Tips for Getting the Most Out of Kula Conveyor Belt Sushi

There are a few good things about the population explosion in Austin, one of the most compelling being the slow expansion of more ethnic food options in our fair city. The arrival of Kula Revolving Sushi Bar is evidence of this growth, and based on the ever-present crowds of Austinites waiting for a table here, Austin was ready.

Now that I have a couple of visits under my belt (literally), I've gathered a few tips for those of you who haven't yet been (and maybe even a couple for those of you who have).

1.  Be Prepared for a Wait
Everyone is super excited to check this place out, and they don't take reservations, so right now there's pretty much always a wait. The good news is, it goes fast. Both times I've been, the wait was shorter than the electronic check-in kiosk estimated (just to give you an idea of what to expect, I waited about 45 minutes on my first visit and 30 minutes on my second - both times for dinner). You can choose to get a text when you're close to being seated, which means you can go across the street to Black Star Co-op for some pre-gaming if you like.

2.  Ordering Tips
•  If it's your first visit to Kula, your server will show you how to remove plates from the conveyor belt (don't take the whole dome!) and walk you through the digital ordering system. One thing we missed the first time we went is that there's a Next button for some of the sections of the menu (we explored the various tabs, but didn't notice that some tabs had several pages).

•  There's a button on the pad to summon your server. You'll probably need to do this if you need a water refill - they don't come back regularly to check on you.

• Everything on the conveyor belt is $2.25/plate. On the digital menu, any item without a price is $2.25; the things that cost more are marked with a price.

• A couple of the items I liked off the digital menu:

Ramen - at just $5.80 a bowl, this is a great deal - and the ramen is surprisingly good.

"Poke" - I put this in quotes because this is not like any poke I've ever had. It's more like a chirashi bowl with some sort of really flavorful (and delicious) oil poured over the top. Also $5.80.

Spicy scallop Hand Roll - at $2.25 apiece, the hand rolls are an excellent value.

• Conveyor belt favorites:
  - Any salmon nigiri;
  - Any beef nigiri;
  - Ikura (salmon roe);
  - Seared scallop with Japanese mayo;
  - Crispy rice with spicy salmon;*
  - Sesame balls*

* I highly recommend ordering any fried items off the menu, even though they're available on the conveyor belt. They taste better fresh!

• Avoid:
  - Uni - uni is one of my favorite things in the world, but the uni I tried here did not taste fresh. :(
  - Maki - I've tried four different maki rolls here - would not order any again.

3.  Have Fun!
Both of my visits here were a ton of fun. I love being able to "shop" the conveyor belt and explore the menu simultaneously. Plus, the cartoons that play for every five plates you buy and the prizes you win for every fifteen plates you buy add to the festiveness of the experience. If your kids are adventurous eaters, they will love it. If you are just young at heart, you'll love it, too!

Is it the best sushi in town? Of course not. But it's better and much more interesting than grocery store sushi, with plenty of options available for your non-sushi-loving friends, too. Mostly, you're here for the experience - and I think it's one you'll enjoy.

Kula Sushi
6929 Airport Blvd., Suite 125
Austin, TX 78752
(737) 209-8799

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Soursop Asian Trailer

Despite the fact that my friend Jennie blogged about Soursop's soft opening back in early November, word seems to be trickling out slowly about this outstanding trailer serving Asian fusion goodness (only four reviews on Yelp at the time of this post). I promise you that it is not because Soursop is in any way lacking in the quality department - everything I tried there last week was unique and exceptionally delicious.

I got to try them recently thanks to a little gathering of friends we attended at St. Elmo's Brewing. We were hungry, so we wandered over to Soursop (which is nestled on St. Elmo's patio) and ordered a few things to try. Word to the wise: if you're there on a busy night, it might take a reallllllllllllllllllly long time to get your food. I didn't look at the clock when we ordered, but I am quite sure it took over an hour before our meals came out. Others who ordered much earlier and much later than we did got their food quite a bit more quickly, though, so we must have just hit it at a particularly busy time.

It was worth the wait, though. I ordered the panang curry ($10) with a side of jasmine rice ($3). The curry was vegetarian - loaded with eggplant bathing in an impossibly creamy panang curry sauce and garnished with Thai basil and peanuts. The curry was so luscious that it almost felt like eating dessert, only it was appropriately savory with just enough kick to remind you that no, this was most decidedly not dessert.

