La Cocina De Roberto

We had a family dinner here the other night and had a great experience.  It's tucked away in Glen Loch in a low-end gas station--feels like a real find, but the neighborhood definitely knows, it was comfortably full on our visit.  They opened up the party room to seat our group of six.
We got off to a great start with chips, queso and guacamole.  The chips here are not free, but once you get them you'll know why.  They are fried fresh, incredibly crisp and perfectly seasoned.  "Free" chips will never taste the same.  

The salsas are worth special mention.  When you order chips, you get three--a mild red salsa that has excellent flavor, a green salsa that is hotter and is very interesting (in a good way), and then their specialty--a habanero salsa.  Heat fans will love it.  I tried a bit, and could taste the rich flavors of the salsa just before it fried my tongue.  The queso is nothing special, just melted cheese, but the guacamole is quite good.  Appearances do deceive a bit--there's a huge scoop of guacamole in a good-size bowl (see one of the pictures in other reviews) but turns out it's sitting on top of lettuce that fills the bowl.  Still plenty.

I am a pork fan, so I had the Senor Gobernador, thin slices of grilled port with green salsa.  The pork was cooked perfectly and very tender, and the salsa complemented it well.  The sides were all at least competent--the rice was done with corn and peppers rather than standard tomato, and I like it better. The tortillas are made in-house but for me they were just OK, denser and chewier than most.  Our enchilada fan had the enchiladas Suizas--swiss cheese enchiladas.  They were OK, not amazing.  We also had the fajita a la mexicana, fajita meat served with the usual sides.  It was tasty and presented nicely, but it should be noted that this is served on an ordinary plate, not the traditional sizzling one.  The beef fajita quesadilla ate well, and the mozarella sticks one child had were good too (they are served in a pastry wrapper rather than a breading).

We tried some interesting beverages.  I had the agua fresca jamaica, a hibiscus-infused sweet beverage, which was quite good and a nice change.  Several of the kids had their hot chocolate, which has a hint of cinnamon and is quite good.

Dessert is a bit of an afterthought here.  They only have flan and bread pudding.  The bread pudding is pretty dense, and did not seem like it was made there.

The service concept confused us at the end of the meal.  Our server picked up some plates and then went to take a break.  I watched the locals go up to the counter to pay.  When I went up, they had the tab ready.  They don't bring a check.  When you're finished, just get up and go to the counter.

This is a family run place, and the owner came out with his young son to greet us an make sure we had a good experience.  I can absolutely recommend it.

My Yelp Review

Vee's Kajun Kitchen

I stopped by here the other day to try out this new Cajun place.  I had the fried ribs and they were amazing!  A generous portion of ribs, fried crisp on the outside and still tender inside.  Salted perfectly, right on that line between too much and too little.  The signature sauce comes separate,  which I appreciated because it is very sweet so a light touch was perfect.  I was blown away.  The fries with it were OK (I like mine crisper), but seasoned with cajun spices, which I like a lot.  Also had a "real deal" blueberry lemonade which was a nice complement.  Finished it off with one of their pralines, which was very tasty and a great end to the meal.

This is a new business--they know how to cook but have some rough spots.  The location is tricky--you need to enter at the storage place and go past Tacqueria Las Penas (not bad, but not in this league).  They would like to have a better place. I had to listen for their generator to be sure they were open, it was hard to tell.  When I ordered, I was told it would be 20 minutes for the food (!).  Not sure if it would always take this long for the fried ribs (I'm sure a lot of other things are ready to go) or if the fryer oil just wasn't hot yet.  I went and got gas.  Forgive them and try it!  Or call ahead, they are happy to hear from you.  They are friendly and polite, and ready to please.  These folks know how to cook, and there are not that many Cajun choices in this area.

My Yelp Review

Tropical Smoothie Cafe at Kuykendall and 2920

I stopped into this place the other day for a late lunch.  I had the baja chicken bowl, which came with rice, black beans, guacamole, romaine lettuce, pickled red onion, cheddar cheese and roasted tomato salsa on the side.  I would say it is more like a salad than a bowl--much more lettuce than rice, and it was just barely warm.  But as a salad it ate well--the chicken was tender and tasty, the guacamole in the salad was good, and everything blended well.  I would get it again.  I wasn't in the mood for a smoothie, so ended up with water--they don't have much besides a smoothie that qualifies as a drink.

