Golfstrømmen’s Chef Christopher Haatuft Returns to Houston Food Hall for Pop-Ups

grilled langoustine and glazed cauliflower

Over the past several years, New Nordic Cuisine and its focus on hyper-local ingredients — spurred on by Danish chef René Redzepi and his world-renowned Copenhagen restaurant, Noma — has influenced chefs around the world, including many in Houston. Though the Nordic buzz has settled to a melodic hum, it still influences everything from cooking techniques to plating aesthetics, and Nordic chefs are still cooking highly regarded food — chefs such as Christopher Haatuft. His restaurant, Lysverket in Bergen, Norway, is well known for his playful-yet-artful approach to seafood.

Late last year, he brought those culinary skills to Houston when he opened Golfstrømmen in Post Market, the futuristic food hall at 401 Franklin in downtown’s old Barbara Jordan Post Office. Golfstrømmen focuses on sustainable Texas Gulf Coast seafood. Though Haatuft had to learn a whole new seafood ecosystem — the warm Gulf waters are not the same as the cold waters of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian fjords — the food at Golfstrømmen has been well received. (We named Post Market one of the Best New Restaurants of 2021 in no small part thanks to Golfstrømmen’s ambitious offerings.)

Chef Christopher Haatuft of Golfstrømmen. Photo by Kat Ambrose.

Now, Haatuft is coming back to Houston for a week-long, Lysverket-influenced takeover at Golfstrømmen. The event runs from Sunday, June 26 through Sunday, July 3 and consists of brunches and dinners ranging from $75 to $175 per person. Each seating is limited to 24 people. Here are the details (menus subject to change):

  • Sunday, June 26, Brunch: consisting of family-style dishes including grilled, steamed and fried fish, salads and seasonal vegetables (1:30 p.m., $75 per person). Lysverket Dinner (sold out): Chef’s choice, which includes North Atlantic seafood such as squid, lobster, salt cod (bacalao) and mackerel (7 p.m., $150 per person).
  • Monday, June 27, Lysverket Dinner: Chef’s choice, which includes North Atlantic seafood such as squid, lobster, salt cod (bacalao) and mackerel (7 p.m., $150 per person).
  • Tuesday, June 28, Lysverket x Urban Harvest Dinner: At this unique event, Haatuft is partnering with Urban Harvest, a local nonprofit that focuses on sustainable agriculture and operates one of Houston’s largest farmers markets. He is sourcing vegetables from local farms to create a vegetable-focused meal (5 to 7 p.m., $175 per person, proceeds benefiting Urban Harvest).
  • Wednesday, June 29, Fusion is Not Dead” Lysverket Omakase: At this fun dinner, Haatuft and chef de cuisine Biggie Cruz are teaming up to create a 15-course omakase inspired by their combined Nordic, Japanese and Texan backgrounds (first seating 5:30 to 7 p.m.; second seating 7:30 to 9 p.m., $150 per person).
  • Thursday, June 30 through Saturday, July 2, Lysverket Dinner: Chef’s choice, which includes North Atlantic seafood such as squid, lobster, salt cod (bacalao) and mackerel (5 or 7 p.m., $150 per person).
  • Sunday, July 3, Brunch: consisting of family-style dishes including grilled, steamed and fried fish, salads and seasonal vegetables (11:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. $75 per person).

Reservations are required and can be made online.

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