February: Proper Rose Garden
After years of working in the corporate world in New York, Michael Jiang traded his city lifestyle for the warmth of Katy and opened Proper Rose Garden, an afternoon tea cafe.
Jiang previously owned one of the first 10 Kung Fu Tea shops and added a restaurant onto it. When visiting Houston, Jiang realized there were not many places where people could hang out without being in a restaurant setting.
Proper Rose Garden
1223 Grand West Blvd., Ste. B105, Katy
281-717-8174
www.properrosegarden.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. noon-8 p.m., closed Mon.
March: Pearl and Vine
When Ryan Hallsted was in his teens, driving a golf cart to his first job as a kitchen aid at the neighborhood country club, he thought he would join his father, Jake Hallsted, in the health care industry and take over the family business of operating nursing homes.
After two decades working in various restaurant jobs—from sports bars to fine dining—he does work with his father. But instead of operating nursing homes, they opened Pearl and Vine, a white tablecloth restaurant in the Katy area, said Ryan, who is the executive chef.
Pearl and Vine
26151 Nelson Way, Katy
281-398-3000
www.pearlandvinetx.com
Hours: Mon. 4-9 p.m.; Tue.-Thu. 4-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 4-11 p.m.; Sun. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m., 4-9 p.m.
April: Tobiuo Sushi & Bar
Tobiuo Sushi & Bar owner Sherman Yeung followed an “unorthodox” path to becoming a restaurateur by his own account. He developed a passion for cooking as a hobby in 2016 while working a corporate job in marketing.
This hobby pushed him to take up a part-time job at Uchi, an upscale sushi restaurant, and Yauatcha, an upscale dim sum restaurant. Eventually, he quit his white-collar job and worked full-time as a line cook until he reached his ceiling there.
Tobiuo Sushi & Bar
23501 Cinco Ranch Blvd., Ste. H130, Katy
281-394-7156.
www.tobiuosushibar.com
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
May: Urban Bird Hot Chicken & Chronic Fries
Urban Bird Hot Chicken opened in 2020 in Katy off of the Katy Freeway—and on its front entrance, there are two logos. On the right is the restaurant’s namesake and main concept, and on the left is the specialized, virtual kitchen concept—Chronic Fries.
Urban Bird owner Brandon Gawthorp hatched the idea for Chronic Fries in August 2021 from the popularity of the Urban Fries dish, which consists of a plate of fries topped with mac and cheese, two chopped Nashville hot chicken tenders and pickles and drizzled with the restaurant’s signature bird sauce.
Urban Bird Hot Chicken & Chronic Fries
21788 Katy Freeway, Ste. 500, Katy
346-388-2901
www.urbanbirdhotchicken.com
www.chronicfries.fun
Hours: Sun.-Thu. 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m.
July: Salt and Sugar
Tucked away off Avenue A and Second Street is a small shop selling pastries and coffee.
Whether it is children coming in with pocket money to buy a sugar cookie or corporate clients in need of a caterer, Salt and Sugar Texas has something for everyone, founder Susanne Behrens said.
Salt and Sugar Texas
5617 Second St., Katy
281-392-7970
www.saltandsugartexas.com
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
August: La Balance Cafe
Manuel Atencio, the owner of La Balance Cafe, said he grew up in the restaurant industry and has worked in restaurants his whole career.
“[It’s] what I’ve been doing all my life,” Atencio said. “We’ve been a family restaurant. That’s what we love. That’s what we know.”
La Balance Cafe
8050 FM 359 S., Fulshear
281-206-7974
www.labalancecafe.com
Breakfast/lunch hours: Tue.-Sat. 7 a.m.-2 p.m., 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Sun. 8 a.m.-noon, closed Mondays
Dinner hours: Fri.-Sat. 5-10 p.m.
Drive-thru burrito hours: Tues.-Sat., 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. -12 p.m.
October: Miyoka Katy
The name may be slightly altered from the original concept, but the legacy of his mother’s restaurant remains with Sam Kim, owner and chef at Miyoka Katy. Her perseverance has always inspired him, he said.
“She came to this country with nothing, and she built everything on the American dream,” Sam said.
Miyoka Katy
22044 Westheimer Parkway, Katy
281-767-7138
www.miyokakaty.com
Hours: Mon., Wed.-Thu. noon-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m., Sun. 4-9 p.m., closed Tue.
November: Brett’s BBQ Shop
Brett’s BBQ Shop, a Katy original, has expanded its concept to what its owners call “the future of barbecue”—a restaurant and bar serving barbecue-based meals.
Owner and chef Brett Jackson started his barbecue journey attending Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Austin and then working at Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor for two years. He said he learned barbecue “the old-school way” at the eatery.
Brett’s Barbecue Shop
25220 Kingsland Blvd., Katy
www.brettsbbqshop.square.site
