This third post in my Houston series will turn to some of the more upscale restaurants I visited while in H-Town. I had many excellent options to choose from and not enough time to investigate them all. In the end, in addition to the casual dining spots I visited, I chose to visit the two restaurants featured in this post, and another that I'll share about soon.
Musaafer
Musaafer Entrance
First up is Musaafer, a contemporary, Indian restaurant located in The Galleria mall in Houston. I visited Musaafer in October of last year. Immediately after finishing my meal, I sent texts to friends and family declaring that I may have just encountered the best Indian restaurant in the U.S.
One month later, on November 11, 2024, Michelin released it first-ever Texas guide and awarded Musaafer one Michelin star. Prior to that in 2021, just one year after its opening, this restaurant landed on TIME magazine’s World’s Greatest Places list. I guess I'm not the only one noticing Musaafer's distinctive approach to, and execution of, Indian cooking.
The word "musafir" means traveler in Hindi and Urdu. Musaafer, which is named accordingly, features a menu that is inspired by Executive Chef Mayank Istwal's 100 day journey across the Indian subcontinent. If you are familiar with regional foods in India, you will appreciate the variety of dishes from across the country, including snapshots from Kashmir, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Goa, and Rajasthan, to name a handful.
Musaafer's Central Hallway
Before I delve further into the food, let's talk about the space, because it deserves its own attention. I think Musaafer has the most ornate dining area of any restaurant I have visited. There are towering windows, vibrant colors, gorgeous arches, beautiful art and bespoke light fixtures that capture and hold your attention.
In addition, the sheer scale of the dining area is remarkable.
Hall of Mirrors Dining Room
Of all the dining rooms in the restaurant (yes, there are multiple), my favorite was the Hall of Mirrors, featuring an array of beveled, tinted and mosaic mirrors that reflect the light from the crystal chandeliers beautifully.
Musaafer Bar
I highly suggest getting a reservation, but should you walk in and have to wait, the exquisite bar is not a bad place to temporarily post up.
Zaffran 2.0
Musaafer's cocktails, like this one made with Tanqueray Rangpur, Italicus, saffron, cardamom, pistachio, lemon and lavender, are quite unique.
If you prefer to enjoy your cocktail in a cozier environment, you can also elect to sit in the waiting room until your table is ready.
Lychee Ceviche
Now for the food. My first dish arrived at my table upon the insistence of my server and I am so glad I acquiesced.
The fruit ceviche was made with cured lychee, yuzu-infused coconut sauce, and homemade tooti frooti. The combination incorporated sweet, sour and spicy flavors with creamy and crunchy textures. It was fabulous.
From this dish forward, the chef took over and curated the rest of my meal, after my server conveyed my excitement, trust and desire for an adventurous culinary journey.
Tomato and Escolar Ceviche
The prior, fruit-based ceviche was followed by a traditional, fish ceviche. The escolar was marinated in a combination of tomato and ginger water, coconut, chilis and salted blackberry. The ceviche was topped with tenkasu, red onion and a beautiful flower made of chickpea batter. A+ for presentation.
Nihari Birria Tacos
Next, arrived the birria tacos with an Indian twist. Inside the corn tortilla was tender, pulled lamb, melty Indian cheddar cheese, and red onion. The lamb was quite spicy but balanced by the sweetness and saltiness of the cheese and onions.
The taco was served with nihari consommè. Nihari refers to an Indian cooking method wherein the lamb, or other meat, is slow cooked with spices until fork tender and falling off the bone.
Chaanp
I was told ahead of time, by a close friend of the chef, that Musaafer's lamb is exceptional, so I was excited about a second lamb dish, the chaanp. Chaanp is a dish consisting of lamb chops that have been marinated in coriander and chili, among other spices, and grilled. The chops were served along with crème fraîche that had been sprinkled with beetroot dust.
Musaafer has a tasting menu that I was too short on time to try and that I will definitely be returning to experience. A note about the service and hospitality at Musaafer: Knowing I had limited time before my flight to Dallas departed, the chef concocted the above, custom, abbreviated, tasting menu for me last minute.
Daal Musaafer
He also packed a to go container of daal which he insisted I could not leave Houston without tasting. It was made with black lentils, tomatoes and smoked chilis and cooked for 72 hours. The daal, along with every dish I had at Musaafer, was exceptional. I loved everything about this restaurant, from the food and drinks, to the ambiance and the service.
Jūn
Jūn
Next we head to Jūn, located in The Heights neighborhood. Jūn features what co-chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu describe as "New Asian American" cuisine. The best way to understand their vision is to partake in the chef's tasting menu which features seven courses that rotate seasonally. My tasting menu featured the following courses that creatively blurred the lines between various cuisines:
Gulf Shrimp Aguachile
The first dish was a gulf shrimp aguachile, prepared by marinating the raw seafood in lime and spices. To the shrimp, the chef added avocado, taro and shrimp oil.
Salvadorian Tamal
Next, I was served a Salvadorian style tamale which differs most distinctively from a Mexican tamale based on its use of banana leaf, rather than corn husk, for steaming.
Inside the tamale was escabeche topped with crispy chicken skin and parmesan.
Cauliflower
The title of the next dish was simply "cauliflower," though there was so much more going on.
The roasted cauliflower was served on a puree of eggplant, seasoned with black garlic, yogurt, and hazelnut vinaigrette.
Whole Prawn
I think this prawn dish was my favorite of the night. The grilled prawn was marinated in a spicy aioli, Thai basil chimichurri and lime juice. Heat from the chilis and sweetness from the prawn made for an ideal marriage of flavors.
Carrots
I'll admit that I was a little dubious about an entire course featuring carrots, but I was pleasantly surprised. The sweet and crunchy, grilled carrots were accompanied by a salsa macha, Salvadorian cheese and a quail egg, making the dish both more substantial and flavorful than I had anticipated.
Brisket
The main dish of the evening was a beef brisket curry that was rich, spicy, creamy and comforting.
The brisket, which was fork tender, was swimming in the peanut sauce, fermented mustard greens and was finished with sesame oil and topped with crispy lotus root chips.
Nuegados and Tapioca
The final course in the tasting menu was made up of several desserts including nuegados, which are deep fried dough balls drizzled with piloncillo (raw Mexican sugar) syrup. To accompany the dumplings were passion fruit, sesame and coconut tapioca.
I would recommend both Musaafer and Jūn if you are looking for a place to indulge, slow down, eat great food and enjoy a fancy evening out in Houston.
I visited one additional restaurant that I would highly recommend. It offers the same pace, lovely ambiance and excellent food as the two above, though it is far more splurgy. In addition, it is so unique that I am dedicating one post to it entirely, which will be coming up next. Stay tuned for a James Beard award-winning restaurant that features both Thai and Chocktaw cuisines and somehow brings them together seamlessly.
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