Houston Restaurant Weeks Brunch at Indika + A Giveaway!

(Psst, Houston residents - Scroll down to the bottom for an exciting Giveaway!!)

Only four more days until the weekend, which means only five more days until Sunday Brunch!!!

Not that we're counting.

(but okay we are).

Last Sunday, my friend Meredith drove into Houston from Humble and met up with me for brunch at Indika, located in Houston's Montrose neighborhood. One aspect of Houston Restaurant Weeks that I'd yet to take advantage of was brunch ($20 per person for three courses of food, um hello). I've been eyeing Indika for quite a while, and their Houston Restaurant Weeks brunch menu looked ah-mazing, so it seemed like the perfect place to visit!

(And take note: Brunch at Indika is only offered on Sundays, and the place really filled up quickly, so make your reservations now!)

The inside of the restaurant is massive, with high ceilings and dramatic drapes. It's open, airy, and super inviting. We weren't drinking during this particular brunch because Meredith is pregnant with her cherub #2, and I prefer not to drink alone. <~~(I'm lying to you. I'd had a wild evening the night before, and by wild I mean played Monopoly and drank wine with Jon at home, so I needed a breather because this is what being an adult looks like).

Before we ordered our food, we were presented with the restaurant's green onion naan with yogurt sauce.

The bread was fluffy and gooey in that wonderful naan-like way, and the green onions in it created a unique and lovely flavor. Dipped in the tart yogurt, it was fantastic!

For our first course of food, Meredith ordered the restaurant's sweet potato samosas with cilantro chutney, and I went with the spinach cutlet chaat.

Meredith's samosas were slightly crisped and doughy, and the outer casing did not overpower the fluffy sweet potato filling inside. The tart chutney offered a nice counter-balance to the softness of the samosa. And my spinach cutlet chaat was possibly my favorite food item of the whole meal. A spinach patty of sorts was topped off with the tart chutney, a sweet barbecue-esque sauce, a yogurt sauce (I think?) and crispy noodles. The patty was soft and super herby, and the combo of bright, contrasting, delicious flavors and textures on top was an absolute masterpiece. I couldn't get enough!

For our second round of food, we got to pick two items (TWO ITEMS!!!). Meredith ordered the restaurant's coconut and millet pancakes with bananas, blueberries, and jaggery syrup, as well as the bacon cumin biscuit, pulled pork, and a fried egg (sans pulled pork). I opted for the chickpea crepe stuffed with mushroom and topped with tomato masala as my first choice, and the akuri (scrambled eggs) with a green onion masala.

Meredith enjoyed her biscuit, but she was going NUTS over her pancakes! So of course I had to take a bite or three because they were UNREAL. The pancakes themselves were crispy/crunchy on the outside, and super dense and earthy on the inside. The bananas were essentially caramelized and downright sinful. The crispy topping of coconut flakes added wonderful texture, and it was all so delightful! It was definitely up there as one of the best bites we had!

My chickpea stuffed crepe had a nice sponge-y texture, and it was filled with sauteed mushrooms. The tomato masala was bright and acidic and went well with the crepe. I enjoyed this dish, though I think I enjoyed my eggs more. The taste of the akuri was wonderfully chive-y, and the texture was SUPER creamy. I'm definitely going to try to master the art of Indika's scrambled eggs at home!

For our final round of food (dessert!), Meredith ordered the rose cake parfait, and I opted for the restaurant's olive oil black pepper cake with blackberry compote.

Unfortunately, neither of us got really jazzed about the parfait (pictured above). To me, it was way too sweet and almost had a perfume-y taste. Meredith claimed it made her molars sing. BUT THAT OLIVE OIL BLACK PEPPER CAKE (pictured below), OMG. That cake was outstanding! The outer bits of the cake were crumbly and crunchy, resembling that of a coffee cake or cobbler. The flavors of it sang of harvest and Christmas time, with hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. The earthy, soul-warming cake was made brighter with the use of the sweet, tart blackberry compote, and the end result was just fabulous. This cake was neck and neck with the chaat for being my favorite dish!

