The new second location of The Union Kitchen, which took over Hunan Emperor’s spot on Memorial, had only been open about a week when we visited, but from the looks of the crowd dining there on a weeknight, they could have been open for months. I was quite surprised to see how packed the new place was. Obviously, the area was ready for a nice restaurant that isn’t in the thick of the congregation of restaurants at CityCenter.
One of my ongoing pet peeves with Houston restaurants is the serving of red wine – any red wine – at room temperature. I have yet to have one that would not have benefitted from a wee bit of chilling to the varietal’s optimal temperature. Room temperature wine, like room temperature prepared dishes, is not often appealing.
Fortunately, owner and general manager Paul Miller is a big fan of wine and knows how to treat it properly. For that reason, if you like wine at all, I think you should get a bottle here to accompany your meal. If Miller is around, I am sure he’d happily make a recommendation for you. He had us try a 2006 Quackenbush Zinfandel that we found quite good.
Even the restaurant’s décor reflects an emphasis on wine. In addition to a well-appointed bar area, there are big, wooden wine shelves all around, including in the private room. The private room is an ideal size for small gatherings and parties. I suspect it will be heavily in demand at holiday time.
Miller worked with The Union Kitchen’s chef, Juan Arellano, for years at places like McCormick & Schmick’s. There’s some of that vibe at The Union Kitchen, but the dishes focus more on local ingredients and push the envelope further. Miller and Arellano go to the local farmers’ markets twice a week to buy what is fresh and available.
The Union Kitchen is doing a great job with seafood here. I sometimes gripe about Chilean sea bass. It seems to be on almost every menu, to the point where it’s become a cliché. Yet, I have to compliment The Union Kitchen on theirs. It was beautifully cooked and seared and rested on an interesting succotash of lima beans, corn, carrot and onion.
“Peggy’s Diver Scallops” were even better than the sea bass. It was my favorite dish here. They were amber on the tops and bottoms after perfect searing. I think even most kids would adore the fresh, sautéed spinach that came with it. The orange vinaigrette sauce was transcendent, bringing just a touch of needed acidity to the dish.
Alas, the only imperfect thing on the plate was the risotto. You just can’t make a great risotto from long-grained rice that doesn’t release enough starch to make the dish creamy. Call it something, but please don’t call it risotto if it is not.
The Union Kitchen offers small plates as well. I highly recommend the prosciutto-wrapped asparagus spears. The spears are dressed with just a touch of goat cheese before the prosciutto is wrapped around and the whole thing seared. The pistachio-crusted goat cheese isn’t exactly breaking new ground, but it’s very nice as well.
Skip the Lolo Hawaiian Tostada. Putting stuff on fried wontons seems like a dated holdover from Miller and chef Arellano’s prior gig at The Cheesecake Factory. Taste wise, there was nothing to write home about either, as the pineapple chutney overwhelmed any flavor the thin slices of ahi tuna might have brought to the dish.
Desserts are in dire need of reworking. We tried several and while nothing was bad, nothing was great, either. The time where restaurants can get away with great entrees and mediocre desserts has passed. There is just too much competition now doing a great job, from cocktails through dessert. Feast, Aura and Underbelly are all places with delicious, reasonably priced sweets.
Based on my experiences, you can’t go wrong ordering a seafood dish, the asparagus spears and a bottle of wine. The Union Kitchen’s second location – the original is in Bellaire – is a welcome boon to the Memorial area. It’s a nice restaurant well suited for families and small gatherings. I would not mind going back and working my way further through the menu after Miller and Arellano have had some time to refine it. I am sure we will see more keepers developed in the kitchen.
THE UNION KITCHEN, 12538 Memorial bet. S. Gessner & the Beltway, 713-360-2000, theunionkitchen.com