Photos by Mai Pham

Roost's already famous cauliflower. So good you will want to order two.

​We've been chatting with Roost's chef/owner Kevin Naderi the last couple of days, learning how he found and opened his restaurant in two months flat, and about the intricacies of his cuisine, which, in addition to being farm-to-table, contain little touches of Persian and Asian flavors.

It's been three days since I tried his Japanese-inspired roasted cauliflower, and that makes three days that I've been singing its praises. I think I've told everyone I've come in contact with about this simple dish, the one he said he would not be taking off the menu because customers love it so much.

It was the first item Naderi let me taste, and it left a long-enough-lasting impression that I can still practically taste the flavors as I'm typing this now. I want to say that it was the flavors that made this dish, but truly, the execution was flawless. Creamy, warm and savory miso cream dressing coated each cauliflower floret, which had been roasted the perfect amount, so that there was still a firm, yet elastic bite to its flesh. Pine nuts and green onions added texture and a slightly nutty aroma, while the wispy pink bonito flakes gave the dish that added burst of umami, or savoriness. Order one for yourself because you won't want to share.

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Photos by Mai Pham

Kevin Naderi of Roost, working in the kitchen

​Yesterday, our chat with Chef/Owner Kevin Naderi of Roost sparked a debate in the comments section about how soon his bubble would burst, with most commenters in support of expanding the Roost bubble. Today, Naderi shares insights into his cuisine, tells us who Houston's hottest chef is, and reveals the meaning of Roost.

EOW: What is your cuisine like?

KN: I want to call it American farm-to-table, but there's a lot of Asian influence, Persian, Middle Eastern touches every now and then. It's kind of whatever we want to do with it.

EOW: What's a Persian influence?

KN: On the charcuterie, we have my grandma's recipe for pickles. I've done a lot of mint, rosewater, like the honey syrup that's on the donut holes. I plan on stepping it up in the future.

EOW: How long did it take you to put together the menu, and how often is it changing?

KN: It's funny, because as chefs we're sitting on something like 40 menus. We're always jotting down ideas, so I had all these menus and ideas in my head, I was like "oh we're going to go with this," and then a week before I threw something completely different out. Going to Chicago was a big decision maker, because I ate at Stephanie Izard's place, The Girl and the Goat, and that was a great inspiration because it's a lot of small shared plates.

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Photos by Mai Pham

Chef/Owner Kevin Naderi of Roost

​It's not often that a small restaurant becomes an instant hit, but from what I could see on a busy Tuesday night with a small line forming at the door, neighborhood eatery Roost possesses everything it needs to make it -- a small, cozy space; warm, friendly service; and well-priced, memorable food.

The two-month-old restaurant, owned and operated by 26-year-old native Houstonian Kevin Naderi, is the quintessential neighborhood watering hole you can walk to if you live in the neighborhood. It's a place to stop by on a moment's notice in the hopes of snagging a table (they don't accept reservations), where the staff are affectionately called "roosters," and where the motto is "food and drink amongst friends."

We caught up with Naderi for a chat on the day he was nominated as one of Eater Houston's "Hottest Chefs of 2012."

EOW: When did you open? It was very recent.

KN: It was December 13.

EOW: It was a really quiet opening, it just snuck up on us.

KN: It was, because it was a quiet purchase, and because I didn't think I was going to open up a restaurant. I was on Craigslist looking for an apartment, and this property came up, so I came over here and talked to the lady, who was the owner at the time. She was a Mexican lady running a Cuban restaurant -- Latina Cafe. She said it was the whole property, and I saw the potential there, so I jumped on it. My parents were really supportive, they went halves with me on it.

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​
"Panda Express ain't no sushi," remarks Jerry Jan, head chef at RA Sushi, with candor. "Do not get sushi from there."

Unsurprisingly, Jan says what elevates sushi is the freshness of the fish. Most quality sushi restaurants pick their catch right out of the water, put it on ice and have it delivered to their doors almost daily, whereas other fix-it-quick sushi chains keep their fish frozen for days on end.

The quality of vegetables and rice are also paramount. Even though RA Sushi is a chain restaurant, Jan makes sure the avocados, cucumbers, cilantro and rice he uses in his meals are all premium-grade, and he receives new batches of fish every other day.

And veggies and rice in sushi aren't the only option. "We use a lot of fruits," says Jan. Mangoes, kiwis and oranges are all used to accentuate his dishes.

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Photo by Nancy Kerschen

​When he first moved to the United States from his home country of France in 1990, Philippe Schmit worked as a sous chef under famous chef Eric Ripert -- a fellow Frenchman -- in the New York kitchens of Le Bernadin, eventually moving on to become executive chef at La Goulue, then later Orsay. Now, 22 years later, Schmit has earned the same prestigious title for himself that Ripert also shares: Maître Cuisinier de France, or Master Chef of France.

Schmit will be formally inducted into the organization at a ceremony in Perpignan, France on March 26. His induction will mark the first time that a Texas-based chef has received the title, which has only been awarded to fewer than 50 chefs in the United States. (There are 200 Master Chefs in France, and 50 or so outside of France in other countries around the world.)

"It is a great honor to be recognized, as this is the most coveted award in France," said Schmit. "Maîtres are looked to as ambassadors of the French cuisine all around the world and this is exactly how I present my cooking." Schmit moved to Houston originally to open Bistro Moderne, and now runs the acclaimed Philippe restaurant in the Galleria area, which is notable for its Texan-French fusion cuisine.