I also stole a bite (or two) of my husband's fried chicken sandwich ($8.50), which eschewed banality by incorporating green curry, fermented green tomato, and burnt scallion aioli.

Our meals were plentiful even despite our hunger level by the time we arrived, so our order of fries ($8) was sort of superfluous. They got eaten anyway, though (oops)! I thought these were nicely seasoned, but a teeny bit less crispy than I prefer. Again, however, they kicked up the interesting factor by serving these with a side of banana ketchup.

My favorite carb of the evening had to be the roti, though. This flaky fried bread reminded me of really good scallion pancakes from a texture perspective. They serve this with curry dipping sauce, but it's flavorful enough to be eaten plain, too.

No need to go thirsty - St. Elmo's has you covered with a nice selection of beer. I washed down my food with a wonderful hefe-barley called Dampf that paired beautifully with the Asian flavors at Soursop.

Given the relative dearth of interesting Asian food down in south Austin, Soursop has every reason to take off. Add in the fact that you can enjoy a great brew with your meal, and it's worth going out of your way for a visit.

Soursop Austin

440 E. St. Elmo Rd, Bldg G-2 (patio of St. Elmo's Brewing)

Austin, TX 78745

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AFBA 2016 City Guide: Best Chinese Food in Austin

My second post for this year's Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guide is an update of my Chinese food guide for 2015. I spent the better part of the first eighteen years of my life eating Chinese food pretty much every day. My mom is a formidable cook, so this background led to me being a bit...picky...about Chinese food. And while Austin isn't exactly a Chinese food mecca, there are some wonderful spots in town to find excellent Chinese cuisine.

CANTONESE

Salt & Pepper Squid at Din Ho = "the usual"

If you live in or near Central Austin, Din Ho Chinese BBQ (8557 Research Blvd., Austin, TX 78758) is probably your go-to for Cantonese food. Over the twenty years I've been going there, the food and service has varied a bit in quality; even so, I've yet to be unhappy about a meal I've eaten here. Our standard order here always includes salt & pepper squid (called "fresh and dried squid in special salt" on their menu) and sauteed snow pea leaves; other favorites are their won ton soup, Peking duck (served with steamed buns rather than the traditional pancakes), and Singapore style rice noodles.

If you need a spot to host a large banquet or wedding, the very spacious New Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (10901 North Lamar Blvd., Ste A-1, Austin TX 78753) is the place you're seeking. An Asian organization to which I belong hosted their Lunar New Year banquet at New Fortune this year, and the food was fantastic. Looking for something a bit fancier? The more well-appointed Chinatown Restaurant (three locations: North, 3407 Greystone Dr., Austin TX 78731; Downtown, 107 W. 5th St., Austin TX 78701; and Westlake, 2712 Bee Caves Road, Ste 124, Austin TX 78746) would appeal to those turned off by the austere atmospheres of most Chinese restaurants. Chinatown's food tilts away from the traditional, but traditional Chinese food lovers will enjoy the flavors here, too (my favorite dish here is their sizzling honey pepper steak).

Great Cantonese food can also be found at First Chinese BBQ (10901 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78753) and Ho Ho Chinese BBQ (13000 N. IH-35, Austin, TX 78753). If you find yourself out in Lakeway, I've also had some truly outstanding meals at Pao's Mandarin House (2300 Lohman's Spur, Austin TX 78734). Hot tip: Pao's has a secret menu with some of the more traditional dishes on it that I've found you have to ask for unless your party is predominantly Asian.

SZECHUANESE

Sichuan Spicy Sizzling Lamb at Sichuan River

When you start talking Szechuanese food, most people are familiar with the popular Asia Cafe (8650 Spicewood Springs, Austin TX 78759), known for their spicy fish. Ditto A+A Sichuan (13376 Research Blvd., Austin TX 78750), a little ways further west of Asia Cafe. But few people seem to have heard of my favorite Szechuanese restaurant, Sichuan River (4534 Westgate Blvd, Austin TX 78745) down south. I'm also fond of the little-known Szechuan House (11005 Burnet Rd, Austin TX 78758) up north (ignore the terrible Americanized-looking food on their website - this is not representative!). Both Sichuan River and Szechuan House offer several dishes in common that are outstanding: a version of sizzling lamb; dry fried green beans; and ma po tofu. Szechuan House also has a mushroom dish called "Stir Fried Three Kind (sic) of Mushroom" that I would order pretty much every day if I were a vegetarian. If you're looking for something more hip, Wu Chow (500 W. 5th St., Austin TX 78701), from C.K. Chin of Swift's Attic, also offers Szechuanese fare. You pay a premium for the beautiful surroundings and the downtown location, but there are certainly circumstances that justify the extra expense.