And as if that wasn't enough, when we were finished, we were presented with two cardamom butter cookies. While having the texture of English tea cookies and the buttery-ness of shortbread cookies, they were on a whole other level with the warm, festive spice of cardamom thrown in. We loved them!

Houston's Indika offers high quality Indian food in a beautiful, inviting setting. The Houston Restaurant Weeks menu is a wonderful way to explore their different food offerings, and I cannot recommend Indika's Sunday Brunch enough!

OH AND SPEAKING OF BRUNCH.

Here's where the Giveaway comes in:

One lucky Adventures in a New(ish) City reader will receive two (2) VIP tickets to the Inaugural Houston Press Morning After Brunch Event, held at Bayou City Event Center Pavilion on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm. These VIP tickets, valued at $55 – $75 each, grant you early entry 30 minutes prior to the event (11:00 am), as well as food, wine, beer, and cocktail sampling. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is follow me on Instagram (if you don't already), and leave a comment on this photo, telling me what your favorite brunch item is! A winner will be randomly selected by the end of this week, Houston residents only please. Good luck!

Most important meal of your day/week/life.

Leave a Comment brunch, cookies, dessert, food, giveaway, houston, indian, montrose, restaurant weeks, restaurants, vegetarian

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Houston Restaurant Weeks at Hunky Dory

Hi hi hellooo, my name is Kim, remember me friends?

I should have mentioned this about a month ago, but my Houston restaurant posts have slowed down a bit, and here's why: I was recently promoted at the nonprofit I work for, which has been very exciting!! HOWEVER, I'm way busier now, which means a) I'm going out a little less for my sanity; and b) I'm blogging a little less for my sanity. When I get home from work now, I'm more inclined to chill out (with wine, let's be real) than crank out three restaurant posts in a week, you feel me? BUT I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE!!

Because, duh, I love food too much.

So. This month is exciting because not only are the Olympic sporting games happening, but the Olympic Houston food games (aka Houston Restaurant Weeks) are also happening! I don't know about you all, but I like to take advantage of Houston Restaurant Weeks at spots that might be a little on the pricier side that I wouldn't necessarily frequent on the reg (because my bank account says so).

Enter: Hunky Dory.

I met up with three of my girlfriends (Kate, Mary, and Laurel) from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Wine Garden Committee for dinner there the other night. I've actually looked into dining at the restaurant before, but they never seemed to have much in the way of veg food options that really excited me. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn they had vegetarian options for all three courses on the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu, and they all looked very appealing!

For the first round of food, Laurel and I ordered the salad, while Mary and Kate ordered the Iberico ham and summer melons.

My salad was comprised of mixed greens, marinated cucumber and avocado, and a creamy avocado dressing. All in all, it was a pretty average salad. The cucumber, avocado, and dressing were placed below the greens, and everything but the dressing seemed to get lost in the mix. The dressing itself was creamy, zippy, and lovely. I just wish there had been more of the other non-leafy ingredients, or maybe even the addition of citrus and/or nuts of some sort. It was fine, but it didn't blow me away, and Laurel felt the same. Kate and Mary, however, seemed to really enjoy their first course!

For the main course of food everyone but me ordered the restaurant's braised and grilled short rib. I went with the chicken tikka masala, made vegetarian.

There wasn't a clean plate at the end of this round, y'all! My friends all enjoyed their shortrib, and I was a huge fan of my food. Root vegetables, and possibly some fruits (?), swirled together in a thick curried tomato yogurt sauce atop a bed of steamed basmati rice. The sauce was earthy, warming, and comforting (you forget that it's 100 degrees outside, promise), and the rice was firm and cooked al dente, which made it stand up against the sauce. The textures (pumpkin seeds were in there I believe?) were fun and varied, and the flavors were wonderful. I was definitely pleased!

For the final round we made sure to order at least one of each of the restaurant's desserts to split: the sticky toffy pudding, eccles cake with cheddar, and dark & stormy.

