Although only open for a few years, Amrina has quickly become one of the very best restaurants in the Woodlands, if not the entire Houston area. Under the steady hand of Chopped champion Chef Jassi Bindra, Amrina has brought a modern take on Indian-influenced cuisine to this affluent suburb. Jassi’s food goes far beyond traditional Indian fare, and exhibits both thoughtfulness in its conception and a deft attention to detail in execution. It’s one of our favorite restaurants anywhere.
The team behind Amrina (Chef Jassi, Surpreet Singh, and Preet Paul Singh) have since set their sites on Houston. They’ve opened Pok Pok Po, the fast casual fried chicken concept that brings the bold desi flavors of the subcontinent to the Houston chicken scene. In a category that’s crowded with me-too “hot chicken” concepts, Pok Pok Po is something totally different. They’ve also opened Bol, another fast casual concept built around bold, flavorful bowls, bringing a tasty and healthy option to Midtown.
Enter Kitchen Rumors
The latest creation by this team that seems to never miss? Kitchen Rumors.
Kitchen Rumors is an upscale casual restaurant serving contemporary cuisine with an Indian influence. Located at 2310 Decatur Street, conveniently between Washington Avenue and Memorial Drive, Kitchen Rumors brings Chef Jassi’s innovative cuisine inside the Loop.
The location, which has housed several innovative restaurants in the past years, has been transformed into an open, welcoming environment. A central bar is the hub of the lively room, with lots of energy. Tables wrap around the bar area, and at the pre-opening preview we attended, the were filled with an upscale crowd excited to check out the scene.
The Food
We sampled a variety of dishes from the nicely curated menu. Here are our initial impressions.
The Appetizers
There was a nice selection of appetizers. As we’ve found at Amrina, the vegan options should not be overlooked, even if you’re a dedicated carnivore. Chef Jassi has a deft touch with vegetables.
The Crispy Kale & Wasabi White Peas was nothing short of delicious. Kale gets a bad rap, and Chef Jassi could personally reverse its negative reputation with this dish. The flavors are bold, exciting, and delicious, and beautifully balanced. I doubt we’ll ever pass this dish up.
Lobster Dumplings are a restrained exercise in luxury. Topped with caviar and accented with a Mangosteen-infused Malabar sauce, it’s an excellent counterpoint to the brightness of the Crispy Kale dish.
Grilled Gossip Lamb Chops are easily some of the best lamb chops in town. The masala rub and rich flavorful sauce adds levels of complexity to perfectly medium rare lamb.
Not strictly an appetizer, the Garbanzo Bean Curry side dish was a delight. Garbanzos are simmered in a rich, piquant curry gravy, with just a bit of heat on the back end. The flavors are big and bold, and are incredibly well conceived. We could have been very happy with a bucket of this curry and a big spoon.
The Entrees
We are big fans of biryani, and Chef Jassi’s Goat Biryani reflects is sophisticated approach in the kitchen. Long-grain basmati rice is cooked until tender with aromatic herbs and spices. Marinated goat is added to the rice, and the dish is considerably greater than the sum of its parts. The moist, flavorful rice is the star of the show; this is a masterclass in the preparation of this South Asian classic.
The Lamb Shank is deep, rich and soulful; its history of a slow braise in lamb stock being quite evident. Bold masala spices and a savory sauce with notes of garam masala, ginger, and paprika make for a beautiful desi version of this American classic.
Bison Short Rib Nahari is delicate, restrained, and subtle. Elegant notes of onion, ginger, garlic, paprika, and clove weave together into a dish that lets the bison take center stage. If most Indian food is too bold for you, don’t sleep on this dish.
Branzino demonstrates Chef Jassi’s deft touch with fish. The mild, subtly sweet, and gently briny fish is enhanced with green herbs sabzi, bringing depth and complexity to this classic dish.
The Desserts
Shahi Tukda Panna Cotta was an enigma that worked. The traditional cooked cream (“panna cotta” in Italian) takes on a gel-like texture, and is draped over bread soaked in reduced milk and spices. The contrast of the savory bread, the sweet panna cotta, and the pistachio, rose water, and saffron results in a delicious, not-too-sweet version of this traditionally royal dessert; “Shahi Tukda” translates into “royal bite”. Yes, at Kitchen Rumors, you are eating like royalty.
Howdy Gulab Jamun is a fascinating spin on the classic Indian dessert. The traditional light pastry balls are stretched into a cylinder and soaked in cardamom-scented syrup, and placed atop a dense pecan pie cookie bar. The result an exciting collision of Texas and India, and is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
We were tremendously impressed by this first look at Kitchen Rumors, and can’t wait to return and sample more of this innovative menu. Chef Jassi Bindra has become a chef to watch; he is executing at a level as high as any chef in Texas.
Kitchen Rumors | 2310 Decatur St, Houston, TX 77007 | 713-380-2452 | kitchenrumors.com
