Flavors on Fire — Restaurant in Katy

My wife and I went to Flavors on Fire for Surf and Turf night. We were excited for this new dining experience but left disappointed. We were anticipating a flavorful interactive dining experience sampling some very creative culinary creations however what we received lacked creativity and did not meet or exceed our expectations. Let me summarize based on the 3 categories the overall rating is based on. Food- When I think "surf and turf" and when I looked at the picture used to represent that meal, I saw large, char-grilled shrimp and i assumed there would be a red meat paired with it. This is not what we received. The meal consisted of a single Oyster Rockerfeller cooked on a Big Green egg. The oyster itself was good however the topping was not great and did not give any WOW factor. The next dish was a small salad with a single split in half Cherrie Tomato, a lemon wedge and some salty cheese that was warmed in a frying pan, The salad was topped with Octopus, the salad itself was OK again, nothing spectacular. The main course was pureed sweet potato topped with a piece of Pork Belly. The Puree was not what I would consider a culinary wonder and was not worthy of such an expensive meal. The Pork Belly was cooked perfectly however I am not a fan of a large piece of Pork fat on my plate as my main course, maybe just me but I would never anticipate receiving Pork Belly as my main course from a meal advertised as Surf and Turf. Dessert was very good and probably the best thing served that evening. Service- The service was great, and they made sure you had plenty to drink and the food was delivered in a timely fashion. The owner did talk to us before the meal started and gave a nice summary of who he was and how he started but other than that he really did not share much with the group and appeared to be selective on who he communicated with. Chef Ryan on the other hand was very pleasant and did a great job engaging with us and the other patrons the entire time. These stars go to Chef Ryan Atmosphere- This establishment is very clean, well designed and warm, from all the stainless-steel vent enclosures, counters and floors it was sparkling clean, Overall impression- At the end of the night I felt that we were not the only ones disappointed by what we got for the price we paid. I did not hear a lot of folks raving about the experience nor did I hear many elaborate on how great the meal was during the service. Very disappointing for the price, we paid, and I would not say the experience was...

We joined friends for a first experience at Flavors on Fire in old Katy for a Chef’s Table experience and I’d like to share some impressions. The price is $119 per person and with a 20% gratuity would come to $290 for a couple without consideration for alcohol. I hate to be so crass as to boil a dining experience down to ‘value’ but in this case, think it is warranted. A chef’s table is both food and experience to be sure, but mostly, it is about the food. But first, the good: The Owner, Tim, has designed, and built a very nice space which is clean, spare and modern in old Katy which is ideally suited to his chef’s table and cooking classes business. It is relaxed, the music is soft, it is truly pleasant. Tim, the Owner, who is Dutch, although not formally trained, exhibits a good knowledge of cooking, presents well and is utterly enjoyable. You can tell he enjoys this. Now for the harder part. They advertise these evenings as a Chef’s Table experience with no other real details. In my experience, that usually suggests a tasting menu of 5-6 courses (salad, cold app, warm app, main, dessert), which at this price point, seems about right. But, that is where the disappointment comes in. The meal that was prepared consisted of a tasty salad, a main (with small protein and starch) followed by dessert all preceded by a tasty amuse bouche. All the dishes were delicious. The main was a wonderful piece of sliced beef tenderloin but only about 5 ounces with very nicely prepared gnocchi in brown butter. Were this dish served in a restaurant with an 8oz fillet of similar quality and a veg, I expect it would be a $60 entrée, but this was much less, and the sliced meat was cold when the plate was set before us. If this meal’s value (with the dessert) in a fine restaurant would be no more than $50-$60, the diner needs to judge if the ‘experience’ aspect of the evening is worth half the cost. I noted above, this may seem crass, and it kind of does. I enjoy spending well for a fine experience and fine food. I simply feel that this is a $120 meal that cost me $240 and can’t get around that. Three stars because it...

Flavors on Fire popped up on my social media feed with rave reviews, so I had to check it out for myself. Viewing their calendar online, when I spotted Truffles dinner, i had to book a reservation! We arrived for 7pm dinner and was immediately welcomed. We were two out of right dinners. Chef Tim and Ryan prepared an amazing tasting menu highlighting truffles. We enjoyed a sautéed shrimp with a luscious hollandaise and grated truffles. The hollandaise was light, and I could have drank the entire bowl. We also enjoyed a smoked potato ricotta ravioli with cheese sauce and shaved truffles. It was smokey, light, and delicious. The main entree was a perfectly cooked risotto with filet, carrot, a wine reduction, and finished with grated truffles on top. There was an option to add a seared fois gras, and when fois is offered, I take it!! It was unctuous! The filet was seasoned and cooked to my desired temp. We ended the meal with a light vanilla Panna cotta with fresh blueberries. The entire meal was delectable. The service was impeccable. My husband does not cook. However, he enjoyed listening and seeing the process of how a sauce is prepared, how risotto is made, and what equipment was used to create our meal. We will definitely come back for another dinner in the future. It is such a treasure to have Flavors on Fire in Katy. It's close to home. However, even if it was an hr away, the drive is...