The Chef’s Table
The newest River Oaks steakhouse has some surprising flavors
Have you eaten impala? Impala filet, medium rare with monkey sauce, is just one of the amazing delicacies you’ll find at chef Paul Friedman’s newest fine-dining emporium The Chef’s Table. The northwest-side The Chef’s Table, the original site of Peli Peli, the fusion restaurant that introduced the Bayou City to Friedman’s distinctive brand of internationally inflected South African cuisine, opened in 2021 and has been so popular that the chef opened a second location. This one is in the Shepherd Square location where Churrascos reigned for three decades.
His business partner is his son, Kyle Friedman, who has lent his construction expertise to remodeling the 8,000-square-foot venue. Ebony paneled walls enclose banquette seating, a central bar, and two dining areas. There’s also a patio for dining when the weather’s cooler. The restaurant is a beautiful addition to the River Oaks/Upper Kirby area but then again, this isn’t Friedman’s first rodeo.
The chef has owned or operated 58 restaurants from South Africa to Europe and the U.S.
“I was raised in South Africa,” he says, “a country shaped by an extraordinary mix of indigenous African cultures and global influences”
The self-taught chef first came to Houston in the 1980s championing the flavors of South Africa. When he opened Peli Peli it fast became an acclaimed dining destination that spawned four locations and a fast-casual offshoot pre-COVID. He retired that concept in 2018 and replaced it with the first The Chef’s Table in 2021. He calls this new location his most meaningful creation yet, one that he hopes to leave as his legacy. Every year he returns to Africa to reconnect with his culture and returns with new ideas and flavors. He also hosts an annual South African wine and culinary experience, which sold out this year. (You can sign up now for the 2028 one — but hurry — at chefstablehouston.com.)
Now back to that impala. Part of the “Out of Africa” portion of the menu, the eight-ounce impala filet melts in your mouth with such a delicate umami flavor you’ll almost never want beef filets again. But that would be a mistake when the menu also features a dry-rub filet mignon, and ones topped with Madagascar peppercorns, or lobster and crab, or bleu cheese and bacon. And there’s a 16-ounce ribeye.
Also in meats, an ostrich filet, when available; lamb porter; and an Iberico pork bone-in ribeye. Not to be missed are the giant prawns done thermidor style, the whole jerk snapper, or the to-go packs of biltong — air-dried, cured meat strips that jerky lovers will love.
Multiple delectable sides like saffron rice and five-cheese whipped potatoes are excellent but one must-try is the Vleis Pastie (a curried meat pie) with mango chutney. It’s a curried beef and carrot bredie in a pastry crust. Think shepherd’s pie but with hot South African spices. It comes as a side and as a larger appetizer. It’s a crowd pleaser.
“First we tried the Vleis Pastei, a dish I had never heard of,” says first-time diner Jennifer Olin. “The mix of curried beef and carrots under a pastry crust was so good. The appetizer itself could have been my whole meal, and the flavor was warm and savory and thoroughly enjoyable. The grilled octopus was perfectly cooked and not at all rubbery with the right amount of char flavor. Also had some of the chef’s matzoh ball soup and it tasted just like my mother’s … totally soothing. Finished the meal with the sticky toffee pudding … it was perfect. We will definitely return.”
Chef Friedman also has a love of fine wines from his mother country, and the restaurant boasts a unique relationship with Anura Vineyards, the family-owned winery in the Simonsberg Mountains known for its impressive work with a dozen grape varietals. The Chef’s Table’s two locations are the only restaurants in Houston where diners will find the award-winning wines, which will be spotlighted in future dinners. Check the website for other special events and for brunch and happy hour information.
