Arandas Bakery

I have been frequenting the Arandas Bakery on Beechnut (btw I-60 and Gessner.  I prefer not to get on the Loop (or I-69) and make long trips to get food these days.  Although they don't have teleras, my favorite Mexican bread (besides tortillas) I have found some desirable items I keep seeking out.

 

Orejas (ears, obviously - or if you speak French - Palmiers), cemita (w/sesame seeds) of some sort, Pan de Elote (Mexican version of cornbread)  and a, er, sausage kolache?

I had discovered Cemita de Anis at the big Fiesta on Hillcroft years ago and loved it, this is all they had at Arandas - not the same thing (Fiesta, here I come).  The orejas are slightly sweetened and also come dipped in chocolate.  Chocolate originated in Mexico so you'd expect it to be pretty good, Huh?  Don't ask me - have never tried it.  I'm not fond of chocolate at breakfast - that goes back to childhood and I'm sticking to it. A sausage kolache I had previously was slightly larger and had what was probably a 100% beef wiener, extra large, likely Hebrew National - this one was smaller and not pure beef, I think.  The earlier example had a single jalapeno slice attached to the top and it was hot, unlike every other sausage and jalapeno kolache I've ever had.  This one had no heat and neither had any cheese. I guess just about every ethnic bakery in Houston offers a version of the Texas version of a kolache - this is one of the best I've encountered.  But get there early, I think they regularly run out quickly.

This is a close-up of the Pan de Elote from a previous visit - more like a corn muffin than corn bread.  It is sweet; I suspect the sweetness and color comes from piloncillo. I love these at room temp, heated up a tad or toasted.

I have never gotten into .most Pan Dulce (are my finds here considered Pan Dulce????).  I understand Conchas are having a foodie moment in the sun, per the NYT.  No Houston bakery mentioned, alas.  If you know of a local panaderia that has them, please post a comment. 

And they have tamales - pork and chicken varieties only, hot and steaming, available by the half-dozen I think.

Bakery Inka Havana

 

A photo of this sign on Nextdoor drew a lot of attention. When I saw it, commenters had recognized the word Havana and possibly the Cuban flag but there was little mention of the meaning of the word Inka or the second flag pictured - the Peruvian flag.  When it finally opened, many months later, the website identified a couple from Miami who had moved to Houston, the husband Cuban and the wife Peruvian.  

The menu offers many sandwiches, but there are also pastries, empanadas, sweets, even pizzas, plus daily specials.  The Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa - rotisserie chicken - is a special every Saturday, I think.  

I tried the Media Noche on my first visit.

Sandwiches are very large - this was close to a pound.  This is the interior of the second half of the sandwich showing the generous fillings

I noted a sign touting the Tamal Peruano and had to try one.  I've done quite a lot of investigating of  tamales available from many cuisines in Houston but wasn't even aware Peru had them, so I had to try this.  Per Wiki, while Peru is famous for it's potatoes and ceviche, there are 50 varieties of corn also grown there, including yellow, white and purple varieties and tamales can be made from several of them.  I tried the pork tamal and it was excellent.

From the cabinet at the far right of the counter I tried an empanada (ground beef) and yuca reina.  I had first encountered potato rellenos at a Colombian restaurant many years ago but this is the first time I had encountered the use of yuca.  Excellent also.

I liked the Pan con Bistec - steak sandwich - better than the Media Noche.  For years I have been eating beef sandwiches only involving thinly sliced roast beef from a deli and this was a pleasant change.  The steak involved is probably skirt and I was thrilled to have to do some serious masticating for a change!

I have not tried the Hamburguesa Inka Havana, which looks interesting, nor any of the breakfast or pastry offerings. 

The loaves are very large - this was almost 16 oz - made with lard and with a much lighter texture than any Cuban bread I've had or made before

The shop is located on West Bellfort just west of Chimney Rock (5361) right where the historic Westbury Square was located back in the 60s 70s and 80s.  There hasn't been a whole lot of commercial, much less restaurant, development in this neighborhood for years I think.

I have found the owners and all customers I have encountered to be very friendly.  I don't know if there is a Peruvian community in the area but Peru Gourmet is over on S. Post Oak, less than a mile away, and in the past there has been at least one Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa place further south  near Gassmer. 

