A Michelin-recommended restaurant in Houston, Texas, was closed shortly after a sudden incident involving a driver. The said individual had reportedly made contact with another car before crashing into the restaurant’s dining room, causing devastating damage.
As reported by KHOU, the incident occurred on Monday, May 18, at Hidden Omakase, a sushi restaurant located on West Alabama Street. Citing the restaurant, especially Chef Marcos Juarez, it appears that the unnamed female driver had made contact with an SUV at a nearby intersection.
Chef Juarez theorized that, as a result of the contact, the woman panicked and hit the accelerator instead of the brakes.
The driver, then, crashed through the restaurant’s entrance and into the dining room, damaging it and the chef’s counter. Fortunately, the restaurant was closed at the time, so no one was injured, including the driver.
A Shocking Discovery
Chef Kaelyb Lim talked to Chron and described how he found out about the crash. Out of all things, he was contacted by their local power company.
“Centerpoint Energy texted us saying our power has been shut off, so they were looking at the cameras trying to see … and they saw a car,” Lim said. “They thought someone broke in, but then it was actually a car that ran into our restaurant.”
As per the outlet, Lim had driven by Hidden Omakase just minutes before the crash.
Crash Aftermath, Taking It With Humor
Hidden Omakase, shortly after the crash took place, took to social media to announce what had occurred, sharing the destroyed dining room in the process. While the ramifications of an incident of this nature can be serious, the restaurant decided to take it with humor.
“Well, this wasn’t on tonight’s omakase menu,” the restaurant wrote. “A car decided to skip the reservation list and come straight into Hidden Omakase.”
Users, while worried, matched the restaurant’s energy. One viewer asked, “Were they running late?” while another quipped, “Drive-in in Omakase is crazy.” A third one went as far as commenting, “Well, now you have an open concept.”
Devastating Damage
While the restaurant seems to be optimistic about the crash, the harsh reality is that the incident leaves them in a very vulnerable position due to the damage.
Chron reported that, on top of the dining room chairs, tables, and the counter, plates shipped from Japan, kitchenware, and meat were also destroyed. Damages are estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“I am worried about our team, how we will come back from this,” Chef Juarez told KHOU. “Especially since the Michelin guide coming pretty soon… we want to maintain what we have. Especially without having a restaurant, who knows now.”
For the time being, Hidden Omakase will be closed until it is renovated, a process that could last up to six months. Meanwhile, its sister restaurant, Sushi by Hidden, located in Rice Village, is open for business.