the pass.

had my belated birthday dinner at The Pass. (actual birthday dinner at MF Sushi, more on that later) I had previously dined at the provisions side twice and enjoyed myself well enough, more casual, yet unique, still not on regular rotation though.  the pass is completely different besides the unique part.  upon entry you go through a 'hidden' door - one-way only, and enter into a crisp white dining area with the chefs at one end plating their creations.

we were seated right at the end, with the best view of the open kitchen. i treated myself to a glass of champagne from the champagne cart, and then we opted for the 8 course option (sick or not i wanted all 8), as the 5 course has all the same dishes sans a few, we didn't want to miss out on anything good.  now they say 8, but it ends up more like 11 counting the amuse-bouche, which was a modern take on a fish/seaweed chip, and the trou normand which was a delicious "egg yolk" concoction along with a housemade soda, and the petits fours which we packed up, not counting the lemon cake they sent everyone home with.

The snacks course was an oyster, a jellied 'ol fashioned with foie gras, a black olive pocky and nasturium soup, enjoyed everything here, while the hubby especially liked the foie gras. my favorite course was called ham & eggs - fresh chicharrones with ham powder, served with caviar on a bed of of creme friache and dehydrated seasonings normally served with caviar, like parsley and capers and lemon. next up was the raw course, a bucatini pasta wrapped around silk tofu along with uni, clams, amberjack, ikura, and dashi foam.  this course was more on the pure flavors of each ingredient, not my favorite, but visually stunning.
The beef course came out and i was already getting pretty full, it was a beef tartar with the sousvide egg yolk hidden inside, served with a bone marrow brioche with some dehydrated bone marrow to add to the tartar. i do wish the yolk was a bit more runny, and for the brioche to be a bit softer, but it was tasty just the same.
The next course was the bread course, a french onion flavored french toast per se.. along with various onions and a freakin amazing onion and black garlic sorbet. srsly i could've just had a bowl of that. the bread was good too, but by that time i was getting full and being choosy at what got the rest of the real estate of my stomach.  and the last savory course was a good one (for the most part) the Pig course was a house made headcheese, not even close to what you'd buy at the grocery store, delicious fatty pieces of pork with an acorn mash on top.. i'm glad this slice was small, because i ate it all, served with a green apple chip, and on the other side, not for the faint of heart.. a molten blood pudding.  now i like my pigs blood. like the dish you get at dim sum, or the chunks of it found in bun bo hue.  but this had an odd taste to it, a bit too tart with a mousse like texture, maybe it was because i was sick.. but i could only take a bite, likewise the rest of my dining companions.
Now for the sweets. the Fernet, a chocolate mouse based on the bitter italian liquor fernet, a very semisweet dish with some beet cake and sorbet on the side, i seemed to like all of the sorbet this night, and for the life of me cannot recall the flavor of this one.  The cheese course was house made mini donuts with kumquat jelly, served with alongside a chunk of a cheese like brie in consistency and look but closer to a roquefort in smell and taste.

Would we come again?  Most definitely, once the menu changes over.  It was a unique experience, with great flavors with a molecular gastronomic flair.

5/5
The Pass
807 Taft, Houston, TX 77019

oxheart.

oxheart is Justin Yu's baby.  minimal decor, minimal space, minimal menu and utterly perfect.   reservations are an absolute must - and once you find the coolly located  space in houston's warehouse district, you'll feel you're transported to another city.  one where walking to places is the normal. dare i say NY-ish even.  you walk up to the packed spot and feel like you're eavesdropping on a private party.  seated either at the counter or a smart wood table, you can see the chef hard at work.  on the farm-to-table menu you have 3 selections - 4 course meal (meat), 4 course meal (vegetarian), 7 course tasting which is sort of  like a combination of the two previous.

our menu for the night:

  over ripe nectarines and sour green plums, fig leaf, green tomato, salted coconut, ‘delfino’ cilantro…

