Mykuna Brings Latin-Asian Food to Railway Heights Market

The newest restaurant from acclaimed Houston chef David Guerrero focuses on nikkei cuisine, a style of South American cooking richly influenced by Asian immigrants.

Mykuna, which opened quietly in August inside the Railway Heights Market at 8200 Washington Avenue, serves up dishes influenced by a style of cuisine that developed in countries like Peru and Ecuador thanks to Japanese immigrants, who arrived in South America at the turn of the 20th century to work on plantations.

“Many people may not know this but, growing up in Ecuador, there was a large Asian population and Asian cuisine and culture was always around,” says Guerrero in a statement.

Mykuna gets its name from Quichua, the native language of Ecuador, and translates to “food”. At the stall, guests can find dishes like kimchi wok edemame, fish and chips made with cod and seaweed tempura and served with yuca fries, tuna ramen with red onions and cilantro, and chicken yakitori anticucho skewers with Chinese chimichurri sauce. Other dishes include curry empanadas, bao, and chicken fried rice with green peas and sweet plantains, plus drinks like Ramune Japanese soda and Inca Kola.

Previously, Guerrero was known for his South American restaurant Andes Cafe, which was open for more than six years in EaDo. Another of his restaurants, Alma, briefly served Peruvian food, then pan-Latin cuisine. Both Alma and Andes closed in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. However, Andes Cafe will soon be reopening inside the POST development in north downtown.

In the meantime, Mykuna is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Update, Wednesday, November 10: This story has been updated based on information about the opening date of the restaurant.

• South American Staple Andes Cafe Shutters, Plots a Comeback [EHOU]
• Nikkei Cuisine’s Time Is Actually, Finally Now [Eater]