Seven Sushi & Robata, 9889 Bellaire Boulevard, debuted in Bellaire November 20. The all-you-can-eat concept takes over the space of the relocated Fu Fu Restaurant in Dun Huang Plaza. It comes from husband and wife Grace and Leo Xia, the successful restaurateurs behind Duck N Bao and Hongdae 33. Like their earlier concepts, Seven Sushi is big on style, fresh seafood and premium meats.
Located just around the corner from Hongdae 33, its Korean AYCE hotspot, the new eatery is set in a beautifully renovated space, transformed by the same designer responsible for the Cypress and Memorial locations of Duck N Bao, as well as Hongdae 33. Traditional Japanese and Chinese architectural elements blend with modern and sleek elements like warm wood tones, stone tilework and brass accents. The Shoji-style latticework across the walls and ceiling is back-lit with red and yellow hues. A marble waterfall countertop encases the cocktail prep station, its backlighting creating a stunning illumination.
The elegance of the interior elevates the AYCE experience that caters to diners at all hours of the day. The base price ($37) includes a two-hour window of unlimited ordering of its core items like nigiri, handrolls, robata skewers and chicken wings. For $20 more, guests can add premium items to the meal such as bluefin tuna, Hawaiian ribeye, Korean short rib and garlic-butter shrimp. There is also a list of premium add-ons, priced per piece.
The cocktail selection features pretty drinks, created by Grace Xia, such as the Geisha 101 and the sake-based Purple Rain. There’s also a selection of beer, wine and sake. Grace said about the new venture, “The design is very different from Hongdae’s, but like all our restaurants, we’re sourcing fresh, high-quality ingredients at a fair price. We want everyone to enjoy good food at a reasonable price.”
Her husband and partner agrees. Leo says, “When the tables fill up and guests are enjoying the food, that’s what makes me happiest.”
Lankford’s, 24 Waterway, is shooting to open in January 2026 in The Woodlands. Taking over the space which formerly housed Baja Cantina, it will be the third location for the longtime burger joint that was founded in 1937 as a grocery store, before becoming an icehouse and burger joint in the 1980s, when the Lankfords’ daughter Eydie took over operations. It soon became a full-fledged family restaurant and flourished under Eydie’s management. She retired in 2021, letting her son Paul Prior and his wife Jessica Prior, take over the business.
The couple soon expanded Lankford’s footprint with a second, more modern, location in Bellaire in May 2023. With the Woodlands location, the couple will have a fourth-generation family member, Nicolas van der Does, helping to oversee operations.
Like the Bellaire spot, The Woodlands restaurant will offer a 12-tap self-serve beer wall. There will also be a kid-friendly milkshake bar, along with boozy options for adults. The menu will still offer its famous burgers, chicken fried steak and daily specials.
The Priors are also making major changes to the original Midtown restaurant, 88 Dennis, at the same time. The family has purchased the lot next door to debut a new coffee and wine bar. There will be specialty coffee drinks, light bites and a sommelier-curated wine list. The full Lankford’s menu will also be available, along with homemade pastries from pastry chef Jenny Finch. It’s expected to debut in January 2026 as well.
Lee’s Cocktail Lounge, 5117 Kelvin, has debuted its pizza menu, a tasty collaboration between Seth Siegel-Gardener and Milton’s executive chef, Kent Domas. The duo, thinking outside the pizza box, have developed a base dough that uses prosecco for a touch of sweetness and also as a fermenting agent.
Siegel-Gardner is no stranger to the pizza game. Earlier in his career, he and his business partner Terrance Gallivan were serving up gourmet wood-fired pies at the much-missed Pass & Provisions. Now, as creative & culinary director at Local Foods Group, he’s collaborating with Chef Domas on a new culinary program at Lee’s offering pizza they describe as a cross between Neapolitan and New York-style.
The 10-inch pizzas aren’t just enhanced by bubbly prosecco, they are topped with high-quality ingredients that range from classic to exotic. Yes, you can have a pepperoni or margherita version, but there’s also pesto saltimbocca with chicken and prosciutto, or truffle; topped with black and king trumpet mushrooms. The truffle gets even more luxe with a shaving of white and black truffles on top. There’s also a leeks vinaigrette pie that echoes the flavors of Europe with its brown butter-roasted hazelnuts, celeriac, fontina cheese and aged balsamic. Instead of basil, it’s garnished with celery leaves.
There are also Italian-inspired cocktails and a whole lotta spritzes.
Outback Steakhouse, 9753 FM 1960, has closed, according to atascocita.com. We have reached out for more information.
Traveler’s Cart, 1401 Montrose Boulevard, has switched to full service this week, transitioning from its previous counter-style operations. The change comes nearly a year after the restaurant made its debut as a fast casual eatery focused on global cuisine. Owners Thy and Matthew Mitchell, who also own the more upscale Traveler’s Table, wanted to integrate more hospitality and staff interaction into the experience by incorporating hosts, servers and a reservation system.
Matthew Mitchell says that hospitality is about connection, adding, “We want every guest to feel welcomed, valued, and part of something special- as if they are travelers being welcomed into our home- and that experience begins with a friendly face at the door and great service throughout the visit.” Mitchell and his wife, Thy, were recently named Houston Restaurateurs of the Year by the Texas Restaurant Association at its 2025 Golden Fork Awards.
As part of its evolution, the restaurant is also adding a few new menu items as well, like Thai Chili Queso, Baja Shrimp Tacos and Steak Frites. Other new dishes include Vietnamese Cha Cha, Salmon Donburi and Chicken Parmesan. On the cocktail side, a Mexican Espresso Martini and Pandan Sticky Rice Old Fashioned join the creative cocktail offerings.
The duo collaborated with Raja Sweets and Pok Pok Po for its recent Diwali celebration and there are more to come. Other adventures on the horizon include chef pop-ups, a Weekday Getaway Happy Hour and late Night at Traveler’s Cart.
Pizza Twist, 10760 Barker Cypress, celebrated its grand opening November 7 in Cypress and it is soon to be joined by another location on Jones Road at Grant, in the east Cypress area. The Indian fusion pizza chain was founded in 2014 by Harpreet Dahyia in Sacramento, California. It began franchising in 2017 and has now spread nationwide and globally. Currently, there are three locations in the Greater Houston area including the new Cypress store, plus Sugar Land and Conroe.
Indian fusion pizza is trending right now, but Houstonians got their first taste of it when Bombay Pizza Company opened downtown in 2009. Unfortunately, it shuttered during the pandemic. In the past couple of years, however, numerous Indian pizza places have sprouted up like Naan Pizza Co., Curry Pizza House, Ashay’s Pizza, The Curry Pizza Co., and more. Many of them have set up shop in Houston’s suburbs, delivering both traditional and fusion pies.
Pizza Twist’s menu features Italian pizzas like pepperoni and supreme, but also flavor combos such as bbq chicken and Hawaiian. Its Indian-inspired creations include butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and curry veggie. There are also naan pizzas, chicken wings and fusion pastas like the Palak Paneer Pastatwist.
Kitsune, 13251 Jones, closed October 30, citing the reason as “personal”, according to its Facebook page. Unfortunately, the location seems to be cursed by bad luck as it has been two Chinese restaurants, a sushi bar and barbecue joint over the past fifteen years. Oddly, they all seemed to get good reviews, including Kitsune, which was an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant.
There’s already a sign advertising its next tenant, Cypress Sunrise Cafe. Here’s hoping it has better luck when it debuts.
The post Openings and Closings: Seven Sushi, Lankford’s Woodlands appeared first on Houston Press.
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