NOODLES

I'm not really sure this is a legitimate category for a Chinese food post, but there were three places whose noodles deserved mention so it seemed like they should all live together. 

Rice Bowl Café (11220 N. Lamar, Austin TX 78753) serves up a GIGANTIC bowl of handmade noodles with beef and veggies for just $9.50; they also have my favorite scallion pancakes in town.

Chen's Noodle House (8650 Spicewood Springs Rd., Austin TX 78759) and Chen Z (6705 Hwy 290, Austin TX 78735) both offer a variety of wonderful handmade noodle dishes in delightfully divey surroundings.

Xian Noodles at Xian Sushi & Noodle

Xian Sushi & Noodle (Two locations: Mueller - 1801 E. 51st St., Bldg C 370, Austin TX 78723 and Northwest - 13201 RR 620 N. Ste U208, Austin TX 78717) is the only place in town where you can watch a chef hand pull your noodles before serving them. You can choose the thickness of your noodles; I think the texture of the thicker ones like the pappardelle adds a bit of oomph that makes the noodles taste more homemade.

DIM SUM

Dan Ta (custard tarts) from Wu Chow

In the last year, the dim sum scene in Austin has brightened a bit. For traditional dim sum, my favorite is New Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (10901 North Lamar Blvd., Ste A-1, Austin TX 78753). For a more upscale dim sum experience, check out Wu Chow (500 W. 5th St., Austin TX 78701). They have hands-down the best xiao long bao in town and the flakiest dan ta (custard tarts) I have ever tasted. They are using high quality ingredients and making everything from scratch (including those incredible tart crusts!).

Other dim sum spots in town include Shanghai (6718 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin TX 78752) and Chinatown Restaurant (dim sum only offered at two of their three locations: North, 3407 Greystone Dr., Austin TX 78731 and Westlake, 2712 Bee Caves Road, Ste 124, Austin TX 78746). Chinatown recently acquired a dim sum chef from San Francisco and significantly upped their dim sum game. Full blog post about Chinatown's dim sum can be found here.

If you're in the know about great Chinese food that I missed, please let me know in the comments!

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Trailer Treasure: Three Little Pigs

I have long been a fan of Three Little Pigs and was quite surprised to discover that I'd never written about them, despite the fact that they've been in business for many years. This unassuming little trailer is barely decorated and doesn't look like much from the outside, but the guy on the inside, Raymond Tatum, is a longtime Austin chef whose résumé includes a 12-year gig as the executive chef at Jeffrey's. Happily (for me), Chef Raymond's menu tilts toward Asian flavors, and nothing on the menu will set you back more than $12. Their recent move to the patio of the Aristocrat Lounge (formerly the Poodle Dog Lounge, for you longer-term Austinites) means that they are now in my neck of the woods. I couldn't be more thrilled. The flavors here play right to my palate, the dishes are always interesting, and their location means you can bring your pup along and that you can enjoy a Live Oak Hefeweizen with your meal. What else do you need?

Venison Sausage & Brussels Sprouts with Jasmine Rice

Beef Short Ribs Nam Tok

Black Eyed Pea Salad with Crispy Pork Belly, Arugula, and Gorgonzola (usually comes with pickled beets, but my husband hates pickled things and I hate beets, so this one is beet-less at our request).

I highly recommend that you point the hair on your chinny chin chin toward Three Little Pigs.

Three Little Pigs

6507 Burnet Road (on the patio of the Aristocrat Lounge)

Austin, TX 78757

(512) 653-5088

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Getting Peached at the Peached Tortilla Brick & Mortar

I've been a big fan of the Peached Tortilla and its owner, Eric Silverstein, ever since the Peached truck rolled into Austin five years ago. So much of Eric's story and his food resonates with me; for me, the flavors at Peached are both deeply comforting and also new and exciting. And now that Eric has gone brick & mortar within walking distance of my house, I find myself "getting Peached" on a much more regular basis. If I were ever able to tackle the daunting task of naming my favorite restaurants in Austin, I feel sure that Peached Tortilla would make my short list.

The Dish I Always Order there is the Lush Pork Belly Bowl ($13). "Lush" is such an appropriate word for this meal, which satisfies at the deepest level - wonderfully unctuous pork belly and rich, runny, 45-minute egg are balanced by the best kim chi in town (made in-house and delightfully stinky) and pickled daikon & carrots, all served over a lovely bed of rice.

