—————————————————— Hot Plate | Restaurants | Houston | Houston Press | The Leading Independent News Source in Houston, Texas

Hot Plate

Ah Kinchil, the Mayan sun god, would be proud of the Mayan chicken ($9 at lunch; $12.50 at dinner) at Cafe Red Onion (3910 Kirby, 713-807-1122, and other locations). Its many tones of gold and yellow seem to pay homage to the fiery orb. A generous pool of rich yellow queso is topped with a boneless chicken breast, lightly coated in tortilla crumbs, pan-fried to a golden hue and garnished with bright yellow fresh mango relish. Plantains, fried to a golden tone, complete the panoply of yellow. A small bowl of black beans and a dollop of sour cream with two red strips of tortillas springing forth are the only other colors on a plate worthy of the most fanatic sun worshiper.
KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Paul Galvani