Momma's Tamales

 I wanted to do a tamale run this Christmas and had big plans - Arandas and Dona Tere on Beechnut, La Roca on Bissonet, Tamales a Mano on West Bellfort @ Chimney Rock and maybe Amigos Meat Market on West Bellfort @ Roark where I've had some very good tamales as part of  a platillo.  I already know I love Alamo Tamales but I thought I'd stick to places on the southwest side, closer to home and see what I could find.

On eGullet I read about fast food tamales - I didn't know Wienerschnitzel had tamales @ Christmas time!  Then I found El Pollo Loco had three tamale offerings on their Holiday Specials menu.  

And on Next Door I read about a new place in Bellaire called Momma's.  I only made it to El Pollo Loco and Momma's, which only opened about 3 weeks ago.

These were the pork; they only have a half dozen varieties ($14 per dozen, $8 per half) and they make a couple of salsas ($4 for 8 oz as I recall).

These were pretty good, a little on the drier-than-I-like-'em side but not too much.

I'll be back to try more, including the Brisket tamales.

I got the Double Loaded Queso Tamale bowl from El Pollo Loco.  I dropped it in the driveway trying to carry too many things into the house in one trip, so no pictures (and the Holiday Specials Menu seems to have been taken down already).  But the tamales were not bad, spicier than I expected.  They only have --- pollo.  Of course.

I probably should be grateful there's not a Wienerschnitzel any where near me.

Momma's Tamales, 5214 Cedar, Bellaire, in the block just west of the Bellaire HEB market.

I went to the El Pollo Loco on Rice, just south of Westpark.  We definitely need more drive-thru tamale stands.

Catfish Station

    CATFISH STATION PERMANENTLY CLOSED DURING THE PANDEMIC

7903 Beechnut

The Frenchy's Fried Chicken at this location has closed and been rather quickly replaced by this new outpost of another home-grown mini-chain.  According to their website they started out of a trailer in Third Ward only a little over a dozen years ago and the website now lists six brick and mortar locations  It falls a little more into the fast-casual category rather than fast food as the food is prepared to order.

I tried the 2-piece catfish plus 2 shrimp snack basket which came with one hush puppy and some very good battered fries.  The coating on the fish is similar to Capt. Benny's, a mix of corn meal and corn flour, I think, but a little bit thicker.  The hush puppy was sweet - they're described on the menu as sweet corn hush puppies but I didn't find any kernels of corn in mine.

The chicken and sausage gumbo was very good with a good rich, medium thick roux and lots of Cajun sausage; the chicken pieces were mostly shredded in my first sample but I got chunks the second time I tried this.  There was a chunk of tomato and the menu indicated there also should have been okra although I didn't find any pieces in my samples. Pictures posted online from in-house diners with this dish look a little better than my take-home sample - the rice settles down to the bottom in transit.  It has a mild amount of heat but there are bottles of Cajun Chef on the tables.

There are grilled dishes, chicken tenders, seafood tacos and po-boys plus one pasta dish.  House specialties include shrimp and grits, Cajun sausage with red beans and rice and more.  A link of boudain comes with a very tangy remoulade sauce and crackers.

The crawfish pie comes as an empanada stuffed with mostly shredded or minced pieces of crawfish and is served with a home-made etouffee sauce which is an onion gravy.

Besides the desserts listed on the website the in-house menu board offers Stonie Clark's Tea Cakes, an Austin specialty.

Dining-in accommodations are not plush but they're clean and the staff has been very friendly.

Catfish Station

7/30/17 - Per the Chronicle, four more Frenchy's are converting to Catfish Stations.

Masala Munchies

6692 Southwest Freeway @ Hillcroft

I've seen this place many times before, right next door to London Sizzler, but never been in.  The little storefront offers a dizzying array of snacks from the subcontinent.

I'm not much interested in the 'Betcha can't eat just one' food group (thanks anyway, Bert) and I wouldn't know where to start with the variety offered here.  I prefer the more substantial snacks that offer both some nutrition and taste as well as filling the stomach.  I got, top row, a couple of their vegetable samosas (about 2 oz.), curried potatoes, peas and carrots with a coriander/chile chutney; second row: kachoris, minced green peas with garlic and spices and a tamarind chutney; and, third row: Katta Dhokla and a couple Khandvi.  That's actually 2 pieces of dhokla.  Katta means it was made with yogurt, I think.  This was the moistest, heaviest and best dhokla I think I've ever had, despite the tired looking cilantro.  A little dash of red chilli powder certainly didn't hurt.

