Jūn, one of the Heights’ finest restaurants helmed by Top Chef alums Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, will soon be home to Third Place, a daytime coffee concept that aims to serve Houstonians in a meaningful way.
Beginning Monday, April 14, Third Place will operate out of the restaurant at 420 E. 20th Street, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The concept will serve as a relaxed destination with complimentary WiFi where visitors may retreat to for remote work or creative projects, while enjoying specialty espresso drinks and sweet and savory pastries.
Beyond giving locals a reason to take advantage of the restaurant’s stylish light-filled space before dinner service begins at 5 p.m., the team at Jūn is using the added time to incorporate a chef residency program at Third Place. The program will grant local chefs an opportunity to pop-up at the cafe, and maintain a residency between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The residencies are designed to give partnering chefs the time and place to pilot new dishes and reach larger audiences, with chefs given the freedom to participate for as little as a day or two, or as much as a few weeks at a time.
Launching Third Place as an inspired community space for locals is a full circle moment for Garcia. The localebrity served as the inaugural chef in residency at the now shuttered Decatur Bar & Pop-up Factory in 2019, a concept that was dedicated to spotlighting a rotating lineup of local chefs. During her time at Decatur, Garcia gained a fast following, and her star continued to shine through television appearances, James Beard Award nominations, and food events far and wide. All the while, she remained a loyal and active member of Houston’s chef community.
Now, a new crop of chefs will have their turn to shine. The inaugural chef for the chef residency program at Third Place is MasterChef: Legends runner-up Suu Khin, who has long been known in Houston for her pop-ups showcasing Burmese culinary traditions.
This weekend, in advance of the start of Khin’s residency, Third Place will serve as the pick-up destination for her Burmese New Year orders. Orders for Khin’s take on holiday staples like ohn-no khao-swè, a chicken coconut soup with egg noodles, crispy noodles and chili oil; duck puff with duck liver pâté and caramelized onions in a pastry crust with mango sriracha; and shwe yin aye with mango gelée, sago, pandan noodles, sticky rice, and jasmine coconut milk, are available for pre-order at theburmalicious.com for pick-up between 1 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.
Other upcoming chef residencies include current Top Chef contender, Tristen Epps; Craft Pita chef-owner Raffi Nasr; Nina Fonte of Aleng Nina, a pop-up featuring Filipino eats; and Gabriel Medina of popular Urban Harvest food stand, Subo.
News and updates of future chef residencies will be noted on Third Place’s social media channels, and if the current lineup is any indicator, it is bound to include a talented bunch of rising stars.
Third Place, 420 E. 20th St. Ste. A, Houston
