By Hanne Gellert
Étoile Cuisine et Bar Review
Étoile Cuisine et Bar is located in Galleria/Uptown are and is an absolute hidden gem in Houston. Having grown up in Europe, the restaurant scene I was exposed to has been heavily influenced by wonderful French cuisine options. Now that I reside in Houston, the availability of GOOD French dining is more limited. Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of restaurants claiming to being French or serving so-called French food, but the quality and the Frenchness of the food is not up to par.
Entering Étoile Cuisine et Bar, we were greeted by the hostess and a waiter showed us to our table right away. The ambiance was pleasant and the atmosphere was upscale, yet comfortable. The clientele was a mixture of people from around mid 20’s and up. It is the type of restaurant you go to when you want to sit down, take your time, and really enjoy your meal and some good wine. It is the perfect place if you want to impress your date, or if you are a small group of friends who wants to enjoy a good quality meal.
We started off sharing a Raviolis de Champignon (mushroom ravioli with port wine, truffle oil and parmesan). The ravioli was a bit on the salty side for my taste, but oh boy it was delicious. The flavors were intense, fantastic and complemented each other splendidly.
We then moved on to the Les moules marinière- cooked in white wine, cream and sprinkled with parsley. I have a weakness for mussels, so if I think the restaurant can make decent moules, I am all on board. Étoile did not disappoint! The portion was on the small side, and I do think they could have been a bit more generous as the shells take up most of the plate, but it was absolutely delicious. The quality of the mussels was good and so was the size. They were not too big, not too small and not too meaty. The broth the mussels were cooked in was delicious, and there was not a drop left when I was done.
I finally finished the meal with Coquilles Saint-Jacques Provençale; seared diver scallops, short rib raviolis, fava beans, carrots, fennel, and garlic and parsley broth. The scallops were cooked to perfection; neither over nor undercooked. By the end of the third dish I was so full that there was no room for dessert, so that will have to wait until the next time I visit Étoile Cuisine et Bar.
[…] Click Here for Real French Cuisine in Houston! […]