Mango Tree Thai Bistro

Here's another version of Desktop Cafe (aka eating at my desk)

Today's recommendation is for Mango Tree Downtown.  For lunches, it came with soup of the day. This is the Coconut Milk Soup with scallion, tofu, and cilantro.

The entree is Yellow Curry with beef and veggies.  It comes with egg rolls, small salad, and a side of rice.  It is actually a lot of food, but for $11 lunch, it is pretty awesome with so much food.

The taste is good, nothing fancy, tried and true.  You can tell by there is not an open seat in the house.  Luckily, I had the order to go, they were pretty fast with the order.  They told me 15 mins, and you know in downtown, that is pretty fast for a full-fledge restaurant.

Mango Tree Downtown

914 Main Street

Houston, TX 77002

713-659-1600

https://www.mangotreethaibistro.com/menu

Flip n' Patties

So, there's a new food court opened in Downtown Houston called Understory.

Literally watch them put all these places together. 

Needless to say, I was thrilled to see Flip N' Patties got a spot.  You don't get alot of Filipino eateries in Houston.  So to have one so easily accessible is awesome!

Makes me excited to see that they went from a food truck to a brick and mortar and now expanding to downtown.

Right now, like many new eateries, they are cashless.  And since that place is really loud, they let you know when your food is ready.  Frankly, I was thrilled to see unicorns prepared my order.

So, what did I get.  I got the Spamsilot, which is slices of space cooked Filipino style, over a bed of jasmine rice covered with fukikake flakes (which has seaweed, sesame and other seasonings), with a fried egg over it. 

Honestly, that is alot of food.  But it was so delicious that I inhaled the entire box.  It is decently priced for that much of food.  The line at their stall is often out to the seating area.  So, I'm thrilled they are popular amongst the office crowd.  Definitely will come back for the Flippin Burger next time!

Flip n' Patties

in Understory

800 Capitol St

Houston, TX 77002

http://www.flipnpatties.com

Poblano's Mexican Grill

One of the fun things working downtown is that you get access to the tunnels.

One of them is Poblano's Mexican Grill.  My usual go-to is Ninfa's but since part of the tunnel is under constructions, it blocks my way there.

My boss recommended the Chicken Soup, so sure, why not?  At first, I was surprised, it was topped all the way with various food.   So, besides broth and chicken, there are tortilla strips, cheese of 2 kinds, cilantro, avocado, tomato, and little pico.  Basically, there's alot.  I saw the table over, have a little bit of rice to go with the soup.  Wow, talk about a full meal.

Chicken was tender and the soup was flavorful.  The cheese with avocado I wasn't too sure about, but after it all melted and mix in together, it delivered a surprise flavoring that I didn't think I like but turned out impressed by.  This is a quick easy and tasty lunch.  It is quite filling.  Of course, not photographed was the chips and salsa I was stuffing myself silly with, but still, that's alot of food.

Poblano Mexican Grill

1000 Main Street

T-33

Houston, TX 77002

713-651-0300

https://poblanosmexicangrill.net/contact-us/downtown

Beck's Prime - Tunnel edition

First of all, I don't get to do lunch out of the office very often. Somtimes it's because I have stuff to do, sometimes it's cheaper to bring my own lunch, sometimes I'm just tired of the options down in tunnel that's near my building. So even though it's a trek for me, going to Beck's it's a treat.
I had a Ahi Tuna sandwich, it's nice and seared and with a side of sweet potato fries. It is a tad indulgence, tuna was lightly seared with feta cheese, onions, sans tomato. Talk about flavor, it burst in your mouth and then have a parade. Totally worth getting with their sauce too. Yummo!

Beck's Prime - Tunnel
Downtown Location
919 Milam, Suite T-1200
Houston, TX 77002-5800
(713) 659-6122
http://becksprime.com/locations/downtown/

Tunnel Talk - Kokoro

In Houston, if it rains, heat, 'snow', the tunnel provides a a good refuge. There are tons of food down in the tunnel. Now, I know what you think, boring sandwiches and bland salads. They do try to have decent food seeing that this is a captive audience.

I went to Kokoro for lunch. They're really known for the only sushi place in the tunnel that has been consistent instead of just a plain California Roll. They have seaweed salad and nice sushi combo box. The other thing they are known for is their teppenyaki.

This trip I went for the beef teppenyaki. Their new thing is instead of white rice, they also allow you to pick fried rice. I never had issue w/ the white rice, mainly because I felt that it absorb the sauce very well. Fried rice, however, I'm not too interested. But, in the name of research, I have to give it a try.

Well, the thing about not going with fried rice on a normal try is because there's so many flavors going on with the fried rice mix already. So, adding more it's simply that adding more. Not necessary for the better or not, just more doesn't necessary translate to better.

This round, I'm right, unfortunately. The fried rice is really dry. No matter how much sauce they give you, which is usually one ladle full of it, and I then I usually ask for a little more. It's not enough to battle the burnt pieces of rice, which are super stiff. Not enough sauce to soften that up. The beef also was drier than normal. Not sure what's going on with that. In the past I have good result from ordering the dish. I'll probably go back and try it again, just because I am one of those captived audience, but must see who's doing the cooking.

Kokoro
811 Rusk St (tunnel)
Houston, TX 77002