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Izakaya Wa (River Oaks)
Second visit to this location and I’m happy to learn they ironed out some of the slow service issues from the soft opening during my first visit. I love how many authentic Japanese items I could order and found everything from both visits fresh and of high quality. One of my favorite things ordered was the Gyu Kushiyaki (beef skewers). Besides being flavorful, it was so incredibly tender, it was like biting through cotton candy. I can’t recommend the skewers enough. This place also has Onigiri which is an added bonus since I’m not sure of any Japanese establishment within the Loop that has this on their menu. Diners can…
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Spicy Girl
I’ve long decided that I prefer Cantonese food to Sichuanese food, but still wanted to try this place out and see how it compared to the other Sichuanese restaurants popping up around town. Visiting on a weekday, I was able to easily find parking and was seated promptly upon arriving for a 7:45PM dinner. Our server was incredibly nice and able to offer suggestions on what to order when I told him I liked spicy but didn’t like Sichuan Peppers. I would have loved to try the 3 course Duck dish ($56), but not knowing if I would like the quality of the food, I didn’t want my first meal…
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Sit Low (Finn Hall)
For a more accurate feel, I really need to stop visiting newly opened restaurants and give them a few weeks to acclimate before visiting. However, a show at the nearby Toyota Center enticed me to visit Finn Hall the first week of it’s opening. The layout is incredible with enough floor space among the different offerings to be comfortable and not overly crowded. I was hoping for Korean, but at 6:15PM, Yong already ran out of food and had closed early. My next place of choice was Sit Lo where I was hoping to try their Oxtail Pho (Pho Bo). That unfortunately also sold out and I had to settle…
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BB Lemon
I typically like to give a restaurant a few weeks to find it’s flow before visiting, but a lobster roll craving brought me out earlier than planned. Unfortunately, the roll was a popular item and they ran out by 5PM. Opting to sit outside, the place had a steady flow of diners through the door throughout the night. The environment is more casual that it’s sister restaurant ( B&B Butchers ) and there were a few families with young children in attendance. The kids were well behaved and warmly welcomed by the staff. The Crab Beignets and Banana Pudding were by far my favorite items on the menu and I would…
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Ramen Tatsuya & TRUTH BBQ
When news hit social media about another TatsuyaXTruth collaboration, I cleared my calendar for the event. I missed last year’s offering due to a prior engagement, but was determined not to miss again this year. I arrived at 4PM to find about 50 people already in front of me in line. It started drizzling at some point, but no one seemed to bothered by a little rain or came prepared with umbrellas. Once the doors open at 5PM, the line went pretty quickly, and I was able to order, be seated, and receive my food by 5:20PM. Besides the brisket being more filling than the chashu, the broth was heavier…
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Buff Burger
Instagram alerted me to Buff Burger now having lobster rolls on Fridays. I don’t know if it’s a summer special or if they will continue to offer it indefinitely, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to try their take on the lobster roll. This isn’t the first time I’ve dined here so I was already familiar with their service and food. Just a heads up, besides being card only, you will leave the restaurant smelling like smoke from the burgers. Not a terrible thing, but just something to be aware of when dining here. The bread was incredibly soft and buttery. They had more relish than I wanted, but…
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Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Fried chicken doesn’t usually end up in my regular food rotation, just because it tends to weigh me down and I feel like I’m walking through molasses for days. Still, I was curious as to how it compared to some of the Houston staples around town. My dining companion had the luxury of eating at the original Memphis location, so I deferred to her regarding what to order. The chicken was definitely flavorful with a nice spicy kick. I also appreciated that it wasn’t dry. The sides were decent and what stood out most to me was how friendly and helpful the waitstaff was in making our dining experience enjoyable.…
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Wanna Bao (Take 2)
I couldn’t stop thinking about their scallion pancakes so I made another visit to Wanna Bao — this time in the evening right as they were opening up for business. Since I had multiple dining companions with me, I was able to order and sample more items off their menu. The pancakes were on point and will be a staple order whenever I dine here. Unlike the previous dining experience, the shrimp soup dumplings arrived within 10 minutes of ordering. They were flavorful, but comparable soup dumplings CAN be found in Bellaire. I do, however, like the option of having authentic tasting dumplings near work. The Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck…