Commercial Pilot Turned Restaurateur Brings Far East Food to The Heights

September 10, 2001, was a day that changed the trajectory of Jerry Lasco’s life. A commercial pilot for 14 years, the U.S. Air Force veteran and Continental employee flew his last flight from Newark to Houston the day before the 9/11 terrorist attack hit Manhattan. After that, Lasco would never fly again.

Furloughed by the airline indefinitely while Americans feared air travel, Lasco nervously weighed his career options with his wife, Laura. Based for years in New York, he spent his nights and days off taking cooking classes at Peter Kump and studied wine — just for fun, he thought.

Little did he know that his passing interest in food and wine would come in handy when he opened a small wine bar called The Tasting Room in Uptown Park in 2003. Next came Max’s Wine Dive, his comfort-food restaurant that elevated the humble to haute and paired it with approachable wines.

Lasco recently developed another Houston restaurant that will take you traveling on the plate to the Far East. Sing is a home-grown fast-casual concept that brings his love of travel to Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Malaysia to The Heights. Focusing on flavor-packed street food, the menu is 90 percent gluten-free, and everything is cooked fresh to order.

Far from a fusion concept, the largely Singapore-inspired menu balances the signature sweet and spicy profile of many Asian dishes. Two highlights are Char Kway Teow, a Malaysian dish studded with barbecue pork that’s been marinated for 48 hours and tossed with flat rice noodles ($12), and piquant Pad Krapow Gai, a Thai street-food dish with wok-fried, chili-glazed chicken and green beans ($11).

Dine in or out every day but Monday; beer and wine is available, or BYOB for a $6 corking fee.

Sing, Lowell Street Market, 718 W. 18th Street, 713.808.9016.