The sticky toffee pudding was not actually pudding as you might suspect (British people are such tricksters)- It was in fact a sponge date cake, soaked in caramel sauce, served with clotted cream. It was nicely spiced, sponge-y, and quite tasty on it's own, under the decadent caramel. The clotted cream added a nice softness to it though, and brought it all together. This was my second favorite of the three!

Because I don't have a huge sweet tooth, I anticipated the eccles cake with cheddar would be my favorite. While it didn't win that title, it was still very enjoyable. A flaky warm puff pastry stuffed with dried fruit, candied peel, and spices was served alongside a hunk of sharp mouthy cheddar. Cheese and bread, what's not to love?

But my favorite of the three was the dark & stormy, and no not because it had alcohol in it thank you very much (okay maybe a little bit because of that). Rum ice cream was topped with rum caramel (sensing a pattern?), lime, and ginger beer. So basically, what we were presented with was a spiked root (well ginger) beer float, and it was FABULOUS! The swirl of velvety caramel with the smooth ice cream in the fizzy ginger beer was playful, sinful, and outrageous. A squirt of lime added a nice punch as well, and I thought this was my favorite food item of the evening!

Until...

So, funny story- Hunky Dory finished up our meal with some complimentary bunny-shaped shortbread cookies. When our server brought them out, Laurel exclaimed, "WHALES!"

(turn your head sideways, and I promise you'll see it).

But these were SO GOOD. Like, S O . G O O D . The cookies were insanely buttery, crumbly, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I'd go back just for these!

Hunky Dory is a fantastic restaurant choice for Houston Restaurant Weeks. The cozy interior is decorated beautifully, the service is great (although at times a *tad* over-attentive, but I'll take that over inattentive any day), and the food is really really good. I definitely want to go back to this great Houston Heights spot!

For the whales, you know?

2 comments british, cookies, dessert, dinner, food, heights, houston, indian, restaurant weeks, restaurants, vegetarian

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On the Road Again: Hot Joy in San Antonio

Sometimes you order food at a restaurant that you didn't even want in the first place, and it ends up being one of the top three best decisions of your life.

Maybe I'm being a *tad* dramatic. And also a little bit accurate.

At the end of March, Jon and I visited our friends Mark and Kelly in San Antonio. As always, we had a great time, and they took us to some of the best restaurants in town. One such restaurant was Hot Joy, located on San Antonio's beyond-cool South Alamo Street.

The Texan-Asian restaurant (how's that for the most ideal fusion of foods ever??) houses an interior that's a bright, eclectic mix of edgy, Asian-inspired decor. We opted to sit on some comfy couches near open windows in the restaurant's lounge, which overlooked the lively San Antonio scene around us.

To start the meal off right, I ordered a glass of rosé (I've really been on a #RoséAllDay kick lately). Mark let me have a sip of his wasabi pineapple mule, which was light, refreshing, not too sweet, and had a little kick to it!

For our first round of food, we ordered roasted edamame and tater to chaat to share.

The roasted edamame came with a miso garlic butter (which we asked to have on the side since I was eating a vegan diet at the time), and tograshi salt. I just ate the the pods plain, and they were your standard edamame for the most part, but with a fun charring on the shells from the roasting process.

The tater tot chaat was my absolute jam. Fluffy tots were tossed in tamarind ketchup, paneer (which we asked for on the side to make vegan), chutney crema (also requested as a side), Indian snack mix, and cilantro. Y'all, these were SO GOOD. The tamarind ketchup created a barbecue sauce effect, and the Indan snack mix added a wonderful crunch to every bite. The dish was super savory and super indulgent, and I honestly didn't miss the paneer or chutney crema! I was a big fan of these mighty tots.

I consulted our incredibly friendly and attentive server about my final round of food. The menu has several naturally vegetarian items, but opting for vegan is a little trickier. What I really wanted was some stir fried Thai noodles, but they contained a fish sauce that was necessary for the dish. Essentially my only option was to order the double miso ramen without egg. I was pretty disappointed.

