Devour Banh Mi Sushi Rolls Beneath Neon Lights at This Futuristic Asian Restaurant, Plus More Houston Openings to Know Right Now
A new sushi restaurant in Post Houston, a chic modern French bistro in Thompson Hotel, and a Viet-Cajun restaurant in Autry Park that’s the talk of the town
This periodic column highlights notable restaurant openings in and around Houston. Catch up on more news about Houston restaurant openings right here.
Know of a new or soon-to-open restaurant that should be on Eater Houston’s radar? Get in touch by emailing houston@eater.com.
KWO (Kore Wa Oishidesu) Sushi
401 Franklin Street, Downtown
POST Houston’s food hall has replaced chef Paul Qui’s sushi spot Eastside Kings with a new Japanese hot spot. Wife-chef duo Fabi and Daniela Guevara have opened KWO Sushi, which offers a combination of traditional and more innovative sushi rolls, small plates like edamame, dumplings, and crispy fried Brussels Sprouts, and hearty rice bowls, including chicken teriyaki, spicy tuna, and pork belly.
KWO Sushi
Chardon
1711 Allen Parkway, Suite 101, Montrose
Located on the ground level of the swanky Thompson Hotel, this new modern French bistro opened on Friday, February 21, offering French cuisine with a Texas flair. Chef E.J. Miller molds a menu that starts with hors d’oeuvres like gougeres filled with aged comte cheese and a topping of Iberico Paleta, spice-poached Gulf shrimp served with a gin cocktail sauce, wild boar with a muscadine gelee made with pecans, four different versions of deviled eggs, and oysters served raw or Rockefeller-style with a green chartreuse compound butter. Though entrees do include a lot of beef — beef bourguignon made with wagyu beef cheeks, lardons, and pearl onions, and steak frites made with diner’s choice of cuts, including a center-cut filet, R-C Ranch wagyu rib-eye, and a 36-ounce cote de boeuf — diners can also enjoy a variety of seafood dishes like butter-basted Atlantic scallops served with oxtail marmalade, lobster au poivre for two,
Desserts are also a true French affair, with a trolley cart traveling through the dining room, teasing diners with glimpses of its cheese selection and French classics with modern twists, including profiteroles served with caramel ice cream and chocolate sauce, a chartreuse creme brulee made with warm lavender madelines, and its Le Grande Macaron au Chocolate, accompanied by raspberries and hazelnut gianduja mousse.
Michael Anthony
Haii Keii
3300 Kirby Drive, Suite 9-A, Upper Kirby
Feast your eyes on the decor at this new Asian restaurant in Upper Kirby. The neon-drenched Haii Keii, which opened in Upper Kirby on Tuesday, February 18, first captivates diners with its eye-popping designs, taking them through a dark portal with bright lights and introducing them to its striking dining room, with shimmering walls, shadow projections displayed on massive screens, plush seating, and an illuminated 8-foot tall Bonsai tree. The menu is just as bold, with raw oysters topped with cucumber granita and a punchy chili oil, flounder ceviche with crispy wonton, warm milk bread served with cultured butter and trout roe, pillowy dumplings filled with lobster mousse and topped wasabi tobiko and sabayon, and steaks, including American, Australian, and Japanese wagyu available in flights. Sushi is also on offer, with nigiri, sashimi, and maki, including signature rolls like the Murakami, which features a combination of king crab, Japanese A5 wagu, and kaluga caviar, and the Banh Mi Roll, a lofty interpretation of the Vietnamese sandwich in roll form. The drinks also get creative, with purple-hued ube espresso martinis, and a selection of sake, Japanese whisky, wine, and beer.
Annam
811 Buffalo Park Drive, Suite 120, Montrose
Dung “Lang” Nguyen and chef Chris Kinjo teamed up to create this new Vietnamese restaurant in Autry Park. The menu features cheffy renditions of Vietnamese and French fusion dishes, including vermicelli bowls, cabbage soup, and shaking filet mignon. Most dishes are served as small plates and are meant to be shared tapas-style. The dining room features vaulted ceilings with elaborate crystal chandeliers, and touches of Vietnamese mosaic art abound.
Starduster Lounge
21 North Main Street, First Ward
The Heights gets a cool new bar from the folks behind White Oak Music Hall and Johnny’s Gold Brick. It’s inside a restored 1940s space that used to house the Spanish Flowers restaurant and, in its history, has been everything from a Latin music venue to a brothel. It’s a cool spot to get cocktails, with a serious library of whiskey and agave spirits. Try the mezcal Café de Olla espresso martini or the freezer Cosmo — yes, the Cosmopolitan is making a comeback, y’all. There will also be a rotating crew of food trucks outside nightly.
Doko
3737 Cogdell Street, Suite 145, Montrose
The folks behind Bar Doko have opened Doko, a sushi and yakitori restaurant, just across an alley from each other in Autry Park. Chef Patrick Pham promises yakitori that is brined, fermented, dry-rubbed, and charcoal-grilled; chef Daniel Lee says diners shouldn’t miss the chicken fat rice. Doko also serves a six-course tasting menu alongside its a la carte offerings. The dining room is bright and friendly, whereas Bar Doko is where to head for a moody cocktail vibe. It is open now for dinner, with lunch service expected to follow this spring.
Bol
3201 Louisiana Stree, Suite 108, Midtown
This fast-casual spot from chef Jassi Bindra and the Kahani Social Group (Pok Pok Po Chicken Parlour, Amrina) is all about, well, bowls — and wraps and salads. Start with a base of happy chicken, paneer, lamb keema, beef, cumin potatoes, or one of the many other options, and add on pickled onion, spiced avocado, roasted corn kernels, hummus, and more, all from halal-certified sources. The simple interior is matched with moody neon lighting that gives “clubby” more than “combination Taco Bell/KFC” vibes — a nice change of pace.
