Izakaya, 318 Gray, will close April 30 or until the food and drink inventory runs out. Owners Yun Cheng and Sammy Saket have decided to relocate and the duo is currently searching for the perfect spot to reopen the Japanese gastropub which first opened in 2015 from the Azuma Group. It has built a reputation over the years for its dumplings, ramen, shareable starters and fun cocktails.
Yun wants Houstonians to know that Izakaya is not closing forever. In a press release he stated, ” We’re making the move now because we’ve established the right team for the new concept and we’re actively searching for an inner loop spot for Izakaya. Our current lease doesn’t allow us to serve sushi and we feel sushi is a key component to the Izakaya concept.”
So, what will happen to the space once Izakaya departs? Well, Yun and Saket will renovate and prepare it for their new venture, Josephine’s. And they’ve found just the team to open it.
Josephine’s, 318 Gray, is shooting to open in early to mid-June. The Gulf Coast cuisine restaurant will have Lucas McKinney as executive chef and Joseph Ramirez will take on the role of general manager. It’s a personal venture with the menu being a celebration of both men’s Southern family traditions.
Josephine’s is named after McKinney’s grandmother with a nod to also being the same name of a steamship that shipwrecked in the Gulf of Mexico in 1881. Fortunately, all crew and passengers survived, a good omen for opening a new restaurant.
Originally from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, McKinney has worked in the hospitality industry since 2014. He moved to Houston in 2018, working with James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd as part of the opening team at Georgia James. He also served as sous chef at Hay Merchant and chef de cuisine at Georgia James Tavern before spending a season as chef at Jimmy Kimmel’s Southfork Lodge in Idaho.
Ramirez hails from Metairie, Louisiana and has more than 15 years of hospitality experience in restaurants, hotels and clubs all over New Orleans. He moved to Houston five years ago and worked as general manager for the Azuma Group including its flagship restaurant Kata Robata.
The menu will lean heavily toward the seafood side with much of it coming from the Gulf of Mexico. Though it will be casual with a ‘come-as-you-are vibe’, it will still have luxurious items like seafood towers and a raw bar. McKinney said there will also be a “sick” wine program. Less posh fare on the menu includes snacks like country ham and pickled okra, seafood boils and po’boys including a crabmeat melt that McKinney is particularly excited about.
The space will be transformed by Nest Interiors with Izakaya’s former dumpling bar being converted into an oyster bar. The dark reds and colorful murals will soon be replaced with painted tin ceilings, vintage Southern-style light fixture, rustic wood accents and traditional hex mosaic flooring.
The Dolly llama, 3569 Business Center Drive, Suite 140, opens April 29 in Pearland. For the grand opening celebration, the first 100 guests in line will receive a free swag bag beginning at noon. There will also be opportunities for fun prizes with raffles and giveaways throughout the day.
It is the second Houston area location for the waffle and ice cream brand, following the opening, April 1, of the shop at 8920 Metropark in Shenandoah. The Pearland location, operated by franchisee Sophea Im, is the first to offer drive-thru service.
It was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles by friends Samuel Baroux and Eric Shomof. There are 15 more stores planned for the near future.
Customers can order from a menu of Express Waffles such as the Nutella Strawberries, Chocolate Syrup Banana and Peanut Butter Cinnamon Toast Crunch. There is also a Bubble Waffle menu which has ice cream scoops on top. The Bubble waffle flavors include Party Animal with salted caramel ice cream and circus animal cookies or Dolly’s Dream served with a scoop of bright blue Ultimate Cookie Monster plus fresh strawberries, brownies and Nutella sauce. There are more goodies like OG Liege waffles and a selection of shakes such as Coffee Snob, Peanut Better and Cinnalover.
There are a few dairy-free options and a kids menu. For those on the go, The dolly llama offers a 6-piece or 12-piece OG Box that can be customized.
Kau Ba Saigon Kitchen, 2502 Dunlavy, will offer “Viejun” Crawfish Boils every Monday for the month of May. Normally closed on Monday, Chef Nikky Tran’s restaurant will celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month by offering the boils, along with a special menu each Monday in May.
Chef Tran coined the term “Viejun”, used to describe the blending of the traditional Vietnamese cuisine in Saigon with Cajun-style cooking. Her unique style has earned her celebrity chef status, having appeared on Netflix series such as Ugly Delicious with David Chang and Somebody Feed Phil with Phil Rosenthal. The fusion of Vietnamese and Cajun flavors has become mainstream in Houston, a city home to a large Vietnamese American population as well as transplanted Cajuns.
The special menu will include Tran’s Viejun-style crawfish as well as Vietnamese-style snails and oysters. The Monday hours will run noon to 10 p.m. in May.
Karne Korean Steakhouse, 2805 White Oak, announced the launch of its new chef tasting menu April 24. Its chef “KP” Nam and partner Jason Cho have created an 11 course tasting experience that is a ‘love letter’ to Chef Nam’s Korean heritage with modern reinterpretations of American steakhouse fare. Nam is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and worked in establishments in Seoul and South Korea before making a name for himself in American restaurants such as Gramercy Tavern and Jongro BBQ. He also owned and operated his own restaurant in NYC’s West Village, Zusick, before being recruited by Cho to be his partner at Karne.