Until I ate it.

What happened next was me experiencing the best ramen I have ever had. Not in the past year. Not in San Antonio. Ever. As in, During the course of my life here on Planet Earth. I know, I know, give me a break, Kim. But seriously! This food-glorious-food bowl of hot joy <~~~ (see what I did there?) was absolutely outstanding. All of the ingredients were phenomenal: silky, buttery noodles; chewy, hearty shiitakes; tart, charred baby corn; fragrant burnt garlic oil; and a sensuous miso broth base. These out-of-this-world components created a serious flavor explosion, and I clung dearly to every bite. It was a wonderful, blissful accident that this was the entree I stumbled into.

If you're traveling to San Antonio, Hot Joy is one restaurant that can't be missed. The food is interesting, vibrant, and delicious, the atmosphere is fun, and the service is fantastic. I am incredibly happy we went there during our most recent visit to San Antonio!

best. decision. ever.

Leave a Comment asian, dinner, drinks, food, fusion, indian, japanese, on the road again, ramen, restaurants, san antonio, southern, thai, vegan, vegetarian

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My 10 Favorite Houston Dishes: Year Three

It's April 2016, which means I've been living back in Houston for the past three years now! And THAT means it's time for my favorite blog post, where I discuss my top 10 favorite Houston restaurant dishes from the past year!!!!!

(My favorite blog post is my "Favorites" blog post. Coincidence? I think not.)

Last year I shared with you my 10 favorite Houston dishes from Year Two, and the previous year I wrote about my 10 favorite Houston dishes from Year One. So now, I'm super pumped to share with you my favs from Year Three!

It's been an amazing year y'all. And the food has been all the more amazing. So let's go!

Kim's Favorite Dishes

April 2015-March 2016

#10. Eggplant Napoleon - Urban Eats (July 2015)

My mom and I had a lunch date at the restaurant Urban Eats not too long after it first opened in Houston, and we totally fell in love with it. We shared a bunch of dishes, and were floored by everything we tried, like the eggplant napoleon. The ooey, gooey, sensuous dish was tart, soft, and dripping with deliciousness. We loved it!

#9. Funghi Pizza - Beckrew Winehouse (May 2015)

During the fateful Memorial Day floods of 2015, out of the abyss came Beckrew Wine House, shining like a beacon down the street from my beloved former apartment in Houston's Upper Kirby area. My friend Kate and I walked over, we drank some delicious wine, and we ate some fresh, light, and tasty food. Most notably, we adored the funghi pizza. This imperfectly perfect pizza was wonderfully textured and peppery, and was a true delight to eat!

#8. Napa Black & Blue Pommes Frites - Urban Eats (July 2015)

I loved my visit to Urban Eats, CAN YOU TELL? First off, the restaurant has an entire section of the menu devoted to french fries. Does it get any better??? It does, because when you actually try the fries you will lose your mind. Specifically the Napa black & blue pommes frites. The dish is a hodgepodge of very strong, potentially contrasting flavors of blue cheese crumbles, truffle oil, black pepper, and fresh sage, and the finished product is simply divine.

#7. Gobi Manchurian - dgn Factory (March 2016)

The appetizer so good I had to make a webisode about it! This battered, then fried, then sauced up cauliflower is the stuff [vegetarian and non-vegetarian] dreams are made of. The flavor is outstanding, the texture is playful, and I swore the first time I tried this dish with the Houston Food Blogger Collective I saw stars. Getting to eat the gobi bites a second time with my friend Danielle just seemed downright mischievous. I could not believe these weren't meat or a super processed meat substitute. But LUCKY ME, it's cauliflower!! Damn delicious cauliflower.

#6. Wood Oven Baked Eggs Florentine with Spinach - Provisions (August 2015)

Crispy, oozing, bubbling, baked eggs atop a swirl of potatoes, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Are you dying? I'm dying. This gorgeous skillet was the food star of a fabulous Houston brunch I had at the restaurant Provisions with my friends Erika and Judy. It was true love in every single bite.

