Chef Evelyn Garcia charmed viewers as the hometown favorite during Top Chef’s 2022 Houston season. Which is why expectations were sky-high for JŪN, her new Asian American restaurant with chef-partner Henry Lu. When they opened the calm and airy spot in February, diners flocked here for a menu that expertly mashes up the Mexican, Salvadoran, Chinese, and Southeast Asian flavors that define Garcia and Lu’s cooking styles.

The Houston market can be a hard nut to crack for out-of-town restaurants, but this Atlanta import bravely defied that norm when it opened its doors in October. Rumi’s Kitchen entices locals with new twists on Persian classics like a kabob made with wagyu, Urfa chile spice rub, and grilled shishito peppers, plus Persian takes on Houston mainstays like roasted corn ribs, which are remixed here using black seed dukkah and jalapeño.

When Bari Ristorante opened in May, it was an immediate hit with the city’s see-and-be-seen crowd. Its glamorous orange-and-white digs and stylish diners evoke Milan, but the emphasis on style doesn’t mean that food is an afterthought. Tuscan-born chef Renato De Pirro’s housemade pastas wowed Houston Chronicle restaurant critic Alison Cook and prove Bari is about way more than immaculate vibes. If you’re here with a crew, consider the show-stopping seafood tower.

Berg Hospitality’s (The Annie Café & Bar, B&B Butchers Restaurant) newest spot sets the bar high as the anchor restaurant for Autry Park, a luxe new mixed-use development overlooking Buffalo Bayou. Annabelle Brasserie’s all-day status makes it a rarity in Houston and means it’s just as suited for an AM croque monsieur as it is for an escargot dinner. The massive French menu gives diners plenty of reasons to make return trips, and so does the chance to snap a selfie by the pink Citroën truck.

When Xalisko Cocina Mexicana opened in February, the greater Houston area didn’t just score a new Mexican fine-dining spot, but one that is all about lesser-seen specialties from west-central Mexico. H Town Restaurant Group alum Beatriz Martines runs the show at this family-owned restaurant and features corn in nearly every dish partly to honor her late father, who was a corn farmer.

Houstonians were drawn to Lukkaew Srasrisuwan’s everyday Thai food spot and takeout star, Kin Dee, soon after it opened in 2020. For her second act, she dialed up the glamor: MaKiin opened in a swanky highrise in October and serves a menu inspired by Thailand’s royal kitchens. Deboned chicken wings and stuffed chicken lollipops are served with a side of gold dust, and paper-thin sliced short ribs come in a sizzling stone bowl.

Houston loves to see a pop-up become permanent, and that’s exactly what this 2021 sushi sensation did. Norigami found a West University home in September, bringing its quirky signature hand rolls to a neon-lit speakeasy style den lined with origami cranes. Choose from chef Jimmy Kieu’s out-there creations like toro with jicama and fried leeks and spicy scallops with chile garlic aioli, yuzu tobiko, and avocado. Wash it all down with cocktails by Bludorn and Wooster alum Hao Mao.