{"id":118348,"date":"2026-01-10T19:33:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T19:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/118348\/"},"modified":"2026-01-10T19:33:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T19:33:10","slug":"houstons-jun-blends-cultures-with-diverse-menu-latuli-dishes-out-a-wide-variety-of-flavorful-coastal-cuisine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/118348\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston\u2019s J\u016bn blends cultures with diverse menu| Latuli dishes out a wide variety of flavorful coastal cuisine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Houston\u2019s restaurant scene is famously diverse making it sometimes hard to define our local cuisine. In this episode of \u201cEat Like a Local\u201d<\/a>, host Chris Shepherd checks out two restaurants that have captured the essence of Houston food – one through a refined, cultural lens, the other inspired by coastal culture and sourcing.<\/p>\n

J\u016bn | 420th E 20th St Suite A, Houston<\/p>\n

In the Heights, J\u016bn<\/a> has quietly become one of Houston\u2019s most talked-about dining destinations. J\u016bn\u2019s cuisine is a blend of Mexican, Salvadoran, and Chinese influences that reflects the heritage of chef-owners Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia as well as Houston\u2019s own cultural landscape. <\/p>\n

Chefs and owners of J\u016bn Henry Lu and Evelyn Garcia sit down with Chris Shepherd. (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Here Chris tries the fan-favorite fried chicken. A twist on the classic, this one is seasoned with shrimp paste, ginger, Thai chili and herbs. <\/p>\n

You definitely should try the unique flavors on the fried chicken at J\u016bn. (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Then, it\u2019s onto the rice cakes. Instead of gochujang, J\u016bn\u2019s version gives mac n\u2019 cheese vibes with its yellow bean b\u00e9chamel and spiced panko. But, it\u2019s the Caesar-salad inspired charred cabbage that has Chris giving out high-fives. <\/p>\n

Latuli | 8900 Gaylord Dr., Houston<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Chris\u2019 second stop Latuli<\/a> is a reflection of Houston\u2019s coastal culture. Opened by acclaimed Houston chef Bryan Caswell and hospitality entrepreneur Allison Knight, Latuli\u2019s menu is built around fresh, local ingredients and coastal inspiration. <\/p>\n

Fresh flavors and a perfect crust make this Latuli pizza shine. (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Chris tries some seafood-focused dishes like the puffy taco with Texas rock shrimp and the Pizza Pescatore with jumbo lump crab. But, as Bryan explains coastal cuisine isn\u2019t just about the water, it\u2019s about the land that surrounds it. With that in mind, Chris tries dishes that pull from the inland areas of the Houston\u2019s coast like the wild boar ragu. <\/p>\n

Wild boar ragu at Latuli (Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

Being a veteran of the Houston restaurant scene, Bryan isn\u2019t just inspired by the water and sea, but also the people he\u2019s met in Houston. <\/p>\n

Watch the show to see who makes an appearance from Chris\u2019 past plus hear about a sweet family connection from Bryan in the dessert course!<\/p>\n

\u201cEat Like a Local with Chris Shepherd\u201d<\/a> is your guide to the best food in Houston. Watch new episodes Saturdays at 10 a.m. on KPRC 2.<\/p>\n

Season 3 of \u201cEat Like a Local\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Houston\u2019s restaurant scene is famously diverse making it sometimes hard to define our local cuisine. In this episode…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":118349,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[9044,9043,49,56,58,57,354],"class_list":{"0":"post-118348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-chris-shepherd","9":"tag-eat-like-a-local","10":"tag-food","11":"tag-houston","12":"tag-houston-headlines","13":"tag-houston-news","14":"tag-restaurants"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118348\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}