Restaurant: NOE

4 Riverway
Houston, TX 77056

Our last stop with the whole restaurant week (which ended in August and I'm just now getting to it!) was a visit to NOE. Chef Robert Gadsby popularized this restaurant a few years back but has since then left. Even so, we wanted to try it anyway. Mochi and Chacco joined big poppa and I for the dinner. I normally would try to order from the HRW menu but the items on there weren't exactly appealing to me. The restaurant is located at the Omni Houston Hotel. It was prolly the first time in Houston that I've ever dined in a restaurant that was located in a hotel. The place is nice but because we went on a Monday night, it was pretty quiet and empty. There were maybe only three other groups of diners. Overall, the food simply did not overwhelm. More on the dishes below.

Chacco was the only one who ordered from the HRW menu. Her first course was jumbo scallop and truffle carpaccio in yuzu vinaigrette and pomme granate syrup. This wasn't so good. The scallop tasted very fishy and the sauce didn't do anything to make the dish stand out.

Chacco's entree was a steamed grouper on crushed garlic potato & roasted tomato “provencal brandade” style. I can only remember it being slightly unremarkable.

Chacco's dessert was also pretty disappointing. She chose the passion fruit bavarois and fresh raspberry coulis. It had this weird tarty bitterness to it that left us not wanting more.

Big poppa wanted to try a scallop appetizer also so he ordered the provencal style sea scallops in tomato, mushroom and chive oil. When it first came out, we were all very excited because it had a very strong almost asian aroma to it. But taste wise it was disappointing cos the scallops were overcooked.

For his entree he chose the braised beef shortrib with artichokes, baby potato and sauce bordelaise. I think this was just ok.

Mochi ordered the wild striped sea bass with herb crusted leek and mushroom risotto and saffron carrot puree. I can not remember her thots on her dish.

The crab mac and cheese was DELISH! I'm not a fan of crab so I wish there was less of it but other than that, I couldn't stop eating it!

I played it safe and ordered the grilled marinated chicken breast sandwich. I know. I went to a nice place just to eat a chicken sandwich?!? I'm a foodie that lives vicariously through other real foodies. Haha!

The creme brulee was no bueno. It did not have that cream texture that I love and there was lots of extra sugar that had not been caramelized. Not good!