mantra — Restaurant in Houston

5 stars IS NOT ENOUGH!!! Y'all get 1000 stars from me. My partner and I discovered Mantra while traveling back from my hometown. I'm vegan and he is dairy free, gluten free. Finding delicious and affordable options for us can be difficult, but Mantra provided a safe space for the both of us. Everything here is out of this world amazing! From the friendly employees, the great music, and of course- THE FOOD! We got a sample of a few things from the menu and split them. We want to try it all, so we will be back! I love that the food is unique and high quality. The flavor of every dish we tried was to perfection. I love the atmosphere too. It's got a cozy, tibetan vibe. Very clean! We went here for our date night. I don't usually drink, but the cocktails were phenomenal as well! So delicious and not too strong or too sweet. The golden utensils and bowls were exquisite and gave even more richness to the atmosphere and the experience. I felt like a Divine Goddess giving to my sacred temple at Mantra. They have it all to perfection is all I can say! They are currently limited on what days and times they're open, so make sure to plan ahead. Bring an extra belly 'cause you're going to want it all! That being said, the portion sizes are great! Every dish is large enough to split, but not enough to get full off of (so you get to try more food!) I'm so happy that this place exists. Wish it was in my city, but it'll make coming back even more special. I hope the people in Houston can go out and support such creative food, cause vegan/gluten free/ soy free- or not- this place is DELICIOUS!!! Hats off to the chef and the guys serving!! You will definitely see us back again and again...

Let me preference this by saying I am also a vegan chef so I cook pretty well! Also, this was my second time visiting and the visits were 1.5 years apart! Always remember that everyone’s palate is different so yea, it just wasn’t for me!

Food: Good, but not great! Portions are quite small for some of those prices. Moreover, it was just the lack of flavor or shall I say the blend of flavors with certain dishes. First time I came, I had the Rasta Pasta, which is suppose to be creamy and spicy and it was not creamy whatsoever, but had a little kick, still bland compared to even what I make at home. This last time, which was last night, I decided to try the Grand Puebla. The flavors did not blend well and the sandwich was quite soggy! Loved the spice of the jackfruit but it needed different toppings and maybe to be put on a toasted sourdough or something. Both times I went, I did have the plantain nachos which are good.

Service: Staff was pleasant, but did not check on me once after bringing out my food. He also appeared to be on the phone, like a personal call the entire time which is very odd and unprofessional whether there is 10 customers or 1!

Atmosphere: Cute setup, but there is t much to it and chairs aren’t too comfortable. Tables also felt sticky which never sits right with me and the bathroom doors were tough to close!

I say try it for yourself and if you like it great, if...

Some thoughts, in no particular order:

A restaurant that doesn't give out print menus in the post-COVID world is annoying. A restaurant that doesn't give out print menus and doesn't have wifi for customers in a post-COVID world is offloading extra charges to customers in a way that shouldn't be tolerated. A restaurant that has no menus to give and simply has wait staff hand over their tablets to the patrons is particularly annoying if you're trying for high end cuisine.

The food genuinely isn't bad. I wouldn't say it's great though. The Brussels Sprouts as appetizers were fine, but over-priced and under-portioned for what you get. There's no particular flare to them, they just... are. The Marsala sauce on their main dish is soggy and approaching bland. It tastes more of a relatively quick home cooked meal than it does a restaurant staple.

The Wine list looks good. Thoughtful, even. I have not been back to try more wine, and don't plan on going back unless prices go down.

Would I recommend this place? Honestly, probably not as something to be sought out. Maybe try it if you're feeling adventurous but not picky, in the mood to explore but not tied to success of the meal. My dining experience was sub-par, but not terribly so....