Every week, My Top 5 showcases an enterprising Houstonian and asks them to share their favorite things to do in their downtime. This week, we’re pleased to feature Houston Chef Kaiser Lashkari, owner of Himalaya Restaurant & Catering, who shares his top five go-to shopping and food destinations in greater Houston.
My Top 5 Things to Do in Houston
by Chef Kaiser Lashkari
- Relax the Back – Relax the Back is a great store for people who are on their feet 12 plus hours a day. There are lots of items and gadgets to relieve stress and fatigue and get your body back to feeling good.
- Houston Antique Shops – Antique shops in and around Houston are a great weakness of ours. Antique Pavilion, Shops in Old Town Spring, Far Pavilions and Bungalow Antiques on 34th are the best places we’ve discovered.
- Cracker Barrel Restaurant & Old Country Store – It’s a great place for a downhome breakfast – the best buttermilk biscuits, chicken fried chicken, Belgian waffles, onion-cheese-potato casserole, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and much more. I buy different scented candles from their store for my Princess, my wife Azra, who loves the myriad aromatic candles on offer.
- Sur La Table – Sur La Table is my favorite store. They have everything for the kitchen, whether you are a new cook or experienced. Gadgets, utensils, equipment, cookbooks – they have everything to inspire you, and they staff is knowledgeable and helpful.
- Buc-ee’s – When taking day trips from Houston, my wife and I religiously stop at Buc-ee’s to shop ’til we drop. If I didn’t find my size in clothing at Cavender’s Boot City, I’m sure to find some really comfortable and durable shirts and belts at Buc-ee’s. They also sell my favorite sugar free fudge in three different varieties. It’s a treat for diabetics like me.
About Chef Kaiser Lashkari
Kaiser Lashkari, chef and owner of Himalaya Restaurant & Catering, is a class of 1986 graduate of the University of Houston Hilton College of Hotel & Restaurant Management. Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Chef Lashkai has lived in Houston for the past 35 years. Following a three-year stint at Dow Medical College in Karachi, Lashkari accidentally discovered his passion and talent for cooking. After great deliberation he realized his true love was the kitchen table rather than the operating table and enrolled in the Hilton college. In 1992 he started Kaiser Foods with his wife Azra Babar Lashkari. In 2004 he moved his restaurant to its current location, renaming it Himalaya Restaurant & Catering.
