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Lav now operates five locations of Pokeworks and plans five Rakkan Ramen stores for Houston as well, according to CultureMap Houston. Lav discovered the ramen restaurant while traveling in the Los Angeles area and felt it would be a fit for Houston. The M-K-T Heights restaurant is the first for Houston and comes from franchisee Chris Lav, who also brought Pokeworks to Houston in 2018. Photo by Rakkan Ramen Rakkan Ramen first opened in Tokyo in 2011 as a four-seat ramen bar. In keeping with the Texan appetite for beef, there's the grilled Bavette au Jus with broccolini and eggplant mousse.
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Le Jardinier means "the gardener" in French and diners can expect delicately balanced dishes like Burrata with tomatoes, stone fruit, bee pollen and basil seeds or Ora King Salmon with courgettes (that's zucchini to we Texans) and lemongrass emulsion. The menu will revolve around seasonable vegetables and fruit with sustainable seafood, poultry and meats sourced from local suppliers. Verzeroli, who is also a partner at Bastion, said in a press release, "As we've been preparing to open in Houston, I've spent a lot of time learning about what Houstonians crave and developing a menu that incorporates the unique terroir of the city." Michelin-starred chef Alain Verzeroli will serve as culinary director at Le Jardinier.
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Located inside the the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, the French-inspired restaurant comes from The Bastion Collection which also opened Cafe Leonelli at the museum April 16. Le Jardinier, 5500 Main, opens at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston May 18.