#5. Cheese Tortelloni - North Italia (January 2016)

Top Five, Top Five, Top Fiiiiiive!!! Here we are! Jon and I had what was easily my favorite dinner in Houston in the past year at North Italia with our friends Blake and Katie. For my entree I ordered the restaurant's cheese tortelloni, and I lost. my freaking. mind. The pasta was tossed in a creamy sauce with mushrooms, spinach, pecorino, and sweet saba. The rich, cheesy, elegant pasta was pure indulgence and absolutely mind blowing.

#4. Burrata Toast - Shade (February 2016)

I hadn't been to the Houston Heights restaurant Shade in a couple of years, and my recent visit with Jon was definitely a memorable one, thanks in large part to the burrata toast with crispy brussels sprouts, honey, and hazelnuts. It was sweet, smokey, textured, complex, and absolutely brilliant. I look back at my description of this dish, and I was dead on, saying it was "definitely in the running for one of my favorite dishes in Houston this year." Well burrata, you secured the #4 spot. Not bad, my glowing, green, gorgeous friend.

#3. Off-Menu Vegetarian/Vegan Make Your Own Gyro - Helen Greek Food and Wine (March 2016)

Really, the #3 spot should go to "My Entire Experience Eating at Helen Greek Food and Wine as a Whole." People cannot stop yammering about how awesome this restaurant is - and for good reason. When I ate dinner there with my friends Claire, Sarah, Renee, Lisa, Renia, and Erika, we were gifted with an excellent dining experience from start to finish. My highlight of the evening was an off-menu vegan make your own gyro plate the restaurant composed for me. Everything was so dang fresh it was stupid. The flavors of the carefully cooked vegetables were vibrant and alive, and eating them seriously gave me life. Awesome, food-loving life.

#2. Vegequeso - Caracol (August 2015)

THIS QUESO GOOD LORD. Even if you aren't a vegetarian, when you go to Houston's Caracol you've got to ask to see their vegetarian menu. And you've got to order the restaurant's vegequeso as a starter, like I did with Jon and our friends Dillon and Melinda. More of the stringy queso variety, this cheese was hearty, tart, and filled with sauteed, smooth vegetables. Piled onto fresh tortillas, the result was absolutely outstanding!

#1. Truffle Garlic Bread - North Italia (January 2016)

My number one was an absolute no-brainer for me. Just thinking about this dish has me salivating. In my initial blog post I hinted at the fact that this was one of the best dishes I'd had at a Houston restaurant in the past year, but in the moment that I took my first bite, I knew it was without a doubt number one. The effervescent bread was fluffy and bursting with flavors from the rich truffle oil and gorgeous garlic. It also contained a bubbling house-made ricotta which was just downright naughty. Hearty, and rich, and sensuous, this dish will give you an out-of-body food experience. PLEASE order one of these the next time you're there. Or maybe three? You know, for research.

And because I had so much awesome food this past year, here are my honorable mentions, in chronological order of having eaten!

1) Avocado toast with Fried Eggs and Green Harissa at Weights + Measures; 2) Pizza Bianco at Bollo Woodfired Pizza; 3)  Buffalo Cauliflower at Radical Eats (Montrose location has since closed); 4) Bibimbap with Fresh Avocado at Radical Eats; 5) Walnut, Pesto, & Parmesan Crostini at Beckrew Wine House; 6) Eggplant di Melanzane at Ragu & Pesto; 7) Broccoli at Revival Market; 8) Skillet Seared Cauliflower at Urban Eats; 9) Falafel at Al Quick Stop; 10) Porcini Rubbed Tofu at The Capital Grille; 11) Buttermilk Biscuits with Butter and Honey at Provisions; 12) Paneer Makhni at Kiran's; 13) Vegetable Lasagna at Corner Table; 14) Skillet Cornbread at Southern Goods; 15) Fried Mushrooms at Southern Goods; 16) Gnocchi Tots at The Del; 17) Truffled Macaroni and Cheese at Eddie V's; 18) Chocolate Coconut Doughnuts at The Tuck Room; 19) Tater Tot Taco from Tacos A Go Go (sampled at Tacolandia); 20) Ricotta Meyer Lemon Ravioli at Seasons 52; 21) Vegetarian Tasting Plate - specifically the cedar plank tofu - at Seasons 52; 22) Stuffed Artichoke at Collina's; 23) Stuffed Sticky Rice at Foreign Correspondents; 24) Pretzels & Queso at Dish Society; 25) Miso Eggplant at Ka Sushi; 26) Couscous salad at The Union Kitchen; 27) Vegan Dips at Helen Greek Food and Wine

