The best new restaurants in Houston

Plus: The inside scoop on chef Hugo Ortega's next act

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What's cooking?

The year 2024 was not all doom and gloom for local restaurants. A wealth of accomplished spots made their debut; Bao Ong's fresh list of the Houston's best new restaurants is proof.

And 2025 is starting off with an explosion of intriguing new restaurants, too. There's a Filipino tasting menu spot in Sawyer Yards called Chikahan that I can't wait to try; a swanky bar with bites by Tatemó chef Emmanuel Chavez in what was once an animal hospital; a Peruvian-Vietnamese fusion restaurant in the former Kau Ba space; a mini chain of build-your-own bowls of pho; and a downtown restaurant serving what its chef is calling "Houston cuisine." Love to see it. Also exciting: Bao's exclusive that chef Hugo Ortega is expanding his empire.

Trying to start the year on a healthier note? Sonia Garcia rounded up a list of great mocktails to try, and we're working on a guide to our favorite vegetarian restaurants in Houston. Have a suggestion? Shoot me an email.  

 

Jody Schmal, Food Editor jody.schmal@houstonchronicle.com

 

 

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Pick of the Day

Photo by: StuffBenEats

Houston's 10 best new restaurants

West African, Cantonese, Basque and South Texas are among the cuisines that stood out the most among the countless meals the Chronicle's team tasted in 2024. These are Bao Ong's picks.

 

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Local eats

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer James Beard-winning chef Hugo Ortega plans to open a new restaurant The team behind the best-known Mexico-born chef in Texas confirmed a downtown Houston restaurant is in the works.

 

Photo by: Jeff's Bagel Run Orlando-based bagel shop opens in West University Place Jeff's Bagel Run is offering free bagels this week.

 

Photo by: Hai Hospitality 11 restaurants and bars with great mocktails Doing Dry January? Try the non-alcoholic drinks at these spots.

 

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer Chikahan is Houston's first Filipino-inspired tasting menu restaurant Chef-owner Andrew Musico wants to cook Filipino food that honors his culture's flavors and traditions, but he is also going beyond classics like adobo and lechon.

 

Photo by: Four Seasons World's 50 Best Bar from Tokyo heading to Four Seasons Houston for pop-up Virtù, ranked 42nd on the prestigious lists of leading bars in the world, is known for its use of Japanese ingredients and techniques.

 

Photo by: Brett Coomer, Staff Photographer Trailblazing Peruvian-Vietnamese restaurant debuts in Montrose Alora, which takes over the former Kau Ba space, introduces Houston to dishes like ají de gallina, curry shrimp and even a pho-inspired cocktail with tequila.

 

Photo by: Photos Courtesy Of The Railyard Post Malone tips Houston bartender $20,000 Post Malone tipped Houston bartender Renee Brown $20,000 on Christmas at the Railyard while he was in town to perform with Beyonce.

 

Photo by: Melrose Cocktail bar transforms former La Grange space Melrose has opened in Montrose from Army Sadeghi, Brandon Duliakas and Dan Wierck. It serves food from Tatemo chef Emmanuel Chavez.

 

Photo by: Christine Nguyen Viet-Cajun favorite Crawfish Cafe expands with three new pho restaurants Pho Prime, a fast-casual concept with a build-your-own option for the classic Vietnamese noodle soup, is already open in Shenandoah-The Woodlands with locations coming to the Galleria and Pearland.

 

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Photographer New Barbacana comes from a chef with Michelin resume Barbacana is now open in downtown Houston from fine dining chef Christian Hernandez, former chef of March.

 

Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer Landry's-owned Kemah seafood restaurant closes after nearly 50-year run The Flying Dutchman, which Tilman Fertitta bought in 1997, was a popular destination on the Kemah Boardwalk for oysters, seafood and sunset views.

 

Photo by: Cody Bahn, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Posh Woodlands steakhouse closes suddenly following chef's departure Customers with upcoming reservations received messages saying The Woodlands restaurant was closed permanently and that chef Austin Simmons had resigned.

 

 

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Aprons on

Photo by: Carolina Ayala, Contributor

Japanese Turnip Soup has a delicious, mellow flavor and gorgeous green color

Is your New Year's resolution to eat better and eat more greens? Try this delicious soup recipe.

