bye, bye benny

Ben Berg's homage to New York Chinese restaurants will soon shutter

Benny Chows will close on September 30.

Photo by Jenn Duncan

By any measure, Ben Berg has been on a prolific streak of opening new restaurants in Houston. His company, Berg Hospitality, has unveiled more than half a dozen new concepts since June 2023.

Given the pace, perhaps it was inevitable that one would close — indeed, the restaurant that kicked off the spree is going to shutter.

Benny Chows will serve its last meal on Monday, September 30. A representative provided CultureMap with a statement from Berg Hospitality about the closure:

After more than a year of serving our beloved community, we have made the difficult decision to close Benny Chows. Our last day of business will be Monday, September 30. This unique concept has brought us immense joy, and we are truly grateful for the wonderful memories we have created with our guests. As we move forward, we are excited to reimagine the Washington Avenue space and explore new creative possibilities. We look forward to welcoming diners back in the future with fresh experiences and flavors.

Opened in June 2023, Ben Berg opened Benny Chows as an ode to the Cantonese and Chinese American restaurants he grew up with in New York City such as Mr. Chow’s, Mr. K’s, and China Grill.

“It’s one of my favorite foods,” Berg told CultureMap when he announced the concept in January 2023. “Forever, it’s been one of my favorite foods.”

When the restaurant opened, it earned praise for its eye-catching design, which included hand-painted red and gold wallpaper and a gold bouquet in the center of the dining room. Former Yauatcha chef Shirong Mei served as the opening executive chef, responsible for overseeing a menu that included dim sum, Peking duck, and cold sesame noodles. It also included luxurious takes on Chinese American favorites such as beef with broccoli made with filet mignon and egg rolls stuffed with brisket from Truth BBQ.

In June, the restaurant announced that former Songkran Thai Kitchen chef Junnajet “Jett” Hurapan had been named the restaurant’s new executive chef. He added some Thai touches as well as a few less expensive dishes to the menu. It is not clear at this time whether Hurapan will remain with the restaurant as it transitions to a new concept.

Despite this setback, Berg Hospitality continues to grow. It recently opened Buttermilk Baby, a retro-inspired diner in the Heights. In the months to come, it will open Dune Road, a New England-inspired seafood restaurant in downtown’s Texas Tower.

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Aga's on the move

Cherished Houston Indo-Pak restaurant opens to-go only location in Katy

Courtesy of Aga's

Aga's To Go opens Wednesday, June 24.

Goat chops, curries, and naan are coming to Katy. Aga’s Restaurant & Catering, the cherished Indo-Pak restaurant that’s a staple of Houston’s South Asian community, will open its first new location in 25 years on Wednesday, June 24.

Called Aga’s To Go, the new restaurant will be located at The Shoppes at Grand Crossing (102 W. Grand Parkway S., Suite 100). As it names implies, the restaurant is a to-go only facility that’s designed for both takeout and delivery via third party apps. While diners won’t be able to eat at the restaurant, they will be able to enjoy Aga’s cuisine at home in a more convenient than by traveling to the original location in Southwest Houston.

The new restaurant will serve about 100 of the original location’s most popular offerings — all in compliance with the standards of zabiha halal. Customers can look forward to ordering kababs, boti, biryani, curries, freshly baked breads, and, of course, the signature goat chops.

“This new location is a direct response to the growth of our business and the tremendous support we’ve received from customers throughout Katy and west Houston,” Zain Maredia, Aga’s head of growth and strategy, said in a statement. “Many of our guests make a considerable drive to enjoy Aga’s, and we’re excited to bring our food closer to them while creating new opportunities for our team and our company. Katy has been one of our strongest customer bases for years, making it a natural next step as we continue to grow.”

Aga’s has plans for additional to-go only locations, according to press materials. Long term, the restaurant has its eyes on full service locations in other Texas cities such as Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, CEO Shaukat Maredia tells the Houston Chronicle.

The Maredia family purchased Aga’s in 2010. Since then, they’ve grown the restaurant’s location at 11842 Wilcrest Dr. into a more than 16,000-square-foot behemoth that serves hundreds of diners every day. Along the way, Aga’s has earned wide acclaim, including multiple nominations for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, a no. 1 rating in the Houston Chronicle’s list of the city’s top 100 restaurants, and a spot on the New York Times’ list of The 26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2024.

Writing for CultureMap in 2023, Burger Bodega owner Abbas Dhanani hailed Aga’s as “the best Pakistani restaurant not just in Houston, but in the nation.” His top recommendations include the goat chops, chicken shinwari karahi, butter chicken handi, and white kabab karahi

All that attention has drawn considerable interest from other media, including this deep drive from YouTube superstar Mark Wiens that’s racked up more than 1.7 million views.

The restaurant funds college scholarships for high school seniors. This year, 25 students, including some from Katy, received a total of $100,000.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received over the years,” Maredia said. “Houston has embraced our food, our family, and our story. Food has a unique way of bringing people together, and we’re excited to continue sharing that experience with even more guests through our new Katy location.”

Courtesy of Aga's

Aga's To Go opens Wednesday, June 24.

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