Earlier this week, we got quite an unexpected treat in our email. Christopher Tupa is an artist based in Edna, Texas. Through his watercolor paintings and drawings, Tupa depicts joyful slices of pop culture and his family life, such as their road trip from Texas to California and visit to Disney World. He’s a writer as well, and blogged his family road trip down historic Route 66. One of his most whimsical creations is his book of paintings depicting every one of the dozens of small toys he’s received from vending machines over the years.

Sometimes, he also illustrates his family’s restaurant visits — and we were utterly charmed when he shared his artwork depicting their adventures at Kura Revolving Sushi Bar. All of the fun details from his visit to the midtown Houston location are here: the conveyor belt delivery, ordering screen and irresistible compulsion to order dishes in increments of 15 to activate the whimsical animations and toy drops.

We’re hoping to receive more of Tupa’s visualizations of his Greater Houston-area restaurant visits, and you can help keep the art coming by supporting Houston Food Finder via Patreon or contributing reward items to our readers for their support. (Email us to inquire about this option.) You can also support Tupa’s work directly by visiting his online shop, contributing via PayPal at his blog or checking out his Amazon author page.

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.