Itaewon Pocha, 1444 Blalock, opened softly the first week of March. The Korean restaurant has owner James Lee, and head chef Nelson K. Lee along with manager Ryan Vo leading the team. Pocha is the name for the tented food stalls in Korea that serve street food and beverages such as beer and soju, often late into the night. The district of Itaewon in Seoul, South Korea is particularly known for its pocha which contribute to a vibrant nightlife.
The menu at Itaewon Pocha begins with small plates like Crisp Prawn & Calamari, Seafood Jeon (seafood pancake), Chicken Skewers and the ultimate late-night nosh, Bulgogi Kimchi Cheese Fries. Its selection of stir-fried dishes includes brisket with bean sprouts, bulgogi, pork belly with tofu and kimchi and squid with a pepper paste base and vegetables.
There’s a variety of soups and stews such as Pork Belly Hot Pot and Army Hot Pot made with Spam.There are pasta dishes, rice and ramen, plus a trio of tteokbokki, a Korean street dish. The restaurant also serves Houston’s Krisp Korean Fried Chicken on its menu.
As for its pub offerings, there’s a selection of soju, including soju-based cocktails. There’s also makgeolli, a Korean rice wine beverage, along with beer and spirits.
Tsujita Artisan Noodle, 12230 Westheimer, opened March 3. Originally founded in Tokyo, Japan in 2003, it hit American shores in 2011. The new Westchase location is the first for Texas, making number five for the nation, with one planned for Pasadena, California in May 2024.
The menu features tsukemen, a Japanese ramen fad that began in 1961 in which the noodles are dipped in broth rather than being served in the soup like traditional ramen. The menu even offers advice on how to eat the noodles. However, the restaurant also offers ramen including traditional tonkotsu, chicken and miso. There’s also Vege Miso which is made with 100 percent vegetable broth. Guests have a bounty of extra toppings from which to choose for an additional cost.
Apps include Chicken Karaage, Calamari, Gyoza Pork and Takoyaki Octopus Ball. Though it’s a noodle concept, there are some rice bowl options as well. There are soft drinks, beer and sake on the beverage side.
Wokker, 5353 W. Alabama, opened this month at Conservatory Galleria food hall. It’s the third brick and mortar location for the concept which originally began as a food truck in 2014. It has a location in the Heights and another at Underground Hall downtown.
Terming its culinary POV as Tex-Asian, its menu features snacks such as Brisket Eggrolls, Bonito Brussels Sprouts, Jalapeno Bites and Pickin Chickin, a loaded fries concoction that tops curly fries with crispy homemade chicken nuggets and fried vegetables, served with miso ranch for dipping.
There are several bowls including the Wokk Fried Rice, Wokk Pad Thai, Wokk Veggie and Cowboy Katsu. Customers can add its popular House Kimchi to any dish for $2.
Tasty Box, 1900 Blalock, opened February 24 in Spring Branch. It has a good-sized selection of burgers including its Tasty Box Burger made with certified angus beef, Mushroom Burger, Kimchi Burger and the Turkish Burger topped with pastrami and crisp onion. For those who prefer chicken, there’s the Chicken Burger with crispy chicken, Cheddar cheese, coleslaw, pickle relish and its homemade burger sauce. The burgers are served with French fries.
There is also a sandwich menu and a variety of wraps with beef, chicken or falafel plus gyros, chicken tenders, hot dogs and tacos. There is a kids menu, soft drinks, milkshakes, pancakes and waffles, too.
Pho Saigon, 10227 W. Grand Parkway, is currently in soft opening mode. It’s the 9th location for the authentic Vietnamese restaurant from P.B. Tran who opened the first location in Houston’s Midtown in 1998. It was on the forefront of Houston’s obsession with pho and banh mi and now, with the help of family and friends, the concept has expanded all over Houston plus a location in Austin.
The menu offers traditional Vietnamese favorites including an array of pho bo (beef noodle soup) and pho ga (chicken noodle soup). There are also seafood, vegetarian and egg noodle versions. There are banh mi sandwiches with a choice of pork, beef or chicken as well as vermicelli and steamed rice plates.
A wide selection of beverages includes Vietnamese coffees, smoothies, milk teas and sodas.
