I admit that Nosh’s value proposition wasn’t immediately clear to me, even after visiting their website. The name doesn’t give an indication as to what kind of place Nosh is. The website indicates that the food is influenced by the cuisines of India, Singapore, Thailand and Korea. That actually struck a little fear into my heart that this would be one of those places that tries all and specializes in none. My fear was entirely unfounded in this case.
Nosh is a good-looking spot. When you walk in the front door, you may be a little awestruck, as I was, by the wood-fired oven covered from floor to ceiling in brushed metal tiles. The restaurant is a long, narrow space, but the owners have made the most of it. The open kitchen runs part of the length, a long white marble bar stretches across the middle third and the back half is reserved for the elegant dining room.
At the time of my visit, Nosh was just a couple days away from moving out of its soft-opening phase and into its official grand opening, which was yesterday, November 29. Not only had Nosh obviously already gained repeat customers, as evidenced by those who spoke with co-owner Neera Paditar as they were leaving, but Neera’s own family was dining there that night as well. Neera’s mom and dad waxed enthusiastically about how proud they are of their daughter, and they should be. Even though Nosh is in close proximity to Haven (and its new raw bar, Cove), the just-opened Elevation Burger and popular “breastaraunt” Twin Peaks, it should have no problem attracting a following of its own
We started with “Garbanzo Beans In Stew” (above) and “Potato, Spinach and Onion Fritters.” Those of you who know Indian cuisine might quickly recognize these as chana masala and vegetable pakora. The chana masala had no heat and would be a great dish to introduce those new to the cuisine, but had plenty enough coriander and cumin to satisfy the jaded. The fritters were a big eye opener. When I’ve had these before, they were pulled from a buffet steam table, tough and underwhelming. I learned at Nosh that fresh pakora is a delight that seems more like a delicacy than a standard nibble.
Another delight was the “Eggs in Curry.” I can’t wait for Nosh to start having Sunday brunch so I can have these for breakfast. The eggs are allowed to slow-cook in curry spices at a very low temperature for five hours. They take on a tinge of color from the curry, and the yolks have a firm but creamy texture from the gentle cooking process.
Nosh has one of the best salads in town due to an incredibly high respect for the integrity of the ingredients. Indeed, chef Carlos Gonzales was quite excited about the lettuce, but we’re not talking about your average salad greens here.
Hydroponically grown baby Bibb and romaine are acquired, roots still attached, from Bluebonnet Farms, which is just outside of San Antonio. (Kris Bistro sources greens from there as well, and there is a video featuring Bluebonnet Farms owner David Anderson on YouTube.
The small lettuce leaves are clipped and served whole. They are vibrantly green and could not be provided in a fresher state unless you plan to find a patch of ground to graze. The greens are paired with red beets, golden beets, pistachios and delicately crunchy fried lentils. A vinaigrette with a very light touch of truffle oil is used to dress the gorgeous, colorful concoction, and salt, pepper and a dash of a seasoning blend brings the whole thing together.
Desserts at Nosh are delightful. We were swept away by a chocolate mousse with green cardamom. This mousse was firm and dark – no kin at all to gloppy chocolate pudding. I had kindly feelings towards the spherical seven-spice doughnuts (below) as well. In fact, I think you should get both of these together and occasionally scoop up a little mousse with your doughnuts.
There were a few bobbles. “Angry Shrimp” didn’t seem very angry at all, and I didn’t like the flavor or smell of the shrimps themselves. They didn’t seem like they were at their best. (My photographer disagrees with me on this, which is why it’s important to bring a friend.) I did, however, love the intricate texture and flavor of the “Forbidden Rice” that came on the side, a combination of Himalayan red and black (“forbidden”) rice.
The ground-lamb pizza was good, but not great. It was a little greasy, and I felt like the spices could have been kicked up a few notches.
For people who do want to turn up the heat, there is a solution: the wicked “Paditar Sauce” (named after co-owner Neera), a chopped concoction of habañero and onions in oil. It will light you up big time.
Yesterday’s grand opening saw the debut of a longer menu that includes dishes such as pork belly with fresh tomatoes; mussels, scallops and clams with Champagne sauce; and whole redfish.
The wine list has good representation of both New World and Old World, and there’s a nice selection of beers (heavy on local Houston brewery Karbach, which is a good thing in my opinion). Wine-based cocktails are planned to debut in the near future.
Nosh Bistro will begin offering lunch on Tuesday, December 4. There are plans in the works to offer Sunday bunch as well as late-night fare. This is intended, at least partially, to accommodate people who work in the hospitality industry and keep late hours. Chefs need to eat too, you know.
In addition to all of the dishes mentioned here, there are some things that even your picky, non-adventurous friends shouldn’t be able to resist: a 32-ounce bone-in “Tomahawk” ribeye, barbecued ribs, fresh pasta with pancetta and roasted Cornish hen. Given the variety and quality, there are no excuses for not checking out Nosh.
NOSH BISTRO, 3963 Kirby at Algerian Way (adjacent to Allegiance Bank) 713-522-NOSH noshbistro.com