Tuesday, September 23, 2014

CLOSED: 100th POST: Artis La Bonne Cuisine- finally some halal BBQ

Restaurant: Artis La Bonne Cuisine
9569 FM 1960, Houston, Texas 77070
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 9/6/14


Update 10/28/14: This place is no longer in service. Sources tell me that they are trying to relocate.

Background:
Salam/hey guys, and welcome to my milestone 100th post! And on this post, I have a treat! Today's review is Artis La Bonne BBQ. So why is it special? Because we have our first fully halal BBQ in Houston! No longer would you have to drive to Sugar Land, or spend $20+ at Bonsai for some nice halal steak or ribs! I would've gone to Killen's BBQ in Pearland, but since they don't cook their halal brisket separately (certified by Creekstone), it was a no go. I remember going to events where they got food from Pappas BBQ where I had to end up eating the potato salad and bread. No longer would I have to endure that. I found out about this from the Houston Muslim Group on Facebook when someone mentioned how good it was. What also caught my attention was when someone tagged another person and said that they would be the first halal foodies to try that place. Before my Saturday class started, I went to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
Artis La Bonne BBQ is located on FM 1960 going east before the intersection of Perry Road.Inside was very small. There was a really nice guy in the counter. He told me that they had just opened up their business, and that they were previously a catering business that used to operate out of Sugar Land. After seeing the menu and him giving me time, I decided to give the order.



Let's Eat!
I originally was going for the ribs, but the word "Brisket" caught my eye. So I quickly changed my mind and got the brisket. My sides were salad (yes I am eating healthy) with some ranch, and potato salad. The price was really good: $ 9.73 (tax included). Basically this is a two man show. The Chef, Yusuff, cooks everything by himself. Thankfully I got the food at exactly 20 minutes.



Menu: The menu definitely resembles those of famous BBQ places. You have ribs and brisket. There are even family packs and party trays.



The Current Menu. There are also family packs and party trays

Salad and Brisket (Yes I eat healthy)

The Verdict:
The long wait for some good halal BBQ was absolutely worth it! This brisket was flat-out AMAZING! The salad was very fresh, and the ranch perfectly accompanied it. The potato salad was also delicious! The food was washed down with a glass of water. Two thumbs up
The service was phenomenal. The owner turned out to be the chef himself. He has had experience for many years. He was one of the nicest owners that I have ever met (Desi restaurants take notes). He is actually very approachable and you can actually strike a conversation with him. He works very hard. He manages the place and also cooks the food, so you have to actually give some time before you get your food. 



Conclusion:
So is the first halal BBQ restaurant in Houston worth it? A definite yes. I hope to make multiple trips and bring friends/family along. I hope this business is successful.



Grading: 
Service: 10/10
Food: 10/10
Waiting Time: 10/10
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Artis La Bonne Cuisine
9569 FM 1960, Houston, Texas 77070
Phone: (713) 315-7072
Website: None
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Wed: 10:30 AM - 8 PM; Thu: 10:30 AM - 8:30 PM; Fri: 3:30 PM - 8:30 PM; Sat: 10:30 AM - 9:30 PM; Sun: open. Timing will be updated
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, message me on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Monday, September 15, 2014

Gyro King: The Best NY Style Place in Houston?

Food Truck: Gyro King
2424 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, Texas 77054
Date of visit: 8/30/14


Photo Credits: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/gyro-king-houston?select=JYxZuSAVU1Epznpn0fwuwA#w_jmq1iCl73M9--Gdn9yoA

UPDATE 4/26/16:
Gyro King now has a store location on 9203 S Texas 6 in Sugar Land (Next to Kroger on Highway 6 and Bissonnet). It was opened in March. I took the family there this past Sunday. I got the usual mix over rice with Pepsi, dad got the mix as well, mom got the fish over rice, and my sister got the chicken over rice. The food was fantastic. We all enjoyed it. A noticeable difference is that at the Sugar Land location, you get more veggies in your salad.
Btw, Halal Guys is open here, so I had to change the title.


ORIGINAL POST:

Background:
Salam/hey guys! Sorry I haven't had the time to write a review as I have been extremely busy with school. But here is the first review of the new academic school year. This place is called Gyro King. When I first heard of this place opening up, I got really excited, because it was near UH! This means that I can actually drive here, eat, and then go back to campus within a period of time! This is a lot like the Halal Bros in Austin, where UT students often go a few blocks to grab a platter. This is literally the closest we will have to the famous Halal Guys of Manhattan, because this is also a cart, not a truck. I got to try this place after I finished my Saturday class (yes I am a busy student). I wanted to grab this and then head home.



