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