Houston is home to a diverse array of cuisine. From Little Saigon and Chinatown showcasing the best of Asian cuisine, to the plethora of Tex-Mex and Mexican food found in restaurants and food trucks.

However, in the heart of Montrose is a restaurant aiming to be an outlet for West African cuisine and culture—ChopnBlok.

Meet the owner

Chef and owner Ope Amosu moved from London to Nigeria at two years old before settling down in Houston at three years old.

Before ChopnBlok, Amosu worked as a marketing and sales executive in the oil and gas industry. But as he grew older and continued his career, he realized he was growing further away from his roots and his parents' home back in Africa, making it increasingly difficult to access his culture, from language to music and food.

“I started asking myself the question, ‘Why is it so difficult? Why is this not more commonplace?” he said. “I asked myself the question enough times to where I had the revelation that maybe I should go outside and create it.”

Amosu first opened ChopnBlok inside POST Houston in 2021, an entertainment venue known for its food hall with diverse cuisine from around the world. After finding success from the POST location, Amosu looked into opening a brick-and-mortar in Montrose because of its status as a “destination district.”

“People from all parts of the city come through Montrose for one thing or another; there’s a lot of energy and vibrancy when it comes to Montrose,” Amosu said. “We are also at the border of the historic Freedmen’s Town, with us being right next to where the first set of freed slaves decided to settle, to kind of reestablish themselves as free people.”

What they offer

Amosu recommends first time customers to ChopnBlock try these dishes:

• Polo Club Suya: Grilled beef skewers dusted in traditional yaji peanut pepper spice
• Deviled Scotch Egg: Colonial scotch egg, reimagined with spiced turkey and deviled filling
• Golden Bowl: ChopnBlok’s most popular entree. A bowl of smoky jollof jambalaya with motherland curry, Blọk chicken, yaji vegetables and stewed plantains
• Buka Bowl: Steamed rice and beans, boneless short rib in native West African red stew and sweet plantains

He also recommended appetizers such as coconut chicken bites, chips and dips which are plantain chips and Liberian greens, as well as meat/veggie pie minnies, fun-sized West African beef/vegetable pastries.

The inspiration behind some of the dishes comes from Amosu’s journey to understand his culture and his identity as a West African, learning from different home cooks and developing it into the restaurant’s menu.

“I wanted the food that we serve here to be a true representation, not just of one single country in West Africa, but a region as a whole, celebrating who we are as kingdoms instead of colonies.”What’s next

Amosu hopes to expand ChopnBlok to other parts of Houston, bringing more people to try West African cuisine without having to drive to Downtown Houston.

“Accessibility doesn’t mean everybody should drive to Montrose to go get (ChopnBlok),” Amosu said. “You shouldn’t have to go too far to tap into it. That’s the goal, we have to get this one right before we can really continue that pathway.”

He said he is grateful for the recognition ChopnBlok has been receiving, such as being featured by multiple outlets to being James Beard-nominated.

“To be able to see the attention it has received, the embrace from the community in general, that at large is fulfilling within itself,” Amosu said. “It continues to give us that inspiration and validation to continue to move forward.”

At the end of it all, Amosu said he hopes ChopnBlok can become a hub for people to both learn about West African cuisine and culture, as well as a space for those who know West African culture. He noted that the various art pieces and artifacts on the wall are also a way of showcasing the culture.“I want to create a pathway where people who do know about our culture and know where we come from, no longer have to completely go out of their way to tap into it,” Amosu said. “But at the same time, too, an outlet where those who may not be as familiar can be educated, learn and ultimately be able to embrace it with a certain love that we also have for what we do.”

• 507 Westheimer Road, Houston
• www.chopnblok.co