Justin Yu
Thorough Fare | Houston, TX
September 2025
Justin Yu, a born and raised Houstonian, found his way to the kitchen as a kid, visiting family in Southern California. Immigrants from Hong Kong, his aunts owned and operated a Chinese restaurant for over 25 years. When Yu first caught a glimpse of their professional kitchen, he knew it was where he wanted to be. After graduating high school, he went to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park before moving to Chicago for an externship at Rising Stars alum Shawn McClain’s vegetarian restaurant, Green Zebra. Yu returned to Houston and cooked at *17 and then The Grove, where he honed his skills and learned to lead while working under Chef Ryan Pera. After a stint at the vegetable-driven and Michelin starred Ubuntu in Napa, California, Yu moved to Europe. There, he staged at In De Wulf, Geranium, and AOC.
In 2010, Yu was invited by his friend, Rising Stars alum Seth Siegel-Gardner, to do a pop-up at The Pass & Provisions back in Houston. He used the opportunity to test out his own tasting menu concept. A few years later, in 2012, Yu opened his first restaurant, Oxheart, where he created outside-the-box menus inspired by his travels abroad. He followed that up with Public Services in 2014 before partnering with Rising Stars alum Bobby Heugel to open Better Luck Tomorrow in 2017 and Squable in 2019. After Yu decided to close Oxheart, he reimagined the restaurant and opened Theodore Rex in the same space, bringing a more lighthearted and playful à la carte concept to the Downtown area. Across his restaurants, Yu is dedicated to fostering a new generation of creative chefs in Houston, giving his staff opportunities to lead and grow while celebrating the city’s diverse culinary landscape.
