”Keep calm and curry on” might be an appropriate welcoming line for restaurant’s Chef John Sikhattana as he hosts the 2nd Annual Curry Crawl on his home turf, Straits Asian Bistro. Sikhattana once again introduces fellow chefs from at least 11 top Houston restaurants, each eager to snatch the 2012 ”Best Curry” title from The Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen’s Chef Shiva Patel. Last year, Chef Patel also won the event’s ”People’s Choice” award for her crab balls. Who knew? This year, patrons may again expect inspired spicy tastings from competing chefs hailing from Ambrosia, Latin Bites, Nosh Bistro, Rasoi, RA Sushi, Restaurant CINQ, Soma Sushi, Sparrow Bar + Cookshop, Straits Asian Bistro, The Tasting Room and The West End. But this is no ”masala on a stick,” Food Network knock-off competition. One supremely notable delectable form last year’s Curry Crawl was Uchi’s Chef Philip Speer foie gras-curried, cotton candy, prompting Houston Press’s own Sapna Patel to write: ”Duck liver never felt so much like a Ferris wheel of fun.” Today’s event benefits PULSE, a new group for young professionals supporting Houston’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Health System.
4 to 7 p.m. STRAITS Asian Bistro, 800 W. Sam Houston Pkwy N. For information, call 713-365-9922 or visit currycrawlhouston.ticketbud.com. $55.
Sun., May 19, 4 p.m., 2013
This article appears in Jun 14-20, 2012.