Hugo's

Hugo's
1600 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77006
hugorestaurant.net
Yelp

Our next meal was supposed to be something fancy schmancy.  BHD must think that's all I like to eat.  In fact, most people think that's all I like to eat.  I'm a food blogger, not a strictly 3 star Michelin eater.  Yes, I blog about the finer foods in life, but really I will blog about anything delicious and/or special.  It just so happens that most food that is delicious and special is $$$$$.  Anyways, I said let's forget about another couple hundred dollar meal and just eat something good.  Hugo's is such a place.  BHD takes the out of towners here too.

Peanuts

A little spicy, a little sweet.  The chips 'n salsa was quickly laid down next so I ditched these fast.

Chips salsa, guacamole

Standard fare, but still delicious.

Lechón braised tender suckling pig, crisp skin, habanero salsa, tortillas

I was pretty amazed by this dish.  The pork was sooo tender and perfectly marinated.  The crispy skin provided great textural contrast.  The presentation in the banana leaf was beautiful.

I loved the simple accoutrements to build mini tacos with the lechón.  The habanero salsa was no joke.  We were warned to use it sparingly.  It was HOT.

Loved it!  Yums!!

Pulpo al Carbon grilled octopus, onions, peppers, chipotle tomatillo salsa, tortillas

BHD recommended this as another winner winner.  The octopus was both tender and crispy and charred.  Somehow though, the texture is what made it hard to really love.  It was too tender for my liking.

It was only eaten with the one salsa with the blue corn tortillas.  I tried to pile on the salsa, cilantro, and onions from the lechón to amp it up a bit.

Callo de Hacha pan seared scallops, sweet cornbread, rajas con crema

I was pretty stuffed by the time the entrees rolled around.  The scallops were well seared and caramelized.  The true star of this show was actually the cornbread.  One of the best cornbreads I've had.  I loved how it was flat, dense, and crisped up like a polenta cake.  The sweetness balanced out the savory umaminess of the scallops.  Yums!

Camarones al Mojo de Ajo sauteed shrimp, garlic lime infused oil, chipotle pepper, arroz blanco, nopales salad

Is there a tastier seafood than scallops?  Oh yes, there is.  Prawns!  Well maybe these were more like shrimp, but still it was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and balanced.  The nopales salad was the most unique aspect of the dish.  It's not something I've eaten often, but I quite liked the brightness and acid it brought.  Textural some might find it weird.  It's not as slimy as okra, but it's different like that.  Another well deserved Yums! here.

Churros chocolate ice cream, mexican hot chocolate

Crispy, crunchy, sweet.  I loved the juxtaposition of chilly ice cream and hot chocolate.  It was fun combining all 3 components into one bite.  Yums!

Since instituting the casual use of the "Yums!" factor, I have noticed that only the best dishes in a meal earn it.  This is the first meal where 4/5 dishes received an enthusiastic Yums!  So that's saying a lot.  BHD was a bit surprised I deemed this my favorite meal of the weekend.  He thought Uchi would have been the highlight, but that just goes to show how the big price tags and fancy ingredients aren't necessarily the way to my stomach.  I appreciated the well balanced flavors and on point execution.  Maybe I just favor Mexican food over Japanese/Asian fusion??  Not usually the case if you follow this blog closely.  Asian food has tight hold on me, so it is quite an achievement for Hugo's to trump Uchi.  Hugo's is doing things right!  It is easily the best upscale Mexican food I have ever had, and I didn't even have to break the bank!

10 - You NEED to eat here
9 - Awesome! 

8 - Very good
7 - Good 

6 - OK 

5 - Average
4 - Not bad

3 - Not good

2 - Terrible

1 - Do NOT eat here