And that's a wrap! I feel so incredibly grateful to be able to continuously try unique, delicious, wonderful foods from many of the restaurants that make Houston the vibrant food city that it is. Thank you to all of you who have been reading along and accompanying me on my food journey. Sometimes it's nuts (um, Whole30 much?), but mostly it's awesome (TRUFFLE GARLIC BREAD). So here's to many more years of all of us enjoying fabulous food together!

Happy 3 year anniversary, Houston! <3

Leave a Comment asian, brunch, dessert, dinner, drinks, falafel, favorites, fine dining, food, houston, indian, italian, japanese, lunch, pizza, restaurants, southern, sushi, tacos, vegetarian

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A Trip to the Suburbs: Curry Sultan in Humble

Let's take a trip to India...

India in... Humble, Texas - where yours truly hails from.

(Go Wildcats!)

(right, like this theater nerd ever actually went to a football game during any of her high school years.)

A few weeks ago (I'm super behind on blog posts, by the by), I met up with my friend Meredith and her son/my godson Lincoln for lunch at the Indian restaurant Curry Sultan in Humble, which is a northeastern suburb of Houston.

Located in a strip center - which, fun fact, I'm pretty sure once housed a Jazzercise studio (if anyone can verify this, my soul is yours) - the restaurant is basic, casual, and no-frills. Meredith has been coming here regularly and singing its praises, so I was excited to try this restaurant out!

I got there shamefully early (if anyone has learned how to correctly gauge the amount of time it takes to get from Houston to the 'burbs, my soul and my FitBit are yours), so I decided to order a chai tea while I waited.

I requested my tea to be mixed with almond milk in place of cow's milk to make it vegan, and I was not disappointed. It certainly wasn't as heavy or thick as standard chai tea with dairy milk, but I was okay with that. It was sweet, smooth, nutty, and tasty!

Meredith and her handsome little red-headed boy arrived, and we were presented with some crunchy noodles, which I of course could nosh on for days.

In my month+ of being a vegan, I have to admit to you all that I don't know how long it will keep up. It's not because I don't like it - In fact, I love it! Physically, I feel fantastic, and I love being able to sustain myself on foods that are free from animal products. However, even in a big city like Houston, it is very tricky learning how to navigate dining out.

Case in point - Curry Sultan is an Indian food restaurant, so really, how hard can it be to eat there as a vegan? Not hard, BUT I learned that day you have to be verrrry careful when reading menus. Several dishes on the menu were labeled "vegan," but they in fact contained paneer (cheese). I asked them if maybe it was a vegan cheese they used, and they said no, it had milk in it.

So read the descriptions people!

I read the descriptions and chatted with the friendly wait staff, and I decided to start with the masala papads for my first course of food.

This was by far one of the most unique Indian dishes I've tried here in Greater Houston. Thin, crisp, disc-shaped "toast" made with lentil and rice flour was served with a side mixture of onions, potatoes, and green chilies. The discs were nutty, earthy, and had an unusual (but good) fragrance. Even though the toasts had a light layer of a silky oil coating around them, they still managed to be firm. I broke these into little pieces for Lincoln and he seemed into it, except for when he threw it on the floor (if anyone can teach me how to speak "baby," my soul and my FitBit and all of my Candy Crush boosters are yours). The accompanying mixture of veggies was fluffy and light, and added a nice contrast to the papads.

