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    Nom Nom

    A delicious list of the eateries that opened in Uptown Park this year

    CultureMap Create
    Nov 24, 2020 | 1:54 pm

    Overall, this year has been tough on the restaurant industry, with many closing their doors thanks to the coronavirus. Happily, this is not one of those articles.

    Get ready for some happy news: Uptown Park has welcomed several new, acclaimed restaurants this year, joining a menu of established favorites.

    From a space-themed coffee shop to country star Pat Green's newest music hall outpost, there's a flavor for every palate.

    Giant Leap Coffee started providing a much-needed caffeine fix to Uptown Park visitors in early September. The cute little kiosk serves coffee and espresso drinks made with locally roasted Amaya Coffee, and the pandemic has given baristas time to develop new specialties like a golden milk latte made with ginger and turmeric.

    Of course there are lots of space-themed details, from a model of the lunar lander near the register to the bar front itself, which takes its design from an image of the moon’s surface that's been turned into a depth map.

    At a cozy 650 square feet, Giant Leap Coffee isn't designed as a place to congregate indoors (good news for the world as it is now). However, there are several patio tables outside if you'd like to kick back and relax while sipping.

    When big gatherings are allowed again, The Rustic will be everyone's go-to spot. The combination bar, restaurant, and music hall boasts tons of outdoor space, making it perfect for socially distanced dining now and the ideal concert venue for later.

    Debuting this past July, The Rustic in Uptown Park gives diners a different feel than its location in Post Oak. Major emphasis was put on the kitchen here, with the addition of a new steak program featuring meat from a ranch in Oregon that is graded higher than USDA Prime. Those steaks are even cooked on wood-fired grills that were custom made for The Rustic.

    This location’s beverage offerings have been enhanced, too, with 90 taps featuring Texas beers plus 15 wines on tap and draft cocktails.

    Both of these new additions join Flower Child, Mendocino Farms, and Merus Grill, which opened at Uptown Park in 2019, and the recently refreshed Uptown Sushi and M&S Seafood, Steaks, and Oysters.

    Of course we can't forget about staples like Etoile Cuisine et Bar and Songkran Thai Kitchen, as well as Crave Cupcakes and Araya Artisan Chocolate for dessert.

    Most of Uptown Park's restaurants offer outdoor dining, providing a safe way to visit your old favorites while discovering new ones.

    Mendocino Farms has discovered how to make sandwiches even better.

    Mendocino Farms Uptown Park
    Photo courtesy of Uptown Park
    Mendocino Farms has discovered how to make sandwiches even better.
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    firing up Montrose

    New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

    Eric Sandler
    Dec 3, 2025 | 10:02 am
    Casa Kenji restaurant
    Photo by Becca Wright
    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

    An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

    Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

    “My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

    The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

    “Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

    Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

    “It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

    One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

    Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

    “We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

    Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

    Casa Kenji restaurant

    Photo by Becca Wright

    Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

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