Chris Shepherd

Photo © Julie Soefer

Won Best New Chef At Underbelly, Houston, TX

Why He’s Amazing Because he’s a devout locavore borrowing flavors from his city’s diverse immigrant population, with delicious results.

Culinary School The Art Institute of Houston

Background Brennan’s of Houston, Catalan (Houston)

Quintessential Dish Korean braised goat and dumplings

First Meal He Cooked “At age five I made breakfast for my mom. She ate a lot of egg shells.”

Wine Knowledge Shepherd ran Brennan’s half-million-dollar wine program for two and a half years. “To understand [food] you have to understand wine and your customers, the clientele.”

Custom-Raised Meat He purchases whole animals (he has an in-house butcher shop) from area ranchers but controls what they’re fed. His lambs get leftover mash from a Texas sake producer.

How He Describes The Food At Underbelly “New American Creole.” He’s heavily influenced by Houston’s large immigrant population—Vietnamese, Hispanics, Koreans, Indians. “We’re serving the food of locals who live in neighborhoods most people never see.”

Popcorn Shrimp with Corn Butter

Spicy Shrimp with Garlic Butter