There's also a Blistered Catfish Bowl ($12), which pairs unagi-style catfish with that egg atop Japanese pickles and charred wasabi napa, but...I always get the pork belly version.

Every once in a while (but not often), I feel like trying something a little different. On my last visit, I was craving fried finger food and ordered up their Kimchi Arancini Balls ($7). This is such a wonderful example of taking the best parts of different cuisines and melding them together into something altogether new - the cheesy, Sicilian arancini I've had in the past have nothing on this spicy kim chi version served with wasabi & sriracha aioli.

I further sated my fried finger food craving with an order of Peached's Crispy Umami Chicken Wings ($9). The complex mix of flavors on these meld together just right, yielding perfectly piquant results. However, if you're on a first date, you might want to wait until next time to order these; they are really best eaten caveman-style, out of view from polite company.

On my most recent visit, Eric generously treated me to an order of the Hangar Steak Ssam ($19). The steak is prepared in a sous vide machine, so it is very tender and full of beefy flavor. The steak is served with kim chi, lettuce, rice, and one of my favorite condiments, gochujang, so you can assemble little lettuce wraps. A part of me wanted to skip the healthy lettuce and just eat the steak, kim chi, and gochujang over rice, making this into a steak version of the pork belly bowl I love so much, but I was good this time and ate it with the lettuce.* No promises about next time, though!

I don't have any decent photos of cocktails from Peached, but let me assure you that their bar is top notch. Bar manager Kevin Kok and his team not only have a deft hand at drink-mixing, but they're the kind of bar staff that makes every person at the bar feel like a cherished regular. Last time I was there, I sat alone at the bar, trying to shake off a particularly trying day, and by the time I left, my mood had lifted considerably. Great folks.

Best of all? Considering the high quality ingredients and the obvious care and thought that goes into preparing this food, the price point at Peached is more than reasonable. The entrées top out at $19, with most items being in the $9-$14 range. I not infrequently pay more for meals I enjoy much less, whereas I always leave Peached feeling fulfilled in a sense that means more than just "no longer hungry." Go get Peached yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Peached Tortilla

5520 Burnet Rd, Ste 100

Austin, TX 78756

(512) 330-4439

*Yes, I do realize how pathetic it is that I referred to a few leaves of lettuce as the "healthy" part of my meal. Apologies to my cardiologist.

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Chi'Lantro's New Brick & Mortar Opens on South Lamar

When Jae Kim first started Chi'Lantro BBQ, he didn't have much in the way of funding. So he put all the money he had together, threw in some credit cards, and opened a mobile food business. "I was all in," he says.

Five years later, with many of the same staff that started out with him back in 2010, he is once again "all in" on a shiny new brick and mortar space on South Lamar. For Jae, it's a dream come true. And Chi'Lantro's fans are pretty thrilled about it, as well.

I was excited to be invited to a complimentary media event at their new space, which is cozy but bright, and full of thoughtful touches stemming from Jae's desire to inspire others. Printed blocks on the tables encourage diners to create their own fun phrases, and a mural on the wall provides a whimsical reminder of where it all began.

The evening started with guacamole, queso, and chips. The guac was super fresh, and made interesting with the addition of a little sesame oil and ginger. The queso was tasty, too - a little on the mild side for my palate, but I'm sure many will appreciate that.

Next up were the kim chi fried rice balls, a combination of rice, cheese, and kim chi, all deep fried to create these comforting, yummy bites that tasted great on a chilly evening.

The next offering, Chi'Lantro's Korean fried chicken wings, or K-pops, was my favorite of the dishes we tried. You can order them in a honey butter flavor or in a spicier gangnam style version. I had a slight preference for the honey butter, but both were fantastic.

In case you're still sticking to a new year's diet, you can order your choice of protein (ribeye bulgogi, spicy pork, spicy chicken, soy glazed chicken, or marinated tofu) atop Chi'Lantro's house salad. 

But hopefully you've abandoned your new year's diet by now and can instead indulge in Chi'Lantro's famous kim chi fries. Crispy fries are topped with your choice of meat, carmelized kim chi, cheddar & monterey jack cheese, onions, cilantro, "magic sauce," sesame seeds, and sriracha. This dish is a stroke of genius and I find it difficult to visit Chi'Lantro without indulging in an order of these!

