La Balance Cuisine

Absolutely wonderful food and atmosphere! Love the owner. Very conscience and service oriented. A gem for katy.

As I remember the wine was good. We had the escargot which was memorable by being bad. I had the duck which was average and I don’t remember what my wife had but she was underwhelmed. Seems like a nice place so we’ll give it one more chance sometime.

Terrific French food with a charming ambiance, notwithstanding the strip mall location. Good wine list. The beet salad and the duck with huckleberry sauce was excellent, as was the filet mignon. Beautiful presentation. Fresh, hot good rolls with the meal, and chocolate soufflé and crème brûlée for dessert.

Oh this was so wonderful! Attentive staff. Excellent excellent food. Great wine selection. Food was cooked to perfection. Great atmosphere… You’d never know it was in a strip mall. I think it would be great for anniversary, birthday or just special night. I had the mushroom soup. No cream but so creamy and rich. Filet with peppercorn sauce. Generous portions, in my opinion. Worth coming back to … Which I will tomorrow night as business keeps me here one more night!
Desert! Crème brûlée with little meringues and raspberry sorbet. Wonderful!

Finally a really good French place in Katy! Don’t miss the escargot! Excellent wine list too!

Updating because La Balance has remained my favorite in Katy for the past two years. Whenever friends or family visit this is the first place we bring them. We only come every few months but the owner always remembers what we drink and brings it right out. They are so wonderful I just can’t say enough about the staff. We have tried almost everything on the menu and have not had one item we wouldn’t order twice.

I just had an awesome dining experience here! The service was great, the food is superb, and the ambiance is quite pleasant. I was out riding my chopper, so I thought maybe I was a little underdressed, but they were very accommodating. I ordered the house salad with a buttermilk vinaigrette, the filet mignon with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a green peppercorn sauce, and finished off with a soufflé au chocolat. Everything was exquisite! The finest of each item that I have ever had! A great thank you goes out to the entire staff!

My friend and I who are ladies who seriously lunch dined here today, wow what a find!
Its on a strip mall but hey your in Katy, inside the décor is clean, fresh and modern, stunning light fittings;-)
The menu, you can see yourself online has a selection for everyone.
We were served warm fresh in house made bread.
We opted to have soup, my friend french onion, which she thoroughly enjoyed and it reminded me of Owlies, french restuarant we used to visit many years ago, I had carrot and ginger, no question here they had added the ginger, it had a very nice ginger kick.
We shared the lobster avacado salad, as suggested by the waiter, it came on 2 plates equal shares so no fights as to who was scoffing the lobster.
Wine selection is vast, we had cotatt Sancerre… delish!
Wait staff very attentive, we will definately return, maybe to one of their wine pairing dinners or wine sales evening the waiter was telling us about, both sound fun!
Highly recommend.

I came here yesterday for lunch. There was only one table eating besides me when I walked in, and one more table eating when I left. 3 tables in an hours time. I had a hard time finding this place because trees were blocking the sign. The restaurant was charming, I liked the décor. It was clean, even the floors under tables and window seals. The host/​waiter was sweet, kind, attentive, and very professional. He made my experience a good one. The only reason I give the experience 4 stars is I didn’t care for the food. It was prepared well, but not to my personal taste. That’s not really their fault. I had the escargot, something I have always wanted to try but never got the nerve to until this visit. I hated them. The sauce they were cooked in was good, but, no. Just not my thing. I also had a crab cake. It was topped with greens and a yummy light dressing and 2 slices of avocado. This was good, but the crab cake itself had a weird taste to it. I can’t describe it. It wasn’t fishy, it wasn’t putrid, but was… I don’t know. It just wasn’t to my liking. I may come back if I am ever in the neighborhood. I’d love to try more things– again– I don’t fault the kitchen. The food was prepared well, I just need to try something else.

Wow. What a treasure to find outside of the loop. Comparable to the quality found in Montrose and Galleria areas downtown. Even though it’s in a strip-​mall, the atmosphere is very well setup. Service was outstanding. The Pinot Noir recommended was a perfect compliment to the main course selection. The foie Gras — incredible. and I’m generally not a fan of it. the lobster and avocado salad was perfectly set with the house made dressing and herbs added. The duck breast… perfection. the Soufflé was so light and delicious (not too sweet, not too bitter. but tender, light, and wonderful).
This will definitely be a regular evening dining adventure on our schedule, and is definitely on my list of business luncheon places for clients that I wish to impress.

Foie gras was very good with just slight hint of orange. Duck was moist and husband had pork chop which was tender. Sauces on both were very good but not over powering. Salt & pepper not on table but not needed. Fresh HOT rolls upon request. Service was attentive but not hovering. Like to try some desserts and brunch menu so we will be back.