The 11 courses include an amuse bouche of foie gras, followed by cold appetizers including tuna carpaccio and ceviche. Lobster and abalone follow with an intermission dish of soba. The second half of the tasting menu includes Karne 1 (beef tenderloin) and Karne 2 (American Wagyu chuck flap). Karne 3 is smoked short rib, followed by bansang, or a Taste of Korea. For dessert, guests will enjoy a pomegranate cream mousse.
The cost is $160 per person with an optional pairing of wine flights suggested by Bar Director and Sommelier Robert Waltrip for an additional cost.
Luce Ave Coffee, 25675 Nelson Way, opened in late March in Katy. Located inside the H-E-B grocery store, the local roaster offers a variety of coffee drinks including Classics like espresso, cappuccino, cortado, latte and drip plus Signature beverages such as its Island Latte and Hazelnut Macchiato. Its Black Label list is a variety of coffee-based drinks with the addition of charcoal powder.
There is cold brew, lemonade, and grapefruit juice as well as its cold blended Luccino drinks such as Cookies & Cream and Strawberry Banana. Croissants and pastries are available and customers can also purchase bags of its coffee.
K Tea Boba, 10978 Grant, opened in early April. The menu includes Korean hot dogs and corn dogs, Korean wings with French fries, a selection of banh mi and Vietnamese egg rolls. For drinks, there is a wide variety of milk teas, fruit teas and different types of boba including popping toppings.
Four Region Thai Cuisine, 8220 Louetta, opened earlier this month in Spring, Texas. Located in the former home of Sticky Rice Lao Cafe, which closed last summer, the new restaurant offers a variety of different dishes from the four regions of Thailand.
The menu begins with an extensive line up of starters such as Tamarind Pork Ribs, Curry Puffs and Beef Skewers. Then, it’s broken down into four parts. The Bangkok menu offers main plates such as khao pad, Crab Fried Rice and a vegan and gluten free panang curry. The North menu has a number of spicy dishes such as khaw soi gai (egg noodles and curry), sah nuer (thinly-sliced filet mignon) and larb kuar, with an option of pork or duck.
The Northeast (Esan) section of the menu includes nam tok with either beef or pork and tom zab king, a clear lemongrass soup with shrimp. For southern Thai cuisine there’s the popular green curry and moo hong, a dish made with slow-cooked pork belly.
The dessert menu offers mango sticky rice or coconut ice cream.
Dog Haus Biergarten, 5414 Highway 6, is planned for later this summer, though there isn’t a definitive date per an email request. It’s just one of six Dog Haus outposts planned for Texas in the next year with locations slated for Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. And that’s just the beginning of the brand’s plans for expansion across the Lone Star State, with over 30 more spots expected to open in the next few years.
Its hot dogs, sausages, burgers and chicken are served on King’s Hawaiian Rolls. The Haus Dog options include chili dogs such as the Chili Idol and Chili the Kid plus loaded dogs like the Cowboy with smoked bacon, cheddar cheese sauce, crispy onions and barbecue sauce. There are sausage dogs like The Fonz which is a spicy Italian sausage topped with pastrami and mozzarella or the Beyond Brat for vegetarians. Its Haus Burgers include the Cheeseburger, the Impossible Burger and The Hangover with white American cheese, smoked bacon, Haus chili, fried egg and mayonnaise. There are chicken tenders and sandwiches plus breakfast burritos and sliders. Sides include tots, fries, onion rings and Haus slaw.
Dog Haus Biergarten also serves craft beer, wine and cocktails.
Guanatos Grub, 15655 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, opened early April near George Bush International Airport. Though it’s located in a strip center amid airport-area hotels and motels, it’s getting positive reviews for its menu of Guadalajara favorites.
There’s a list of different tacos beginning with different breakfast tacos such as huevos con jamon (eggs with ham) and huevos Mexicana. Tacos start at $3.25 for single meat and $3.99 for double. Guests can choose from carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, steak, picadillo (ground beef), barbacoa and much more. There are also nachos, burritos, molcajetes and tortas including the messy torta ahogada.
For beverages, there are soft drinks, aguas frescas and a full bar.
Tacos A Go Go is partnering with The Urban Flower, 5819 Gulf Freeway, to celebrate Texas music legend Willie Nelson on his 90th birthday April 29 by offering $2 CBD syrup shots all day long at four Tacos A Go Go Houston locations: Greenway Plaza, Midtown, Heights and Oak Forest.
The two-ounce bottles are 30 milligram CBD syrup shots in a choice of pineapple or passionfruit flavor. The shareable bottles are suitable for adding to margaritas and palomas to enhance the experience. They can also be added to non-alcoholic beverages like horchata, agua fresca or the fresh juices available at tacos A Go Go. Trendy types can add a little to their Topo Chico.
The CBD shots are only available to customers 21 and over.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
