now open in montose

Eclectic and globally inspired new restaurant settles into former Aqui space in Montrose

An eclectic new restaurant has opened in Montrose. Inspired by owner Matthew Mitchell's wandering around the world, Traveler's Table is now open for dinner.

Mitchell turned to Gin Design Group (Eunice, Axelrad) to remodel the former Aqui space. Towards that end, the entrance has been relocated to the the patio, and a 24-seat private dining room has been created. Overall, the look now recreates "the ambiance of the home of a well-traveled individual," according to a release.

The menu has a similar, globally inspired feel. Working with Ashley Rosenfeld and chef Omar Pereney of Á La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group, the culinary offerings skip lightly across multiple continents; Jordan Economy, originally announced as the executive chef, recently parted ways with the project.

To start, diners may opt for soup dumpling filled with pho broth, Braziilan-style pao de quejio, Japanese chicken kaarage, or hummus with lamb ragu (among others). Flatbreads (truffled margherita, Greek chicken), salads, and side dishes follow.

From there, the menu is divided by geographic region. "The Far East" section includes dishes from Thailand (soft shell crab pad thai, khao soi), Vietnam (cha ca seafood), Korea (short rib bibimap), and China (Sichuan-style cumin lamb). "India and the Mediterranean" offers butter chicken and pork vindaloo alongside a Moroccan chicken grain bowl and beef cheek ravioli. A cheeseburger, shrimp and grits, and Argentinian-style hanger steak with chimichurri all represent "the Americas." Larger dinner entrees — ranging from North African-style leg of lamb to Chinese-style duck and seafood risotto — unite in another section of the wide-ranging menu.

Beverage options are similarly diverse. Both local and international beers, wines from around the world, and a dozen house cocktails should give diners plenty of options for pairing the right drink with a specific dish.

Mitchell took an unusual path to the world of restaurants. A former writer and journalist, he completed the Advanced Management Program at Rice's Jesse H. Jones School of Management and spent 14 years in the pharmaceutical industry before attending culinary school at the Art Institute of Houston. To prepare for the opening of Traveler's Table, he worked at both Benjy's and Local Foods.

Whether the kitchen can execute such a diverse menu remains to be seen, of course, but the restaurant isn't making any assertions about authenticity. "The owner and chefs reserve the right to employ a bit of creative license from time to time in the name of flavor," the release notes. If those flavors hold up, Traveler's Table could become a place that's capable of satisfying a wide range of cravings.

Traveler's Table features an eclectic menu.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

Traveler's Table features an eclectic menu.

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Houston's smallest restaurant?

Michelin-recognized Houston sushi chef fires up 4-seat Japanese skewer spot

Courtesy of Sip & Skewer

Diners sit in front of chefs cooking on a grill.

The team behind one of Houston’s Michelin-recognized sushi restaurants is opening an intimate new izakaya. Sip & Skewer is the newest concept from Hidden Omakase owner Tuan Tran and chef Marcos Juarez.

Opening Friday, February 13, Sip & Skewer is a four-seat restaurant devoted to skewered meats that’s located within Sushi by Hidden, the group’s affordable omakase restaurant in Rice Village. At Sip & Skewer, diners sit across from the chefs as they cook a 10-course, $90 meal on a Japanese binchotan grill.

“Sip & Skewer is small, loud, and intentional. The kind of hidden experience you’d find in Tokyo,” Tran said. “And with Chef Marcos guiding the team at Sushi by Hidden, this space is getting new energy from every angle.”

A four-seat restaurant within a 10-seat restaurant might seem kind of superfluous, but Tran explains that it’s part of a larger plan for his group of restaurants, which also includes West U. hand roll restaurant Norigami. It also builds on the success of Hidden Omakase, the Galleria-area sushi counter that earned a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.

“Sip & Skewer is part of a larger vision. It’s designed as a stepping stone toward our next concept, Kōri, a new hand roll and craft cocktail bar opening in the Heights. Our plan is to open Sip & Skewer directly next to our hand roll spot, creating a small alley of Japanese concepts that feed into one another,” Tran explains.

“This allows us to build awareness, train our team in a new format, and introduce guests to Japanese charcoal grilling in a very personal way before we scale the idea into a larger setting with Kōri. The four-seat format keeps overhead extremely low while serving as a live test kitchen and brand builder for what’s coming next,” he adds.

On a related note, Juarez and the other chefs at Hidden Omakase are dividing their time between all three restaurants. Tuam explains that it’s a deliberate strategy to ensure a consistent customer experience.

“The same team that works Michelin-recognized omakase service also runs the grill here, which keeps quality and execution consistent while allowing the chefs a creative outlet in a very different format,” Tran said. “Because Sip & Skewer is only four seats and reservations only, it does not require a dedicated full-time staff. It’s an extension of the team rather than a separate operation.”