp wrote about Alice Blue. That observation helped clarify my own feelings about the up-and-down meal I had at this Heights newcomer that replaced Shade on 19th Street. Classic European-inspired fare would be a nice alternative to the Southern style cuisine that dominates the Heights, but simple dishes require exact execution to meet their potential.

Unfortunately, a bland bowl of bouillabaisse and an under-seasoned plate of pasta demonstrated that the kitchen still needs some reps to match the menu’s promise. Still, the cocktail menu and interesting, well-priced wine list hint at the restaurant Alice Blue could become, and the restaurant has enough talent on hand in both the front and back of the house that I’m eager to make another visit. 250 W 19th

Conservatory
Downtown’s underground food hall may not be new, but the space has undergone enough changes recently that it merits a fresh visit from anyone who stopped by in awhile. El Burro & the Bull (barbecue) and Melange Creperie remain, but Samurai Ramen and Myth Kafe (Greek) have been replaced by Moku Bar, which serves poke and tempura, Arte Pizzeria, which features pies created by pastry chef Kelsey Hawkins (Paul’s Kitchen, Pour Society), Mars Bakery, which focuses on kolaches and hot dogs, and a wine bar called Noble Rot.

Of the new options, I enjoyed Arte the most; Hawkins’ personal-sized pies and range of toppings help it pair well with Conservatory’s extensive tap wall. Adding crispy fried shrimp and vegetables to the usual poke offerings makes Moku compelling, too. Of course, Conservatory’s late hours make it a solid choice for either post Astros game snacks or a stop on a downtown bar crawl. 1010 Prairie

Paik’s Noodles
The California import recently arrived in Spring Branch (not Chinatown), giving the neighborhood another option for Korean favorites like jajangmyeon (noodles in black bean sauce) and fried chicken wings. Each dish delivered solid flavors, particularly the crispy, slightly spicy wings. Prices are reasonable, too; the noodles cost $8 and the wings were only $6.

Unfortunately when I visited a couple weeks after opening, the glass-walled kitchen still wasn’t serving the full menu, which means I’ll need a return visit to assess favorites like the seafood pancake and dumplings. 9355 Long Point

New locations of established restaurants
Many Houston favorites are growing. While none are different enough from their siblings to justify a full write up, they are all welcome additions to their respective neighborhoods.

Snooze, the Denver-based restaurant that serves brunch every day, recently added a location in Town & Country; outposts in Katy and the Heights are both slated to arrive before the end of the year. Sichuan favorite Pepper Twins added an outpost at 59 and Kirby to its River Oaks and Montrose locations. The Halal Guys has brought its rice plates and signature white sauce to Westchase.

Want more suggestions? Check out our guides to HRW newcomers along with the picks from May and June.

Roka Akor's raw shellfish platter is must-order.

Photo by Jack Thompson

Roka Akor's raw shellfish platter is must-order.

news-you-can-eat dinner lunch where-to-eat

Notes from a chef

Globe-trotting Houston chef reviews Noma's $1,500 Los Angeles pop-up

Courtesy of David Skinner

Pink pepper Dungeness crab.

[Editor’s note: When David Skinner, chef and owner of Kemah’s celebrated eculent and Ishtia restaurants, offered to share his experience eating at one of the world’s best restaurants, we said, of course. Read on for his experience at Copenhagen restaurant Noma’s pop-up in Los Angeles that took place this summer. Take it away, David.]

The crab was alive a few minutes before I ate it.

Just before service, the kitchen broke down a Dungeness crab and set it over open charcoal, the downtown Los Angeles skyline behind the smoke. It came to the table wreathed in dried pink pepper branches, with a butter sauce built on the same pepper. I've eaten crab all over the world — this was maybe the best crab ever.

That was the first of 17 courses at Noma LA, and the best bite of the afternoon. Leading with your best shot is either confidence or a statement. By the end of lunch, I'd decided it was both.

The residency had begun in turmoil. Founder René Redzepi stepped away from the residency the day it opened, following a news investigation into allegations of demeaning treatment of staff — conduct that had been discussed in industry circles for years. Protesters gathered at the gate that day. The kitchen, led by Pablo Soto, carried on through the residency's close on June 26.

I went for lunch at the Paramour Estate, the 1920s Mediterranean mansion in Silver Lake that Noma called home for 16 weeks. For more than 30 years, I've traveled the world in search of culture, a little mystery, and always food, eating everywhere from strangers' kitchen tables to three-Michelin-star dining rooms.

As the chef behind eculent and Ishtia in Kemah, I also eat with a cook's eye — which means I'll tell you what was brilliant and what was oversalted. Noma LA had a little of both, but after a half dozen meals at Noma over the past 10 years, I can say this one was a standout.

The setup

The logistics alone are remarkable. Noma relocated roughly 130 staff members and their families to Los Angeles and built a pantry sourced within 300 miles of the mansion. Lunch ran 17 courses over about four hours at $1,500 per person, including beverages and gratuity.

Chef Soto greeted us at the entrance with the full kitchen staff, a Noma tradition. By the time I arrived, the protesters were long gone, and the brigade seemed to be cooking with a sense of relief.

Rather than choose between the wine pairing and the nonalcoholic program, we asked our server, Mara, to mix the two course by course. She nailed it, moving from a sparkling rose-and-pink-pepper drink to a bright cherimoya lemonade to a 25-year-old Tony Coturri zinfandel from Glen Ellen that became the table's favorite pour.