The escargot tasted as if it was frozen (background taste), the sauce tasted more like pesto than instead of buttery, garlic and parsley emulsion. Whoever is the chef or cook, should have taken more pride in their dish. Biggest waste of time and money, (everything took so long). If you look at my other reviews I don’t usually bash a place but this place set me off, service (barely existent), food (when you leave a full plate, something was clearly wrong, but no one acknowledged it, time (the fastest part was them dropping the check), all disappointing. I will not be returning, also this is my second review as my first one was apparently not detailed enough, it was too hateful, but I was frustrated with the entire experience. I have been to France and this is a poor representation of the cuisine there.

No longer do Katy residents need to drive the freeway for fine food. We hit the big time when La Balance came to town providing a fine dining option in lieu of the typical food from the boring variety of Katy chain restaurant choices. If you want to enjoy a relaxed dinner made from scratch with fantastic ambiance, I encourage you to try La Balance. Manuel is the Maître D’ par excellence and never fails to impress! La Balance’s Coq au Vin is the best I ever tasted, nothing else comes close. No doubt, my wife would suggest the Boeuf Bourguignon as she loves it so much she refuses to try anything else! Great wine as well… oh, did I mention the hot bread and butter…

The filet and duck are usually wonderful! Fantastic wine selection. We (also) were there valentine 2015 but arrived at 6:30 and service was good, shells in lobster bisque and bland… My husbands soup had no shells. It would be nice to allow salt/​pepper on the table. My meal was served warm but not hot so was cold half way thru

Based on the many great reviews, my family of four came here last night for my birthday dinner, however we were greatly disappointed with the food. We ordered the entrée of mussels and fries for my two young sons to share, they were unable to eat more then 2 mussels each as it was too salty, also their food and the bread came out straight of the stove, piping hot so burnt their little hungry tongues.
My husband and I shared a starter of escargots, this turned out to be very bland, we couldn’t taste the garlic or pastis, but instead an overwhelming tasteless blended green herb — probably spinach.
Our entrée of duck breast and pork chop was a saving grace, the duck was perfectly pink and delicious served with red carbage and haricot verts, I just wished that the sides portion was a little bigger as I could’ve eaten more. The pork chop was amazing, cooked to my husband’s liking — medium rare.
To end our meal we all shared a crème brûlée. It had a great texture and taste, but I’m used to eating warm crème brûlée, this was cold and probably came out of the fridge a minute before it arrive at the table.

La Balance Cuisine executes the classics – think escargot, foie gras, steak tartare, and boeuf bourguignon – with a modern twist. With a nice selection of wines to complement the fare and platings that rival the fanciest restaurants in town, this quaint spot is perfect for date night.
Explore the scope of French cuisine here with dishes such as quail with sausage, risotto with lamb ragout, and scallops dusted with mustard seeds. The aromas of cooking from the kitchen meander through a modern dining space and straight into the noses of hungry patrons waiting hopefully just outside the door.
La Balance Cuisine crafts gourmet desserts too, offering sweets ranging from Parisian classics to the restaurant’s own original creations.

La Balance Cuisine is has truly become Katy’s «it» fine-​dining restaurant. The warmly decorated space, with modern crystal chandeliers and starched white tablecloths, is upscale without being too stuffy, perfect for a romantic dinner or an outing with friends.

Menu-​wise, the restaurant offers classic French standards that include beautifully plated salads, seared foie gras, buttery-​garlic escargots de Bourgogne, the ever-​popular steak frites made of grass-​fed beef, magret de canard (duck breast) and not to be missed, the restaurant’s famed desserts.
For dessert lovers, the desserts are on a par with some of the best you’ll taste in New York City or Paris. La Balance’s desserts in both their composition and execution are unmatched in the greater Houston area. A gianduja (chocolate hazelnut) dessert is smooth, sinful and beautifully plated — worth the drive from Houston to get a sample.

The chocolate soufflé provides an opportunity to experience how soufflés should be executed, rising to three-​inch perfection, with a moist, fluffy interior that breaks apart delicately, absorbing the rich sauce that comes with it in way that can only be described as to die for.

The wine list, curated with the help of Glazers’ Master Sommelier Guy Stout, is extremely affordable, offering a solid selection of bottles and wine-​by-​the-​glass options that will enhance the dining experience without breaking the bank.

«We want to offer great food at reasonable prices,» shared Manuel Atenco, the proprietor, who spoke with us at our table while describing his vision for the restaurant. Manuel Atenco proved to be a very adept host with an eye for the smallest detail from the elegantly laid table settings to the outstanding service.

He proudly offers wholesome, locally sourced products, including humanely raised, grass-​fed meats by local farmer Black Hill Meats. Fish and seafood products are also sourced from local, sustainable purveyors. Most entrées fall in the high teens-​to low-​20s range, with the highest-​priced entrée coming in at $ 26 for grass-​fed filet mignon.

La Balance is something of a hidden gem. If you seek it out, you will surely be rewarded.

