Houston has been known by locals for some time as one of America's greatest (secret) food cities. Houstonians, as a cultural norm, dine out more than any other city in the country. With well over 10,000 restaurants and counting, it is easy to see why. There are also more restaurants (not per capita) than New York City (7900) and with a significant Chinatown, the cat is out of the bag. Houston now comes out of the shadows and sits at the table where the likes of New Orleans, San Fransisco, and New York City thought they were alone. As such, it is no wonder that it is gaining national and international attention.
Chris Shepherd is one of the chefs putting Houston at that table. On a scouting mission, one of the Bon Vivants met him and found him to be quit affable, jovial, and a true Bon Vivant. The way he is with people is electric and before even tasting his food, knew that a real visit would be absolutely necessary.
Chef Shepherd's career is the American dream incarnate - he literally started at the bottom and worked his way up. His first serious position was at Brennan's in Houston, where he honed his skills and spent a significant portion of his career(2). Ultimately, he opened his own restaurant, Underbelly!
Chris Shepherd is one of the chefs putting Houston at that table. On a scouting mission, one of the Bon Vivants met him and found him to be quit affable, jovial, and a true Bon Vivant. The way he is with people is electric and before even tasting his food, knew that a real visit would be absolutely necessary.
Chef Shepherd's career is the American dream incarnate - he literally started at the bottom and worked his way up. His first serious position was at Brennan's in Houston, where he honed his skills and spent a significant portion of his career(2). Ultimately, he opened his own restaurant, Underbelly!
Chef Shepherd is passionate about pure ingredients. He cures and ages his own meats, has his own herb garden outside, and sells the pickles, jams, marinades, and sauces in his cuisine on the back wall. It is this level of attention to detail that earned him Houston's first James Beard award. It is also that rare element of purist "not going to settle" ideology so common in natural Bon Vivants.
Shrimp and grits - the classic combination is made anew here. He adds Cajun spices for a slightly noticeable (but not over-powering) heat that adds to the natural flavors (as opposed to dominating them). Fresh, never frozen, giant Gulf shrimp are a local specialty and have a unique succulent sweetness not found in shrimps from other parts of the world. They are absolutely delectable! Most people ruin shrimp by over-cooking them - here, they are perfectly pan-sauteed in shallots, garlic, white wine, butter, and cajun spices. Grits, originally a Native American staple, is a classic southern dish made from ground maize with the consistency of oatmeal but with a succinct corn flavor. Chef Shepherd takes it a step further and uses Circle S Farms Hickory King Grits. He drizzles Asian hot chili oil over the top of the grits, pyramids the shrimp and then tops them with scallions, shallots and crushed black pepper. The combination of flavors is spectacular!
Braised pork belly, fried pork chitlins, egg and hickory smoked grits - so tender one only needs to apply a little pressure with a fork! Succulent and soft, the pork belly juxtaposes perfectly with the fried pork chitlins, which add a nice crunch. Accompanied with lemongrass and fig, the dish marries southern cuisine with Asian in a perfect union.
Hog Poutine with pork bone gravy and burrata - comfort food at its best! The french fries are freshly cut from Idaho potatoes and fried three times in pork fat. This is based on the classic french method of using duck fat, which provides fries with a clean, pure, crisp flavor. However, by using pork fat, instead of the traditional duck fat, he adds a layer of richness to the fries that just have to be experienced to understand. House-smoked pulled pork is then layered on top with a drizzling of pork bone gravy and an intermingling of burrata(2). Chef Shepherd is no stranger to using all aspects of the pig and purveys all his animals whole. Rich and decadent, this is a meal for two unto itself!
Korean Braised Goat Dumplings - his most popular dish - is so impressive it made national news. As Underbelly's signature dish, it has never been removed from the menu since the day of its inception and occupies both lunch and dinner menus (as well as the little known "covers" bar menu). The dumplings provide a nice roundness to the dish with a rich, chewy texture. The braised goat is sauteed in a Korean fermented red chili paste, beer and some butter. It is not your sweet and sour Asian dish as it appears but something very different. The combination of flavors is absolutely delectable and completely unexpected! There is a slight kick to it but it is a very well balanced one and it works. It combines so many various flavors - each carrying its own note - but engages holistically the diner with a cornucopia of flavors forming one song just as if they were listening to a symphony.
Braised pork short ribs with sweet corn succotash and okra - braised and smoked so slowly that it falls off the bone! This is pure Texas BBQ at its best! The ribs are first smoked in-house and then slowly braised, thereby providing them with an intensely rich, smoked ribs flavor and fall off the bone texture. Just before completion, the ribs are gently char-broiled to softly caramelize and sweeten the top. The sweet corn succotash is Chef Shepherd's own creation using mouth-watering sweet corn off the cob, button beans, and hominy. They are all mixed together with various spices and then bedded over some of the braising liquid. This dish is one of the Bon Vivant Gourmets favorite but sadly is only seasonal or not currently available on the menu. This is rather common as Chef Shepherd is always changing the menu for diversity, creative innovation or as per what is currently available on the market that particular day. This means he is not sitting still and always challenging himself to create the best dishes.
Sweet sticky rice fried pie with raspberry coulis, crumble, and home-made hazelnut ice cream - soft yet rich in flavors, it is one of those desserts you remember for a long time and crave at the strangest moments (such as now as this author writes!). The ice cream slowly melts together with the crumble to make a decadent accompaniment to the sweet sticky rice filled fried pie. Sticky rice is often used in Asian cultures for desserts and here Chef Shepherd takes the flavors to a new level!
Mocha parfait with magic and saltine toffee - the mocha cream parfait, with its supple texture contrasts perfectly with the salted toffee. There is a magical element to it that was unidentified but brought the dessert together.
Altogether, dining at Underbelly was one of those amazing experiences that one can easily get addicted to over and over again. Each experience will be new and of equal quality as one of the best things Chef Shepherd does is regularly (and even daily) change his menu. Many of the dishes presented here may not be on the menu when you visit, but some version of heaven will be available. One thing is for sure - you will never be disappointed!
Mocha parfait with magic and saltine toffee - the mocha cream parfait, with its supple texture contrasts perfectly with the salted toffee. There is a magical element to it that was unidentified but brought the dessert together.
Altogether, dining at Underbelly was one of those amazing experiences that one can easily get addicted to over and over again. Each experience will be new and of equal quality as one of the best things Chef Shepherd does is regularly (and even daily) change his menu. Many of the dishes presented here may not be on the menu when you visit, but some version of heaven will be available. One thing is for sure - you will never be disappointed!