I went back two days later for more dhokla and to stare at the shelves full of snacks until my head started to hurt.  People were walking out with large bags full of the treats and I'm sure I would too if I started trying to make choices.

Masala Munchies

Nukkad Dhaba

10707 W. Bellfort

I happened to spot this restaurant while I was waiting on my Chicken Shwarma from the Halal 5 food truck across the street. Driving west on West Bellfort from 59/69 at this point the sign for Nukkad Dhaba is almost completely blocked by a tree and I hadn't noticed it.

Nuddad means corner so I understand and dhaba is a term for a roadside eatery in India, particularly one catering to truckers.  This is a counter-service diner type place with booths along one wall and tables along another.  Parking is limited in front (and most of the building is currently unoccupied) but there is an expanded lot in the back, kept watch over by security cameras.  There's even a mostly enclosed patio on the rear of the building, making this one of the very few places in this part of town with al fresco dining.

Reviewers online rave about the Butter Chicken here while others complain about the oiliness of the curries. I've never cared for Butter Chicken so I passed up yet another opportunity to see what I'm missing and went for Chicken Seekh Kabab, Channa Masala, which is one of my favorite dishes from the subcontinent, and naan. The kababs were fine; nothing outstanding but okay.  They came with a very good coriander/chile chutney.  The Channa was both very oily and very tame.  When I make this dish at home, I'm aiming for a spice level like a bowl of Texas Red and this didn't come close.  There are shakers of a masala mix on the tables at the restaurant so I got mine out at home and shook generously.  The naan survived the almost 15 minute ride home tightly wrapped in very thick foil and was excellent for sopping up the oil.

A specialty of the house is Bombay style Chinese food, offered on a separate menu beginning at 5 pm and available until 1:45 am, seven days a week.  I had picked up a package of Ching's Secret Veg Hakka Noodles at Indian Spices and Snacks in Sugar Land recently but didn't realize I needed the Secret Szechuan sauce mix packet, too, so had never done anything with them and here was a version on a restaurant menu staring me in the face.  Well, minus any reference to Szechuan.  This is a stir fried noodle dish that had onions, bell pepper and I believe green beans in it, as I recall.  Interesting, but again very bland. I added the masala spice and some soy sauce to kick it up some.

I also picked up a couple of Keema Samosas which came with a very potent garlic chutney. Compared to this concoction, they might as well put Sriracha in 2.5 oz bottles and slap a Gerber label on it.  I gobbled it like a side dish and regretted it (just a little) the next couple of days.  I think the hole in my stomach has mainly healed, now, though.

My third visit I went just for the snacks - a couple of the Keema Samosas, an Aloo Vada and Chicken Patise

I have seen these Chicken Patise before but never tried one.  From here on, I'll be trying every one I come across.  This was the best thing yet - nicely spiced shredded chicken meat in puff pastry (and I had some of both the coriander and garlic chutneys left over to dress it up a little).

The place is very clean on the inside, better looking than the outside of the building, and the counter people have been friendly and welcoming, energetic even.  I plan to go back to try more of the Chinese food.

Nukkad Dhaba

Peru Cafe Express

3885 Southwest Freeway

Peru Cafe Express has moved (correct address above) and Empanada Factory has commenced operations in the space at 3833 Southwest Freeway.

The owners of this place and Argentina Cafe on Sage have recently opened a new Peruvian-Argentinian place, Che Inka, on Memorial, in a former Los Cucos.  My friend Lambowner checked it out and reported on it on Hungry Onion.  When we checked out the website we learned this place is slated to become an Empanada Factory.  I stopped by today to check it out.  It's still Peru Cafe Express and I saw no mention of an Empanada Factory but there were signs in the window announcing this place is moving a few doors down to a larger space soon so I guess the Empanada Factory is on hold until then.

