The details
Alora’s general manager Ngoc Tran said “alora” means a “beautiful dream," and she finds that opening Alora is that beautiful dream come true.
"We believe in the transformative power of food to bring people together and celebrate culture," Tran said in the news release. "Before making our final decision to start Alora, [owner] Louis [Quay], [chef] Diego [Ponce], [chef] Makayla [Ponce] and I traveled to Saigon to explore coffee shops, local markets, restaurants and cafes. That trip enabled us to solidify our vision for Alora and inspired us to create a special menu that fuses flavorful Vietnamese and Peruvian foods.”
What’s on the menu
Alora's "intimate, upscale casual atmosphere" will offer classic Peruvian and Vietnamese dishes with a twist.
From ají de gallina crispy spring roll, a twist on Vietnamese spring rolls that includes yellow pepper chicken stew, cabbage and olive mousseline, and PeruViet ceviche that brings in flavors and elements from Peruvian and Vietnamese cuisine such as Cuzco corn, cancha, sweet potato, leche de tigre and nuoc cham into the ceviche.
Alora also offers signature cocktails such as pho-quilla, a pho aroma-infused tequila offering bold and aromatic flavors, or the ponce, a passion fruit pisco sour.
“Alora is our first restaurant, our first baby," said Chef Diego Ponce, executive chef of Alora. "It represents my dream coming true. I have always wanted a place to showcase what I like to do in life, and this is the best way to show people that I love them. In Peru, we have a lot of Asian influences such as Chinese and Japanese. So why not Vietnamese? The Nikkei and China cuisine is so well known and accepted in Peru and other countries that we wanted to bring this fusion to Houston, too.”
Alora’s official grand opening will be held Jan. 29, which coincides with the Lunar New Year.
- Opened Jan. 2
- 2502 Dunlavy St., Ste. B, Houston
- www.alorahtx.com
