Notable 2024 Houston restaurant openings

Houston food enthusiasts have had no shortage of sizzling new restaurants to explore this year.

Why it matters: Some favorite spots have expanded — like El Bolillo Bakery , Tacos Doña Lena and The Pit Room — while new experiences have added fresh flavors to Houston's already bursting culinary scene .

Here are some notable openings from the first half of 2024:

Azumi

• The restaurant group behind Loch Bar and Marmo opened Japanese restaurant Azumi in late June in the River Oaks District.
• Azumi offers a largely sushi-focused menu, along with several tasting options like the Toyosu nigiri plate and the Japanese A5 Wagyu flight.
• If you go: 4444 Westheimer Road, Suite G130.

Ema

• Before opening her brick-and-mortar cafe Ema in March, pastry chef Stephanie Velasquez was already a semifinalist for this year's James Beard Award in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category.
• Ema serves Mexican and Mexican-inspired drinks, pastries and food, making everything from pan dulce to dishes with heirloom corn. The horchata berlinesa and guava pastry were scrumptious .
• If you go: 5307 N. Main St., Suite 100.

Late August

• The highly anticipated restaurant by Chris Williams , James Beard Award finalist and chef-owner of famed Lucille's, opened in the Ion in March.
• Late August's menu, influenced by both Williams' and chef Sergio Hidalgo's backgrounds, has a mix of Southern, West African and Central American foodways.
• If you go: 4201 Main St., Suite 120.

Molihua

• Chefs Hideki Hiwatashi and Ho Chee Boon, both of whom have experience in Michelin-starred restaurants , present a contemporary and luxury approach to Japanese and Asian cuisines at Molihua, in the Blossom Hotel in the Medical Center.
• Molihua opened in April and serves dim sum, sushi and hand-pulled noodles.
• If you go: 7118 Bertner Ave.

Maximo

• Maximo, known for its in-house nixtamalized tortillas, serves up tacos — from barbacoa to brisket to sweet potato — along with burritos and small plates. It opened in early April in West University.
• If you go: 6119 Edloe St.

Marigold Club

• After a two-and-a-half-year wait, the posh Montrose restaurant opened in June. The menu fuses French, American and English cuisines, featuring a caviar tea sandwich, a Crescent Island duck Wellington, and an extensive list of wines and Champagnes.
• If you go: 2531 Kuester St.