I was very impressed with Argentina Cafe but had never checked this place out because it's mostly take-out and it's a little far from my home for that.  Today I picked up a 'sauteed beef sandwich' - i.e., Pan Con Lomo Saltado, and a Peruvian pork tamal with salsa criolla.

I'd never tried a Peruvian tamal, not even sure I remember seeing them on any menus, but this was the real winner here for me.  It had already been stripped of whatever it was steamed in (corn husks and banana leaves are mentioned in online recipes) when it was stuffed in the clam-shell but it stayed moist enough on the trip home.  The color comes from a Peruvian red chile, aji panca I think, and it was delicious with a generous filling of chunks of pork.  The salsa criolla, a ubiquitous condiment in Peruvian cuisine so I understand, is red onions sliced a la pluma (like a feather), dressed with fresh lime juice, a little salt, maybe a hint of chile.  There was also a container of a salsa verde in the bag.

The sandwich didn't fare so well; closed up in a clam-shell the bread lost any crustiness it had and the handful of potato chips included wilted as well.

I'll be looking forward to the new location for this place, where presumably there will be better accommodations for sit-down dining, and to the new Empanadas Factory.

Today's News and Forecasts - UPDATED 3X

This latest edition of restaurant news from greater southwest Houston indicates the Bellaire restaurant scene continues to evolve.


Saltillo Mexican Kitchen,  5427 Bissonnet @ Chimney Rock

I was watching carefully for this one to open and it's been open almost a month now.  I went in by the end of the first week and the place was already packed for evening service.

This is the new place by the owner of the short-lived but acclaimed Mexican steak house La Casa del Caballo in Montrose.  The menu is beef-centric and includes the 4 pound plus Tapa de Lomo rib-eye cap for $190 but the former eatery was famous for it's enchiladas, too, and that's what drew me in.

I had the Enchiladas Saltillo, 3 chicken enchiladas in a sauce made from 5 kinds of chiles, with chihuahua cheese and sesame seeds.  I also had the Hearts of Palm Ceviche with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice and olives, with hearts of palm substituting for any seafood and looking just like scallops.  Service was virtually flawless, remarkable for a new eatery.

This is not the type of Mexican restaurant where you get a huge basket of chips and salsa.  There are four salsas brought to the table to use as you wish and they are meant to be used more as garnishes or relishes than as dips, though you can get a small saucer of warm, thick chips by asking for it.  I passed on the chips but some were brought to my table anyway; I wasn't charged for them.  The salsas range from a mild tomatillo salsa verde to a tomato and red jalapeno based one with a little more heat, then a minced red onion and habanero with lime and orange juices and olive oil, and at the most intense end of the scale, one made with green papaya and habanero.  The servers were explaining the salsas to each table.

Judging by the crowd I experienced, I'd say Bellaire is ready for this kind of upscale Mexican place and it's certainly a very welcome addition to my grazing grounds.

Saltillo Mexican Kitchen


Tapester's Grill, 4520 Beechnut @ Newcastle

This is a new family-style neighborhood eatery across from the Southwest Houston Police Station on Beechnut.  It's a very welcoming modern space with a patio on the back side, away from the traffic on Beechnut.  When I went in there were lots of families with small children and a few tables with older couples.

I had the Bratwurst on a Housemade French Roll with housemade chips.  The online menu describes this as thin sliced turkey pastrami for some reason.

I didn't get a good look at any of the other menu items except the 1/3 pound burgers which were obviously a popular choice; they looked pretty good.

Tapester's Grill


Suzie's Grill, the kosher (meat) restaurant that has operated out of a tiny space in a Chevron station at Beechnut and Hillcroft for the past few years, has closed.  The website indicates the menu is available at the new kosher steakhouse Genesis on Bissonnet at Chimney Rock, in the same strip center with Saltillo.

Suzie's
Genesis


WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

Enoteca Rossa, 4566 Bissonnet @ Avenue B, just inside Loop 610

The former much-loved Daniel Wong's Kitchen, which has been closed for over a year now, is about to open as an Italian restaurant with wood-fired kitchen.  The building is hardly recognizable.  A banner announcing they're hiring staff has gone up so the opening must be soon.

EDIT TO ADD:  FACEBOOK

(The picture was taken through the windshield on a rainy day).


