The Vague but Exciting Details of Justin Yu's Upcoming Restaurant, Opening Next Year

Houston chef Justin Yu is very guarded when speaking about the lease he signed recently for a new restaurant. But his intentional vagueness will only sharpen the hunger of those anxiously awaiting a sure-to-be coveted table once it opens in the near future. The young chef, who counts among his adoring fans, Houston Chronicle food critic Alison Cook (and many, many others), is finally opening his own brick and mortar establishment, and it's coming soon.

Yu is a Houston native who's cooked in kitchens like Ubuntu in Napa, been the star of many a pop-up dinner, studied at the Culinary Institute of America, but is now settling into his own place, set to open in the first quarter of 2012.

Those that appreciate Yu's style will not be surprised to know that the restaurant, which is still awaiting finalization on a name, will be ingredient-focused, with a large tasting menu as well as a la carte items and defined as "modern American with regional roots."

Yu aims to showcase "the naturally produce-rich region we live in" and as far as proteins go, Yu plans to use "local meats and seafood almost exclusively from the Gulf."

· All Coverage of Justin Yu on Eater Houston [EHOU]
Photo: Justin Yu giving a TEDx presentation. [TEDx Houston/YouTube]