Salam/hey guys! For March 2018, I will be doing something different. I'll be rounding up my trips from that month. The reason being the fact that I have no time to write full reviews because of school and work. I am in my senior year of engineering school, and the work is so much that I have to devote time to do it. once I finish, I can get back to writing full reviews. So without further ado, here is a roundup.
The Gyro Guys
The first trip was Gyro Guys in Clear Lake. It was my first review in Clear Lake in 4.5 years. I got to go there since I was in Galveston for most of the day and wanted to give that place a try. I got a large mix over rice, and it was delicious! Price was $10.98 (tax included) Service was good also.
Menu: http://thegyroguys.us/
Service: 9/10
The Gyro Guys
The first trip was Gyro Guys in Clear Lake. It was my first review in Clear Lake in 4.5 years. I got to go there since I was in Galveston for most of the day and wanted to give that place a try. I got a large mix over rice, and it was delicious! Price was $10.98 (tax included) Service was good also.
Menu: http://thegyroguys.us/
 |
| Mix Over Rice |
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Address: 12403 Scarsdale Boulevard, Houston, TX
Timings: Mon-Sun: 10 AM - 10 PM
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$
Secondly, I went with two followers to a new Indian/Pakistani spot in Sugar Land called Biryani Bistro. What got me interested in trying out this place was the fact that the owner used to be a chef from the famous Nizam Club in Hyderabad. I looked at the menu, and I saw many Hyderabadi items offered like dum ka chicken, tahari, and marag. We ordered dum ka chicken, goat biryani, and chicken 65. Accompaniments included white rice, raita, and mirchi ka salan. The main standouts were the mirchi ka salan and the dum ka chicken.
Service: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Address: 16100 Kensington Drive Suite 400, Sugar Land, Texas
Timings: Tue-Thu & Sun: 11 AM - 9:30 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM 10 PM; Mon: closed
Koala Kolache
Next, I went to try a Texas delicacy: klobasnek. It's basically a kolache with a meat filling.
A common misconception is that kolache is a pastry with a sweet or savory filling. I used to think that as well, until one follower and some research pointed out that it was indeed klobasnek. And what better place to try out klobasnek than one of the top rated places for it: Koala Kolaches. Located on Spring Cypress and Louetta, Koala Kolaches has grown to become one of the placed highly regarded for kolaches (and klobasnek). And what do ya know, the gyro one was halal, thanks to a muslim food Instagrammer from here in Houston! They in fact use the gyro from Phoenicia for their gyro kolaches (or rather gyro klobasnek). Because of the timings they have, the only time I had to try them was before I headed to school. I got two gyro kolaches, and the hype was actually real! The price for each is $3.69. The kolaches were fantastic. They also have a good variety of vegetarian, seafood and sweet ones as well. I know I'll be back regularly!
Service: 9/10
Food: 10/10
Address: 14502 Spring Cypress (Intersection of Spring Cypress and Louetta), Cypress, TX
Timings: Tue-Sat: 6 AM - 2 PM; Sun: 7 AM - 2 PM
Pricing: $ out of $$$$
Las Brasas Charcoal Chicken
I then went and tried a place that has Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken, a first in the state. The place is called Las Brasas. I discovered that they used halal chicken from a group on Facebook. Rotisserie chicken (or pollo a la brasa) is actually one of the most consumed and popular food items in Peru alongside ceviche. I then headed there one night. It's on Eldridge just after Westheimer next to Chennai Express. The people were really nice. The first thing you notice is that the chicken is cooked in an actual rotisserie that was imported from Peru. Second, you'll notice the halal certificate for their chicken. In fact, the chicken is the only thing that is halal, and it's a good thing because that's their main specialty. According to the owner, he said that they have been using halal chicken since March 1.
So the ordering process is that you specify how much chicken you want (1/2 lb, 1 lb, etc.). Then you pick the sides. Oh, and the sides are all vegetarian! So I got a 1/4 lb chicken with rice and beans. The price? $9.73 (tax included).
Menu: http://www.lasbrasaschicken.com/our-menu/
The chicken prices are reasonable! And as shown below in the pic, you get a lot of food for that price.
For someone trying Peruvian food for the first time, the place was great! The chicken was full of flavor. Do give this place a try if you are in the energy corridor or want to be healthy (one of the few halal places with healthy food)!
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Address:
2721 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX
Timings: Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 9PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 9:30 PM
Pricing: $ out of $$$$
Darna Mediterranean Cuisine
To wrap up March, I took a day trip to Austin. Now many who goes there from Houston would often go to either Halal Bros or Arpeggio for halal food. But I went to this place called Darna Cafe. The reason? Moroccan food. It's unbelievable that Houston doesn't have a full fledged Moroccan restaurant, while Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin have one. I've been wanting to try Moroccan food for a long time. The closest I got was Moroccan Bites in San Antonio back in 2014. Sadly they were closed because the owners took a vacation. My parents went to Morocco in 2015 and loved eating tajine. But finally, it was time for me to try a tajine.