Salt 'n Pepper Indo-Pak and Mediterranean Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 9619 SW Freeway @ Bissonnet

The banner indicates it's opening soon.  A url given in a sign on the front door leads nowhere and I have not been able to find anything for this online except a white pages listing but will add a link when one becomes available.

EDIT TO ADD:  A "NOW OPEN" BANNER HAS GONE UP.  THERE IS ALSO A BANNER PROCLAIMING "#1 RATED BBQ IN TOWN."  

FACEBOOK

SALT' N PEPPER GRILL HAS COME AND GONE.  ALONG THE WAY, SNP HOOKAH LOUNGE WAS OPENED NEXT DOOR.  NOW THE BUSINESS IS NAMED GHUNGROO GRILL AND HOOKAH LOUNGE.  A GHUNGROO IS A MUSICAL ANKLET (BELLS) WORN BY TRADITIONAL INDIAN DANCERS.

Philippine Community Center, 9101 West Bellfort @ Riceville School Road

The exterior cladding is all but complete but the weeds have gotten so tall I couldn't get a decent picture from the front.  These pictures, from a blog on the northwest side, appear to me to be more pictures of this one.


Gujarati Samaj Center, W. Bellfort @ Beltway 8

There hasn't been anything going on at the future site of this sports complex, unfortunately, but someday no doubt.

Indo American News article from last February

And just what are these items about cultural centers doing on a blog that's supposed to be about food?  I keep hoping that all of these cultural institutions will spur some sort of restaurant activity in the immediate vicinity.  Of course the Raindrop Center, Istanbul Conference Center and India House, all along this same stretch of West Bellfort, haven't had any such consequences but I can still dream.  Maybe a food court with stalls from each -- or a couple of food trucks?????

Peru Gourmet

10804 S. Post Oak @ Willowbend, Suite 375

This is the second Peruvian restaurant along this stretch of S. Post Oak.  A half mile away, Super Chicken has been open for a couple of years serving Peruvian style charcoal rotisserie chicken, Pollo a las Brazas.  This new place is smaller but more nicely appointed and with a broader menu including seafood plates and ceviche, Creole plates and sandwiches, plus a very small menu section (8 items) of Mexican food.  There is no rotisserie chicken on the menu here.

I've been on a ceviche kick of late and I tried two of the four offerings here.  The Tostada de Ceviche, on the appetizer menu, came with a pile of fresh fish marinated in lime juice and Peruvian spices, with red onions, cancha (Peruvian roasted corn) and steamed camote (sweet potato).  Though it was on the appetizer menu this could have served as an entree it was so large.

Ceviche de Tres Pasiones featured fresh fish marinated with Peruvian spices and lime juice three ways, with aji amarillo, Peruvian yellow pepper, on the right, aji rocoto, Peruvian red pepper that is supposed to be pretty spicy but wasn't, and a house made cilantro sauce on the left.  This was garnished with hominy and camote.

I also ordered the Empanadas de Carnes appetizers and was taken aback when they arrived completely coated in powdered sugar.  I thought there had been some mistake and didn't remember any dessert empanadas on the menu.  But there was no mistake, this is the way they are served.  The filling of ground beef also includes raisins so it is slightly sweet itself.  This came with a sauce that is a variation of the Argentine Salsa Golf or British Marie Rose sauce, the basic ingredients of which are mayonnaise and ketchup.  You can see the leftovers of that sauce in the upper left corner of the Tres Pasiones picture.  I was initially hesitant but these were really good.

Chifa is a term which indicates dishes which are the result of a Chinese influence on Peruvian cookery which came about as a result of an influx of Chinese laborers to fill jobs once slavery was abolished in Peru.  It also denotes restaurants which serve these dishes.  They have their Chifa just as we have our Chinese American food and it is very popular.  One of the most popular dishes is Arroz Chaufa, a Peruvian version of fried rice, and another is Lomo Saltado.  I had the Lomo Saltado sandwich and never would have guessed the dish had Chinese roots if I hadn't read it.  This is tender chunks of been tenderloin, stir-fried with tomatoes, aji amarillo and red onion, in a red wine sauce, on a light and lightly toasted baguette.

Beverages include Chicha by the glass or pitcher and Inka Kola plus the usual American soft drinks, coffee and tea.  Desserts include Flan and Alfajores plus Pionono de Manjar Blanca, a sponge cake roll with the same filling as the Alfajores.