So here is what you need to know:
Food was awesome. For apps we had the tomato caprice and the mushroom ravioli. The tomato caprice was great, but could have used a little more cheese. The ratio was a little off, but it was a nice size app. The mushroom ravioli tasted great, but looked dreadful. You eat with your eyes first and gray sauce isn’t appealing to me. Again, it did taste good though. For entrees we had the lamb risotto and the beef-​bourguignon. Both were off the charts excellent! We ordered the chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice crème instead of the customary chocolate ice crème and we were very pleased. Another pro was the staff. Very friendly and pretty attentive, but somewhat lacking when we sat. However they made up for it as the night progressed.
My only observation with this place is it is obviously a small neighborhood joint with small restaurant quirks. No real bar and limited seating. However the food and friendly staff made up for any shortcomings.
Bottom line: we will be back and often.
Ash
PS: I saw some other people’s reviews about bread issues and portion sizes. I am always leery of reviews that are either too rosy or damming. What I can tell you is this… we had more bread than we wanted and it was piping hot like it was freshly baked and our portion sizes were perfect. Great meal!

I’m ashamed to say that last night was only our second visit to La Balance. After the fantastic food and service we received, I plan to go more often.
We decided to visit this charming little restaurant to celebrate our daughter’s 23^rd birthday. Our reservation for 6pm was a great time to go… the restaurant was not crowded when we arrived.
For starters, we had escargot and the daily special of grilled frogs’ legs. Parfait! The escargot are cooked in a spinach pesto sauce that is so delicious, we were sopping it up with the rolls that they served to us. Frogs’ legs were delicious… crispy on the outside, served with a nice garnish of vegetables.
Main courses: daughter ordered the daily special of pan seared rabbit served over a corn succotash, hubby had the duck with huckleberry sauce, son had the salmon and I had the coq au vin. All four dishes were cooked to perfection. At one point, the owner stopped by our table and asked us if we liked the food… then he looked down into my plate and chucked, because all that was left were chicken bones. :-)
Dessert: daughter ordered the chocolate soufflé’ which comes with a hazelnut cream sauce and son had the crème brûlée. This crème brûlée is more like a panna cotta or flan… no crispy sugar on top, but it was absolutely amazing. The soufflé’ was rich and decadent, and the chef also wrote «Happy Birthday» in chocolate ganache on the plate for my daughter, without me asking him to do so. Nice touch, I thought.
La Balance is not inexpensive. Dinner for 4 people with a bottle of wine and a generous tip was almost $ 300; but for a special occasion, it was worth it.
By the time we left around 8pm, it was packed. We were glad to see them busy and we hope they will remain in business for a long time. Katy needs nice places.

Came to La Balance on a Groupon. We tried the Sunday brunch.
The restaurant is located in a strip center near Fry and Westheimer Parkway… I believe there used to be a pig/​pork restaurant in the same location years ago. LB has a French café feel… music in the background, feels casual, but looks nice.
The food was very good. We started with the butternut squash soup and a Caesar salad. My wife enjoyed the soup. The salad had a light dressing… very tasty. We had the eggs benedict, egg & sausage, and lamb risotto for our main meals. The hollandaise sauce was delicious, and the venison sausage had an incredible taste. The risotto was in a delicious parmesan cheese sauce with the lamb on top with a tasty red wine sauce. Excellent blend of tastes and highly recommended. We topped-​off the meal with a tart. The tart had a light and fruity taste… would definitely order the tart again. We tried to order the angel food cake, but LB did not have any available.
The service was good. We had constant refills of our water glasses and our food questions were quickly answered. Although some of the other reviews claimed the service was «not rushed», in our opinion the service was too slow, especially when we had our child with us. I agree we don’t need Mexican restaurant/​microwave reheat speed, but just a bit faster would have been appreciated.
LB did not calculate our Groupon correctly. According to the Groupon website, tax and tips are not included in a Groupon certificate. The server told me that the restaurant was not hooked-​up to the Groupon system, so they therefore subtracted the $ 30 coupon from the total bill (with tax). I was therefore only able to use $ 27 of the Groupon. I didn’t fight the policy, so be aware. Overall, a great deal with the Groupon.
Definitely one of the best brunches in the Katy area. Skeeters also has a good brunch and I heard that Black Walnut does as well.

Stopped by here last weekend after reading about the grand opening. Food here is tres bien!
Hidden in a casual strip center in the suburbia of Katy/​Cinco Ranch lies this cute French bistro. Walking in, the décor is nice and again, cute. Service here is excellent from my waiter and I believe either the manager or owner. Came during the lunch hour and the menu prices were very reasonable.
Started with escargots de Bourgogne. Decadent start with the snails drowned in a pool of butter, parsley, and garlic. Next up, Le bloc de bouchers (charcuterie dish). I forget the details but it had prosciutto, salami, lamb sausage, chicken liver mousse, pâté (forgot what specifically), some type of mustard, and some tiny pickles. Very delicious! And finally grilled salmon laying in a pool of mushroom cream, planks of asparagus, and topped with tiny trumpet mushrooms. A wonderful dish and a wonderful meal! Not the best French food I’ve had but very delish and prices are a steal!