I've had smoothies there before--they are OK, about on par with Smoothie King and others in the area.  If one is near you it's a worthwhile stop for a smoothie and sandwich.  The staff at this location was obviously still learning but they tried hard.  The bathroom was clean and ready to go.  It's a decent choice if you want a light meal or snack.

My Yelp Review

ANcHOI

I stopped in to try this new Asian fusion/Vietnamese place the other day.  I had the Bun Cha - Hanoi Original bowl and a CocoMatcha tea.  There's a lot going on with the Bun Cha--it was served with grilled pork patties marinating in the fish sauce, along with sliced grilled pork and the traditional vermicelli noodles, some cabbage, some cilantro, and mint.  There was plenty of fish sauce, which I appreciate because I use a lot.  The pork patties are grilled over lava rocks, not a flat grill, so you get more of an outdoor grill flavor.  I ordered mine with egg rolls, which come in the bowl.  A delicious combination of flavors.

I ordered the Matcha tea, and the waitress redirected me to the CocoMatcha, a combination of matcha tea and coconut milk.  The matcha balanced the coconut and made for a refreshing drink to go with the food.  It's definitely a great idea to get the specialty drink with the meal.

The service was very friendly, and the staff are ready to make recommendations for you, which is something I like a lot. I had a great experience.  The bathroom was clean and ready to go on my visit.  You can see some of the elements of Thai Express, which was the previous restaurant in that space--Anchoi is owned by the same family, striking out on their own rather than running a franchise.  I thought Thai Express was OK, but would have to say I like this a lot better.

My Yelp Review

Northampton Neighbor Article: El Meson Latin Restaurant

This article first appeared in the Northampton Neighbor September 2019 edition:

When we decide to go out for a meal instead of cooking at home or getting the food delivered, we start eating with all of our senses as soon as we arrive.  The sights, smells and sounds of the restaurant are the “amuse bouche” before the appetizer.  When you arrive at El Meson, you know right away it will be special.  The dining area is well-appointed with examples of Colombian art—everywhere you look, you find something beautiful to see.

The food lives up to the promise of the interior.  El Meson offers a wide variety of dishes with influences from all over South and Central America.  I started off with an aguapanela, a drink made with sugar cane and lime juice.  It’s a very refreshing accompaniment to a meal.  For an appetizer, I had the beef empanada.  It’s beautifully done, flaky and crisp and not at all greasy.  Other appetizers include arepas (a corn muffin that can be a sandwich, or served on its own), hot dogs and hamburgers, making for a good lunch selection.

The Platos Tipicos section shows the Colombian side of the menu.  I’ve had the picada plate, a sample of many different meats accompanied by fried yucca and potatoes, with chimichurri sauce.  You can get it in pequena or grande, and it’s a great introduction to their cuisine.  A specialty is roasted chicken—the recipe comes from Peru.  There are menu items from Venezuela and Argentina as well, and the owner is considering adding more traditional Tex-Mex items as well.

Manuel Martinez is the owner and head chef of El Meson.  He co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Liliana Valencia.  It is a family affair—his daughter Samantha and his in-laws also work there.  Martinez came to this country 30 years ago, after operating a small restaurant in Colombia.  He started out working at K-Mart, but soon moved into catering and banquet management for hotels.  This is his first restaurant venture since the little place in Colombia.

Martinez pays very close attention to the flavors of his foods.  All his food is made fresh, and never frozen.  Many menu items are only available on certain days, so that they can be offered fresh.  For instance, Sunday is the only day you can get his special Sanchocho de Gallina soup, a chicken soup served at family dinners.

Martinez will source items outside when that’s the best way to get what his customers want.  His tiramisu comes from Italian chefs, and it is delicious.  For an in-house dessert, you can get Arroz con Leche, made by his mother-in-law.

El Meson is set up to host parties and special occasions.  Martinez offers special attention for these events, and will prepare items off-menu.

We are fortunate to have such a great variety of restaurants to choose from in our area.  El Meson is a fine addition to the local cuisine, and absolutely worth checking out.

El Meson is located at 419 FM 2920, Suite 100.  You can find them online at elmesonlatinrestaurant.com.

Northampton Neighbor Article: Very Fresh Snacks

Very Fresh Snacks (aka Very Fresh Clamatos & Snacks) can be a challenge to find.  It’s tucked in between the 9 Round kickboxing studio and a hair salon on Kuykendahl near Princeton Place.  The whole place is about the size of a food truck.  But you’ll find an incredible variety of Mexican snacks and sweets when you get there.