 ‘yellow lunar’ carrots cooked in elderflower vinegar, cured and smoked triggerfish, chickpea, horse mint

 crawfish warmed in butter, texas rice, green coriander seeds, and fermented carrot

 barley and sunflower seed stew, purple broccoli, vine beans, brandade of gulf hake

 heirloom potatoes roasted with vegetable ash, juniper, sofrito of chard stems

 sirloin of heritage pork coated in nori, roast cucumber, nasturtium flower and leaf

 steamed cake of ‘chiogga’ beets, chocolate namelaka, beet creme.

missing from the list was the fresh baked bread of the day by in house baker Karen Man.
each dish.  delicious. and the next even more so.  it was a treat awaiting each course.   even the men of the group raved about the vegetarian dishes in the meal including some of the best potatoes you'll ever have.  i've seen reviews where they likened the dishes to an episode of chopped. i can see it.  the random concoction of ingredients seemingly haphazardly put together.  orchestra in your mouth?  yes please.

so dinner was divine as well as our dinner party, dining amongst fabulous friends is always a treat.

5/5

oxheart
1302 nance st

http://oxhearthouston.com

underbelly

Another much anticipated opening was underbelly, with Chris Shepherd at the helms.  Sharing a building or wall? with the haymerchant, parking around here can be difficult.  Lucky for valet.  With this being on Houston's hot list, reservations are hard to come by hence our meal beginning after 8:30.

the atmosphere is the new modern casual farm to table appeal. but it's a place to be scene from the crowd that was gathered that night.  a small bar area up front, with a few tables on a patio, then a larger dining area inside with a connecting smaller room.

the menus are presented inside old hardbook covers. loved it.  the menu changes often, so it's hard to recommend, or get recommendations, since we got a few beforehand.. of which none were on the menu that night.

AND Sadly half the menu seemed out for the night, so we had minimal options and proteins to choose from.  but of what we had there was a decent mix.. i would have to say we missed out on trying the delectable's do to our late resso time.   of course that night we broke bread 'literally' (get that bread, WHY SO DELICIOUS?)  with some of the best dining companions so we had a great time, wine, champagne, and conversation.

underbelly
1100 Westheimer

Uchi Houston

uchi is here.  and it is wonderful.  i've been to both uchi and uchiko in austin, and enjoyed every bite at each, so last year when i heard uchi was coming to town, it was not only highly anticipated by me, but by pretty much the entire city.  yay houston!  support these fine restaurants..  and support them they are lately - with places like uchi being a hard reservation, and a harder walk-in.  i booked the day reservations were opened, and we dined here for my birthday back in February.  we arrived right on time for our reservations but with a packed house we still had a bit of a wait near the bar.. already stock full of walk-in's hoping for a taste, ever so nice they had staff periodically bring out some small bites for the 'waiting and hungry' crowd.. nice touch.
once seated we went all the way with the tasting menu which is a "surprise" but if you ask nicely the waitstaff will let you in on what's in or not in - in case you wanted to do some add-ons which we did (BTW JARJARDUCK is delicious, despite that annoying name and reference), started our meal at 7 and lasted til almost close.  and was FANTASTIC.  the food was all delicious, and the service was one of the best in town.  we had an amazing experience for dinner that night.  can't wait til our next meal here.  highly recommended.

uchi
904 Westheimer

  

the hay merchant.

Went here the day after the 'grand opening' it was already a packed house from all the buzz surrounding it.  arrived shortly after 6pm and was a bit surprised that it was a free for all for tables. no matter we squeezed in at the a bar counter.. ordered 2 pints of karbach weisse versa  and were good to go to await the rest of our party.    once everyone arrived we opted for family style of course.. sadly at first arrival the pig ears were already sold out. WAIT WHAT? you just opened yesterday, and it's only 6pm. REALLY?  we instead ordered the sweetbreads po-boy (great concept but the pieces were far too large and not crisp enough, making it a big mush), a delicious hot dog, a house made sausage plate, a fried headcheese concoction (delicious).. near the end we started spotting pig ears on the tables nearby, called over our waitress and had our order in.  happily so.. this was the best dish of the night.  well besides the beer.

the hay merchant

1100 Westheimer

chez roux.

