Eloise Nichols

Had a work dinner at Eloise Nichols, and lots of yummy food to be had.

Lots of great sharing food:

Venison sausage on top of mustard seeds.  It was not bad until I bit into the mustard seeds, that was a surprise, and had to take a sip to wash it down.

However, I have no issue with Jack's Hot Chicken.  Somehow I am addicting to this even though spicy is not my thing.  Highly recommend.

Another must get: Brussels Sprouts.  It's well done and not your mom's Brussels sprouts.  Definitely get.

Got the Roasted Half Chicken.  They weren't kidding when you say half of a chicken.  The plate was mostly chicken, with some broccoli that felt burnt and fingerling potato, which I can use more of.  I love the skin and it's nicely done.  Meat also did not dry out either, tasted great even after heated up.  What, you think I finished that in a sitting? 

I would say, the drinks and happy hour food is great.  Their selection for dinner proper is slim picking.  Luckily, they are done well, but I could use a few more choices on the entree side.

Parking is difficult in the front, there are valet around.  But if you need to park at the garage it's a quick few steps over.  Save yourself some grieve and park over there, especially after work where lots of people go to the nearby gym around the same time.

Eloise Nichols

2400 Mid Land

#100

Houston, Tx 77027

713-554-0136

http://eloisenichols.com/

 

Lee's Den

Some people called Lee's Den a speakeasy.

It's more hidden than a true speakeasy.  Located at the upstairs of former Benjy's in the Village.

You walk thru those doors and got a confirming sign to tell you that you're near.  By the way, you could've gone thru the market and then head upstairs form there too.

Came here for drink and snacks.  I got the Pali Wild Series Orange, it's a nice sweet wine but is dry bodied.

Got some fries and it came with ketchup & secret sauce, which is like crack.  It's like a mix of mayo + ketchup but there's something else in there too.  All I know is that I kept dipping it, so it's good.

Then we split the Lava Cake, which you can tell the chocolate they used was of great quality.  The cream would be chilled a bit more to go with the warm cake.  But I'm not complaining, it's good either way.

The place is small, so keep that in mind as you come here.  Not that you'll be sitting on someone else's lap, but you might hear their conversation, which mean they can hear yours too.  Calling ahead and making a reservations is smart, but if you're go after peak times, it's easy to get a table walking in too.

Lee's Den

2424 Dunstan

Houston, TX 

713-522-7602

https://www.leesdenhtx.com/

 

Sushi by Hidden

Following Team Hidden for another venture.

The Map took us to the former spot for the Loop.

Except it's an art gallery.... or is it?

Very faux art except...

That's the door that opens to an omakase that seats 10.

The gimmick is $60 for 30 mins for 12 courses.  So they don't have printed menu, especially since this is omakase.  But in case you want to know what you're eating, check the wall, they list what is on there.  The top part is what is included in your $60.  Below the line are a la carte items that the server will come by and see which one you want.  

Price-wise, it averages well, and I know I could eat more than that dollar just by myself.  That said, truly 45 mins including their turn around for the next seating.

As we sat down, one piece already waiting for us, and another one just got served.  

That was Tuna with a dab of Chili and Madai with soy tobiko on top.  Tuna tasted pretty fresh, madai was lacking taste because all I tasted was soy sauce.

They have a drying machine in house to prep the fish.

Here's Hotate (scallop) with yuzu and caviar.  The Yuzu wasn't too sharp, but it really reveal that the rice was crunchy, which usually is a sign that it was too little water when being cooked or old.

This is Kanpachi - yellowtail with yuzu. 

Blood Clam with ginger fish sauce.  Texture is not as chewy as I'd thought it'd be.

Then Spanish King Mackerel with daikon - it is spicy on top.  Has a little kick to it.

This is Flounder - they fire them right in front of us, there's a bit of the torch gun.

Salmon roe - it first landed fresh tasting then it's salty going down.  

Not pictured: Sake with Truffle Oil - I think I tasted more truffle oil than fish.  Was hoping for a balance. 

Hamachi with kumquat and citrus sauce - that was actually pretty good flavor.

Otoro - that melts in your mouth, which I appreciate.

Wagyu - but I got the chewier part of the beef, that was kinda disappointing if you've every had the real deal.  

Uni - sea urchin, which is an a la carte item.  That is pretty buttery and smooth, which I can appreciate.

This is the Patty Melt, which has Uni, Waygu, and Toro caviar.  This is truly a one-bit business.  The thing is the Uni is nice and buttery but kinda ruined it by the chewy Waygu.  So while I'm happy to pay the $20 for that skill, the chosen cut was not what I expected.  

So we saw people BYOB, and there's a corking fee, but let's be honest, by the time they finish a glass, the chefs are already wrapping you up and you couldn't finish your bottle.  So, while they don't exactly has much in terms of alcohol offerings, BYOB is also not very feasible unless you bring a small bottle.  And let's face it, what fun is that?!

At then end, they even hit the Gong to let you know that the time is up.  The set up is simple and the turn around of the seating is quick, so the 15 mins really is for kicking you out while they start seating the next group. 

This is very gimmick, just because Hidden has a good reputation.  The chef enjoys it since it's intimate.  You do have to make a reservation since seating is limited.  But I do have a bone to pick: we were trying to get an extra spot and realized that a seating for 10 can be a challenge.  I DM-ed on their IG, on OpenTable, called and left message, no one answered.  I did inform the chef of this.  Again, fully expected that they cannot accommodate, but what's the point of having all these means to communicate if none of which is attended to?  At least at Hidden, they will respond to DM.  So understand they are at the beginning of this, hope that'll improve over time.

