Budget-ish Bites: Alora
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👋 Shafaq here! I recently checked out Peruvian and Vietnamese restaurant Alora.
Dig in: The Montrose restaurant bills itself as the first Peruvian-Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Houston. And it's a debut venture for its two married couple owner team.
What they're saying: "In Peru, we have a lot of Asian influences such as Chinese and Japanese. So why not Vietnamese?" executive chef Diego Ponce said in a statement when Alora launched in January.
My experience: The dishes were thoughtful, and the flavors meshed well together.
- The BBQ oyster mushroom ($21) was a symphony of delicious textures; the chewy mushroom paired with the soft sides had me surprisingly raving about mung bean and cauliflower purée pairings.
- The waiter said people come back for the green papaya salad ($18), and I see why. It's bright and layered with flavor.
If you go: 2502 Dunlavy St.
Location seem familiar? Alora opened in the former Kau Ba space, which closed just before making the Michilin Bib Gourmand list — later rescinded after the closure.