Chez Roux - located within the La Torretta Resort in Lake Conroe, begged for a visit being Albert Roux's first American establishment and headed up by Michael Gray, the only Michelin-star rated chef in Texas.  It's reasonable tasting menu prices were also tempting that the one hour drive sounded completely worth it.  But now that we've been I can easily answer the question:  was worth it or wasn't it?


The husband had made the reservations.. weeks prior, as well as confirmed on the morning of to ensure that we would be dining at the chef's table that night.  All seemed positive besides getting slightly lost on the way there.  Upon arrival, we were quickly seated at what was definitely not the chef's table.  Inquiring further, the hostess bluntly stated that the chef's table was already reserved.  How odd.. didn't WE reserve it?  With no apology or even an acknowledgement that the room was either double booked or perhaps most likely we had been bumped for 'VIPs', it was a vexing beginning to the meal.
As for the ambiance, the view was superb if not slighlty annoying moments prior to sunset for those facing the windows, the glare was almost unbearable, that i noticed several patrons donning sunglasses.  there were approximately 10 tables not counting the chef's table nor the outdoor tables.  it seemed the bar area and wine room took up half the space, while a few art deco light fixtures were hung over the booths.   the place was sadly unfilled for a saturday night.
we decided to order what we came for.. the menu prestige.

the amuse bouche was a side of crab meat with a crunchy black sesame top along with a shot of tomato gazpacho.  the crab was an excellent mix with the texture and slight sweetness of the topping while the tomato gazpacho was a stark contrast with it's bold flavoring and almost overpowering almost as if it was a condensed version.  this left me eagerly awaiting the rest of the meal... which is what a good amuse bouche should do.

Sautéed gulf shrimps over an Israeli couscous salad.  the shrimps were fresh and tasty, matching well with the salad. it made me want to make things with israeli couscous, and wish that this came in an entrée sized portion.

the next course was a fillet of cod over an artichoke barigoule.  i'm generally hesitant for cooked fish, this was perfectly prepared, dense yet flaky with a perfectly crisp skin.  the barigoule was delicious and added the much needed acidic aspect to the fish. 

the third main, was sauteed veal kidneys served with two mustard sauces and an onion compote.  i can see how this could pose to be an acquired taste for some.  those not acustomed to offal may want to stear clear.  even the husband wasn't a fan, but really that's just how kidney's taste.  They were seared well along with the sauce and onions. i enjoyed this.

Next up was the wild boar chop with fennel seed gnocchi.  this was the first time for me to try wild boar, and it wasn't a great experience.  they must be very lean animals, because the meat was extremely tough, that it was difficult to even cut through let alone chew. while the gnocchi was browned on the outside and a bit too soft on the inside for my liking.  this dish ultimately fell flat.  

the last course of the mains was the soufflé of Texas gold cheddar cheese, with corn kernel cream.  from online reviews this sounds like a dish everyone must try.  on the regular menu i saw it presented under the starters section, which is probably when it should have been served.  the cheddar soufflé was actually quite delightful, light with a cheddar taste that wasn't overpowering.  i could definitely imagine eating this at a decadent brunch.  the corn kernel cream was unfortunate, and over-salted, creating a chaos in my mouth. 

the desserts ended on a high note with an assortment of delicious items from sorbet to a mini molten chocolate cake, and of course the obligatory petit fours.


service for the rest of the night was great, if only it had started off on the right note, the whole meal probably would've been that much more enjoyable.  the meal on the other hand started great and slowly digressed until desserts. so it did end on a high note.  overall, it was a good meal, 7 out of 10 the husband would say.  but i'm not entirely sold on the idea that you couldn't get such a tasting menu in town.. without the hour drive.


