Some chefs possess an almost innate ability to deftly pull together an array of disparate ingredients, which when combined create thoughtfully built compilations that leave diners devouring every last bite. Thirty-four-year-old Christian Hernandez, chef/owner of the restaurant dubbed Barbacana in downtown Houston, is one of those talented toques.
The German-born Hernandez grew up in the Bayou City’s East End, influenced not only by his own Mexican-American neighborhood but also by Houston’s homegrown food. Everything from barbecue and Tex-Mex to Cajun, and coastal cuisine, plus the stretch of bold Asian flavors found along Bellaire Boulevard are reflected in Barbacana’s menu. Before Hernandez hung his own shingle, opening on the corner of the circa 1910 Bayou Lofts, he spent time behind the range in restaurants in New York and Mexico City, as well as at several notable Houston restaurants, including Pax Americana, BCN Taste & Tradition, Oxheart and March.
Chef Hernandez and his team have embarked on a mission to make the Barbacana kitchen a place where zero-waste goals intersect with creative uses for elements that might otherwise be discarded. Similarly, they rely on bycatch seafood (unintentional catch that’s not discarded but sold to restaurants).
This new 140-seat, casual fine-dining Houston restaurant, designed in collaboration with Carl Eaves, is a double-height space featuring exposed brick and an open kitchen. It is fronted by a length of counter seating that gives diners seated there a glimpse of the action behind the scenes.
The Barbacana Menu
Hernandez is now serving up his own interpretation of how Houston eats at Barbacana, with a tight selection of well-priced small, medium and large dishes, as well as a $150-per-person six-course tasting menu. Take his Texas Wagyu carpaccio ($18), a dish that inspired me to lavish high praise, comprised of thinly sliced raw beef sprinkled with toasted buckwheat, pickled strawberries and fresh pea shoots, topped with a shower of finely grated aged Gouda. Two tarts grace the menu, including the beautiful buttered onion tart ($26), featuring jumbo lump crabmeat under a rich cloak of black pepper-spiked sabayon, dotted with oregano oil.
Hernandez’s classical training comes into play with the French saucisson aux mimolette, a flavorsome pork sausage dotted with Normandy mimolette cheese and a cane syrup demi-glace, by its side: the famed Robuchon-style mashed potatoes, created with nearly a 50/50 ratio of potato to butter ($22). Then there’s the popular Japanese dish donburi ($20), a warm, comforting vegetarian bowl filled with sauteed King trumpet and hedgehog mushrooms, radish, caramelized onions, and an egg over Koshihikari rice, seasoned with a puffed rice furikake.
Don’t miss Barbacana’s pollo al carbon, with humble roots, served along roadsides in Mexico. Here, a half chicken is marinated in yogurt before being grilled and deboned, served with house-made blue and yellow corn tortillas and hibiscus salsa ($48).
Desserts and breads are all made in-house by pastry chef Priscilla Trevino and include a strawberry thyme semifreddo with shortbread crumble and a surprise of strawberry Pop Rocks. Meanwhile, chocolate fans can indulge in Trevino’s milk and cookies dessert, made with cookie dough ice cream and a white chocolate mousse. Both are priced at $12.
Barbacana is located at 907 Franklin Street in downtown Houston. The restaurant open Tuesday through Fridays from 11 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm, and Saturdays from 5 pm to 10 pm. It is closed Sundays and Mondays. Reservations are available through OpenTable. Street and garage parking is available in the area.