We topped off the evening with an order of Chi'Lantro's dulce de leche'd, cinnamon-sugary churro tots - which I personally thought read more like super moist doughnut holes, but I most definitely did not hold this against them. They're outstanding.

Congratulations to Jae and his crew for this exciting new chapter for Chi'Lantro! I'm very much looking forward to many more meals in your new digs.

Chi'Lantro BBQ

1509 South Lamar

Austin, TX 78704

(512) 428-5269

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner: 
7a - 10p M-Th
7a-12a Fri
9a-12a Sat
9a-10p Sun

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Getting Lucky at Lucky Robot

Austin restaurant chain Zen became a sibling a few months ago, when founder Adam Weisberg opened Lucky Robot in the space that formerly housed the South Congress incarnation of Zen. It took me a few months to make it there, but my first meal there was so delightful that I was back again the next day.

Like Zen, Lucky Robot offers Japanese-inspired fare, but the dishes at Lucky Robot feel significantly more special to me than Zen's offerings. The flavors and presentation are much more refined, and the entire experience feels less "fast food-ish" than Zen, without too much of a markup (entrées run from about $8-$13, and the portions are very generous). Ordering is done via iPads on the tables, which is kind of fun, especially since the iPad version of the menu features photos of every dish. Also, the digital menu makes it easy to spot gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and low-calorie items, a feature that those on special diets will appreciate. One minor irritation with the iPad ordering system, though: it does not make it easy to split the ticket amongst multiple parties. Only one credit card can be used per transaction, and you don't get an itemized bill (the former issue is fixable if you ask your server to run the cards).

Wondering what to get? Here's what I've tried:

Brussel sprouts ($4.75). My favorites in town - and I have eaten a lot of brussel sprouts in this town. Tossed in a lemongrass soy. These are on my must-order list for every visit to Lucky Robot.

Karaage Chicken ($8.00). Loads of chicken that's been marinated for 24 hours, then fried. Well-prepared, although I think I'll ask for the sauce on the side next time; as you can see in the photo, it pooled in the bottom of the bowl and made my rice more saucy than I like it.

Bo Ssam ($8.50). Brown sugar-crusted pork belly...need I say more? Just in case the answer is yes, it's served with rice, red leaf lettuce, kim chee, ginger scallions and ssamjang (an amazing, spicy, bean-paste-based sauce that I am determined to recreate at home so I can put it on everything). Snuggle some pork belly up in a lettuce leaf, dress it with whatever of the other ingredients you like (in my case, all of them), roll it up, and go to town. Probably not recommended for a first date. Highly recommended for a tenth date (if s/he minds you eating delicious, messy food, you might as well kick them to the curb).

Rising Sun ($11.00). Probably my favorite of the dishes I've tried here, this cholesterol-bomb features four generous slabs of pork belly, served with a rectangle of grilled rice, crispy shallots & garlic, charred scallion vinaigrette and cilantro, all topped with a gorgeously-runny fried egg. This one is definitely not on the 500 calories or less menu, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't like fatty meat - the pork belly on this dish is much fattier than the belly served with the Bo Ssam. But if you don't mind giving your arteries a little workout, order this with a side of the ssamjang (from the Bo Ssam dish) and go to town.

Lucky Robot is open 11a-10p Monday through Friday, and 10a-10p Saturday and Sunday. They offer a "Tokyo Brunch" both weekend days that features more typical brunch-ish entrées like eggs and pancakes, but with Asian riffs, like soft-shell crab, sriracha, and matcha green tea whipped cream. Much of their regular menu is available during brunch time, too, so if you'd rather start your day with a pile of pork belly, no one is going to stop you.

More craveworthy, moderately-priced, Asian-inspired fare in Austin? Lucky us.

Lucky Robot
1303 South Congress
Austin, TX 78704

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Guide to Thai-riffic Thai in Austin

My second post for the 2013 Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guide is on Thai food. Thai food is one of my favorite genres of food, and I've long lamented the relative scarcity of outstanding Thai here in Austin. But a few spots stand out as being consistent winners in my book. Read on to find out which Thai restaurants have most curried my f(l)avor.

Sway
I had every intention of getting a full blog post on Sway up before now. I'm pretty sure it's the restaurant I've frequented most since its opening in December of last year (though Épicerie is close behind). I've long been a big fan of executive chef Rene Ortiz and pastry chef Laura Sawicki, the dynamic duo behind La Condesa, though I'll admit I was a little skeptical when I heard they were opening a Thai restaurant, too. Could they really be as good at Thai food as they are at Mexican?

