What's Eric Eating Episodes 341 and 342

Acclaimed Houston Thai restaurant's dynamic duo dishes on Beard Award win and more

Street to Kitchen Tastemaker Awards 2022

The owners of Street to Kitchen are this week's guests.

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Street to Kitchen owners Benchawan Jabthong Painter and Graham Painter join CultureMap food editor to discuss their award-winning Thai restaurant. Last year, Benchawan, known to friends and colleagues as “Chef G,” won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas.

The conversation begins with the couple telling the story of how they met. After living in Asian for several years, they moved to Houston to be closer to Graham’s family. That’s when Chef G began working at Houston restaurants including SaltAir Seafood Kitchen and Theodore Rex. After building a following through pop-ups, events, and a weekly stand at the Urban Harvest farmers market, the couple opened Street to Kitchen’s original location in an East End gas station in the summer of 2020.

Since the location had been a fast food fried chicken franchise, Graham insisted that Chef G serve Thai fried chicken at Street to Kitchen. As he explains, it almost “cost me my marriage.” Chef says she understood serving the dish would come with a lot of challenges.

“I know we have a lot of fried chicken in the neighborhood, but there wasn’t any Thai food,” she says. “I talked to Graham, I said, ‘you won’t make any profit, and you have to have a lot of space.’ I tried to talk him out of it, but he was really sure.”

“We thought people would be fresh to what we’ve offered, and there’s no better catalyst than fried chicken,” Graham says. “The thought was, I’ll win you over with fried chicken, and hopefully you’ll start trying some of the things you’re less familiar with. The opposite happened. The neighborhood has been supportive from the get-go, but the majority of people were coming from Urban Harvest. Cypress, Rice Village, Galveston — we couldn’t believe it. They were getting fried chicken, but they were also getting noodles, curries, and everything else.”

Needless to say, Chef G got her way. Fried chicken is no longer on the menu, and Graham doesn’t tell her what to cook anymore.

Listen to the full episode to hear the couple discuss The Prsv, the tasting menu restaurant they operate in collaboration with Eculent chef-owner David Skinner. They also talk about the experience of winning the Beard award and their aspirations for the future.

In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Bar Bludorn, chef Aaron Bludorn’s new restaurant coming soon to Memorial; chef Kaitlin Steets leaving Theodore Rex; and a new Japanese restaurant coming to the former One Fifth space in Montrose.

In the restaurants of the week segment, Clarkson and Sandler discuss their recent meals at two Thai restaurants. First, they share thoughts on Street to Kitchen’s new location in the Plant mixed-use development. Then, they discuss the highs and lows of a dinner at MaKiin, an upscale restaurant in Upper Kirby.

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podcasts chefs interview news-you-can-eat

firing up Montrose

New Houston seafood restaurant adds live-fire flair to Japanese flavors

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.

An ambitious new seafood restaurant is coming to Montrose next week. Casa Kenji will open on Tuesday, December 9.

Located in the former Andiron space (3201 Allen Pkwy), Casa Kenji is the first Houston project for New Orleans restaurateur Malachi DuPre, a former LSU standout who played briefly in the NFL before establishing Kenji and Kenji Kazoku restaurants in New Orleans. Together with former LSU teammate John “B-John” Ballis and Houston chef Bigler “Biggie” Cruz, Casa Kenji will blend Latin and Japanese influences while also incorporating live-fire elements into the restaurant’s dishes. Cruz, whose resume includes a lengthy stint at Uchi as well as working at critically acclaimed Houston seafood restaurant Golfstrømmen, tells CultureMap that Casa Kenji’s approach is the first time he can be himself in the kitchen.

“My perfect restaurant was always based on the live fire and sushi combination,” Cruz says. “My mom cooked with wood for my entire life. The live fire creates completely different flavors. The smoky flavors, the sear from the charcoal — they create a different type of memory for me.”

The use of live fire techniques will permeate Casa Kenji’s menus in ways both big and small. For example, diners will be able to feast on prawns grilled directly on charcoal and served with yuzu chili garlic, or savor lightly seared Japanese wagyu tataki paired with mushrooms. Even raw dishes will benefit from the restaurant’s wood-burning grill and stove.

“Every vegetable we peel, we make into an ash that’s a topping for the dishes. It adds a different layer of flavor,” Cruz says. Look for it in the scallop aguachile, among others.

Even vegetables get a smoky component, as in a cabbage dish that’s braised with dashi and soy sauce before being roasted and served with an onion soubise that Cruz says he developed based on techniques he learned from Golfstrømmen chef Christopher Haatuft.

“It’s rich, super savory, with smoky layers, and you get brightness from the shiso gremolata. I think it will be a signature dish for us,” the chef says.

One change to the interior is the addition of a six-seat omakase counter that looks into the kitchen. Cruz promises those diners will have an even more elevated experience than the restaurant’s regular menu, including ingredients such as Japanese wagyu and premium fish flown in from Tokyo’s Toyosu fish market.

Beyond its cuisine, Casa Kenji hopes to stand out with its spacious outdoor patio. Since very few Japanese-inspired restaurants in Houston offer outdoor seating, it should appeal to diners who want a little vitamin D along with their tuna crudo.

“We’re proud to showcase the craft and creativity that defines Casa Kenji,” co-founders Cruz, Ballis, and DuPre said in a statement. “With chef Bigler Cruz at the helm — blending live-fire technique with the discipline of Japanese tradition — we’re equally honored and excited to share a unique concept that is truly rooted in passion, culture, and community.”

Casa Kenji will be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday beginning at 4 pm. Reservations are available on Resy.

Photo by Becca Wright

Spanish sea bass, scallop crudo, nigiri, bluefin binchotan, and bluefin crudo.