 

Photo by: Greg Morago / Greg Morago 11 soups that will keep you warm during the freeze From carrot to tortilla to pozole and everything in between, we approve these recipes.

 

Photo by: Paula Murphy 42 iconic Houston recipes you can make at home To celebrate Houston's favorite foods, we compiled a cookbook of dishes and drinks from the city's favorite chefs and restaurants.

 

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Barbecue

Photo by: J.C. Reid, Contributor

How a BBQ superfan opened his own restaurant in Austin

The northern reaches of Austin had never been known for barbecue until seven years ago when Baker's Brisket Co. opened a trailer in Lago Vista.

 

• UPDATED: The 30 best places to get barbecue around Houston: Greater Houston is enjoying a new era of smoked meat supremacy, making it, perhaps, the new capital of Texas barbecue. Here the best BBQ places in Houston.

 

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Houston's top restaurants

Photo by: Caroline Fontenot

Houston Chronicle's Top 100 Restaurants of 2024

Houston's food scene offers everything from barbecue and banh mi to fine dining. See the Chronicle's picks for the best restaurants in town.

 

 

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Katy-area court to hear 800 eviction cases in one day

Participating in Dry January? These Katy bars are offering mocktails.

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What are the stories that matter most to you as we move into 2025?

The Chronicle is constanly looking for ways to make our coverage most relevant and compelling to you, our readers. As we head full-steam into 2025, I figured now is the best time to check in with Insiders to find out what stories matter most to you.

Suburban growth, goverment and development are hot topics, and the Katy and Fort Bend areas are the fastest growing in the state. That means I have my work cut out for me to make sure I'm delivering coverage that's tailored to the needs of readers.

I want to know: what are the issues that matter most to you? What are the things that frustrate, excite, fascinate or confuse you the most? Infrastructure? Development? Policy change?

The topics are endless, so please drop me an email and share your thoughts with me on how I can bring you the news that matters most. Let's chat about it.

 

Claire Goodman, Katy reporter claire.goodman@houstonchronicle.com

 

 

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Education

Photo by: Jon Shapley, Staff Photographer

Former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck drops defamation suit

Former Fort Bend ISD superintendent Christie Whitbeck dropped her defamation suit last week, but will continue to pursue her breach of contract claim.

 

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Trending

Photo by: Kirk Sides, Staff Photographer

A Katy-area court had 800 eviction cases in one day. Is a solution possible?

So many eviction cases were set for one day that tenants and landlords spilled out of the courthouse lobby into the subfreezing parking lot.

 

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Need to Know

Photo by: Hai Hospitality

11 restaurants and bars with mocktails during Dry January, including Katy

Houston restaurants and bars to find mocktails during Dry January include Andiron, Caracol, Hamsa, Jethro's, Loro, Phat Eatery, Postino's and Sixty Vines.

 

 

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Openings and Closings

Welcome, Acro Fit Gym and Wellness, to the Katy and Fort Bend area. The new gym, located at 6527 Skyline Drive in Fulshear, is a state-of-the-art training facility for all fitness levels, according the company's website.

 

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Shout out

Looking to save money on grocerie? Learn how to become a smarter and healthier shopper at Fort Bend County Libraries' "Eating Well, Saving More, Wasting Less" on Feb. 8 from 2-4 p.m. at the Mission Bend Branch Library.

Ryan Gant, a nutritionist with Fort Bend County Health and Human Services, will talk about the benefits of pre-planning healthy family meals. Learn how to save money and waste less food by practicing smart grocery shopping, mastering food labels and product dating, and implementing proper ways to store food. 

The program is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged, but not required. To register online at FBCL's website at www.fortbend.lib.tx.us.

 

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One last thing ...

We can go ahead and un-drip our faucets and pull our sheets off our landscaping, our newsroom meteorologist Justin Ballard tells us. "Freezing temperatures had Southeast Texas shivering Monday and Tuesday morning, but clouds streaming in Wednesday will help keep morning temperatures a tad above freezing," Justin reports. Now here comes the rain.

 

 

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Microsoft layoffs | Top startup deals from Q4 | Accolade to be acquired for $621M

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