Hugo inside his restaurant

The Restaurant and The Chef

Originally from
Mexico, Chef Hugo Ortega immigrated to the United States working as a night janitor and dishwasher in restaurants, gradually becoming a line cook in Houston in 1990. “I
worked on my English skills and was able to graduate from Houston Community College Culinary Program and I became a working chef at Backstreet Café in 1992,” says Ortega.
After apprenticing at Rick
Bayless’ restaurant, Frontera Grill in Chicago and El Bajio in Mexico City, Ortega travelled back to Mexico to ‘re-familiarize’
himself with the regional cuisine.

sweet and savory platano

Empanadas de plátano

My chef’s tasting begins with empanadas de plátano, soft and silky empanadas filled with black beans and the sweetness of ripe plantain. From the beginning we recognize this as true home cooking – the
kind of meal that you could normally only get by invitation from a Mexican mother. Manager, Marvin Rodriguez and waitress Ana take turns attending to tables, ensuring that everyone is having a good time.

Sopresitos- pulled duck in a mole poblano

Duck Sopresitos

A standout of the evening is the duck sopesitos enrobed
in a mole poblano— deeply flavoured with the aroma of chocolate and cinnamon, it has me quivering with delight. The pulled duck is tender, smoky and juicy resting in a masa-potato shell.

Callo de hacha- seared diver scallop

Callo de hacha

A large, sweet, perfectly cooked seared diver scallop sits atop corn bread and rajas (creamy swiss chard). It is Saturday night and Hugo’s is packed to capacity, the parking lot alone is a sea of cars.
Inside, waiters hurriedly walk to and from the kitchen to tables, with plates of traditional Mexican
dishes that leave me salivating.

Lamb Two ways

My next course—lamb two ways features intensely seasoned lamb sausage and rack of lamb, marinated
and slow roasted in an ancho chili sauce. The smokiness from the barbacoa pairs beautifully with our Australian Syrah.

chocolate heaven

Ana (our waitress) tells me about Hugo’s brunch as she brings a plate of dessert The Sunday brunch features copious
cups of Mayan cocoa served with crispy churros. “I never liked chocolate until I came here,” she divulges. I instantly know why — the depth of the Mexican chocolate is accentuated with clove, spice, and vanilla notes

Hugo’s;1600 Westheimer
Houston, Texas
www.hugosrestaurant.net