Winter 2024 Notable Edibles
Words by David Leftwich
Popular West African Eatery Opens Brick-and-Mortar in Montrose
Ope Amosu’s Golden Bowl at ChòpnBlọk — a flavorful blend of grilled chicken; smoky, tomatoey jollof rice; black-eyed peas and coconut curry — has been one of my favorite Houston dishes since the first location opened in 2021 at the POST Market food hall. Earlier this year, Amosu, who was born in London to Nigerian parents and immigrated to Houston when he was three, earned a James Beard Semifinalist nod for Emerging Chef for his fast-casual approach to West African cuisine. Recently, he opened his first sit-down restaurant, the brick-and-mortar ChòpnBlọk in Montrose, whose inviting and beautiful interior, created by Gin Design Group, is according to Amosu a “love letter to the African Diaspora.”
At this second location, Amosu has not only expanded his seating capacity, but also the menu, adding several new dishes including the Black Star Bowl. This stellar dish, which has rocketed to the top of my favorites list, combines perfectly cooked, spicy shrimp with Waakye fried rice, plantains, and a velvety yassa — a Senegalese curry made with caramelized onions, Dijon, lemon and chiles. The flavors, like the restaurant, are dynamic and warming, comforting yet modern. They paired perfectly with the refreshingly tangy yet earthy African hibiscus tea lemonade, which piqued my interest in the cocktails on the menu (it was an early lunch). But I will be back to try one at the full bar, which is new for this location. Amosu and his team have built on the success of their food hall eatery to create one of the best new restaurants in Houston.
Visit at 507 Westheimer Road | chopnblok.com, Instagram @chopnblok_
Duck N Bao Opens in Rice Village
Too often we think that the most exciting restaurants are inside the Loop. Of course, we also know that many of Houston’s best and most interesting eateries are outside of 610. Grace and Leo Xia, who both emigrated from China as young adults, proved that (once again) when they opened the first location of Duck N Bao in Cypress in 2020. They quickly gained attention for serving one of the best Peking ducks in the Houston area. Luckily for those inside the Loop, they opened a second location on Memorial in 2021 and, earlier this year, opened a third in Rice Village.
In addition to a full range of entrées, such as the Peking duck and tea leaf smoked pork ribs, the eatery offers a tidy selection of excellent dim sum and dumplings. During a recent lunch at the Rice Village location, a fellow food writer commented that the shrimp and pork shumai were some of the best she’d had. I agree. Those succulent packets of pork and shrimp alone are worth a return trip. Next time, I’ll be pairing them with a couple of dishes I haven’t tried at this restaurant worthy of many visits.
Visit at 5215 Kelvin Drive | ducknbao.com
Famous Houston Restaurant Family’s Elegant Ode to Seafood
The Pappas may be the most well-known restaurant family in Houston. In 1967, Jim Pappas and his brothers — the sons of a Greek immigrant and restaurateur — opened Dot Coffee Shop, which still serves up classic dinner fare. In 1976, Jim’s sons Chris, Harris and Greg opened The Strawberry Patch. Now, Pappas Restaurants operates over 100 restaurants throughout the country under recognizable brands such as Pappadeaux and Pappasito’s Cantina.
Last year, building on the fine-dining success of Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, they opened Little’s Oyster Bar, a high-end, chef-driven seafood restaurant (a first for Pappas) helmed by chef Jason Ryczek, who honed his skills at San Francisco seafood classics Waterbar and Farallon. His experience and talent shine in such dishes as Texas redfish with heirloom tomato sauce vierge — the best redfish I’ve eaten. Perfectly seasoned, the delicate flesh and crispy skin were akin to a well-sung aria. Which makes the refreshing bluefin tuna crudo with pickled watermelon rind, peanuts and shiso a prelude worthy of Callas. Like the opera, Little’s is a great option for a special occasion or an indulgent splurge.
Visit at 3001 South Shepherd Drive | littlesoysterbar.com
One of Houston’s Best Breakfast Spots Opens Location in the Heights
After Sarah Lieberman opened the first Dandelion Cafe in 2016, it quickly became a go-to for anyone looking for good coffee and quality breakfast, brunch or lunch. Over the years, I’ve written several articles there while enjoying one of their well-executed flat whites and a spinach, potato and cheese breakfast taco. In 2018, executive chef JC Ricks, who would eventually become Lieberman’s business partner and husband, revamped the menu with dishes such as fluffy buttermilk pancakes, specials incorporating his Liberian heritage, and his signature chicken and waffles, which led to the couple competing on “Good Morning America” as one of the top breakfast joints in the country.
The duo has just opened a new location in the historic Heights Clock Tower building. The bright, airy space, accented with striking yellow walls, has plenty of seating and a dog-friendly patio. Like the Bellaire location, hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, and breakfast is served all day. For now, the Heights’ menu mirrors Bellaire’s, though some new sandwiches may be introduced at the Clock Tower. This casual breakfast and lunch eatery is a welcome addition to a neighborhood with lots of great dinner options but not as many places offering the high-quality breakfast and lunch dishes Dandelion has become known for.
Visit at 611 West 22nd Street | dandelionhouston.com
A Chef’s Chef Explores His Heritage
Gabriel Medina is a chef’s chef. Houston’s culinary pros praise his skills and seek out his food. When he launched Subó, his new Filipino food stand at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market, on a hot Saturday morning in September, the long line was studded with area chefs willing to brave the heat and humidity to try Medina’s Filipino breakfast. A Filipino American born in Texas, Medina perfected his craft at Tokyo’s Narisawa, considered one of the world’s best restaurants, as well as at top Houston restaurants such as Kata Robata. In 2019, he opened Click Virtual Food Hall, a delivery-based restaurant that offered everything from pasta to sushi to Filipino staples such as kare kare. Medina’s well-executed meals were a bright spot for my family during the darkest days of the pandemic. But as the pandemic subsided, so did Click.
Now, Medina is focused on showcasing his Filipino heritage with Subò, which is named after a Tagalog word related to feeding those you love. Currently, Subò can be found most Saturday mornings at Urban Harvest. Ordering is a two-step process. First, you choose a base: short-grain white rice; garlic fried rice known as sinangag; or pandesal, a Filipino soft roll. Next, you pick a main: tocino, sweet pork belly; garlic beef ribeye called tapa; or gising gising, a stew made with local vegetables, coconut milk and chilis. Your breakfast choices are then served with an egg and a cold salad. So far, I’ve enjoyed the succulent tocino with the aromatic sinangag. But I’ll be back to try more and to see what other Filipino delicacies the talented Medina cooks up.
Visit at Urban Harvest Farmers Market 2752 Buffalo Speedway | Instagram @subo.htx
Ethiopian-Inspired Third Place Offers Inspired Coffee
Ruby Amare and her mother Addis Debebe, who is from Ethiopia, have recently opened Kefita Coffee in the duo’s Wonderlikewander, a creative hub located in a former house in Third Ward/ Midtown. Rooted in Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, the shop and event space offers a full range of espresso drinks from cappuccinos to specialties like the Addis latte and the Abyssinia latte, as well as drip coffee and tea. They also offer a selection of breakfast tacos and sambusa, a stuffed East African pastry similar to a samosa. Recently, I enjoyed a perfect flat white and a vegan taco while reading in the sunny yet cozy space and was reminded of how important third places are to our creative cultures. I can’t wait to return to write, read and enjoy excellent coffee.
Visit at 2506 La Branch Street | Instagram @kefita.coffee