Yelpers have claimed the restaurant is the same owner as the Peru Gourmet food truck and that is confirmed by the Facebook page.  I don't know if the food truck is still on the road.

This section of South Post Oak just below the corner of the Loop is not a street one drives down expecting great culinary discoveries.  Peru Gourmet is a big addition to the dining out options in the S. Post Oak/Willowbend area and convenient also to Meyerland and Westbury.  It's an unpretentious, very small hole-in-the-wall serving up some very good food.   I hope there are enough Peruvians and at least mildly adventurous eaters otherwise to sustain it.


Peru Gourmet on Facebook.  Note many of the pictures on FB were apparently taken at a catering event and do not show the interior of the restaurant. 

Haveli Kabab & Grill House

5901 Hillcroft

I remembered seeing something about a new Pakistani restaurant on Hillcroft and when I saw the Grand Opening banner for Haveli I went in to check it out.   As I approached, I was wistfully remembering Sabri Nihari in the opposite corner of this u-shaped, double decker mall in Little India.  Sabri was my first Pakistani restaurant and I still remember the Beef Nihari and the huge wedges of naan glazed with ghee which blew me away on my first visit.

Haveli is in a space larger than Sabri that used to be a nite club and is a bit more upscale.

The official name (per the website and as printed on the take-out menu) is a little misleading:  Haveli is a buffet 7 days a week.  The food looked better than I remember the buffet at Sabri and I dug in.  Everything on the hot station was labeled and I got around to trying a little of most of the dishes.   In the 11 o’clock position on the plate are small pieces of Tawa Chicken and Grill Fish.  I took some Palak Paneer with toasted paneer, one of the best dishes that day and one of the best versions I’ve had, and some plain white rice, discovering on another visit the Chicken Biryani was a much better option.  I also got an onion pakora, the spiciest thing I had that day.  The Tandoori Chicken thigh was on the dry side; Frontier Chicken, looking like a Pakistani version of chicken fajitas with onions and bell peppers, was a much better option.  (I did not take any pictures of my second visit).

I put some of the Beef Haleem in one of the cups provided for the Chicken Corn Soup, which I skipped.  The Haleem was excellent.

Then I moved on to the salad/chilled station of the buffet, crowded in the corner of the room.  With some mango pickle I picked up what I thought would be an idli, though I guess that would have been out of place on a Pakistani buffet.  It turned out to be a sweet, chilled, and oozing simple syrup.  Among the salads I took a simple diced cucumber, carrot and onion salad and what turned out to be, I suppose, a version of Raita with pieces of eggplant, onion, and either chilli pod (de-seeded and devoid of heat) or a pod from one of the pulses in chilled yogurt. I could have eaten a whole plate of just this.  There was also a chilled chickpea salad with tomatoes, onions and cilantro that was very good and another sweet which was forgettable plus other salads and chutneys on this station.  Unfortunately nothing on the chilled station was labeled, absolutely nothing at all, and I didn’t get the names of any of these  

I have also tried Tawa Gosht which turned out to be excellent, better than the small sample of the Beef Nihari I tried.  It didn’t look very appetizing so I had passed on it until the end and I wish I had had room for more. 

I skipped a korma and a jalfrezi dish plus Butter Chicken, as I recall.  I went for seconds on the Palak Paneer, Haleem, Frontier Chicken, Onion Pakora and Raita but only taking very small portions of (almost) everything.

The naan was brought to the table by a server and though it looked great it was at room temperature and a big disappointment. 

There is a self-serve beverage station with Coke products and several tea options.

If you’re lucky you may score one of the covered spaces in the tunnel right in front of the door.  Having a shaded parking spot in the middle of the day in a Houston summer is almost reason enough to go by itself.

I don’t go for buffets much anymore but they are a convenient way to try out new cuisines or restaurants or just to pig out, which I don't like to do.  I still visit Fadi’s and Vishala and I think Haveli will also be an ongoing  option.  I’ll certainly give it a few more tries to see if my first impressions hold up.

Haveli

More News of the World - UPDATED 9/29

King's Chicken, known for its Pakistani dishes, naan, and fried chicken, has abandoned it's longtime place on Beechut just west of Wilcrest and moved way out on Highway 6, just north of Westheimer.  It's now a sit-down restaurant.