Goode Eats Southern Cuisine, 10920 Almeda, opened in early February. Serving Southern cooking, the restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and early dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Breakfast runs from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. with items like Chicken & Waffle, 3 Pancakes, French Toast and Breakfast To-Go Sandwiches. There are also omelettes and its Signature Breakfast options.
Its lunch and dinner menus include homemade burgers and po’boys, hot wings, a selection of salads and classics such as Cajun Fried Catfish and Southern Fried Chicken. Each day of the week has specials with oxtails available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday or Southern Seafood Friday which has a wide selection of favorites including Cajun Fried Shrimp, Garlic Butter Shrimp and Seafood Creole Gumbo. Saturday is Southern BBQ Day while Southern Sunday offers classics like Hamburger Steak, Smothered Pork Chops and Smothered Turkey Necks.
Kitsune Sushi and Hibachi, 13251 Jones, opened this month in Cypress. Its all day menu features a variety of soups including tom yum, miso and dumpling as well as appetizers like edamame, crispy calamari and steamed or pan-fried gyoza.
Its sushi appetizer menu offers Pepper Tuna, Albacore Tuna Tataki, Yellowtail Jalapeno and much more. Sushi bar entrees like Sashimi Deluxe, Spicy Combo, Unagi Don and Vegetable Combo are served with miso soup. Chef’s Signature Rolls include the Pink Lady Roll, Volcano Roll with crawfish and the Mexican Roll with tempura shrimp and jalapeno. There are also vegetarian, raw, cooked and special hand rolls too numerous to list.
Kitsune also offers teriyaki dishes, yaki soba, udon, fried rice and hot pot. There’s a selection of hibachi grill entrees plus boba tea and a small dessert menu. The lunch menu offers bento boxes, hibachi lunch combos and sushi or sashimi specials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 1065 W. Bay Area Boulevard, opened February 26 in Webster at the Shops at Baybrook. The pioneer Japanese conveyor belt sushi concept began its U.S. expansion in 2008 and is on track to open its 60th American location soon.
Guests grab their choices from the revolving conveyor belt and the pricing is done per plate. There is also the Express Belt where customers can order a specific item to be delivered tableside. In addition to sushi, there are side dishes and desserts along with udon and ramen.
Home Slice, 3701 Travis, has added a new pizza to its menu and it’s a pretty big deal since it’s the first new pizza added since it was founded in Austin in 2005. Apparently Houstonians are the squeaky wheels that got the grease because their demands have been met. The #8: Supreme was added to the Tried and True menu March 14 in celebration of Pi Day. The pizza joint also sold slices for $3.14 for those lucky enough to stop in that day.
Why the wait for a supreme pizza at Home Slice? Well, partner Jeff Metler says, “We specialize in New York-style pies which traditionally have only 2-3 toppings. This is new for us, but the people have spoken and we’re finally ready to make the supreme a permanent menu item.”
The Supreme Olajuwon, as the #8 has been termed by Assistant General Manager Ross Mohr, will be topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions and black olives. It’s $27 for a medium and $31.50 for a large. It will be available by the slice every Tuesday.
Little’s Oyster Bar, 3001 S. Shepherd, will launch its new seasonal spring menu from Chef Jason Ryczek March 19. With the Gulf Coast as inspiration, the new offerings include Dressed Oysters with hibiscus ponzu, smoked trout roe and green oil. There’s also Wild Mussel Escabeche, Crawfish Croquettes and Prime Grade Dry Aged Ribeye from the dry-aging coolers at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse. Seasonal vegetable dishes like Curried Cauliflower and Grilled Asparagus join the new menu along with Corona Farm Strawberries served with shortcake and chocolate gelato.
To complement the new menu, lead bartender Oliver Brooks has created seasonal cocktails like Rose Colored Glasses, Madame Monet, Kyoto Kiss and Windward Isle, made with coconut-oil washed Rhum J.M. Blanc. The Some Like it Hot is a tequila drink with a kick of Fresno chile while the Stop Pulling My Legume is made with Mal Bien Zacate Limon, Sweet Pea, ginger, lemon, honey and Topo Chico.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
