First Taste of Maison Pucha Bistro

First taste: French bistro stands good chance of breaking restaurant curse with classic fare

For the last couple of years, the Heights has been Houston's hottest destination for new restaurants. Despite the number of high quality openings, the neighborhood has lacked a French bistro.

At least, it did. That situation changed last week with the opening of Maison Pucha Bistro. Located in the former Stella Sola/Black & White space at 1001 Studewood, the new restaurant is led by executive chef Manuel Pucha (Philippe, La Table) and his brothers, pastry chef Victor and sommelier/mixologist Cristian. Together, the three brothers bring over 60 years of experience to their endeavor.

Given its history, the space has a reputation for being "cursed," but the brothers seem poised to turn things around. That starts with the design, which features an open kitchen, a comfortable bar, and a simply-decorated dining room with wooden tables and blue banquettes. The look is more comfortable than stylish, which furthers the restaurant's goal of being a neighborhood spot that's casual enough for weeknight dinners but also fancy enough for date nights and special occasions.

Overall, Pucha's menu mostly sticks to French classics. Diners will find steak frites, coq au vin, duck confit, and trout almondine as choices. However, the chef does break with tradition to include personal nods to his Ecuadorian heritage with dishes like shrimp ceviche and tiradito. Fans of Pucha's work at Table on Post Oak (now La Table) will recognize dishes like an heirloom beet salad with goat cheese and ponzu crab with avocado and shishito peppers.

Texas products have a place on the menu as well. The restaurant's bouillabaisse uses Gulf shrimp, and Texas-raised Heartbrand akaushi beef comes as hanger steak in the steak frites, as a filet mignon, as a weekend-only special of chateaubriand for two, or in the steak tartare, which is prepared tableside.

Be sure to save room for dessert. Victor brings classic French technique to dishes like a coffee-flavored creme brulee and a white and dark chocolate souffle that's likely to emerge as a signature item. Both the coffee and chocolate are Ecuadorian.

On the beverage side, Cristian has created a list of seven house cocktails, but it's the wine list that really shines. Working with consultant Shepard Ross, the restaurant offers a range of affordably-priced bottles and by-the-glass selections with lots of both Old and New World options. A 2013 cabernet/merlot blend from Cheateau Croix de Mission pairs well with red meat for only $12 per glass or $44 per bottle.

Ross will be present in the dining room for a bit, where he serves as a familiar face to locals from his time at the now-shuttered Glass Wall. Assistant general manger Donnie Carroll is an industry vet who worked with Pucha at Table.

Whether Maison Pucha breaks the curse will be up to its neighbors, but the restaurant's combination of classic fare, smooth service, and reasonable prices should put it in a good position to succeed. Having opened quietly during Thanksgiving week, the restaurant got to practice for a bit while diners were focused on friends and family. Now they're ready to go full throttle during one of the busiest dining months of the year.
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Maison Pucha Bistro: 1001 Studewood; Tuesday and Wednesday 5 pm to 10 pm; Thursday through Saturday 5 pm to 11 pm; Sunday 5 pm to 9 pm; 713-637-4976

Maison Pucha Bistro opened quietly Tuesday night.

Photo by Eric Sandler

Maison Pucha Bistro opened quietly Tuesday night.

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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.”