UB Preserv

Came here for Sunday brunch and really enjoyed everything! We had a reservation for 3 people at 1:15pm and were seated immediately once we arrived. Parking was not an issue at all, and my friends and I were easily able to find street parking. Our server Jacob gave a description of everything on the menu, which we really appreciated. He was very friendly and attentive. I don't eat pork, but thankfully there were still plenty of options. We ordered the Salt and Pepper Squid, Crispy Rice Salad, Carne Asada Fries, Ropa Vieja, and Japanese Pancakes. Everything was AMAZING!

OMG every bite was outstanding. Definitely all that. Eggplant bites starter to carrot cake dessert with a few other amazing dishes in between, but I forget because the wine was so good. They will do it vegan style very well, just ask.

Parking is inconvenient unless you valet. Every dish we ordered was filled with flavor. Our favorite was the ribeye. The recommended crispy rice was interesting, spicy notes detected - likely a result of the jalapeño and horseradish. We didn’t have room for dessert - maybe next time..

We stopped in for Sunday's Dim Sum brunch, starting with the Nova lox toast. We loved that the smear was like egg salad and the bread was beautifully buttered and toasted. Followed by the Wok Fried Migas which was an Asian flavor profile on migas, and the Buckwheat Crepe cake. We were hoping for smaller portions, which is what dim sum typically is, so that we could have tried more things on the menu. Regardless, a good experience and we'll be back for the Dinner menu.

This wasn't my favorite menu - was really looking forward to some of their specialties such as the Vietnamese beef fajitas, but they are only doing that on Sundays right now. Really enjoyed the masala wings, bangers and mash and the burger. Their version of carrot cake is delicious.

Great food with interesting flavors. To start the dumpligs were enveloped in a nice soft skin and had a bit of a chili kick. The crispy chicken was excellent. The meat was moist and the thin skin crispy. There was not much of the sausage, rice, and mushroom stuffing, but I don’t think it added all that much. Our other entree, the short rib fajita, was tasty as well. The meat was fatty and tender. I wasn’t entirely sure how to eat it though, but I enjoyed the different amalgamations I created. Out of the desserts, my favorite was the chocolate buckwheat pie, mostly because of the soft cream that accompanied it.

I was skeptical, but boy was this place amazing. The food is delicious, looks great, and the portion sizes are sufficient. The tour for a group is a great value, and you don't know what you're going to get. Larger parties are welcome in advance with reservation, valet parking is a plus, and the bar is well stocked with a good variety. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Houston!

It was an interesting and exciting visit at UB Preserve with some unique flavor profiles. We really enjoyed the collard greens in a very tasty sauce, the duck which was tender and delicious and was a perfect match for the “best part of the rice. I loved the panna cotta with red bean cream and sesame coconut brittle. It was the perfect closing with a bit of sweet but not overwhelming sweet. Well done for the paper straws and being a bit more environmentally conscious!

Chris Shepherd, James Beard Award-winning chef, closed down his famous restaurant, Underbelly, in March 2018. He opened up UB Preserv a few blocks down Westheimer to continue "telling the story of Houston food." I wanted to see what this new restaurant was all about, so I went with my girlfriend on a Friday evening. It's located in a small plaza in Montrose. The parking situation is slim, but they offer valet parking. Pro tip: save yourself a few dollars by finding street parking nearby. There was a 25-minute wait when we arrived, but we were able to sit on their nice outdoor patio. There were benches with side tables, and they even had fans for those hot and sweaty summer days. They even had service for purchasing drinks as you wait. Overlooking the drink menu, the server recommended the "Year of the Dog" cocktail. This was made with vodka, salted plum, lemon, and soda for $10. When it arrived, there was a sour coating on the edge of the cup and a few candies on a toothpick. There was nothing to mix the drink with or even a straw. It looked nice, and although it was somewhat refreshing, it was super sour. The drink got even more sour as I sipped on it, no matter how much I tried to swirl it and mix it all up. I also didn't taste any of the vodka. The candy element of the drink was a big turnoff. I would never get this drink ever again. It deserves a 1/5. We were seated within 20+ minutes, and we noticed how cramped the inside of the restaurant was. It was loud, and we literally felt like we were dining with our table neighbors. Every time my girlfriend said something to me, I had to loudly ask her to repeat herself. Luckily, she was sitting at a bench, so I slid beside her until our food arrived. The service was great, but I have to say that since the restaurant was so loud, every time our waiter came to check up on us, it really scared us because it felt like they came out of nowhere! HAHA One thing I noticed was that the drink menu inside was much more extensive than the outdoor patio. I wish I had ordered a different cocktail because as you know, the Year of the Dog was awful... Looking over the food menu, we noticed the prices were quite steep. We went with the Crispy Rice Salad for $13 to start off. This was made with herbs, tomato, cucumber, and serrano vinaigrette. I really enjoyed the texture of the crispy rice in this plate. Mixed with the fresh vegetables, I loved it. It reminded me of some Indian appetizers or snacks I've had in my past surprisingly. I would give it a 5/5. As the main, we with with the Vietnamese Short Rib Fajitas for $65. This was made with slow cooked 44 farms short rib with lettuce, cilantro, rice noodles, pickled carrots, and sauce on the side. The meat came out sizzling, and we were told it was to be eaten Vietnamese-style; rolling everything up in the lettuce. The lettuce was quite small, so it was definitely hard to roll all of the ingredients into. In Vietnamese culture, they typically have a rice paper to roll everything up including the lettuce, and this would have been a more efficient way to eat it, but it's all good. The meat was super tender. It basically broke apart in our mouths and melted. I would give this a 5/5, although it was a bit hard to eat and messy. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at UB Preserv. I liked the outdoor patio, but I wish they included their full drink menu out there like they have on the inside of the restaurant. The atmosphere is nice, but it is super cramped and loud on a Friday night. It's nothing to complain about as it's just Houston, but keep that in mind when coming to eat here. The food that we tried was incredible. I loved the food textures in the Crispy Rice Salad, and the meat in the Vietnamese Short Rib Fajitas was amazing. The total bill came out close to ~$115 for one drink, one appetizer, one main plate and tip - very pricey. I liked the food a lot, but I wouldn’t see myself frequently coming back to a place like this for value reasons.

EVERYTHING you eat is a TREAT. Dim Sum Style brunch is a taste testing heaven. The sweet potatoes will make you cry tears of joy. The delicata squash tempura is the smokiest tastiest thing ever. Toad in the Hole is like eating a picnic on a foggy day. Add in a Year of the Dog for a nice sipping salty compliment. Or just order whatever because I promise it will not disappoint. Worth a two and a half hour drive from home, if that says something.