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Photos by Mai Pham

Cebiche de conchas (scallops), a new item from the Cebiche Bar at Latin Bites Cafe

​Chef Roberto Castre of Latin Bites Cafe knows what it means to work hard. The last two days, he shared the details of how he worked up the ranks after graduating from culinary school in Peru, and then opened up his first restaurant within weeks of undergoing major surgery to donate a kidney to his partner and brother-in-law, Carlos Ramos.

It's not just hard work that has made Castre successful, however. The food that comes out of his kitchen is thoughtfully and artistically constructed. Each detail, each ingredient is there for a reason. On the palate, the flavors blend well, the textures change and add depth to his food, and the presentation of his signature dishes is peerless. His food is layered, colorful, shapely, beautiful.

Take, for example, one of his newest creations, the cebiche de conchas, made of chopped scallops. Served on a rectangular plate, the creation looked like it had wispy butterflies nestled on top of it. In fact, they were flat, dehydrated pineapple and orange chips which gave a bit of texture as well a deep citrus-y finish to each bite, while the diced red onions provided some fresh crunch to counterbalance the softer texture of the scallops. Add to that the softly sweet potato puree drops, which moderated the sharp tartness of the leche de tigre marinade, and this is one of those dishes that you'd remember for years after just one taste.

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Photos by Mai Pham

Executive Chef Roberto Castre of Latin Bites Cafe

​Yesterday, we talked to Latin Bites' Executive Chef and Owner Roberto Castre about his long and winding road to settling in Houston. Today, he tells us the story of how Latin Bites came into being.

EOW: You, your sister Rita, and her husband Carlos are partners, tell me the history behind that.

RC: Rita, Carlos and me, we all worked for Chili's when we were students in Lima, Peru. At the time, Rita and Carlos were not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything. We were friends, and we were working together. And one day -- this is in 1998 -- we went to Senor Frog's in Lima, and we said "One day, we're going to open a restaurant!"

EOW: And so you started the catering business...

RC: We worked for eight months at Latin Bites Catering, so we saved some money, and Carlos had some money because he sold his house, so we started looking for a very small restaurant. A year beforehand, Carlos took me to the location on Nance when it was a burger joint, and he told me, "I would like this place to be our restaurant one day." And one day I was looking on Craigslist, and I found this exact restaurant for sale. So we called this guy, and we tried to negotiate with him, and he agreed with what we offered, and told us to come back on Monday to sign the papers. We went out and celebrated, and we were very happy. But when we came back on Monday, he told us he couldn't do it because someone had offered him more money than us. So we were very sad.

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Photo by Mai Pham

Executive Chef Roberto Castre of Latin Bites Cafe

​Today, Latin Bites Cafe, the tiny seven-table Peruvian restaurant that received critical acclaim during its one year, five month reign in Houston's warehouse district, is having its grand re-opening to the public in its brand spanking new Memorial location (5709 Woodway Dr.).

At the helm of the bright, open kitchen space with the fire-spitting woks and the cool new cebiche bar is Executive Chef and Owner Roberto Castre, Eater Houston's Chef of the Year 2011. The super-talented young Peruvian took some time out in between revamping his menu, training his staff, and dealing with city inspections to sit down with us for a chat.

EOW: When did you know you wanted to be a chef?

RC: When we were kids, my mom gave us this gift. She did this thing where she had each of us cook - me, my younger sister, and my older sister. We took turns cooking on the weekends and whoever made the best food would win some money at the end of the month.

EOW: How old were you when you started this?

RC: I was about 12 years old. I would go to the books three days before, I would prepare my menu, I would serve it and everything, and I always tried to do it right, because I wanted to win.

EOW: Did you win a lot?

RC: [Laughs] I would almost always win.

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Photos by Mai Pham

"Ménage à foie," pictured here, the seared foie gras

​Yesterday, we chatted with The Capitol at St. Germain's Executive Chef, Kevin Bryant, about how he made his way up the ranks the "hard knocks" way by working in the high-end Tony's kitchen, getting corporate training at the Landry's Aquarium concept, and then working for country music singer George Strait as a private chef, where he had an unlimited budget and could exercise creativity how he wanted. We also learned about what he's trying to do with the menu at The Capitol, and today we taste some of his food.

The Capitol at St. Germain is all about shared plates. The portions are tapas-size, so the best thing to do is order a bunch of plates and taste a little of each. I looked at the menu and my eyes immediately zeroed in on the cheekily named "Ménage à foie." I love foie gras, so it was a must-try. And it didn't disappoint. We received a four-sectioned plate with three different preparations of foie gras. The first one I tried was a crispy foie gras sphere, where foie gras was enclosed in a crispy breaded shell, and shaped into a round ball set atop a lavender crema.

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Photo by Mai Pham

Kevin Bryant, Executive Chef at The Capitol at St. Germain

​Kevin Bryant epitomizes Southern charm. There's just something about him that puts you at ease immediately, so for our chat, I felt like I catching up with an old friend.

Maybe it's the fact that he loves dogs. Although he has dogs of his own, for a couple of years now, he's worked with the Lucky Dog Rescue, fostering dogs who don't have a place to go. Or maybe it's his humility. Despite working in some fine kitchens, he's humble and sincere. And hardworking.

No doubt these qualities have helped Bryant get to where he is today. We caught up with him last week on the patio outside of the new bar/restaurant/music venue in the heart of downtown,The Capitol at St. Germain, where he is the Executive Chef.

EOW: So I read your bio, and you've been all over the place. Is it true that you started as a pastry chef?

KB: Well, it was back and forth. I started at the Aquarium in Kemah, started off working on the line a month before they opened, trained on the line, worked the hot appetizer station, then got into pastries.

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