Osaka - Lunch

It is so unuaul that I get to go to Osaka for lunch. And Lunch menu has different things to offer than normally you don't get. For instance, the chirashi box. It is essentially all the sashimi over a bed of rice. Now, think for a second, if you were to order all of those sushi separately, it would've costed you north of $30. Here in the chirashi bento, which comes with soup and salad, only cost $12.95. I will say that the white fish and the salmon is super fresh. If you don't feel like having all the rice usually comes with sushi, you don't have to waste them.

This is a great deal with fresh sashimi!

Osaka Restaurant (Bellaire)
4001 Bellaire Blvd. #J
Houston, TX 77025
(713) 838-9812
http://www.osakahouston.com/ (the site is down, but the food is available!)

Nippon

When David said he found a new Japanese restaurant on Montrose I was scrating my head. Having lived in that neighborhood when I first arrived in Houston, I thought I know my knook and cranies for places to eat. Totally over looked Nippon on Montrose.
Surprisingly enough, I've never been there. Either because it never crossed my mine, it is hidden, there's no parking, or all of the above. Once we got there, I was like: sure, I've driven by it for years. Yes, they've been there for years.

Sushi is fresh, but sitting at the sushi bar has its perks. You can ask the sushi chef to do Omakase (chef's choice). It's kinda nice. There's definitely regulars that come for their comfort food here.
I ordered the Nippon Roll and it is tuna and white fish with avocado wrapped and tempura-ed then rice and caviar wrapped with soy paper. It definitely lend it's crunchy chew on that. That is not an unusal combo, just the taste remained intact with the tempura and wrap.

The place is small and popular with the regulars and people who live in the neighborhood. There are a small parking lot behind the building, but your best bet is park across the street and walk over. Also, the place is small, if you have a party more than 5, call ahead. Otherwise, during meal time, don't be surprised that you have to wait a bit. They are popluar.

Nippon Japanese Restaurant
4464 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006
(713) 523-3939

The Sweet Bakery

So, while shopping in Sugarland, we grabbed some lunch at the Townsquare in Sugarland. After walking around and stuff, I came across the bakery. They of course have cupcakes, cake balls, and their own design of cakes that gives the Cake Boss a run for his money. Don't know how they tasted, but if they tasted as good as it looks, then it must be pretty good. But most important of all, they also sell macarons! Wohoo!
Their display is very cute and whimsical, not to mention, totally drawing me into what they have to sell me. I say thumbs up on that.
I got: Coconut, Pistachio, Rose, Chocolate and Mango... thought that'll be a different twist.
For sure, they didn't take the cheat like Sweet did, in that they didn't put jam in the middle, expose them without refrigeration and be all sticky and melted. TSB used buttercream and stucked them real good together.
The shell didn't break easily as I bite into it. The buttercream held them together, but the taste is missing something. Not quite sure what, but for $1.50, I expected to be more flavorful. If Petite Sweet can achieve it, that means it can be done... Just hard to measure up.


If you're a macaron-snob like me only want to best, that's ok. If you don't want macs from here, try out their cake balls and cupcakes. If you want a custom cake, check out their FB page, got tons of cute cakes they designed that makes me envy of the receiver.

The Sweet Bakery
Located in the Sugar Land Townsquare
2270 Lone Star Dr.
Sugar Land, TX 77479
281-302-5374
http://tsbcakes.com/locations.php

Pappadeux - lunch

We don't usually go to Pappadeux for lunch, but did you know that the Richmond & Kirby location serves Sunday brunch till 3pm? It is mainly after-church crowd. The spread is very nice, they have omelete station, pancakes, waffle, carving station...etc.

For lunch, I got the Wedge salad; truth be told, I just wanted the blue cheese. And also a lobster bisque, that's my usual. If you are eating bread, dip their bread into the bisque, it's nice and soak up the soup, it's a perfect dish for a cold day.

Pappadeux's
2410 Richmond Ave
Houston, TX 77098
(713) 527-9137
http://www.pappadeaux.com/location/?id=34

Marshmallow by Robuchon

My friends went to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving and had dinner at Robuchon. I've never eaten there before but their cookbooks and TV apparences made things looked wonderful.

That said, my friend was super nice. Remembering that I'm a big sugar fiend, she brought back the specially made marshmallow for all the guest dining with them that day.
Even the box is enticingly delicious! You open up the ribbon and you can smell the grapefruit and passionfruit. Is it weird that they smell pink?
It's not truly pink, it's mixed colors.
Ok, well this is pink. It's very yummy, light in texture. It's very different than the Kraft marshmallows for sure. You had one of Robuchon's and you felt like you're having flavored air. Definitely awesome.

Sushi Raku

I got couple of deals that I bought online that needed to use up for Sushi Raku, so invited my friend J to eat some Japanese food.

We started with bacon wrapped scallop. It has a cherry tomato in the middle. The little hay looking noodle stuff, it's so good it's addicting.
This is the sunomono, which has shrimp, octopus, seaweed, crab, a little pickled.
I ordered a Geisha roll, which the fish is pretty fresh.
I forgot which one this is, but it's pretty good, it has a hodge podge of sea food over rice. It had assorted sashimi, shrimp, octopus, unagi. All goes well with the dish.
On a whimp we decided to get the tiramisu, it was more bitter than sweet, but we kinda figured their drinks and sushi are good but the dessert is not their top priority.

The server we had was decent, in the pass the service can be hit or miss. Usually, I sit at the sushi bar to watch them work, and also get alot of attention from the head sushi chef. Not to mention, you can ask them to make a chef's choice and somethine spectacular happens.

It was strange, on a Thursday night, at dinner time, not alot of people eating. I think if it's not because of some networking event taking place in the bar area, there's probably not alot of patrons except for people who live across the way.

They have DJs on the most times I went. They begin at 9pm, maybe that's when things get crowded. You can valet or self park in the garage behind the building. Or better yet, catty corner is an open lot that welcomes you to park there. At night the area is beautiful, if anything, something to look at while you eat.

Sushi-Raku
3201 Louisiana St. Suite 101
Houston, TX 77006
Phone: (713) 526-8885
http://sushi-raku.com/

Failed attempts

I picked the Disco Dust when I was at NY Cake. I remember that I've never seen it anywhere, so when I took it to the counter to pay and ask the guy how to use it; he looked at me like I had 3 heads. That or some remedial kid asking what's 1+1.
So, remembered last time's gigantic macs? I tried it at 1.5 inch this time. I also tried the recipe from my idol, Macaron Fetish. The problem with her receipe is that it doesn't like me. Her recipe called for 1 egg white, 30g almond flour, 50g icing sugar, 30g castor sugar.
It totally fell apart, and it came out flat. Usually if that's happen is because we pulled it out of the oven too early. But I know for sure that I put it in the proper temp like they instructed.
I was so looking forward to this 2nd batch. So I added Disco Dust just in case they come out nice...
This time, no feet, and not flat, but cracked cracked cracked... Broke my heart!