Welcome to Eating with Stephano‘s February 2022 roundup! I tried 10 food spots across the greater Houston area this month. This list includes features a mix of coffee shops, seafood, and sweets: Slowpokes, Heartbeet, Segundo Coffee Lab, Tobiuo Sushi & Bar, Mykuna, Bonnie’s Donuts, ReikiNa, Chez Kobayashi Pastries, Mia Thai Tea, and Crescent City Connection.
Slowpokes
Take it slow and enjoy the coffee 🦥🐌🐢. Slowpokes is one of my favorite coffee shops in Houston with 3 different locations! Their mascots are a sloth, snail, and turtle, but there’s nothing slow about their excellent service. I like it when cafes have savory food because sometimes you just need more than a pastry. The avocado flatbread 🥑 was really fresh and light. The churro donuts are light and crispy too!
For drinks, the baristas develop all the recipes and they have seasonal specials. The winter special was the campfire latte which is s’mores 🍫, yum. The purple rain (ube) and pandan lattes are layered with espresso; both are excellent.
I recently checked out the Spring Branch location and it’s become my new go-to since it’s the largest out of the 3. Plenty of tables inside and some outdoor tables too. This is a good cafe for getting some work done. Each location is open till 9 or 10 pm for the night owls. Thanks Slowpokes for inviting me to try your food and drinks!
Slowpokes (Spring Branch location)
8147B Long Point Rd
Houston, TX 77055
[open in Google Maps]
Heartbeet
My heart is beating for more Heartbeet 💖! I had the opportunity to try out this mostly vegan plant-based concept by Hungry’s and I loved it!
For an appetizer, the “ceviche” is a citrus marinated mix of young coconut, hearts of palm, guacamole, Persian cucumbers, watermelon, daikon radish, pineapple, jalapeños served with plantain chips. The plantain chips are awesome and really a step up from a regular tortilla chip!
The portobello mushroom “steak” was also amazing since it was grilled to perfection. It’s served with turmeric-roasted veggies, herb basmati rice topped with black beans, pico de gallo, avocado relish, and pita.
The bowl is an entree of 2 tricolor quinoa and kale patties, organic brown rice, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado relish, seasonal veggies, tahini drizzle. The textures are really balanced well in this bowl.
The restaurant itself is really beautiful and there are a few outside tables to enjoy your meal. I ordered to-go and the food was still great after doing some errands for a few hours. Everything was perfectly seasoned and I enjoyed all of the vegetables. If you’re looking for a good plant-based restaurant, I definitely recommend visiting Heartbeet!
Heartbeet
14714 Memorial Dr
Houston, TX 77079
[open in Google Maps]
Segundo Coffee Lab
Lately I’ve been finding myself hopping around the east end and exploring Houston’s Second Ward. Segundo Coffee Lab is located inside the Ironworks building which was refurbished into a shipping container shop and office space. It’s a very cool building to see repurposed shipping containers.
“Segundo” means “second” in Spanish. The owners of Segundo Coffee Lab wanted to pay tribute to Second Ward’s historically Hispanic culture with their name and menu. The “lab” refers to their constant experimentation with coffee. Their signature La Mexicana latte includes cinnamon, raw honey, vanilla, oat milk, and espresso making a creamy experience. Definitely a cool coffee shop to visit!
Segundo Coffee Lab
711 Milby St #35
Houston, TX 77023
[open in Google Maps]
Tobiuo Sushi and Bar/Money Cat
I swung by Tobiuo Sushi and Bar to try pastry chef @jforjio‘s Valentine’s Day exclusive dessert because I love his work 💖! It’s called the “ichigo tart” and it’s a strawberry tart with a side of milk sorbet and black pepper sable cookie. It included 3 vials (vanilla, strawberry, honey truffle) of extra flavor for a fun interactive experience. This dessert is now available on the regular spring menu.
And in case you missed it, some of the Tobiuo team are opening a new concept Money Cat! They let me try a little sneak peek of the new concept with their coconut milk scallop dish. Money Cat will open later this year. Can’t wait to try the new place!!
Tobiuo Sushi and Bar
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd Suite H130
Katy, TX 77494
[open in Google Maps]
Mykuna
Experience Latin x Asian fusion food at Mykuna! This restaurant is the second concept of Andes Cafe chef David Guerrero. The name Mykuna derived from the word “mikuna” which means “food” in the native Ecuadorian language Quichua. Mykuna is located inside Railway Heights food hall’s second story, so grab a bite on your next visit!