chez roux
600 La torretta blvd
Montgomery, TX 77356
(936) 448-4400

AUSTEEEN.

we ended june with a quick trip up to austin with friends for some trailer food and trick art.  all of which (for the most part) were excellent.

places we ate on saturday:  flip happy crepes | home slice | odd duck | gourdough's | chil'antro | best wurst | frietknot
on sunday we drove by la boite and gibson bar then ended up at austin java co.


flip happy was definitely most delicious.. although we didn't get to try any of the sweet crepes.. and the wait is a bit ridiculous.. the cuban and the spinach/goat cheese.. were well.. worth the wait.  plus some wewearthings blog readers spotted us here, so that was pretty cool.  home slice's white clam pizza was good, but it just wasn't flavorful enough to be considered great.  odd duck is definitely a must if in austin, the pork belly slider (we had 2) and the soft boiled duck egg with grits, excellent.  gourdough's on the other hand, was a bit disappointing, but it could have also been because i was already so full from odd duck, the donut consistency was good and the size enormous while the chicken was fine.  sixth street eating was excellent.  you can never go wrong with a brat and curry ketchup from best wurst, and our only korean fusion taco truck stop chil'antro exceeded all expectations. super delicious. the tacos were good, and was told that the burger was even better.  and we ended the night with some belgian fries with bacon aioli at frietknot, perfect crispy on the outside light and soft of the inside cooked fries. albeit maybe a tad salty. would've gone great with a cold beverage.. and sans the ridiculous conversation with the guy who asked if we were all chinese or japanese.



 

after eating...  lunch and dinner on saturday we headed off to take a look at lil bro trick's art exhibition before it ended.

  

uchi

at the end of may, me and T made a quick trip to Austin.. for some outlet shopping and eating.. and pretty much just to getaway.  one of our stops that we've been planning on for.. years.. was Uchi.  and we finally got to try it.


i went ahead and made reservations, since i've heard that the wait is generally long, but the cool thing is that they only set a small portion for reservations and the rest for walk-ins.  still we had reservations.. at the super early time of 5:30.  we arrived, and there were several others already feasting and drinking. the place was small and quaint, with a small bar up front and tables rather close, dim lighting and modern asian decor.  after looking over the menu and from several suggestions from friends we decided to skip the omakase and order ourselves.
here's what we ate:

hama chili - quite delicious when each bite consists of a slice of mandarin orange, some chili's along with the hamachi.  the citrus sauce was tasty along with the chili's that added a slight kick, although not overly.  i did hope for a more melt in your mouth experience from the hamachi.

mongo ika - i actually enjoyed this, i've never had cuttlefish served this way, so i was slightly skeptical expecting it to have the chewiness of say squid or arctic claw.  while it turned out to be the complete opposite.  T on the other hand didn't enjoy the slight after taste it left behind.

kona kanpachi - amberjack sashimi mixed with rice in a still hot stone bowl, then topped with a sweet soy sauce.  the stone bowl crisps the rice as well as slightly cooks the fish.  the flavors and everything meld quite well together here.  it seems to be a crowd favorite.. but maybe a bit overhyped.

 japanese pumpkin tempura - i like tempura.. and it was happy hour, so this was $1.  i had to get it.  not much else to say.

walu walu - grilled escolar in a bed of yuzupon sauce served with a spoon so you can indulge in large scoops of the sauce.  i also can't say i've had cooked escolar, and was surprised by the meaty texture of it.  it went well in contrast with the sauce.  satisfying but not simply amazing.

foie gras nigiri - aahhh  pure deliciousness.  melt in your mouth seared perfection here.  this dish does no wrong.. and mixed with the rice, is surprisingly delicious.

bacon sen - grilled pork belly with apple puree, such genius.  each bite was melt in your mouth, with a perfect mix of salty, sweet, and tartness from the shaved fennal/cilantro salad on top. we would go back just to order this.

jizake creme caramel - with brown butter sorbet and ginger consume.  honestly the creme caramel was the forgettable part of this dish.. while the brown butter sorbet along with the ginger consume i would've licked up the last drop off this plate.  it was refreshing and light.. and the perfect end to the meal.  i wish i could have this on a hot day.


we had very high expectations going into uchi.  and while the high praises may be merited, this probably hindered our palates, which expected more each time.  even so, it was an enjoyable experience with good food, would we go back? certainly, but not make a trip to austin for it.  luckily for us, there has been news of an uchi coming to houston next year.


uchi
801 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-4808

branch water tavern

Branch Water Tavern - please don't pass the salt.

