round and round

Houston's first completely round restaurant traps top sushi MFer's new lobster spot

Chris Kinjo Miguel Alvarez MF Lobster Ceviche

Chefs Chris Kinjo and Miguel Alvarez.

Photo by Alex Montoya

One of Houston’s most acclaimed sushi chefs will open two new restaurants in a new mixed-use development. MF Sushi chef-owner Chris Kinjo will bring MF Lobster and Ceviche and Vietnamese restaurant Annam to Autry Park, the development that’s currently under construction on Allen Parkway.

Both establishments will build on the reputation of MF Sushi, Kinjo's Museum District restaurant that earned acclaim for its omakase and stylish design. The chef is also a partner in Ume Sushi in the Heights.

“We love the Autry Park area, working with the team at Hanover and Rebees, and the bespoke aspect of the project,” Kinjo said in a statement. “We wanted to be a part of what we feel like is a special development to the city of Houston’s dining scene.”

MF Lobster and Ceviche will be located in what’s described in press materials as “Houston’s only completely round restaurant.” Designed by Texas’s Michael Hsu Office of Architecture, the 2,200-square-foot, 65-seat building features floor-to-ceiling windows and is made of glass, Western Red Cedar, and steel.

MF Lobster and Ceviche building Autry Park Behold Houston's only round restaurant.Photo by Alex Montoya

The kitchen, which will be led by longtime MF Sushi veteran Miguel Alvarez, will use Maine lobster to make dishes such as lobster ravioli, lobster tacos, lobster bao, and more. Ceviches will utilize ingredients such as lobster, halibut, scallop, shrimp, and sword fish.

Turning to Annam, it’s described as serving French-influenced, Vietnamese-inspired tapas. Think dishes like banana leaf steamed sea bass with vermicelli. Located in the Hanover Autry Park apartment tower, the 56-seat restaurant will include a 16-seat bar and covered patio.

Kinjo’s restaurants will join two establishments by Ben Berg — American brasserie Annabelle’s and luxurious steakhouse Turner’s Cut — as well as Auden, a vegetable-forward, globally-inspired restaurant and the first Houston location of Austin favorite Lick Honest Ice Creams. Duo, the River Oaks-based coffee shop and pilates studio, will open its second location in the development.

Developed by local real estate firms Lionstone Investments and Hanover Company, Autry Park occupies 14 acres on the western edge of Buffalo Bayou Park. The project's three-phase masterplan includes five towers encompassing 1,450 residential units, 350,000 square feet of Class A office space, and 100,000 square feet of retail, according to a press release.

openings news-you-can-eat

firing up Montrose

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

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.

Photo by Becca Wright

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