Thanks Mykuna for inviting me to your tasting night.
Mykuna
8200 Washington Ave Suite 215
Houston, TX 77007
[open in Google Maps]
Bonnie’s Donuts
(NSFW) Show me the d(onuts) 🍩. Bonnie’s Donuts is a long-time fan favorite family-owned donut shop in League City, TX. These “arrow” donuts first appeared on their social media right before Valentine’s Day. However, these phallic shaped donuts got a little too much attention on social media and the post had to be removed, but you can still order them for any occassion.The set comes with one donut covered in chocolate and peanuts plus a second cream filled chocolate donut. Deez nuts will surely be hit for Valentine’s Day, bachelorette parties, or occasions where you need a gag gift! Since they’re off-menu, you need to order them in advance.
Bonnie’s Donuts
2047 W Main St A4
League City, TX 77573
[open in Google Maps]
ReikiNa
ReikiNa is one of the newer tasting menu concepts that have opened in Houston. It’s all about blending Asian flavors with European gastronomy by chef Thomas Stacy, formerly of Uchi.
I like the omakase experience, but I rarely have the time to go to them, so it was perfect when I saw ReikiNa opened cafe hours. During cafe hours, guests can walk-in and order from a small selection of dishes a la carte and drinks. Guests can catch the “cafe” in their early opening hours.
I ordered the lobster salad which was diced lobster and carrot salad with a mint pea gazpacho poured into the bowl by chef Thomas himself. Also ordered a Hanakotoba which is mocktail featuring hibiscus punch, basil, and white pepper.
Hopefully one day I get around trying the whole tasting experience! The location was a little tricky to find; ReikiNa is located on the second story of City Centre above Urban Outfitters and next to RA Sushi.
ReikiNa
1817 Woodhead St
Houston, TX 77019
[open in Google Maps]
Chez Kobayashi Pastries
Winter is mont blanc season! 🌰 The peak of chestnut season is in fall and winter. Mont blanc pastry originated in Italy, got popularized in France, and became loved by Japan.
Mont blanc is uncommon to find in Houston, so when I found out about this bakery in the Memorial area, I had to try it. Tucked away in a corner of a shopping strip, Chez Kobayashi Pastries makes an array of French style pastries and crepes every day. They serve mostly French desserts, but since the owners are Japanese, they sometimes make Japanese style cakes for special occasions. I hope to try everything eventually!
Chez Kobayashi Pastries
14522 Memorial Dr
Houston, TX 77079
[open in Google Maps]
Mia Thai Tea
Mia Thai Tea is the NEW boba spot in Pearland, TX! 🧋 Mia Thai Tea has quite the interesting menu with drinks you won’t find at other tea shops. The owner just moved to Houston from Thailand and created all the recipes herself!
I normally do not order slushy drinks, but I just had to try their signature rainbow milk slushy which was light, refreshing, and very pretty 💙💛💖. The mixed berry yogurt smoothie was made with fresh fruit and marbled beautifully with yogurt. Lastly, I finished off with a light signature tea. I like that the default sweetness is not too sweet. This spot is definitely my new go-to for Pearland.
Mia Thai Teas
3220 Kirby Dr
Pearland, TX 77584
[open in Google Maps]
Crescent City Connection
One of the best king cakes in Houston 💜💛💚 Crescent City Connection is a bakery specializing in the sweet flavors of New Orleans and their king cake is HUGE! At Crescent City, they bake both traditional and filled cakes; buy the whole cake or by the slice. I walked in and bought one early in the morning, but if you want to secure yours, you can reserve them online. They often sell out during Mardi Gras season, so I suggest reserving if you plan on coming later in the day. This big ol’ boy is the thickest king cake I’ve encountered and feeds 12-24 people.
Houston Chronicle’s Allison Cook featured this king cake on her top 3 king cakes of Houston article. King cakes are available all year at Crescent City Connection!
Crescent City Connection
3126 FM 528 Rd
Webster, TX 77598
[open in Google Maps]
About Eating with Stephano
Eating with Stephano is a food photographer in Houston, TX. With a large appetite and passion for good food, she aims to showcase Houston’s diverse and unique food scene to the world through her lens.