I had heard the buzz about this place through the internetz.. and was excitingly awaiting the chance to try it out. Only a few months old, and it seemed to have great potential. we pulled up to a packed lot and equally packed street. and apparently tried to walk in through the 'wrong' door.. only to see the place packed to the right (the bar) and rather empty on the left (the restaurant).. so we quickly got seated, it seemed i didn't need to make those reservations after all.

i actually liked the mod cabin decor.. and were greeted with delicious biscuits with pear butter. i anticipated the meal.. we didn't get to try any of the 'snacks' from the menu.. but started with appetizers.. the butternut squash soup with duck confit was unusually thicker than expected.. and my roasted beets salad was nothing to write home about. the beets were roasted but served cold, under a slice of goat cheese and bed of arugula doused in a vinaigrette. poscol is still the best place for roasted beets in town. still i had high hopes for the next course.

there were scallops with parsnips in truffle oil... the scallops were cooked perfectly but were unfortunately too salty. i had the bacon wrapped prawns over cheese grits with a poached egg as my main, bacon wrapped anything is usually delicious, the grits were a bit creamier than i like.. and a perfectly poached egg still couldn't lift this dish above and beyond my expectations. finally there was a slow roasted salmon with lentils.. the salmon was extra 'fishy' perhaps it was the fish.. or the maybe it was the slow roasting technique that made it this way, either way.. it wasn't good. over all the three mains were very salty. like someone played a trick on the chef by twisting the cap off the salt. and then pulled the same trick two more times. it's unfortunate, under seasoning or over seasoning can terribly ruin a meal. the place is still young so they are due to their off night, but with veterans behind the name, those should be minimal.

so our meal.. it wasn't terrible, but it wasn't good.. just slightly below par.

i guess we should've noted the crowd. and stuck with just grabbing a drink at the bar.

branch water tavern

510 shepherd

houston, tx

joël robuchon

once in a lifetime foodie experience. check.

for our trip we decided to book the only 3 michelin star rated restaurant in vegas, Joel Robuchon at the Mansion.

the experience alone was remarkable.. and made us feel like a million bucks. which was good.. because the experience is not cheap.

the night began with a limo pick up from PH to the Mansion at MGM. apparently this is the private entrance to a few private villas that will run you 5k a night.. we got to look around and sit in the waiting area in the gardens while a hostess came to lead the way to the restaurant.

it happened to be fight night and i could overhear the crowd around us that 'those two must be going to the fight' so money.

the doors opened to a gorgeous setting and we were seated in the main 'indoors' dining room in a perfect corner booth.

after briefly glancing at the menu we figured we're only going to be here once. go for it. and we did. and even had a few stares from other patrons.. possibly trying to figure out if we were some famous asian poker players.. but moving on. all meals begin with the famous bread cart. so much selection that it was very hard to choose. of course each one we picked was so delicious that we had to resist getting any more so we wouldn't stuff ourselves before our meal even began.

saffron focaccia, cheese brioche, bacon bread

brioche, basil focaccia, cheese bread

Le Caviar Osciètre Caviar on top of a bed of lump crab meat and a gelée of lobster coral.

incredibly delicious and great start to the meal. plus presentation so good.

La Tomate tomato salad infused with basil olive oil and tomato gelée topped with mozzarella dots.

the presentation of this dish was a bit bizarre.. it looked like a bunch of eyes looking back at me.