Sushi by Hidden

5216 Morningside 

Houston, TX 77006

346-399-5948

https://sushibyhidden.com/

 

Lady M

So Lady M finally opened a pop up in Houston.

This is located on the rink level by the Chili's

They got lots of cakes sold by slice.

Got some slices home.  Yay!

Start off with Pistachio.  Which is pretty creamy and nutty. 

Got the Tiramisu - has a good balance between chocolate and coffee. 

I got the Marron, which is chestnut.  It's definitely a chestnut type taste, and I wish it's got more chestnut in the layers than cream, otherwise it's not sweet and not too bland.  My fav in this batch is tiramisu, everything fit just right.

Lady M

5085 Westheimer Rd

Rink Level

Houston, TX 77056

https://www.ladym.com/boutiques#texas

 

Seoul Garden

It's been a long time since I've been back to Seoul Garden.

They have been in Houston for at least the 20+ yrs I've been in the Houston area.

I won't lie, my favorite is the banchan. It has spinach, spicy fishcake, pickled potato (my fav), tofu.  You also have lettuce sprinkled with spice.  Then you have kimchee, pickled pickle, pickled cabbage, and bean sprouts.  You got the veggies to complement the meat.

We picked bulgogi (another fav) and pork belly.  I didn't take a pic of the cooked meat, which I should've but just remembered how pork takes way longer than pork, so put those down first.

To be honest, those 2 dishes plus the side dish is a lot of food for 2 people.  That said, we were surprised that the sides did not come with soup.  In the past, they've always gave us soup.  The server then informed us that they now have additional charge of 50cent per bowl.  That's news to us, but it's part of the meal, so we went ahead and ask them to serve it.

I think for traditional shops like these are getting harder and harder to compete in this town; as meat and veggie prices going up.  Yet you have flashier restaurants that has better cut meat, even cook it for you.  It's really hard to compare when the newer places can do the job better and still serve good food, plus no smell stuck to your clothes.  By no means, was our food sub par, but that seems to be easy to find.  In that sense, in this competitive landscape, being an old institution still has a hard time competing with the young'uns. 

Seoul Garden

9446 Long Point Rd

Houston, TX 77055

713-935-9696

https://seoulgardenhoustontx.com/

Saltgrass

Haven't been back to Saltgrass for some time. 

Not for any particular reason just that they're so busy, it's hard to get a seat when I'm in the mood for it, so I stopped trying.  But when friends suggested to go there before a movie, that gives me a great excuse.

I got the Steak Salad: it has sirloin steak over a bed of romaine with chunks of potato and eggs. It comes with tomato, onions, and blue cheese chunks.  They also give us the balsamic vinaigrette for dressing.  That way it's not super heavy like the Wedge with Cesar but still has the flavor to feel like I'm getting a bit of steak and a bit of veggies.

Saltgrass at Willowbrook

17275 Tomball Pkwy

Houston, TX 77064

281-477-0952

https://www.saltgrass.com/location/saltgrass-houston-tomball-willowbrook

 

Chopn'blok

Went back to POST to try Chopn'blok.

They are West African cuisine that's inside the food hall.

It was reasonable pricing on the dishes and drinks.

This is the Motherland, which have curry and rice which has Nigerian Honey Beans, bell pepper, yellow coconut curry sauce.  Some rice, and plantain. 

We got the Minnie Pies with veggie filling.  I love the flakey shell, the filling is pretty good too.  Entire meal is pretty good and the price is right.  It's no wonder that there's a long line in front of their store.

Plenty of seating during the weekday.  Though cannot attest for the holidays. 

What I can attest to, is the beautiful night skyline view from the SkyLawn

Not to mention, giant Xmas tree, all beautiful and lit up at night.

Ornament, which is great for The Gram

Of course, the main building all in Xmas color is great to get you into the Holiday Spirits.

Chopnblok inside Post

401 Franklin St

Houston, TX 

https://chopnblok.co/

 

Red Circle

Went back to Red Circle for some dessert.

This time I got the Egg Puff bubble.  Long and short of it it's really a waffle.  At any rate, it has cinnamon sugar on this one, so it's sweeter than normal.  So if you want something sweet but not too sweet, this is a good alternative.

Keep in mind, any waffle or churros are made to order, so you would have to wait as they prepare it.  And they will come out fresh and hot.

Red Circle Ice Cream

6838 Ranchester Dr

Houston, TX 77036

832-767-5679

https://www.redcirclefranchising.com/home

 

Fluff Bake Bar

Been watching Fluff Bake updating their goodies a while now. 

Finally made it over to that side of town.  The streets are like a war torn country and if you blink, you may miss it.

But don't worry, when there's a will, there's a way.

First, we got the Caramel Apple Bread Pudding. 

When I picked it up, it was still warm.  So good....  It has sugar top, caramel, croissant as part of the bread.

Definitely enjoy it with a cup of coffee.

Got a Financier, that's one of my favorite from here.  Definitely almond flour and added the blueberries for a tad of zing.  So good.

I got a Smorkie - which has marshmallow, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crumble.  It's a S'more Cookie.  Definitely awesome for afternoon treat.

I have never had anything bad from here.  When you get here, you can tell the folks are busy prepping for more yummy goodness.  That's what I mean, if you have to go thru war-torn streets, you should still go get some good stuff.

Fluff Bake Bar

1701 W 15th St

Houston, TX 77008

713-522-1900

https://www.fluffbakebar.com/