all grown up

Houston bakery rises with a new name, bigger menu, and matcha

A Garden Oaks sweets shop has a new name and an expanded menu. The bakery once known as Becca Cake is now Little Sister Cake Shop & Café.

Owner Rebecca “Becca” Pham rebranded her bakery for a few reasons. Most importantly, the shop underwent a physical expansion that doubled its size at Garden Oaks mixed-use development the Stomping Grounds. Originally a strictly grab-and-go bakery, Little Sister Cake Shop & Café now includes both seating and an auxiliary space called the “Sister Suite” that’s dedicated to cake consultations, decorating classes, and seasonal pop-ups.

Becoming a cafe also means serving an expanded menu. Now open at 8 am daily, Little Sister serves a rotating selection of breakfast pastries that includes butter croissants, fig and prosciutto brioche buns, coffee cake mini loaves, cinnamon rolls, and lemon meringue rolls. In the afternoon and early evening, selections include cakes by-the-slice, cupcakes, macarons, cookies, brownies, and blondies, as well as whole cakes to-go.

Little Sister also now serves coffees and teas, including a passion fruit matcha, caramelized banana latte, and flavored milks for kids — all sweetened with house made syrups. Of course, since cake is an essential part of any celebration, the bakery also sells cake toppers, candles, party favors, and greeting cards.

Pham named the cafe in honor of her little sister Hannah and the bakery’s all-female team that helped her grow Becca Cakes, according to press materials.

“I wanted to grow my business into a brand that’s bigger than one name or face, but still has personal meaning to me,” Pham said in a statement. “Little Sister is something my whole team can be proud of every day. One day, I would love to open another location — we will see.”

While another location may be a ways off, diners can celebrate the reopening and rebranding at a grand opening party that will be held from 8 am-2 pm this Saturday, August 23. Shoppers will receive a surprise gift with purchase, such as a gift cards or swag. In addition, the “Sister Suite” will host pop-ups from fellow Stomping Grounds businesses, such as mimosas from Sonoma Wine Bar, a hair accessory bar from Flowe Studio, and dazzle dry manis from Polish Nail Bar. Finally, the first 20 customers will also receive a complimentary flower bouquet from Mibellarosa.

Photo by Stephanie Lam

Becca Cakes is now Little Sister Cake Shop & Cafe.

lumpia lost

Guy Fieri-loved Filipino restaurant closes in the Heights after 6 years

Courtesy of Be More Pacific

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A pioneering Houston Filipino restaurant has served its last meal. Be More Pacific is closed as of Tuesday, March 31, the restaurant announced on Instagram.

The note traces the restaurant’s evolution from an Austin food truck to an Austin restaurant and eventually to a Houston location.

“To our guests, friends, and community — thank you. Thank you for the support, the Kamayan feasts, the celebrations, the halo-halo summers, the karaoke parties, and for letting us share a piece of our culture with you,” the note reads in part. “You helped make Filipino food part of the conversation, and we’re incredibly proud of that.”

The Houston location opened in 2020. It distinguished itself with its stylish layout that includes an indoor-outdoor bar, a spacious patio, and karaoke rooms. At the time, founders Giovan Cuchapin and Mark Pascual teamed up with Houston hospitality veteran Roveen Abante (Conservatory Gallery, among others) to bring the Houston location to life. Abante referred all questions about the closure to Cuchapin, who has yet to respond to CultureMap’s request for comment.

When it opened, the restaurant quickly earned a following for its flavorful Filipino fare, including signature items such as lumpia, garlic fried rice, and chicken adobo. Groups could order a kamaya feast built around proteins such as roast pork or whole snapper.

Guy Fieri featured Be More Pacific on a 2021 episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In this clip, he samples the restaurant’s kare kare, a curry made with brisket.

Be More Pacific was among the first ambitious Asian restaurants to open in the Heights. While it may have closed, its legacy lives on with concepts such as JŪN and Agnes and Sherman, both of which earned finalist nominations in the 2026 James Beard Awards.

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