get lucky

Staple West Houston Chinese buffet reopens after glamourous makeover

One of Westchase’s dining staples has reopened after a lengthy renovation. Lucky Village Chinese Buffet is back and better than ever.

Located at 10755 Westheimer, Lucky Village has been a West Houston staple for more than 20 years. The restaurant closed earlier this year for renovations that were unveiled last week.

Tinggi Design, a Houston-based firm that’s designed and built restaurants in Texas and Louisiana, worked with sister company Golden Town Materials on sourcing and manufacturing many of the features. In the main dining room, look for fan-shaped ceiling coves with cascading crystal pendant lights and a hand-painted chinoiserie mural on one wall. A second dining room features floor-to-ceiling glass, cognac leather chairs, and a matte black ceiling. Overall, the effect is less affordable buffet and more full service restaurant.

While the look is fresh, the restaurant still serves hundreds of items in an all-you-can-eat buffet format that’s priced at $18.99 for dinner during the week and $19.99 for all day on Saturday and Sunday. Lower prices are offered at lunch ($15.99) and for kids.

The buffet contains hundreds of items, starting with a seafood section that includes Chinese dishes such as shrimp with lobster sauce and sweet-and-sour shrimp, and kung pao; boiled shrimp and crawfish; and a sushi station with nigiri and maki. Other sections include appetizers (dumplings, egg rolls, chicken wings, etc.), soup (wonton, hot and sour, egg drop, etc.), fried rice, beef (pepper steak, Mongolian, kung pao, etc.), chicken (sweet-and-sour, almond, black bean sauce, etc.), egg foo young, and more.

"Lucky Village has meant something to this community for 20 years. We wanted to honor that history while giving it a future, one that doesn't feel like a buffet at all," Lucky Village partner Jenny Xie said in a statement.

Courtesy of Lucky Village Chinese Buffet

The restaurant looks posh but remains affordable.

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Smoke on the Thames

2 Michelin-starred Texas barbecue joints fire up monthlong London pop-up

InterStellar and La Barbecue at The Ned London

The Ned London/thened.com

Even in Austin's home scene, these restaurants are considered the cream of the crop. Abroad, this is an extra special treat.

Two of Texas' best barbecue joints are are firing up their smokers in London. Austin-based InterStellar and La Barbecue are in residence for one month a London hotel called The Ned.

Service started on September 4, and guests have until October 4 to see what great barbecue tastes like on the other side of the pond.

Each restaurant sent its best representative: John Bates of InterStellar BBQ and Ali Clem of La Barbecue, the two pitmasters who led them to barbecue's first Michelin stars. Both are somewhat traditional with a few signature twists, making them a good match beyond their similar levels of prestige.

Proteins on the menu include pork ribs, pulled lamb shoulder, chopped cheese sausage, and InterStellar's famous peach tea pork belly burnt ends. Brisket will be available as an add-on. The team is also cooking up sides and pairing the bites with cocktails made for the occasion by Jack Daniels.

The exclusive sharing tray is available for $75 per person, with a minimum of two people per reservation ($150). A 14.5 percent service gratuity is also being added.

Many barbecue fans understand that a smoker plays a huge part in the final product, and being away from home could dramatically change the cooking process. An Instagram post explains (and seems to lightly promote) that the pitmasters are using Ironbrand smokers, which are custom-made in the United Kingdom.

The residency is happening at Electric Bar & Diner, The Ned's all-day American diner. The 248-room hotel is located in Poultry, on the north side of the River Thames near St. Paul's Cathedral. It is also very near to the Bank Station, a connecting station for four rail routes, making it easy to get to from many parts of London.

Booking is already going fast, so guests who want to snag a space should commit soon.

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