FYI - the gelée was clear and the bottom of that dish is black. This dish sounded a bit boring to me.. with such simplistic ingredients.. but preparation was exceptional.. very flavorful and interesting textures.

Les Asperges asparagus three ways - panna cotta with citrus oil, scrambled egg and toast, morel royal with yellow wine.

the panna cotta with citrus oil had an incredible mix of flavors while the panna cotta balanced out the sour notes of the citrus oil. the scrambled egg toast was classic french on a buttery crust. while the asparagus 'soup' was by far my favorite with it's earthy aroma it was soul cleansing.

La Grenouille crispy frogs leg with garlic/parsley puree, fried watercrest

this was so delicious that i ate it before i could take a photo (i had to find this one online) the texture was perfect along with the puree.. and the fried watercrest? who knew something so simple could taste so good.

Les Crustacés roasted lobster in green curry, truffled langostine ravioli, uni on mashed potato and coffee

the truffled langostine sounded much better than how it tasted.. the truffle was hardly noticeable at all but it was still decent. the roasted lobster skewered on a piece of lemongrass was over a bed of couscous and mixed with the green curry was very asian-esqe and enjoyable.

the best of all and possibly my favorite of the night was the uni on mashed potatos mixed with ground coffee. srsly who thinks of this?? the texture was wonderful and the coffee was not overpowering but just hinted so you knew it was there.. and the potatoes balanced out the seawater taste that scares most people away from uni.

Les Petits Pois pea velouté topped with an onion foam.

i was never a big fan of peas in general but this was pretty good.. i especially liked the flavors of the onion foam and the hints of smoked ham throughout this dish.

L’Os à Moelle bone marrow with sweetbreads, corn and ginger cream

a playful dish with a mix of corn and popcorn and an abundance of sweetbreads inside the hollowed out bone. the piece of marrow can be seen sitting atop the bone itself the most delicious part of this dish.. while everything else could be paired with it the sweetbreads overall were a bit salty for my taste, but the pieces of ginger and corn mixed made this even more interesting. but call me simple.. i prefer my bone marrow as is.. served with some sea salt, pickled cabbage, and grilled baguettes.

Le Bar pan fried seabass with baby leeks and lemon grass foam

with more lemongrass in this dish, it made it very thai-inspired. cooked perfectly but not as flavorful as i had hoped.

Le Veau veal with herb gelée and zucchini wrapped almonds

omg veal so delicious. we were initially a bit disappointed at the lack of wagyu beef on the menu, but this veal was incredibly flavorful and cooked to perfection. possibly best veal i've had.

Les Racines Maraîchères stew of spring root vegetables over argan oil couscous

light and a perfect end to the main dishes. simple.. yet not. and i cleaned out this bowl.

La Fraise strawberry compote infused with lime and tequila sorbet.

so delicious! incredibly fresh and flavorful, the lime balancing with the sweetness of the compote. and the mix of textures was perfect.. there was a crisp flower on top that i had crunched into the mixture prior to taking this photo.. (could not wait)

Le Chocolat nyangbo chocolate cake, light gianduja cream

decadent dark choclate. was a good mix of creamy and crunchy layers.

after this course was the petifores cart i have no idea how we were able to eat more.. but we did. another fantastic selection of goodies that i wanted to try them all!

after we left they sent us home with a rather large rasberry/pistachio cake that lasted us a few days.. as well as a few personalized menus of the evening.

overall the experience was good. service was top notch, decor was opulent, food was good. so why was it just good.. and not great?

although we were expecting the MOST AMAZING MEAL OF OUR LIVES, we were a bit underwhelmed.. but i guess that can happen with such high expectations. we had previously had the best meal ever at l'atelier in NYC, so perhaps the difference between the two is that Joel Robuchon is much more classic french as l'atelier is a bit more fusion/modern french. both were delicious, but perhaps our taste buds weren't accustomed to the flavors of classic french... plus we were a bit where's the foie gras and truffles? still it was a good night.