Openings and Closings: Eculent Returns, Kim Son EaDo Departs

Eculent Restaurant + Liquid Lab, 709 Harris, is relaunching after a 14-month hiatus. It’s reopening in the space that housed chef David Skinner’s collaboration restaurant, Th Prsrv,  with James Beard Award-winning chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter and her husband Graham Painter. Though that concept has ended, there may be future projects with the Painters in the future, according to CultureMap Houston. 

Skinner, opened eculent in Kemah in 2014, a visionary dining destination that wowed those lucky enough to get a reservation. He tabled the concept when he opened Ishtia in the same space, a tasting restaurant concept that explores indigenous ingredients and cooking, highlighting Skinner’s Choctaw heritage and upbringing.

Though Skinner has kept extremely busy with the different concepts he says, “Eculent never really ended-it just took a sabbatical.” That sabbatical gave Skinner the time to do global research into some of the world’s most cutting-edge bars and restaurants, per a press release.

While eculent, in its previous iteration, used various innovative tools and devices to create mind-blowing bites and dishes, eculent 2.0  puts technology in the hands of the guest and allows each diner a unique experience. While many credit famed chef Ferran Adria for modern molecular gastronomy, the science of food experimentation goes back hundreds of years. In Skinner’s world, technology itself becomes part of the experience.

The chef has created a custom-designed app that serves as a digital companion for each guest, helping them to uncover their personal flavor profile and resulting in individualized cocktails and a digital culinary passport that tells the story of each dinner service. 

If it all sounds like a journey to the future, well that’s the vision of the chef and owner who has been described as the Willy Wonka of the food world and a mad scientist of cuisine. His scientific approach often means an entire dish can be tasted in a single bite. While the adjacent Ishtia concept delves into his indigenous roots,  the eculent world is far more global, exploring an infinite universe of not only flavors, but sensory explosions. 

Guests ready to explore eculent’s menu and liquid lab can make reservations Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is an a la carte menu or the Chef’s 13-Bites Tasting Menu ($95). To craft their own cocktails, diners should download the free app and register.

Kim Son, 2001 Jefferson, will have its final service October 12. The announcement was made via social media by the family but it comes as no surprise. The city of Houston has been awaiting the announcement for nearly a year now since it was first revealed that the restaurant would close due to the I-45 expansion project which has already taken out a number of East End businesses. 

Kim Son debuted on Pease Street in 1982 before moving to its iconic pagoda-style building on Jefferson in 1993. The concept was founded by Kim La, who opened her first restaurant in her native Vietnam before fleeing the communist regime with her husband Son and their seven children in 1980. In 1982 she opened Kim Son.

The La family has opened several different restaurants over the decades including its Kim Son Sugar Land which closed in 2023. Its Bellaire location is still in operation and is popular for its extensive buffet. 

Kim Son’s business has always gone far beyond just its restaurant operations. Its catering and private events have been hugely successful, particularly for weddings and family celebrations. While the restaurant at the Jefferson location will close this weekend, its catering and wedding services will continue through the end of the year, according to its Facebook post. 

Bread Zeppelin, 9753 Katy Freeway, opened October 7 in Memorial City. It’s the second Houston location of the concept for Avalanche Food Group, a local and family-owned brand that brought the first location to Houston in May 2024. The group also operates 10 Texas locations of Twin Peaks, plus one in Indianapolis. 

The Bread Zeppelin brand was founded in 2013 by Troy Charhon and Andrew Schoellkopf. Currently based in Dallas, the fast-casual concept calls its Zeppelins ‘salad-sandwich hybrids’. A freshly baked baguette is hollowed out and filled with vegetables and proteins. Guests can forego the bread part and just order the salad, but what’s the fun in that? 

There are loads of options for filling the bread or bowls including five types of greens, nearly 40 types of toppings, 20 house-made dressings and a variety of marinated proteins. Guests can build their own or choose one of its signature creations. There is also a rotating menu of freshly-made soups plus a couple of desserts. 

Mountain Mike’s, 22314 FM 529, opened its second Cypress area restaurant earlier this week. It’s also the 12th location for the state. It’s owned and operated by multi-unit franchisees Nadeem Rajani, Karim Najani and Danish Faraz. The trio opened the first Cypress store last year and have plans for a third in the region. The Mountain Mike’s franchise footprint is expected to grow even more with nearly 40 more stores across Texas in the works.

Nadeem Rajani says the strong response to the first Cypress restaurant inspired the group to open a second one. He said, “From its warm hospitality to its crave-worthy menu, every visit to Mountain Mike’s is designed to bring people together-and we’re proud to expand that experience across the region.”

The family-style pizza chain has been operating for 45 years and is known for its curly and crispy pepperoni pizzas and 20-inch Mountain-sized pizzas. Guests can build their own pies or choose from a selection of specialties like Mt. Veggiemore, Vegetarian Spicy Himalaya, or Pike’s Peak, a meat-loaded pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, linguica, beef, ham and salami.

The menu also features a variety of chicken wings, salads, mozzarella sticks, dessert pizzas and its famous Garlic Not Knots. In addition to sodas, there is beer and wine, plus an all-you-can-eat pizza and salad bar.

The new 3,300 square-foot Cypress store will have eight big-screen televisions, arcade games and an outdoor patio. 

Corelli’s Sugar Land, 3229 Highway 6, closed last month after 28 years, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. It shuttered its original Westheimer location in October 2020, during the COVID pandemic. 

Golden Chick, 233 W. Parker, opened October 7, making it the 16th location in the Greater Houston area. The Parker Road location is owned and operated by franchisees Zain Rajpoot and Zee Khimani. Rajpoot also owns the Golden Chick location on Cullen Boulevard and Khimani owns another on Spears Road. 

The restaurant’s hours are from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., so there are plenty of opportunities to stop in for lunch, dinner or late-night bites. Its menu features its Original Golden Tenders, spicy Wicked Wings and Golden Roast Chicken, along with sandwiches, crispy catfish and Southern-style sides. 

Golden Chick has also introduced some limited-time flavors like the new Spicy Pickle or Lemon Pepper, available on the wings and tenders until January 2, 2026. Customers can try the flavors on Wing Wednesday and Wing Weekends with 24 wings and four yeast rolls for $19.99. 

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