When I read the September review of J's Bistro in the Houston Chronicle I knew that this was one restaurant I wanted to try. A place that bills itself as "Euro-Asian fusion" that's not inside the Loop or a touristy area like Kemah . . . but smack-dab in the middle of the bland, non-descript strip shopping centers of Bear Creek ( 4502 Highway 6 North near Aspenglen to be exact)? The owner is definitely a risk-taker!
Was it what I was hoping for? On the one hand, the food was a celebration of sights, smells and tastes. The bratwurst appetizer that we got to sample definitely had a kick to it. The cream of mushroom soup was OK, although I like my mushroom chunks a bit bigger. The duck breast with fig sauce, served over mashed sweet potato was fantastic.
The bad part was that despite the restaurant being half empty on Saturday night, they were still understaffed and it took nearly an hour and a half for our dinner entrees to arrive. I
got a complimentary dessert -- the key lime cake rocks -- but let's just say that it's a good thing my dinner partner and I were able to keep conversation going.
Would I go back? Yes, I'm hoping that the staff had an off night and that the positive reviews on B4-U-EAT are more typical. That area of town could really use a shot of fine dining and I'd like them to succeed. It took three visits before I saw the service at Studio Movie Grill finally "click" and I'm glad I didn't fully give up on them....
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