Agnes and Sherman
Diner · Greater Heights ·
Modern Asian American diner serving inventive comfort food mashups
Modern Asian American diner serving inventive comfort food mashups
"I found Agnes and Sherman, opened this past April by executive chef Nick Wong and partner Lisa Lee in historic Houston Heights, to be a bright Asian American diner turning out items like “Kim‑Chilaquiles” and pandan French toast." - Kayla S. Stewart, Matt Ortile
"In Houston, at the modern Asian American diner Agnes and Sherman, chef Nick Wong uses rice cakes as a comforting, saucy starch in a ragu dish that nods to his years at Ssäm Bar; his rendition swaps proteins and flavor influences to suit the city—featuring a sauce with gochujang, doenjang, West African uda pepper, and Mexican chile de árbol—so that the dish reads as distinctly Houstonian." - Bettina Makalintal
"The newly opened Asian-American diner in Houston led by chef Nick Wong experienced sudden supplier shocks when vendors notified them that prices could surge rapidly — "everything is going to cost 20 percent more than it did the day before" in the example given. Ingredients such as rice flour, tofu, and spice mixes — crucial for the concept — became far more expensive than planned. Wong has sought domestic alternatives and cooperative buying strategies: he has begun working with a local tofu purveyor to save some costs, and his team reached out to other local restaurants about buying nitrile gloves in bulk so they can take advantage of discounts. On the broader impact he warns, "I think it's going to be a reckoning," and he asks pointedly, "Why is my fried rice so expensive? Food is politics." He is trying to keep the diner-style menu affordable but cautions that diners may ultimately have to accept higher prices to preserve flavor and keep businesses afloat." - Jaya Saxena
"The scene at this Asian-American diner in The Heights plays out like a cross-generational montage. Toddlers turn chopsticks into drumsticks, Gen Z-ers toast with yuzu highballs, and boomers tear into scallion waffles like it’s their first time, while Salt-N-Pepa plays on the speakers and steam rises from the open kitchen. The food here mixes traditions, but never feels gimmicky. Disco fries go Taiwanese with melty cheese, pickled mustard greens, and sweet-spiced pork gravy. Crackly shell-on shrimp are infused with the tangy flavor of Filipino sinigang and lit up with serrano heat. Egg foo young lands doused in crawfish gumbo, with a bottle of Crystal hot sauce riding shotgun. And it all comes in huge portions. Round up your hungriest friends, lock down the table with the Lazy Susan, and get ready to take some leftovers home. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - brooke viggiano, mai pham, nicolai mccrary, andrew ryce, gianni greene, chelsea thomas
"The scene at this Asian-American diner in The Heights plays out like a cross-generational montage. Toddlers turn chopsticks into drumsticks, Gen Z-ers toast with yuzu highballs, and boomers tear into scallion waffles like it’s their first time, while Salt-N-Pepa plays on the speakers and steam rises from the open kitchen. The food here mixes traditions, but never feels gimmicky. Disco fries go Taiwanese with melty cheese, pickled mustard greens, and sweet-spiced pork gravy. The must-get crackly shell-on shrimp are infused with the tangy flavor of Filipino sinigang and lit up with serrano heat. Egg foo young lands doused in crawfish gumbo, with a bottle of Crystal hot sauce riding shotgun. And it all comes in huge portions. Round up your hungriest friends, lock down the table with the Lazy Susan, and get ready to take some leftovers home." - Brooke Viggiano