Let The Experience Begin!
Gyro King is located in the Chevron gas station at the intersection of Almeda and Old Spanish Trail. If you are coming from UH, you need to take a left. Right in the vicinity of the food cart is M&M Grill. Haven't gone back there since the whole turkey bacon scandal that has taken place there. If I had gone there, I wouldn't be writing this post. Anyways, I parked the car, and said salam to the person in the cart. Then I looked at the menu and decided what to order.



Let's Eat!
I ordered the chicken over rice platter. I asked for both the white sauce and the red sauce. I paid $8, and they do not have sales tax. The wait time was approximately 7 minutes/



Menu: The menu is very similar to what the original Halal Guys have. The pricing is much higher than Jones though

The menu (click on the menu to zoom)


The Front

 
Chicken over Rice with White and Red sauce




The Verdict:
One bite of the platter and it was absolutely mouthwatering. I am guessing that the red sauce is either BBQ sauce or buffalo sauce. The vegetables were fresh, and the rice was very tasty. The food was washed down with water. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was great too. He asked me how I found out about the place, and I told him that a friend told me about it. He was very friendly



Conclusion:
So which place do I prefer? I mean, I really love both places, but on the basis of distance from UH, this place. No longer would I need to battle the traffic passing downtown or on 59 to grab a NY style platter. That doesn't mean that I will never go back to Jones though. It will be that I will go there if I am in the vicinity, like I will be going here more often since it is very close to UH. Gyro King. I would recommend trying this place out. I hope their business succeeds since the prices are suitable for everyone in the Rice, UH, and Texas Medical Center area.



Grading: 
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Waiting Time: 10/10
Overall: 28/30 = 93.3% (A)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Gyro King
2424 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, Texas 77054
Phone: (832) 618-4891
Website: none
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - Midnight
Caters: Yes
Delivery also available

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

Saturday, September 6, 2014

KC Grill N Kabab- A Decent Way to Finish off a Vacation


Restaurant: KC Grill N Kabab
8611 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Buffet or a-la-carte: Buffet
Date of visit: 8/22/14



Photo Credit: http://a4.urbancdn.com/w/s/at/xcaF7fVcgYQnZJ-640m.jpg


Background:
Salam/hey guys! At long last, I have the time to write up my final review from my vacation to Kansas City. This time it is KC Grill N Kabab. This is the first review that I have done outside Overland Park. Lenexa is located just a few miles east on 435. This was the last place that I ate at before heading back to Houston. My aunt and uncle wanted me to try out their favorite restaurants; this is one of them. They've been going here and have never been disappointed. After a few hours playing the PS3, I got ready, helped the cousins get ready, and went to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
KC Grill N Kabab is located at the intersection of West 87th and Hauser Ct. Inside, there were tables, and two TVs. One TV was showing the local news, and the other had a slideshow of famous places in Iran. We met with one of my uncle's colleagues, talked a but about Houston, then progressed to eat.



Let's Eat!
For my final meal in Kansas City, it was a buffet! There were 3 different types of rice, along with condiments, and also popular meals such as koobideh, kabob, and even curry. I do not know the pricing as I did not pay for this.



Menu: http://www.kckabob.com/menu.html

The restaurant offers popular Persian items along with a kids menu. It also gives an idea on how much you would have to pay to eat something there.



Saffron rice with chicken kabob, yogurt sauce, chicken and beef koobideh, and chicken and vegetable curry


The Verdict:
For buffet food, the food was actually not bad! My favorites from this were the koobidehs and the saffron rice. The rest were just acceptable. The food was washed down with a few glasses of water. Overall, one thumb up.
The service was good too. The owner was very friendly and very hard working. He would rotate between seeing the kitchen and also conversing with us and the other customers at the same time.



Conclusion:
KC Grill N Kabab is a pretty good place to try the taste of Iran. From what I had sampled, I would highly recommend the Koobidehs, as they were scrumptious and flavorful. I will definitely come back and try things from their menu the next time I visit Kansas City.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Overall: 16.5/20 = 82.5% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
KC Grill N Kabab
8611 Hauser Court, Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Phone: (913) 541-1900
Website: http://www.kckabob.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Grill-n-Kabob/184644694894265
Timings: Mon: 11 AM - 3 PM; Tue-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri and Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 11 AM - 9 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, message me on Facebook, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed