South African Flavors in Houston: Inside The Chef’s Table
The Chef’s Table River Oaks brings South African, Portuguese, and French flavors together on one menu — and for Houston Restaurant Weeks 2026, that means a $55, three-course dinner from Guava BBQ Ribs to Butternut Squash Ravioli.
In this episode, Katie Stone sits down with Chef Paul Friedman to walk through the full dinner tasting: a Greek Salad starter, St. Louis-style ribs basted in guava BBQ, the curried Vleis Pastei, a Steak Diane finished tableside in Chef Paul’s own sauce, and a Butternut Squash Ravioli with carrot bredie and Parmesan.
Dine Out & Do Good, Houston! Every dollar raised during Houston Restaurant Weeks benefits the Houston Food Bank, and every dollar donated generates 3 meals. It’s Houston’s largest annual fundraiser for the Food Bank, one plate at a time. The Chef’s Table River Oaks’ $55, three-course HRW dinner menu is available August 1 through September 7 — see the full menu and reserve your table here: https://bit.ly/HRW2026ChefsTable
Visit HoustonRestaurantWeeks.com for menus and reservations. Follow @houstonrestaurantweeks on Instagram. Subscribe for more Houston food coverage and chef stories.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Welcome to The Chef’s Table
2:52 Greek Salad
9:59 Guava BBQ Ribs
12:49 Vleis Pastei
16:54 Steak Diane
22:15 Butternut Squash Ravioli