The standouts

The crab. It opened the meal, and nothing that followed topped it. The pink pepper did double duty with the dried branches perfuming the shell, the butter sauce carrying a gentle heat — the sweet, smoky meat needed nothing else. Alongside came a 2022 Phelan Farm chardonnay from Rajat Parr's Cambria operation: white Burgundy in spirit, California in its bones.

The cactus. Pickled tacinga cactus, marinated in Oaxacan mezcal and citrus and crowned with honeypot ants, arrived beneath a live cactus paddle with a eucalyptus handle.

The acorn. A single braised acorn, glazed with black pepper, sat atop an uni custard made with Santa Barbara sea urchin and caviar in hoja santa oil. The server described it as a nod to California's Indigenous peoples. As a Choctaw, whose ancestors relied on acorns for thousands of years, I felt that one. It was also the most technically accomplished savory course of the meal.

The seaweed and clams. Six varieties of Southern California seaweed with butter-kissed clams tasted like the coast itself. This is Noma at its best: not interpreting California so much as listening to it.

The tuna eye. I've eaten cod eye at Noma in Copenhagen, but this version was way better. The kitchen removed the tough cornea, replaced it with a thin disk of kumquat, and served the eye chilled inside a ruby-red banana flower bract. Rich and gelatinous, it's eaten in one bite. When our table wondered aloud where the rest of all that tuna goes, Mara had the answer: family meal for the staff.

The kelp mole. Grilled greens, a squash blossom stuffed with huitlacoche, and an artichoke on its stalk arrived with tortillas from Komal, one of Los Angeles's top heirloom molinos, paired with a mole built on kelp.

Between the acorn, the cactus, and the mole, a question kept surfacing: what does it mean for a Danish kitchen to arrive in someone else's pantry and cook as though it has always been there? Some of these ingredients have fed Indigenous and Mexican cooks for centuries. Noma handled them with obvious respect and real curiosity. Sometimes, though, the line between homage and borrowing comes down to whether you're willing to say the name out loud.

Dessert kept the surprises coming, including a macadamia custard served in a sunflower whose base turned out to be beeswax. The finale arrived as a bundle of ferns tied with string. Diners snip it open with tiny scissors to find a chocolate cookie and a fortune inside. Mine quoted Nietzsche: You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.

Nietzsche, at $1,500 a head, in a Silver Lake mansion, from a kitchen whose founder walked away on opening day while protesters stood at the gate. The kitchen knew exactly what it was doing.

The full menu, course by course

For those keeping score, here's the complete lineup.

Pink pepper Dungeness crab
Daylily crab dumpling — The rest of the crab, tucked inside a trumpet-shaped daylily with buds plumped in crustacean liquor. The flower dominated; the crab was the reason to eat it.
Chilled lobster broth — Spiny lobster stock, dashi, and elderflower oil served chilled in the lobster's own coral-colored shell. A palate reset dressed as a course.
Spot prawn with matcha — Served in real seaweed, the head filled with smoked pumpkin paste for sucking, the tail painted with matcha. Paired with the 2024 Verso from Caleb Leisure in Sebastopol.
Sea urchin custard and braised acorn
Cactus with mezcal
Ragout of California botanicals — Seasonal greens, peas, and herbs in a warm, quiet preparation, tied together by a hint of horseradish.
SoCal seaweed and clam
Tuna neck — Minced tuna neck in a koji-inoculated steamed bun with the texture of suede, topped with translucent shards of dried chicken-stock skin. Paired with the 2000 Estate Zinfandel from Tony Coturri.
Tuna eye
Black pearl rice steamed in avocado leaf — Ringed with pistachio oil and scattered with dime-sized macadamia slices. Humble ingredients in the spirit of California great Jeremiah Tower.
Morels with habanero and yuzu — Sierra Nevada morels on turkey-tail mushrooms over hot stones. Bright and spicy, but heavy on the salt.
Greens and grilled artichoke in spiced kelp mole
Cherimoya and lemongrass — A green cocoa butter shell shaped like a cactus, hiding a smooth cherimoya ice cream. A California fruit most California menus ignore.
Macadamia milk custard and pistachio — Topped with heirloom Hong Kong kumquats from a handful of research trees that fruit four weeks a year, served in a beeswax-lined sunflower.
Silver Lake fortune cookie — A Chiapas chocolate mousse cookie garnished with insects, hidden in a bundle of ferns you cut open with tiny scissors. Fortune included.

The misses

Not every course landed. Morels with habanero and yuzu were oversalted, and some presentations were delivered too quietly to catch the full story. At $1,500 a seat, the storytelling should be as confident as the cooking.

The verdict

Having now eaten Noma's traveling editions in Tulum and Los Angeles, I'll offer an opinion that may be unpopular in certain circles: the pop-ups are better than Copenhagen. Maybe it's the hunt for new ingredients, or the urgency of a 16-week run in a borrowed house. Whatever the reason, the results are hard to argue with. I put that theory to the test in August, when I returned to Noma on my birthday, three days after it reopened with Soto at the helm. More on that meal soon.

Noma LA wasn't really a restaurant. It was an argument about a place, made in food, by people who flew 6,000 miles to make it. The argument was frequently brilliant, occasionally presumptuous, and closed with Nietzsche in a fortune cookie. On balance, it won.

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David Skinner is a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Texas and the owner of eculent and Ishtia in Kemah. He also writes the culinary travel journal Destination Eater on Substack.

Courtesy of David Skinner

Pink pepper Dungeness crab.

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