King's Chicken review in the Press.

The new name at the Beechnut location is Scarlotti's Eatery and Catering but except for a sign in the window advertising a 2 piece chicken deal, there's no indication what kind of food is served.

Johnathan's Grill Pampanga's in the International Food Court at the Viet Hoa Center on the West Belt at Beechnut is now La Fernandina's Grill Pampanga's.  There are still just the two Filipino places side-by-side in the food court (the other is Pinoy Fast Food).

Haveli is a new Pakistani restaurant at 5901 Hillcroft.  It's a buffet 7 days a week in a former nightclub space.

Frenchy's open, Acacia closed, Lotus gets a rave - UPDATED 9/1/17

The Frenchy's Fried Chicken on the Beltway at West Bellfort is open for business.  Frenchy's has been adding locations all over town.  UPDATE:  THIS LOCATION HAS NOW BECOME WALLA-BEES - THE STING IS IN THE WINGS.

Acacia Food Market, the ambitious and impressive Turkish market on Wilcrest at the Southwest Freeway has closed. Correction:  Acacia just moved, just south of 59 at 11821 S. Wilcrest, back behind a Popeye's, in a big strip center with an Office Depot and Dollar General.

Another option for Turkish foods is Makkah Mart, 10560 Synott @ West Bellfort, Sugar Land, and, of course, Phoenicia on Westheimer. Makkah Mart is now known as Anatolia.

Lotus Seafood Market, 8550 S. Braeswood at Gessner got a rave review in Houstonia Magazine.  It's rare for any place in our part of town to even be noticed by the foodie media.  Dining in accommodations are very basic.  The tales of long lines are true and the parking lot is usually crammed; it's best to call in an order and get it to go.  Lotus Seafood Market on Facebook.  There are pictures of the menu.

Ruchi's Taqueria on Gessner between 59 and Beechnut has become Jabastian's.

Edit to add:

I drove by the former Sheba Cafe location, 6521 Bissonnet @ Hillcroft, and saw the 'Open' sign lighted in the window again.  I found a Facebook page.  It's now called Habesha Cafe, an Eritrean restaurant, and apparently it's been open all along.  The sign in the window says it's open 7 days a week.  They must neglect to turn on the Open sign many days! 

Panaderia y Pupuseria La Sultana has moved into the space formerly occupied by Panaderia Mexicana & Colombiana, 6039 Bissonnet.  La Sultana was for a long time located in the center at Beechnut and Bissonnet that has been razed for an Aldi.  It also housed a Central American grocery store at the former location but I don't know if that's the case here.

Mido, the Turkish/Middle Eastern sandwich shop at 6905 Bissonnet has closed.

Arny's Bakery

9601 S. Gessner @ Bissonnet

This little Filipino bakery has opened, tucked back behind other businesses at the corner of S. Gessner and Bissonnet.

I picked up, from the left, an ensaymada, bibingka, and mamon.

The bibingka is a super-moist, dense rice cake made with coconut milk, a cross in texture with a dense rice pudding and a cake, traditionally baked in a terra cotta pot, wrapped in banana leaves.

The ensaymada, culinary descendant of the ensaimada of Mallorca, is a bun topped with finely shredded cheese and sugar.  The Mallorcan pastry was made with saim, a type of pork lard, but the Filipino version is made with butter.

The mamon is a sponge cake, a Filipino version of Angel Food cake; the name comes from Spanish slang for breast.

Both the ensaymada and bibingka were about 5" across and the bibingka weighed just over half a pound.

Not all of the items pictured were available the day I visited and there was at least one pastry and one type of bread I saw not pictured. A sign in the window also advertises kolaches which would probably make Arny's the first ever Tex-Czech-Filipino bakery, but there weren't any on display the day I was there. I plan to go back to try the Pan de Ube (purple yam) and Hopia (mung bean paste, I think), which were not available.

There were beverages available from a cooler and a coffee maker on a counter top.

EDIT TO ADD:  I HAVE SEEN BAKED GOODS FROM ARNY'S AT THE HONG KONG MARKET ON BELLAIRE IN THE READY TO EAT DEPARTMENT.