For my final round of food, I ordered the Aloo matar. Spiced potatoes and peas were simmered gently in a tomato-based sauce, and served with a side of rice. The aloo matar was a thick, acidic, aromatic, hearty stew, and I absolutely adored every bite! The rice leveled out some of the acidity, and added a softness to this earthy, stick-to-your-bones (yet healthy) dish. It was absolutely fabulous.

If you find yourself in the Humble/Kingwood suburbs of Houston, and you're having a hankering for some good Indian food, you can't go wrong with the restaurant Curry Sultan!

(If you take me there, my soul and my FitBit and all of my candy crush boosters and my two Kenny G. CDs from the 90s are yours.)

Leave a Comment a trip to the suburbs, asian, houston, humble, indian, lunch, restaurants, vegan, vegetarian

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Webisode 3: dgn Factory

This has been a long time coming, and I'm happy to announce that it's time for the third installment of the Adventures in a New(ish) City Web Series! All webisodes can be viewed on my YouTube channel. To catch you up to speed, Webisode 1 detailed my visit to Ragu & Pesto, and Webisode 2 recounted my experience at Al Quick Stop.

In this webisode, I get to try some incredible Indian food at the quick-service Houston restaurant dgn Factory with my friend Danielle. I first experienced their incredible food about a month ago with the Houston Food Blogger Collective Executive Board, and I was sold! And dgn Factory is offering Adventures in a New(ish) City reader an "Appetizer of your Choice" for every $25 you spend on your first visit - Just tell them I sent you!

I am fortunate enough to be able to try a lot of great food around Houston, but as always, I welcome recommendations on new restaurants for my webisodes, specifically those that might be a little more under the radar. Please send your suggestions my way!

So without further ado, I present to you Webisode 3: dgn Factory!

Leave a Comment a trip to the suburbs, downtown, food, fusion, galleria, houston, indian, missouri city, restaurants, vegan, vegetarian, web series

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Houston Restaurant Weeks at Kiran's + A Giveaway!

Scroll down to bottom of page for giveaway info!

Question: How does one avoid awful neck pain resulting from intense head banging during awesome 80s air guitar solos at wedding receptions?

Unacceptable answers include "don't intensely head bang during awesome 80s air guitar solos at wedding receptions" and "don't be 30 years old". 

Can I tell you about the terrible horrible no-good very bad day I had last week? I'm over the trauma of it, and it's funny now, I swear (I think). 

Last weekend I attended a wedding in San Antonio (see above, re: head banging), but prior to that, I drove to Austin on Thursday, sort of last minute, to help out with a work event. The events of Thursday morning went as follows:

8:20 am - Go to take laundry out of dryer. When lifting head up from dryer, nail the top of my head so hard on the corner of the suspended platform holding up the water heater, that I sort of fall to the floor and tears instantly start exploding from my eyes.

(no, I did not have a concussion. yes, I cried. yes, I'm 30 years old. (see above, re: head banging))

8:40 am - Leave house to take adorable pup and BFF Newton to vet for boarding. Vet is 10 minutes from my apartment, so I'm giving myself plenty of time to be on the road by 9:00. Apocalyptic monsoons erupt everywhere around me. Flooding! Traffic! Cursing that would make my mother blush! Absolute Madness.

9:15 am - Still driving, but finally on straight path to vet.

9:20 am - NEWTON PEES IN MY CAR.

9:30 am - Drop arch nemesis off at vet. Attempt to clean car with the best CVS has to offer, while getting drenched outside.

10:00 am - Finally get on the road.

1:30 pm - Arrive in Austin 1 1/2 hours late, after having sat in pee-smelling car for 3 1/2 hours, where I cannot open windows because of aforementioned monsoon, only to discover I have been dragging a GIANT tree branch under my car for God knows how long.

Wonderful day, huh?

The car was fine. I'm fine. Still not speaking to Satan's right hand canine, but we'll get through this. So thank you for the therapy session. While at times it may seem that food bloggers live lives of rainbows and sprinkles and chocolate chip cookies, I am here to report that we still have dog-peeing-in-our-cars kind of days.

