White Oak Kitchen + Drinks

I get very excited when I get the opportunity to see a good friend and doing that over a great meal is even better. For this occasion, we chose to try White Oak Kitchen + Drinks for Houston Restaurant Weeks. This is a new restaurant that is run by Westin Galleria that has a modern but intimate ambiance. First, we were started with an absolutely amazing sesame croissant. It was warm, crunchy on the outside, and soft and delicious on the inside. It was by far some of the best and most unique bread that I have had in a long time.

For the first course, we decided to try the hummus and the chicken tortilla soup. The hummus, which was slightly spicy from the cayenne pepper, was served with pita, carrots, and olives. The only thing I would say about that is that the pita was a bit on the chewy side... not the best pita I have had, but the hummus was good. The chicken tortilla soup was simple and perfect for the onset of fall. 

Next it was time for the main dish. I opted for the mahi mahi and got to try the Spanish skirt steak. The mahi mahi was served with two grilled shrimp, grilled veggies, and a sweet relish. I have never had mahi mahi before but it was delicious. It was mild and light and the sweetness of the relish paired well with the fish. The veggies were flavorful and simple. The naturalness of the dish was refreshing and surprisingly filling. The Spanish skirt steak was served with a chimicurri sauce and potatoes. It was well-seasoned and the chimicurri sauce added an additional pop of flavor. 

When it came to dessert, I found myself wanting to skip the other courses and just eat three courses worth of dessert. Sadly, I didn't get to do that so I had to make a decision between s'mores bread pudding or haute haute donuts. Since I order bread pudding recently, I opted for the donuts. However, these weren't like the donuts that you eat for breakfast. They were lightly fried, warm, and rolled in powdered sugar. They were served with three sauces: chocolate, raspberry, and caramel, which were so good! The sauce soaked in to the donut and gave it a completely different flavor with each sauce. Chocolate is chocolate and is just delicious in general. The raspberry sauce wasn't unnatural tasting and the caramel sauce didn't weigh the dessert down. The bread pudding was a play on one of my childhood favorites and was super yummy!

This is a great place to go to relax and unwind after a long day. It was delicious and when I go back, I want to try the macaroni and cheese. Be sure to try this out and enjoy all their great menu offerings. Thank you for such a wonderful meal and another opportunity to support the Houston Food Bank by eating for a cause.