Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545489
O ver the last two years, Houston-based Comma Hospitality has quietly opened four Japanese- i n s p i r e d c o n c e p t s in quick succession. Brothers Samee and Saber Ahmed — you might know them as the menswear designers for the avant-garde fashion label Glass Cypress — are the forces behind this stylish restaurant group. They bring a design-driven sensibility to Clockwise from left: Matcha cheesecake at the new Toga restaurant. Brothers Saber Ahmed and Samee Ahmed, managing partners of Comma Hospitality. Onigiri at Toga. By Laurann Claridge. Luis Mercado and Paolo Justo, are presented on rustic Japanese- made ceramics. Shou sugi ban- finished wooden planks are set in a minimalist space dressed in soft tones of ivory and white. Inspired by the brothers' travels through Tokyo and other prefectures across Japan, Toga leans into an izakaya dining style akin to an English gastropub. Guests share small plates such as yakitori, a g e m o n o , n o o d l e s , a n d katsu sando while sipping Japanese beer, sake, wine, cocktails, and spirits, a selection o v e r s e e n b y beverage director Jeremy Truong, Comma's chief operating officer. S t a r t w i t h the deceivingly s i m p l e t u n a carpaccio, where thin slices of bluefin are layered over whipped avocado and wasabi mousse, sprinkled with sea salt, and served with spears of house-made toasted milk bread ($26). The yakitori program centers on organically sourced chicken cuts threaded on wooden skewers, including sori re su (oyster), seseri (neck), and bonjiri (tail), all grilled over a traditional binchotan charcoal fire, as well as kinoko (vegetable skewers). Design-Driven Restaurant Toga Simple and Elegant Japanese Vernacular every dining concept they create, starting with Neo, an intimate omakase destination s i t u a t e d i n t h e brothers' Montrose atelier. Next came their dark, immersive vinyl listening bar, Kira, followed by Oru in the Houston Heights, which broadens Neo's scope with an à la carte menu of the best-loved dishes on Neo's 16-course tasting menu. Most recently, they opened Toga on the first floor of Arrive River Oaks (where Tootsies is located), next door to Kira. The name Toga translates as "error" in Japanese and was chosen to embrace the wabi-sabi design aesthetic that finds beauty in imperfection. Elegantly styled dishes, crafted by Comma chef/partners 66