Mala Sichuan Montrose, 1201 Westheimer. Red oil dumplings, anyone? At Mala Sichuan, the answer to that question should always be yes. From there, select the Green Peppercorn Fish Fillet as an entrée and get ready for taste buds to start tingling. This basa fish fillet is accompanied by wood ear fungus, tofu, king oyster mushroom, mung bean glass noodles and green peppercorn sauce. Anyone who has never seen a Mille Crepe Cake should definitely get it here. It’s a stunning visual: dozens of thin mocha crepes stacked on top of each other to make the “caked” and accented with macha crème. It’s accompanied by purple yam soup. Mala Sichuan’s HRW menu is also one of the most affordable: it’s three courses for only $25. Note that this is only available at the Montrose location, not the original on Bellaire.
Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant, 6800 Southwest Freeway. What better opportunity to indulge in fine Ethiopian cuisine than during Houston Restaurant Weeks? At $25 for a three-course dinner, the HRW menu at Lucy is a terrific value. Those familiar with the cuisine will enjoy the deal; those who are not will experience eye-opening but approachable fare. The appetizers include sambusa, deep fried pastry filled with lentils. (For anyone who has tried samosas, these are close kin.) Fill up on lamb or beef tibs (spiced stews) cooked with tomato, jalapeno, garlic and berebere sauce and served with salad and enjira (soft, flat bread with a honeycomb-like texture) or rice. End the experience with a dessert that will be blissfully familiar to many: strawberry ice cream with whipped cream and Valrhona chocolate sauce.
Mockingbird Bistro, 1985 Welch. Fittingly, visitors can begin their HRW experiences at Mockingbird Bistro with one of our all-time favorite dishes, the 1015 onion soup topped with big, toasty croutons and lots of stringy Gruyere. From there, the eight-ounce braised short ribs with parsnip puree, organic spinach and jus will certainly ensure no one leaves the table hungry. Wrap up with the flourless chocolate truffle adorned wtih raspberry purée for a final touch to this luxurious meal. Mockingbird Bistro is only open for dinner and the HRW menu costs $35. Not bad for a night of decadence.
Quattro at Four Seasons Houston, 1300 Lamar. If HRW is a game, Quattro is playing to win—win new fans, that is. Each course is served with a dramatic flair. Tonno, or raw tuna served “poke style” arrives in a perfectly clear bowl made of ice and then vibrant green avocado sauce is poured over the top. The Costata Di Manzo is a hefty beef rib from 44 farms that’s marinated in 8th Wonder Brewery’s Fourza beer and slow-cooked for 18 hours. The Pompelmo E Aperol, or grapefruit sorbet spiked with Aperol amaro (Italian liqueur) with a mix of citrus is a refreshing wrap-up. At $35, the HRW dinner here is an incredible bang for the buck and Quattro also offers a two-course lunch for $20.
Ragin’ Cajun, 4302 Richmond. It might not have occurred to diners that this longtime Houston favorite for authentic Cajun food is offering a $35 HRW menu for three-course dinners and a $20 two-course lunch. For dinner, dive into four hefty shrimp served New Orleans barbecue-style before indulging in a bowl of Seafood Lafourche Pasta, enlivened with sautéed Gulf Coast shrimp, crawfish, sun-dried tomatoes, spring peas, homemade alfredo sauce and penne pasta topped with lump crab meat. Of course, it would be just silly to leave without having Mama’s Bread Pudding with rum sauce for dessert.