The Chef’s Table – Houston, TX – Concord Culinary Lyceum

Chef’s Table is a South African inspired restaurant in northwest Houston.
Both ostrich and impala are featured on the menu.
The Backyard Braai is a great choice with five different meats and mashed potatoes.

Dining at The Chef’s Table, you are going to hear the chef’s name, a lot. Our server mentioned Chef Paul several times and so did every other server within ear shot. Paul Friedman, a native of South Africa, has owned fifty-eight restaurants throughout his career. The Chef’s Table is his crowning achievement.

Chef Paul leans on his South African roots. The highlight of the menu is the impala, rarely seen on US menus. They also serve an ostrich steak. But if exotic meats are too much, the Backyard Braai is a carnivore’s delight. An outstanding mixed grill, it includes sausage, riblets, chicken, lamb chop, and beef served with five-cheese mashed potatoes.

To start, the steak tartare, made with beef tenderloin, is a generous portion. It is well seasoned and served with toasted baguette. Also very good is the charred octopus with chimichurri and potatoes. For dessert, the sticky toffee is wonderful. For wine, they offer a nice selection of glasses from Anura vineyards in South Africa.