For devoted followers, each season is soup season, however Houston’s colder temperatures do make slurping soup much more satisfying. For this checklist, we’re digging into the hearty bowls that newly-opened eating places are ladling out. In spite of everything, most Houstonians already know concerning the tanginess of Niko Niko’s hen avgolemono, the restorative properties of Mamma Mandola’s Sicilian Rooster soup at Carrabba’s, or how nothing conjures recollections of bubbe fairly just like the matzo ball soup at Kenny & Ziggy’s.
Stuffed Stomach is a comfortable sandwich store owned by Masterchef champion Christine Ha and her husband and enterprise associate John Suh, that includes favourite handhelds, like patty melts and egg salad. This January, the Spring Department joint launched baked potato soup ($5) to its menu. Primarily a loaded baked potato in liquid kind, this comforting meals blends pureed russet potatoes with crispy bacon, tangy bitter cream, cheddar cheese, and inexperienced onions.
Leo’s River Oaks gives pure decadence with its lobster bisque ($32). This isn’t your common bowl—it’s an opulent creation that includes a butter-poached lobster tail and a touch of tarragon for steadiness. For the total expertise, order the “bread and butter” to accompany it, with 1847 sourdough, cultured butter, pickled radish, and caviar.
This wouldn’t be an article about soup if the granddaddy of all wasn’t included: French onion. In spite of everything, the historical past of this international staple stretches way back to historical Rome.
At Fielding’s River Oaks, onions caramelized in French butter function the dish’s basis. The French onion soup’s ($16) taste profile builds as substances are added, together with Sauvignon Blanc for acidity and the restaurant’s proprietary dashi glaze for an umami enhance. It’s all topped with a slice of sourdough bread toasted with garlic and butter and nutty Comté cheese from France.
State of Grace’s onion soup gratinée ($17) gives its personal twist on the traditional. Right here, Mahón is the cheese of selection, creating a pointy, salty chunk. For added indulgence, think about pairing the revamped restaurant’s velvety dish with its thickly sliced frites ($14) for a crunchy distinction.
Individuals are lining up for an hour or extra to strive the ramen at Mensho in Chinatown. The Japan-based, Michelin-recommended ramen store opened its doorways in October, and the hype hasn’t died down since. This creamy hen broth is paired with thick, housemade noodles and topped with all 4 of the restaurant’s chashus — hen, duck, A5 wagyu, and smoked pork — together with an ajitama egg, truffle sauce, and king oyster mushrooms.
For individuals who take pleasure in a hands-on eating expertise, Kazzan Ramen gives the possibility to craft ramen tableside. A stone bowl, preheated to about 662 levels Fahrenheit, serves because the cooking instrument. The patron provides the ordered substances and broth to the bowl earlier than putting a pink cylindrical lid atop. That’s when the magic occurs, or the “funka” because the eatery calls it — a “volcano eruption” of steam because the concoction cooks. As soon as the steam diminishes and a minute has handed, it’s time to dig in. The Kazzan shoyu ($21.80 for a daily) stands out with its tonkotsu broth enhanced by a soy sauce mix.
Mexican Sugar Cantina’s two-story spot in Montrose boasts greater than 150 tequilas and mezcals, good for pairing with the eatery’s daring tortilla soup ($9 bowl). Infused with in-house toasted cumin, the scratch-made hen inventory is created from the roasted bones of the restaurant’s brined and marinated complete chickens and thickened with housemade tortillas. Tortillas additionally turn into crispy strips that function a garnish, alongside avocados and Persian lime.
Saigon Hustle’s new Spring Department location has a roomier kitchen than its unique spot in Oak Forest, with sufficient house for the beloved Vietnamese restaurant to serve pho for the primary time. The fragrant broth, slow-simmered with spices like cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger, serves as the muse for his or her beef and hen varieties. The meat pho ($13.95) is full of brisket, spherical eye, and meatballs, whereas the hen pho ($11.95) options tender breast meat. Contemporary rice noodles, crisp bean sprouts, and aromatic Thai basil make for a superbly balanced bowl.