Taqueria Vega

7755 W. Bellfort, in the parking lot of Joe V's

I encountered this unit several years ago on Fondren when it was Taqueria Tzul-Vega but tried it only once.  I remembered the taquera apparently spoke only about 5 syllables of English and she found my Spanish just as lacking, but I couldn't remember the food nor why I never returned.  According to my notes, it was not because of the food but because the menu was so limited.  The majority of the items listed on the unit were not available, there was a handwritten menu taped to the window with only a few dishes.

There has apparently been a change of ownership.  The menu card in the window, which identifies the business as Taqueria Vega, lists just about everything named on the side of the unit plus a few other items and I had no trouble communicating.

I tried a couple of tacos, pastor on the left and chorizo on the right.  They came on handmade corn tortillas, a big plus, with roasted onions and mass quantities of cilantro, plus a surprisingly fiery salsa.  According to my notes, the fiery salsa was a feature of the old cart, too.  The pastor wasn't bad, not dried out like it often is and I got a couple of tidbits of pinapple, but the chorizo was much better.  I have also tried a barbacoa taco and, on a whim, a chorizo gordita.  These were served with a very mild salsa verde.  The gordita was almost as big as a torta and would have been better as one; the barbacoa is another good choice for meat along with the chorizo.

Tacos are $2 and apparently there's no upcharge for requesting flour tortillas.  There is an upcharge for requesting lengua or tripa.  The gordita was $3.50.

Frenchy's Gettin' Busy on the Southwest side...UPDATED 9/1/17

...opening new locations, that is.

A new store at 7903 Beechnut, just off 59, has been open for several weeks now.  It's larger than the existing store four miles away at 59 and Wilcrest in a Valero station, with room for a few tables for dine-in instead of just a shelf around the window.  It's very convenient to HBU and Memorial Hermann SW and all the associated clinics and doctor's offices.

THIS LOCATION HAS BECOME A CATFISH STATION, REPORTED ON ELSEWHERE ON THIS BLOG.

And then there's this, just one mile on my trusty odometer from the Wilcrest store, in a Shell station on the Beltway 8 frontage road at W. Bellfort.

THIS LOCATION HAS BECOME WALLA-BEES - THE STING IS IN THE WINGS.

Too soon to tell if there will be room for tables here but I'd guess so.

None of 'em, dang it, have drive-throughs for lazy bones like me.

I'm also keeping my eye on Arny's Bakery, 'Coming soon' to a strip center on S. Gessner at Bissonnet.  Hard to tell how much progress they're making since the windows are completely papered over but the business has gone up on the strip center signboard at the corner.

UPDATE:  Arny's is now open; it's a Filipino bakery offering pandesal, bibinka, mamon, ensaymada and more, not to mention kolaches.

Panaderia Mexicana & Colombiana Restaurante Cafe

6039 Bissonnet

This place was formerly Panaderia Y Pasteleria DF.  Gone is the wall of display cases of Mexican breads and pastries, replaced by a cooler.  There is a small display of Colombian baked goods at the counter, menu boards on the back wall and a menu for sit-down service.  The menu includes both Mexican and Colombian items including tamales but is biased towards Colombian dishes.

On my first visit I tried, from 11 o'clock, Pan Colombiana, Pastele de Carne, Pastele de Guayaba and Milhojas, 'thousand leaves cake,' a pastry popular throughout much of South America that is sometimes referred to as the South American version of a Napoleon.

The previous operation offered some very good tortas (they're still on the menu) and the best teleras I found on the southwest side.  The real winners here were the pastele de carne and the milhojas.  I went back a few days later to try another Pastele de Carne plus the version with chicken, the only other option.  The beef version is much more interesting but with a flaky, buttery crust like this, I wish there were more fillings to choose from.

The menu includes Bandeja Paisa, arepas and 'Alitas de Pollo BBQ'  (Buffalo wings, Colombian style), plus Calentao and Picadas and Fritanga on the weekend, dishes I don't recall seeing before at a Colombian restaurant. .  Though the signs and the menu both indicate they're open for business 7 days a week, when I went by on a Sunday it was locked up tight.

Amongst the myriad of signs in the window also are small signs in English and Spanish announcing that the business is for sale.  I may have discovered the place too late.