“Honestly, it was kind of a leap of faith,” Philipose said about becoming a chef.
After attending the Art Institute of Houston, Philipose said he worked at a catering business serving up to 1,500 guests with one of his professors. He then spent a year traveling with Cirque du Soleil before helping a friend start a restaurant in Cypress, Philipose said.
Philipose said he was born and raised in the Houston area and graduated from The Woodlands High School. It was always his dream to start a restaurant close to home, so he opened Philipose’s Kitchen and Bar in March 2021 on FM 2978 in Magnolia, he said.
“It’s nice driving up here and seeing my last name on the door,” Philipose said. “It gives me a lot of energy.”
The restaurant’s menu combines Southern comfort food with Indian flavors, Philipose said, with items such as curry chicken, seafood pasta and a spiced Indian chicken sandwich. Philipose said the menu is a reflection of himself, having grown up in Texas and enjoyed his mom’s Indian cooking.
“Being born and raised in Texas, just the whole Southern foods, I was immersed in that,” Philipose said. “Growing up my mom always cooked, and I always thought my mom’s cooking was the best on the planet.”
Philipose said it is a different experience for him to own and run a restaurant because he also has to hire staff, focus on customers and manage other areas of the business. However, Philipose said the Magnolia community has been supportive of him since he started the restaurant, and he believes the community enjoys having a different style of restaurant to visit.
“This community is so nice and supportive,” Philipose said. “If you treat them right, they’re going to treat you right.”
Philipose said he hopes to provide a comfortable eating environment where guests do not feel rushed. He said he tries to tell customers his story as well.
“It’s a more intimate style of food production,” Philipose said. “I don’t want to be a bar. I don’t want to be ‘turn and burn.’”
Philipose’s Kitchen and Bar
32823 FM 2978, Magnolia
281-789-4176
www.philiposeskitchenandbar.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Mon.
