Baja Sur pivots with Chef Thomas Bille at the helm

Chef Thomas Bille, founder of Belly of the Beast, has created some of the best Mexican cuisine in the Houston area. When Belly of the Beast closed, many local foodies were crushed that they no longer had access to his superb handcrafted cuisine.

Now Chef Thomas is back. He’s the new Executive Chef at Baja Sur, which was already on of our favorite Mexican restaurants in its original incarnation. So how does his cuisine at Baja Sur compare? We were invited for a tasting of Chef Thomas’s cuisine to find out. (Tap or click on any image for a larger version.)

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The Pork Tamal was a revelation. A thick, chunky, perfectly steamed pork tamale is crowned with more pork and queso fresco, and perched atop a spectacular mole. Swiss chard adds a herbaceous accent; this dish reflects the thoughtfulness and complexity that is the hallmark of Chef Thomas’s cuisine

As any great Mexican restaurant should, Baja Sur presents a Caesar Salad (a product of Tijuana, Mexico). Their version veers away from the traditional with pickled onion and bits of bacon and tomato, but the foundation is excellent: Large leaves of beautiful romaine lettuce, and a savory housemade Caesar dressing.

Mexican Street Corn is a classic favorite, and well represented here. Originally from the streets of Mexico City, this dish is grilled, buttered, slathered with queso and a secret blend of spices. The result is delicious.

Chef Thomas’s Birria Quesotacos are the stuff of legend. Now found on all sorts of menus around here, Thomas’s were the first in the Woodlands area, and are still the benchmark. Gently braised beef is seasoned and melded with Chihuahua cheese, salsa roja, onion, cilantro, then nestled into housemade blue corn tortillas. These already superb tacos are paired with the chef’s stellar beef consommé. If you want the best Birria tacos you’ve ever eaten, your quest stops here.

The classic preparation and beautiful presentation of Bay Scallop on the Half Shell was a very pleasant surprise. Perfectly cooked whole scallops are bathed in herbed garlic butter and white wine, and perched atop parmesan cheese nestled into beautiful half scallop shells. It’s an elegant presentation of a delicious dish, and about as far from Tex-Mex as you can get.

We only scratched the surface of the tightly edited menus that Chef Thomas is presenting; you can view them in their entirety below. We’ve also included their incredibly extensive tequila menu, which may have the city’s best selection of premium tequilas. (Tap or click on any menu for a larger version.)

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We only touched the surface of the new menu at Baja Sur; we look forward to returning and sampling more of Chef Thomas Bille’s outstanding cuisine.