What's Eric Eating Episode 257

The skinny on a Fat Louisiana pizzeria heading to Houston, plus cutting-edge sushi in Bellaire

Fat Boy's is coming to the Houston area this December.

Courtesy of Fat Boy's Pizza

On this week's episode of "What's Eric Eating," Gabe Corchiani joins CultureMap food editor Eric Sandler to discuss Fat Boy's Pizza. The Louisiana-based pizzeria plans to open its first Houston-area location this December in Richmond at The Grand at Aliana, a development at the intersection of W. Airport Boulevard and the Grand Parkway.

The conversation begins with Corchiani discussing his decision to open Fat Boy's after a successful career in the world of coin-operated gaming. After encountering 30-inch pies at a pizzeria in Miami, he worked with a chef to develop the version that has become Fat Boy's signature. Selling such massive pizzas also allows the restaurant to tout itself as serving the "world's biggest pizza slice."

At a time when many pizzerias have shifted their focus towards to-go diners, Fat Boy's remains a dine-in experience. Each restaurant has an arcade to entertain children of all ages, and locations feature both expansive patios for outdoor dining and a full range of wine, beer, and cocktails. Sandler asks Corchiani about the other things the restaurant does to encourage diners to stick around.

"We're very service-oriented. We greet guests when they come in the door," he says. "You order from a menu board. We bring the food out to you. We make sure you get touched at least once out there to see if you need anything. We're friendly. That's what we bank on."

Listen to the full episode to learn more about the restaurant's signature "2ft challenge" that rewards people with a gift card if they can finish a massive slice of pizza in under seven minutes. Corchiani also provides some insight into other Houston neighborhoods that Fat Boy's is eyeing as it expands into the Houston market.

Prior to the interview, Sandler and co-host Linda Salinas discuss the news of the week. Their topics include: Lyric Market's announcement of the nine vendors that will occupy that food hall when it opens this fall; restaurateur Bill Floyd opening Real Agave in a downtown office building; and how Black Page Brewing will fit in to Houston ever-evolving craft beer scene. The segment concludes with the two friends discussing the highs and lows of their recent experiences attending pop-up dining events.

In the restaurant of the week segment, Salinas and Sandler share first impressions of Aya Sushi. They find a lot to like about the newly opened Bellaire restaurant, praising its knowledgable service, thoughtful beverage offerings, and chef Yoshi Katsuyama's well-executed menu.

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Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify. Listen to it Saturday at noon on ESPN 97.5.

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a major award

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

Courtesy of Duckstache Hospitality

Kokoro's original Dubai location received the award.

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.”

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