Owner Enrique Soberanes and his wife currently operate the business on their own.  You can make a meal of what they serve, particularly the ceviches, but the focus is on something to tide you over until dinner, or a nice dessert after that big meal. 

Soberanes is originally from Tijuana and owns the El Vason bar franchise in Mexico.  He emigrated with his family to the United States and settled for a time in San Diego.  They came to The Woodlands to visit relatives and fell in love with our area.  They opened Very Fresh in October of 2017, and believe this is where their dreams of success as restauranteurs can come true.

Very Fresh departs from Tex-Mex staples to feature items unique to our area.  The ceviches make a great meal or a generous snack to share.  They feature several snacks based on corn—a big helping of white or yellow corn layered with cheese, Mexican cream, lime juice and salsa.  You can get it with nachos or Cheetos, or on its own.  I took some of this home and put it in a taco with Tex-Mex seasoned beef—it made for a wonderfully flavorful and satisfying meal.  They also feature a savory drink, the michelada, made with beer, Clamato juice, a plum-based salsa seasoning, and lots of crunchy items from their topping bar.  It’s a full-on snack by itself.

Soberanes has been working hard on developing their line of sweet snacks.  They offer a variety of fruit salads, including spicy ones.  A new addition is shaved ice cream, some flavors made in-store and others with Blue Bell Ice Cream.  You can go sweet, or be adventurous and go spicy with tajin, piquin, salsaguetti and other savory flavors. 

Six months ago I reviewed Soberanes’ other venture in the area, TJ Baja Taco Shop, in this space.  Sadly that business was forced to close, so for now they are devoting all their efforts to Very Fresh.  They brought over some of their favorite recipes that will work in the more limited space.  But Soberanes is always looking for new opportunities, and they expect to be expanding again soon.  If you are looking for an afternoon pick-me-up, sweet or savory, you owe it to yourself to give this place a try.

You’ll find Very Fresh Clamatos and Snacks at 24914 Kuykendahl Rd, Tomball, TX 77375

Northampton Neighbor Article: Primo's Venezuelan Street Food

This article first appeared in the June 2019 edition of the Northampton Neighbor:

Primo’s Venezuelan Street Food is the food truck located in the parking lot of Harvest Market.  The truck has been open for business for about two months, and I predict that the Venezuelan comfort food on offer will be very popular.

Owner Yohannattan (Jonathan) Toro came to this country from Venezuela three years ago and went to work at another food truck in the area.  He has learned from his experience and developed a set of Venezuelan recipes for his own venture.  He credits strong support from his family for making this business possible—his brother Alfredo is his partner, and he got ideas from his daughter Mariana and nephew Samuel.

What should you get if you’re going for the first time?  A very popular choice is one of the burgers.  They are made with the usual lettuce, tomato, and bacon, but become unique with the addition of Primo’s sauce, ketchup and mayo, ham, and a special white Venezuelan cheese.  A finisher that I particularly enjoy is the heaping handful of potato stix, included in all their sandwiches.  The regular burger is 5.5 ounces, and you can scale all the way up to the Vergataria Burger—a beef patty, chicken breast, fajita meat, and pork chop with bacon and all the fixings that weighs in at 24 ounces.  Better come hungry or split it four ways.

Chef Toro recommends the Og Pepito, a sandwich with a choice of protein (chicken, steak, pork chop), cole slaw, Primo’s Sauce, potato stix and cheese, topped with a fried egg on a sub bun.  It’s served open faced but the bread is substantial enough to pick it up.

One recommended side is the Pasteles Andinos, a crisply fried pastry filled with ground beef and rice.  The texture is marvelous, and the sauce gives it a great flavor.  Another is traditional Venezuelan arepas, kind of like an English muffin.

It’s worthwhile to be adventurous ordering a drink.  I’ve had a Frescolita, a South American canned soft drink that reminds me very much of San Antonio’s signature drink, Big Red.  But an even better one is the papelon con limon.  Made with lime juice and brown sugar, it’s a strong and refreshing accompaniment to the belly-satisfying food.

Chef Toro would like to expand and have more trucks, but he has no desire at this time to open a brick and mortar restaurant.  He likes the freedom of the food truck.  We’re fortunate to have this addition to the diversity of our local cuisine.