riel returns

Shuttered Houston restaurant revived for 1 night only at Canada Day pop-up

One of the saddest restaurant closures of 2025 will get a one-night-only revival. Favorite dishes from Riel will return at Chardon on Sunday, June 28 for an event being called “Booze Can Sunday.”

While a French fine dining restaurant might seem like an unlikely host for a Riel revival, Chardon executive chef E.J. Miller once served as Riel’s opening sous chef. Miller invited his former boss, Riel chef-owner Ryan Lachaine, to join him for a pop-up that honors Canada Day.

Together, the duo will serve some of Riel’s most popular dishes, including:

Truffle and Caviar Pierogies
Steak Au Poivre Poutine with Cheese Curds
Deli Dog
Montreal Smoked Meat Sliders
Torche Kolaches
Mushroom Empanadas
Gator Karaage
Maple Whiskey Soft Serve with Foie Caram

The day will also feature drink specials such as Canadian Jell-O Shots, Molson X, Canadian Club, Old Grand-Dad, and more. Robin Wong, a co-owner of Blood Bros. BBQ and a successful DJ, will spin throughout the event.

Photo by Kirsten Gilliam

The pop-up will serve Riel's caviar and truffle pierogi.

"Riel was a special place for a lot of people, and Booze Can Sunday was always one of the most anticipated events of the week," said Miller. "Ryan and I wanted to bring back that energy for one day, celebrate the restaurant that meant so much to us, and give guests a chance to revisit some of the dishes and memories they loved."

Riel Restaurant Ryan Lachaine E.J. Miller A vintage picture of chefs EJ Miller and Ryan Lachaine. Photo by Eric Sandler

Riel opened in January 2017 and closed in August 2025. In between, it earned wide acclaim for the way Lachaine blended his Canadian upbringing and Ukrainian heritage with the modern Gulf Coast cuisine he learned while working at restaurants such as Reef and Underbelly.

Currently, Lachaine works as the executive chef at River Oaks restaurant State of Grace. He added two Riel signatures to State of Grace’s menu — the caviar tater tots and signature butter burgers.

Chardon, which earned a Best New Restaurant nomination in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards for its blend of classic French fare with Texas ingredients, opened in February 2025. In addition to Riel, Miller’s resume includes SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, International Smoke, and Muse.

Booze Can Sunday takes place from 3-9 pm. Attendees are encouraged to register on Eventbrite.

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Aga's on the move

Cherished Houston Indo-Pak restaurant opens to-go only location in Katy

Courtesy of Aga's

Aga's To Go opens Wednesday, June 24.

Goat chops, curries, and naan are coming to Katy. Aga’s Restaurant & Catering, the cherished Indo-Pak restaurant that’s a staple of Houston’s South Asian community, will open its first new location in 25 years on Wednesday, June 24.

Called Aga’s To Go, the new restaurant will be located at The Shoppes at Grand Crossing (102 W. Grand Parkway S., Suite 100). As it names implies, the restaurant is a to-go only facility that’s designed for both takeout and delivery via third party apps. While diners won’t be able to eat at the restaurant, they will be able to enjoy Aga’s cuisine at home in a more convenient than by traveling to the original location in Southwest Houston.

The new restaurant will serve about 100 of the original location’s most popular offerings — all in compliance with the standards of zabiha halal. Customers can look forward to ordering kababs, boti, biryani, curries, freshly baked breads, and, of course, the signature goat chops.

“This new location is a direct response to the growth of our business and the tremendous support we’ve received from customers throughout Katy and west Houston,” Zain Maredia, Aga’s head of growth and strategy, said in a statement. “Many of our guests make a considerable drive to enjoy Aga’s, and we’re excited to bring our food closer to them while creating new opportunities for our team and our company. Katy has been one of our strongest customer bases for years, making it a natural next step as we continue to grow.”

Aga’s has plans for additional to-go only locations, according to press materials. Long term, the restaurant has its eyes on full service locations in other Texas cities such as Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, CEO Shaukat Maredia tells the Houston Chronicle.

The Maredia family purchased Aga’s in 2010. Since then, they’ve grown the restaurant’s location at 11842 Wilcrest Dr. into a more than 16,000-square-foot behemoth that serves hundreds of diners every day. Along the way, Aga’s has earned wide acclaim, including multiple nominations for Neighborhood Restaurant of the Year in the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, a no. 1 rating in the Houston Chronicle’s list of the city’s top 100 restaurants, and a spot on the New York Times’ list of The 26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2024.

Writing for CultureMap in 2023, Burger Bodega owner Abbas Dhanani hailed Aga’s as “the best Pakistani restaurant not just in Houston, but in the nation.” His top recommendations include the goat chops, chicken shinwari karahi, butter chicken handi, and white kabab karahi

All that attention has drawn considerable interest from other media, including this deep drive from YouTube superstar Mark Wiens that’s racked up more than 1.7 million views.

The restaurant funds college scholarships for high school seniors. This year, 25 students, including some from Katy, received a total of $100,000.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received over the years,” Maredia said. “Houston has embraced our food, our family, and our story. Food has a unique way of bringing people together, and we’re excited to continue sharing that experience with even more guests through our new Katy location.”

Courtesy of Aga's

Aga's To Go opens Wednesday, June 24.

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