Most people look at me and assume I like to slap on the title of a foodie to add flair in my bio. I often receive comments asking if I’ve eaten lately or if I eat at all. FYI you can be skinny and still enjoy food. The secret is working out, eating healthy but allowing yourself to be spoiled without over indulging. I like to think I’m like the French. I enjoy food but I can’t consume Texas size portions. I am a passionate eater of everything from gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches to 12-course tasting menus. Believe it or not but I am always the person in my social circles to pick out where we are eating. I’m not sure if it’s because my friends trust my opinion or they know how picky I am about where we are going.
Food has become a social currency with name-dropping the top chefs, new restaurants and cookbooks to compete with one another as much as people do with fashion. It’s more of have you tried that new, “insert super cool, trendy restaurant name” instead of “are you on the waitlist for the Supreme x Louis Vuitton ?” I know what you’re thinking, that you can only find me at places like Uchi, Steak 48 or Underbelly. As much as I love fine dining I love hiding away in Chinatown in hidden gems like Mein Restaurant or Haveli in Little India.
Houston in my opinion has become a foodie heaven. One of my favorite things about Houston is how the diversity of the city is expressed through food. I love how all these places put their soul and culture in their food allowing us to travel anywhere from Peru, France, Singapore to India with every bite. How amazing is it that I can wake up to an amazing brunch at Backstreet Café, to a Malaysian lunch at Banana Leaf, coffee break at Agora’s, then a Colombian dinner at Mi Pueblito and ending it with dessert and cocktails at Toulouse? If you think that’s amazing I haven’t even gotten started.
Last night I was able to be in foodie heaven at Culture Map’s Tastemaker Awards. I tried everything from an amazing Lamb Keema Taco at Fusion Taco, Le Colonial’s “Goi Ga” to Liberty Kitchen’s “Dreamsicle Dragon Kisses” (orange and vanilla flavored meringue kisses freeze dried in liquid nitrogen) which was heaven on earth. To top it off, my absolute favorite coffee brand, illy had a coffee bar. There was so much more amazing offerings and few that were so good I didn’t even get the opportunity to try. Overall it was an amazing event with great food, drinks and very cool environment given it was being held at the Asia Society Texas Center.
I work out so I can enjoy the finer things in life but mainly so I can stuff my face with all the culinary havens this wonderful city has to offer. Hope everyone is enjoying the world through food as much as I am.
Love,
The Bengali Belle 