Darna is located at the intersection of W 11th and Guadelupe Street, not far from the UT campus. Because there's construction, it's best to pay for parking and then take a little walk to the place. The interior was nice. After sitting down, I was handed the menu.
I ordered the kefta tagine: ground beef and lamb meatballs with a boiled egg cooked in tomato, garlic, and herbs. I paid $16.23 (tax included) for this.
Menu: https://darnatx.com/menu/
This place is more Moroccan than Mediterranean tbh. The menu is similar to the one at Moroccan Bites. I'm assuming that the prices of the tagines are similar in other Moroccan places (someone please help)
A common misconception is that kolache is a pastry with a sweet or savory filling. I used to think that as well, until one follower and some research pointed out that it was indeed klobasnek. And what better place to try out klobasnek than one of the top rated places for it: Koala Kolaches. Located on Spring Cypress and Louetta, Koala Kolaches has grown to become one of the placed highly regarded for kolaches (and klobasnek). And what do ya know, the gyro one was halal, thanks to a muslim food Instagrammer from here in Houston! They in fact use the gyro from Phoenicia for their gyro kolaches (or rather gyro klobasnek). Because of the timings they have, the only time I had to try them was before I headed to school. I got two gyro kolaches, and the hype was actually real! The price for each is $3.69. The kolaches were fantastic. They also have a good variety of vegetarian, seafood and sweet ones as well. I know I'll be back regularly!
 |
| The inside of one gyro klobasnek |
Food: 10/10
Address: 14502 Spring Cypress (Intersection of Spring Cypress and Louetta), Cypress, TX
Timings: Tue-Sat: 6 AM - 2 PM; Sun: 7 AM - 2 PM
Pricing: $ out of $$$$
Las Brasas Charcoal Chicken
I then went and tried a place that has Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken, a first in the state. The place is called Las Brasas. I discovered that they used halal chicken from a group on Facebook. Rotisserie chicken (or pollo a la brasa) is actually one of the most consumed and popular food items in Peru alongside ceviche. I then headed there one night. It's on Eldridge just after Westheimer next to Chennai Express. The people were really nice. The first thing you notice is that the chicken is cooked in an actual rotisserie that was imported from Peru. Second, you'll notice the halal certificate for their chicken. In fact, the chicken is the only thing that is halal, and it's a good thing because that's their main specialty. According to the owner, he said that they have been using halal chicken since March 1.
So the ordering process is that you specify how much chicken you want (1/2 lb, 1 lb, etc.). Then you pick the sides. Oh, and the sides are all vegetarian! So I got a 1/4 lb chicken with rice and beans. The price? $9.73 (tax included).
Menu: http://www.lasbrasaschicken.com/our-menu/
The chicken prices are reasonable! And as shown below in the pic, you get a lot of food for that price.
 |
| The Spreadd. Red sauce = spicy. Green sauce = mild |
For someone trying Peruvian food for the first time, the place was great! The chicken was full of flavor. Do give this place a try if you are in the energy corridor or want to be healthy (one of the few halal places with healthy food)!
Service: 8/10
Food: 8.5/10
Address:
2721 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX
Timings: Sun-Thu: 11 AM - 9PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 9:30 PM
Pricing: $ out of $$$$
Darna Mediterranean Cuisine
To wrap up March, I took a day trip to Austin. Now many who goes there from Houston would often go to either Halal Bros or Arpeggio for halal food. But I went to this place called Darna Cafe. The reason? Moroccan food. It's unbelievable that Houston doesn't have a full fledged Moroccan restaurant, while Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin have one. I've been wanting to try Moroccan food for a long time. The closest I got was Moroccan Bites in San Antonio back in 2014. Sadly they were closed because the owners took a vacation. My parents went to Morocco in 2015 and loved eating tajine. But finally, it was time for me to try a tajine.
Darna is located at the intersection of W 11th and Guadelupe Street, not far from the UT campus. Because there's construction, it's best to pay for parking and then take a little walk to the place. The interior was nice. After sitting down, I was handed the menu.
I ordered the kefta tagine: ground beef and lamb meatballs with a boiled egg cooked in tomato, garlic, and herbs. I paid $16.23 (tax included) for this.
Menu: https://darnatx.com/menu/
This place is more Moroccan than Mediterranean tbh. The menu is similar to the one at Moroccan Bites. I'm assuming that the prices of the tagines are similar in other Moroccan places (someone please help)
 |
| The Kefta Tagine |
For a first timer, the tajine really impressed me. It was bursting with flavor. Everything was cooked freshly. The food was washed down with some water. Overall, two thumbs up. Service was great as well. Really friendly people.
If you are visiting Austin or go to UT, then Darna is definitely a place to try! Inshallah I hope there will be a Moroccan place in Houston.
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Address:
408 W 11th Street, Austin, TX
Timings: Mon-Thu: 11 AM - 9 PM; Fri-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sun: 9 AM - 8 PM
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$
Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook, or send me an email!
Cheers!
Zain Mohammed
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