a major award

Houston sushi spot's Dubai outpost named to prestigious 50 best list

Kokoro's original Dubai location received the award.

Courtesy of Duckstache Hospitality

The Dubai location of a Houston-based Japanese restaurant has been named one of the best restaurants in the Middle East. Kokoro ranks No. 15 on the Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Presented by the same organization as the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Kokoro earned recognition for its location in Al Quoz, Dubai, one of three locations in the city. Considered to be the city’s first handroll bar (according to press materials), the list’s authors praise the restaurant’s whimsical design and the signature temaki that Houstonians know well.

“Pristine nori-wrapped parcels packed with crunchy, creamy and zesty elements — Kokoro's hand rolls are the highlight of the menu,” the entry reads in part. “Made to order with the likes of Japanese yellowtail, salmon, Hokkaido scallop and marbled A5 wagyu beef, each cone-shaped offering combines the freshest of ingredients with masterfully prepared rice to create a handheld package that's big on precision, but small on pretence.”

Chefs Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham opened the original Kokoro in Houston’s Bravery Chef Hall in 2019. Since then, the duo’s Duckstache Hospitality has expanded with three locations of handroll concept Handies Douzo, Garden Oaks sushi restaurant Himari, Kokoro Handroll Bar in The Woodlands, Doko and Bar Doko in Autry Park, and Aiko, their Washington Avenue restaurant that won Best New Restaurant in the 2023 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards.

In Dubai, the company partnered with FYTE Hospitality. Like its Houston locations, the Dubai restaurants are adorned with Duckstache’s signature “duckies” — a whimsical element that bridges the more than 8,000 miles that separates the two cities.

“Dubai’s food scene is one of the most diverse in the world. The culinary landscape of this city is always evolving, and we saw an opportunity to bring something new to the market while staying true to what we’ve built in Houston,” Lee said in a statement. “Kokoro is all about quality, precision, and that made-to-order experience and now we get to share that with Dubai while still giving Houstonians something familiar to smile about when they walk in.”

awards news-you-can-eat

5 pounds of meat

3 pro football players tackle Houston restaurant's viral steak challenge

Courtesy of Star Rover

It's hard to tell from the picture, but that's almost five pounds of meat.

Houstonians have been flocking to Star Rover ever since it opened in February. While almost every diner orders from the regular menu, about 20 ambitious eaters have taken the restaurant’s eating challenge — consuming 76 ounces of prime rib along with salad, fries, onion rings, salad, and rolls in an hour.

Finish on time, and the $99, “I ate the 76’er” meal is free. Groups can order the meal to share — complete with individual portions of the sides, salads, and rolls — for $250. Whether dining solo or with friends, the restaurant requires a day’s notice to have the prime rib ready.

Star Rover calls attention to anyone attempting to complete the challenge by requiring them to sit at table by themselves with a timer ticking away. Chef Bobby Matos tells CultureMap that most people tap out after about 40 minutes. It is, after all, almost five pounds of meat plus sides. Maybe that’s why only one person has finished it so far.

“You have to sit at your own table. It’s loud. People are cheering you on, taking pictures of you,” he says. “That lends to Star Rover not being a fussy place — just come in and have a good meal, play skee-ball.”

Among the recent contestants were three offensive lineman from the Houston Gamblers, the city’s new United Football League (UFL) team. Center Jack Kramer, left guard Victor Curne, and right guard Gareth Warren — all 6’5”, 324 pounds of him — took the challenge last week. Needless to say, none of them came close to finishing.

“The moment I realized it wasn’t going to happen was when I hit the halfway mark. I hit a huge wall and felt like I couldn’t eat another piece of steak even though it was super good,” Warren says. “I think that’s just how it is. You need a change of taste after eating so much of one thing. So, I started to venture to the sides and realized that it wasn’t going to happen. However, i’m not a quitter and I continued to try until the very end.”

“I started off hot and strong taking huge cuts, trying to do as much damage as I could,” Curne adds. “At about the 25 minute mark, I started to hit a wall. I tried mixing everything a little bit to shake it up.”

Matos says the football players performed similarly to most of the people who’ve attempted the challenge. “They didn’t do the damage I thought they’d do,” he says with a laugh.

While the Gamblers couldn’t cash in, the team may find more success on the field. Led by head coach Kevin Sumlin — a man some Cougars may remember fondly but Aggies probably don’t — the team will play the Columbus Aviators this Sunday, April 26 at Shell Energy Stadium in EaDo. Tickets are available on the Gamblers’ website.

Courtesy of Star Rover

It's hard to tell from the picture, but that's almost five pounds of meat.