(at least I do). 

But enough of that!

Jon and I went to dinner recently with our friends Lindsey and Caleb to Kiran's, where we all ordered from the Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. Since Kiran's serves Indian food, vegetarian options abounded!

We sat down and were greeted with a lovely little starter of crispy flatbread (if anyone knows the name for this, I give you full permission to start writing all future blog posts) and sauces. The red sauce tasted like a barbecue sauce, while the green sauce seemed like some sort of spicy pesto. Both were great!

For my first course, I ordered the soup flight with onion bhaji, and holy smokes, y'all. 

The three soups, served in little drinkable espresso-type cups, were tomato saffron, mulligatawny, and corn chowder. Each soup was completely different from the next one, unique in its own way, and downright delicious. The tomato saffron was crisp, light, and acidic, and the mulligatawny was briney and earthy. My favorite (and the crowd favorite) of the three was the creamy, hearty, sweet corn chowder.

The onion bhaji served with the soups seemed to include zucchini, and the result was a beautifully battered fritter. Outstanding!

For my second course, I ordered the chef's vegetarian tasting, which included (pictured below, clockwise, from top left) bagare bengan, saffron rice pulao, daal makhni, and paneer makhni.

Made up of lentils and kidney beans, the smooth, filling, pureed, daal makhani reminded me of refried beans - but a more carefully concocted, silky, refined version of refried beans. I was a fan for sure.

The saffron rice pulao was pretty flavorless and wasn't anything thrilling, but it did serve as an excellent neutral base to the paneer makhni.

The bagare bengan, a stew-like eggplant curry, was earthy, and nuanced with many different exciting spices. This was my second favorite of the four entree bowls.

My FAVORITE of the four though? The paneer makhni was absolutely incredible. Tofu swimming in an intoxicating, sweet, spicy, thick, cheesy masala-like sauce made this a remarkable, unforgettable dish. Spooned over the saffron rice pulao? Heaven!

According to the HRW menu, there was also supposed to be English cucumber raita and some lachedar paratha or chickpea pancake, which were not included in my meal. However, there was so much food put in front of me that I totally forgot about those items and did not miss them at all! (and let's be honest, I hardly had a clue what I ordered in the first place anyway).

For dessert, all four of us ended up ordering the bread pudding, and all four of us thoroughly enjoyed it. The pudding is a swirl of apricots, cranberries, and white chocolate crème anglaise. Not too sweet, this dessert was right up my alley!

Kiran's hits it totally out of the park with their food, specifically with regards to their Houston Restaurant Weeks menu. Each dish was sprinkled with variety, care, and an orchestra of palate-pleasing flavorful surprises. Restaurant Weeks is the perfect way to experience the many outstanding offerings there!

Oh, and don't think I forgot about the Giveaway I mentioned....

On Saturday, October 24, The Houston Press is hosting their Inaugural Houston Press Tacolandia. Tacolandia is an outdoor taco-sampling event and festival that will feature Houston’s best tacos, ranging from urban contemporary to authentic street style. The event is complete with live music and a cash bar with beer and cocktails, as well as awards for best tacos in various categories!

Here's where the Giveaway comes in: 

One lucky Adventures in a New(ish) City reader will receive two (2) general admission tickets to this year's Tacolandia, held at Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston on October 24 from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm. To enter, all you have to do is follow me on Instagram (if you don't already), post a picture of your favorite taco, and use the hashtags #TacolandiaHOU and #newishcityHOU in the description. The contest will run from now until Friday, August 28, 2015 at 5:00 pm CST. The more creative, funny, and insightful your entry, the better! You must be a Houston resident to enter, and only one entry per person, please. One lucky winner will be picked and announced by Saturday, August 29, 2015.

Good luck!

Indian food, and tacos, and well behaved dogs - These are a few of my favorite things....

2 comments dinner, food, giveaway, houston, indian, restaurant weeks, vegetarian

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