Foodie News

Houston Chef's Table: Kraftsmen Cafe's Scott Tycer hungers for the Taco Nazi'stortillas

No one knows Houston restaurants better than the people who run them, own them, and work in the kitchens. In this continuing series, CultureMap is asking our favorite foodie personalities around town where they go for great eats when they're not working.

Scott Tycer has been a larger than life presence on the Houston restaurant scene since opening the late, avant garde Aries on Montrose in 2000. In addition to running Gravitas and Kraftsmen Baking, Tycer just opened his latest restaurant, a new Kraftsmen Cafe in the former Textile space in the Heights.

While on a quick break from his triple duty — a wine-buying excursion — Tycer told CultureMap about his Taco Nazi fave and his brunch strategy (hint: it involves a delicious dumpling overload).

Restaurant to take out-of-towners to: I hate to sound boring, but Goode Company Barbecue is a lot of fun to bring guests to.

Restaurant for a special occasion: In the last year I've been to Mark's for a special occasion — he and I go back, and I like to support him. A lot of it is about support.

Favorite meal: Laredo Taqueria. I get the carne asada with onions and cilantro and lime on cornmeal tortillas — about 50 of them, you can't ever get just one. I've been going for years, since i moved back to Houston, I live in the Heights and they've been there for so long.

Its kinda a Soup Nazi thing — you know what you want, you have cash and you're good. Kinda Seinfeld-ian.

Breakfast/Brunch favorite: I like to go to Gigi's for brunch, take the whole family and wipe 'em out on dumplings. And I hit 59 Diner for breakfast frequently.

Dessert: I like Amy's Ice Cream quite a bit, they have solid recipes, we go and they always are trying new things.

Other articles in the Houston Chef's Table series:

Lee Ellis loves Les Givral

Sugar hooker Rebecca Masson can't get enough of Catalan's Cake

Beachy L.J. Wiley digs the special occasion simple flavors at Dos Brisas

David Grossman goes for Vic & Anthony's crab cake, Yelapa late nights & some Bootsie

Jeramie Robison appreciates Kata Robata's sushi, Beaver's bangin' meatloaf & foodie chicks

Tony Mandola finds breakfast magic at Sunrise Taquitos

Philippe Schmit craves a Picnic romance & Stella Sola's French toast

Benjy Levit is torn between Indika's salads and Hank's Ice Cream

Flora & Muse's David Luna likes to hang with his fishing buddy and hit the Blue Nile

Asian Bistro's Gigi Huang seeks out spicy fried chicken at a Dive

Hugo Ortega believes in a Goode tradition

Soma Sushi's Jason Hauck is anti-brunch, pro-Feast

Jenni Tran-Weaver can't get enough hot pot

Bistro Alex's Juan Carlos Gonzalez finds a great $1.50 meal & giant key lime pie

Mockingbird Bistro's John Sheely treasures homemade Mexican & cool Connie's Seafood

Elizabeth Abraham dishes on her secret Royal Restaurant

Fleming's Jason Cole finds Texas' best barbecue, surf secrets

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Rumor no more?

Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung may finally be coming to Houston

Din Tai Fung/Facebook

Din Tai Fung is known for its soup dumplings, noodles dishes, and more

One of the world’s most famous Chinese restaurants could be coming to Houston. Global dim sum powerhouse Din Tai Fung appears to be moving forward with a location in the Galleria.

According to an entry on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website, the restaurant will replace Japanese restaurant Nobu, along with some adjacent suites, to create a total area of almost 16,800 square feet. The project is expected to begin in February 2027 and end in mid-June, although that timeline is only an estimate and is very likely to shift significantly. Its projected cost is $1 million, although that is also an estimate that could change. TDLR filings are preliminary and may not indicate an official lease has been signed.

At this time, Nobu's Houston location is still open and has not announced plans to close. The restaurant debuted in 2018 with a splashy grand opening party that featured an appearance by its three co-owners: chef Nobu Matsuhisa, co-founder Meir Teper, and legendary actor Robert De Niro.

Founded in Taipei, Taiwan in 1958 as a cooking oil shop, Din Tai Fung rose to prominence on the strength of its xiao long bao (soup dumplings) that are known for their delicate skins and savory, aromatic broth. Since then, the restaurant has grown to more than 165 locations worldwide, with U.S. outposts in cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas, and New York. Four of those locations hold Bib Gourmand designations in the Michelin Guide.

In addition to their massive size, Din Tai Fung’s location are known for the sheer quantity of food they can produce. Its New York location reportedly makes more than 10,000 dumplings per day — by hand. In addition to dumplings, the restaurant is also known for its vegetable plates, noodle dishes, and other dim sum-style fare.

CultureMap has contacted representatives for the Galleria, Din Tai Fung, and Nobu to learn more information about this development. We will update the article when they reply.

Axios Houston was first to report on the TDLR filing.

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