AURA

3340 FM 1092 Rd Ste 160, Missouri City

i was out in sugar land last week and needed a spot for dinner. i remembered reading a review of AURA on the foodinhouston blog. this little gem out in missouri city made the chronicle's #4 best new restaurant in 2007. it's a good 35 min drive from downtown w/o traffic and only 10 mins from my location in sugar land. as an inner looper, i now find myself jealous of the folks living further south.

i ordered the pate et terrine maison to start. it was not on the menu that evening, but our server said it was available. for $9.50, the appetizer consisted of 2 large slices of pork terrine and a small crock of fois gras pate. at first i found the pate was a little too salty for my taste alone on the french bread, but i found that layering pate with healthy piece of terrine and topping it off with dijon mustard made a delicious bite. my dining companion was vegetarian. i surprised myself by eating half of the plate and i found myself feeling guilty that i enjoyed it so much while my friend only sat and watched.

for my entree, i had the mahogany lacquered sea bass which was served on a bed of mashed potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, and leeks. the dish was delicate, delicious, and delightful. the fish was cooked perfectly. i had been craving sea bass for a couple weeks and this hit the spot. $22

vegetarian options on the menu were basically non-existent, but the chef produced a fine veggie meal at our request. it included asparagus spears, snow peas, carrots, ratatouille, and haricot vert gorgeously arranged together on a plate. i could tell the veggies were slightly overcooked based on the color, but my dining companion preferred it this way (bad teeth). they also brought a side of truffed mac & cheese in a small cast iron dish (at our request as well). there was a nice layer of baked gruyere on top. the cheese sauce was sharp an nutty but not offensive. it was creamy loveliness. $14

service was slow (over 1.5 hour dinner on a wed night) but there was a big top (10 people) they were serving before us. the restaurant is modern, the atmosphere casual and unpretentious. the prices are very reasonable. this is a great addition to the neighborhood (i just wish it were mine!)