The Best Lobster in Houston?

Pity the poor crustacean. I’ve had to endure so many shoddily prepared lobsters in the past year or so in Houston that I promised myself I would not order any again until I was closer to the cooler waters the creatures call home. Better safe than being disappointed and experiencing the anger provoked by the waste… But at dinner this past week, I was surprised by an off-the-menu special that came to the table.

It was poached lobster, and it was good. It was very good. I was at Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, and we had just finished a dozen oysters (from off the coast of Massachusetts) when the waiter came carrying a wooden board, which he placed before us. The meat – tail and claws – had been taken from the shell with good technique.

It was served with fresh greens, including basil, and drizzled with sambal and sesame oil, and tarragon was also in the mix. The lobster was perfectly poached, so one did not have a sense of chewing rubber, but instead could enjoy an elegant softness and slight brininess. The tarragon and basil produced a wonderful taste alone, and I would be happy with a dish consisting of those two things only (with the sauce mixture, of course). But the lobster was the star, and I am happy that the kitchen here knows what it is doing with these delicacies.

I can now put off that trip to Maine.