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    Hugo by the bay

    Celebrity chef invites Hugo Ortega to bring 'a little soul' to California test kitchen

    Eric Sandler
    Aug 2, 2017 | 12:30 pm

    This year just keeps getting better for Hugo Ortega. Since December, the local chef has since his restaurant Hugo's named to Eater's list of America's 38 best restaurants, he opened his Oaxacan restaurant Xochi to wide acclaim — including more national press — and, most importantly, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest in his sixth year as a finalist.

     

    All of that attention means the rest of the country is finally discovering what Houstonians have known for years. They want to eat Ortega's food. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that San Francisco chef Michael Mina, a James Beard award winner with more than 30 restaurants across the country, announced that he has invited Ortega to collaborate with him on the latest edition of the MINA Test Kitchen.

     

    Dubbed Mi Almita (my little soul), the three-month long test kitchen will take diners on a tour of Mexico that focuses on "soulful food that highlights time honored traditions and rituals" through dishes such as: huitlasquites corn soup; pozole verde with little neck clams, hominy and pumpkin seeds; and pulpo al carbón, grilled octopus with sweet peppers and caramelized onions. Beverage options will include tequila, mezcal, and Mexican wines.

     

    "I had the opportunity to dine at Hugo’s restaurants when I was in Houston earlier this year,” said Mina in a statement. “I was blown away by the hospitality and cuisine. The bold flavors and ingredients worked so well together, and everything was light and flavorful. I knew I wanted to find a way to work with Hugo.”

     

    The test kitchen begins August 23 with seven to nine dishes that will rotate monthly. A five-course meal only costs $39 (additional courses and beverages are extra). Ortega has already begun working with one of Mina's cooks to refine the recipes, and he will travel to San Francisco to conduct additional training.

     

    “It isn’t often that one gets to work with someone they admire greatly from afar, but when it happens it is an absolute honor and pleasure,” added Ortega. “I have enjoyed collaborating with Chef Mina and his team to create an exciting Mexican menu for the discerning diners of San Francisco, and can’t wait to see how they enjoy it!”

     

    Given that 2017 seems to be the Year of Hugo, odds are the Californians will leave their meals pretty happy. Maybe so happy they'll want their own Ortega restaurant.

    Hugo Ortega is creating a menu for the MINA Test Kitchen in San Francisco.

    Chef Hugo Ortega
      
    Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Houston
    Hugo Ortega is creating a menu for the MINA Test Kitchen in San Francisco.
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    hola, mayahuel

    Netflix chef's modern Mexican restaurant opens in Houston this month

    Eric Sandler
    Jul 7, 2025 | 6:45 pm
    Mayahuel restaurant
    Photo by Bethany Ochs
    Mayahuel's menu combines seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn.

    The countdown is on to Houston’s newest modern Mexican restaurant. Mayahuel will officially open for dinner on Friday, July 18.

    Located in the Autry Park mixed-use development, Mayahuel united Culinary Khancepts — the hospitality group behind Liberty Kitchen, State Fare, and Leo’s River Oaks (among others) — with star chef Luis Robledo Richards. Known locally for his short-lived taqueria Comalito, Richards is the pastry chef behind Mexico City’s celebrated Tout Chocolat. His resume includes serving as a judge on the Netflix series Sugar Rush: The Baking Point and being named the Best Pastry Chef in Latin America by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

    At Mayahuel, Richards will feature dishes made with seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn that’s imported from Mexico. At opening, it will be a tidy group of 16 savory dishes — divided into starters, “Tacos y Masa,” and entrees, as well as a separate tasting menu. The restaurant takes its name from the Mexica goddess of the maguey plant, which only blooms once, to emphasize its connection to Mexico’s land and culture.

    “At Mayahuel, we’re not just preparing food — we’re honoring time, place, and process,” Richards said in a statement. “Our ingredients are chosen only when they’re at their best. We don’t force nature to fit our schedule — we follow its lead.”

    Dinner at Mayahuel could begin with dishes such as bread and tortillas served with miso and salsa matcha butters, a bluefin tuna tostada with uni cream and yuzu aioli, salmon aguachile, or a beef carnitas croquette. The “Tacos y Masa” section includes beef cheek and shrimp tacos, a duck confit tamal, and a squash blossom tetela. Entree choices include filet mignon with mole negro, cochinita with black bean puree and tortillas, and sea bass with potatoes and salsa Veracruzana.

    Brunch is a more casual affair built around items such as chilaquiles, French toast, enfrijoladas, and a Mexican take on eggs Benedict topped with salsa roja hollandaise.

    Large format desserts each take inspiration from one of three ingredients — vanilla, coffee, or cacao. Priced at $28 each, the menu describes them as “a thoughtful, interactive finale that honors tradition through technique, seasonality, and imagination.”

    Pairings include cocktails made with agave spirits, fresh juices, and house made syrups. Notably, all tequilas will be additive-free, which means some prominent brands may not be featured behind Mayahuel’s bar.

    The restaurant occupies an approximately 5,100-square-foot space that’s divided into a 16-seat bar, a 40-seat dining room, an eight-seat chef’s table, a 36-seat, second floor dining room, and a 34-seat patio. It joins other concepts in Autry Park such as French restaurant Annabelle Brasserie, sushi spot Doko, fine dining steakhouse Turner’s Cut, Vietnamese restaurant Annam, and a still-unnamed concept from Austin’s Emmer & Rye Hospitality.

    “Mayahuel is about creating a sense of place and story,” Culinary Khancepts founder Omar Khan said. “It’s a natural evolution for our group — rooted in culture, crafted with care, and designed to be as memorable as it is welcoming.”

    Mayahuel will be open for happy hour and dinner Monday-Saturday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are available on OpenTable.

    Mayahuel restaurant
      

    Photo by Bethany Ochs

    Mayahuel's menu combines seasonal ingredients and heirloom corn.

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