Yes. Yes, they can.

What I love most about Sway is that their dishes are full of flavor, but still taste clean and fresh. Most everything is made from scratch, including their deeply wonderful nam prik pao. My favorite dishes at Sway include the son-in-law, the jungle curry, the tiger cry, the kai yaang, and the salt & pepper tofu. For dessert, the Thai tea affogato or the jasmine tea panna cotta. I still aspire to writing a full-length blog post about this fabulous place, so I'll reserve the long-winded dish descriptions for that day, but here are a couple of photos to whet your appe-Thai-te.

The Son-In-Law - braised pork shoulder, crispy farm egg, thick soy, chili vinegar

Jasmine Tea Panna Cotta - served with coconut-lychee sorbet, red grape, lychee, palm sugar, Thai basil, shiso, and crunchy amaranth

Thai Fresh

This sweet restaurant and coffee bar on West Mary is a favorite of mine for many reasons. I love that they source locally and use humanely-raised meats. I love that the owner, Jam Sanitchat, teaches cooking classes at their store, passing on her passion for cooking and her secrets about her favorite Thai ingredients. And most of all, I love the food. Fresh Thai flavor abounds in every dish (in case you haven't been since they changed things up here, they now cook everything to order - no more reheating out of the cold case!). And you can cool things down afterwards with a scoop of their housemade vegan ice cream. The ice cream flavors are marvelous (everything from mint chip to ginger lemongrass), and you won't for a second miss the dairy.

Spicy Basil Fried Rice

Madam Mam's / Sap's
I'm sure the owners of these two establishments prefer not to be linked to one another anymore (the competing restaurants are the product of the couple's split - she got the two locations that are still Madam Mam's; he turned the south location into Sap's). But it's hard not to link them when they still share a common menu. I'm hard pressed to order anything here other than the Pad Kee Mao (F5)(note that you have to ask for rice noodles or you'll get a version made with spaghetti noodles) or what is basically the rice version of the same dish, Pad Ped Ga-Prao (P8). For an appetizer, I love the Thai rice cakes (Kao Tung / A3).

Pad Kee Mao - wide rice noodles stir-fried with your choice of protein (I always get pork), mushrooms, Thai basil, and Thai peppers

Muangthai
Few people I've told about this strip mall Thai joint wayyyyyyyyy up north near Lakeline Mall have heard of it. Yet, it's one of my favorite Thai places in town, and worth the trip. My very favorite dish here is the Chu Chee (SP4), a fried catfish fillet topped with the most amazing red curry sauce. We usually order the sauce on the side so the fillet stays crispy longer. Also, word to the wise: they are not afraid of heat, here, so we usually request our dishes mild so that the less-heat-loving folks in our group can still eat the food. But if you like it hot, they'll be happy to oblige.

I'll be brutally honest - the service here is frequently overwhelmed and, therefore, often not particularly attentive. The space is nothing fancy. But I've liked all the food I've eaten here, and particularly that fantastic catfish dish.

O' happy red curry day - Chu Chee (fried catfish fillet served with coconut red curry sauce and lime leaves)

What are your favorite Thai places in town? I'm Thai-ing to know - please share in the comments!

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Asian Food in Austin - 2011 Edition

My second topic for the 2011 Food Bloggers' Guide to Austin is Asian food. I covered this area last year, and the landscape has not changed significantly since then, so a fair amount of last year's post is being recycled here. Last year's readers should not despair, though; while the quantity of new spots isn't significant, the quality certainly is, particularly in the food trailer category - and some of these new places have quickly become favorites of mine.

As with my upscale dining guide, I've arranged the restaurants by area of town. With one exception, I've also omitted non-local chains and tried to focus on my favorites, although in some areas of town, the choices in a particular category are so sparse that I had to include some non-favorites to give you some variety. For the most part, I've also left off spots that serve mainly sushi, as sushi really deserves its own post.


View Asian Food in Austin - 2011 Edition in a larger map

DOWNTOWN (broadly defined here as spanning from I-35 to MoPac,
and from Ladybird Lake to MLK):

Probably the best Asian (or, at least, Asian fusion) in the downtown area can be had from the food trucks and trailers. A few of these can frequently be found downtown; Chi'Lantro (blog posts devoted to Chi'Lantro here and here), which serves Korean tacos, bulgogi burgers, and similar Korean-fusion items (they move around, so check their website or their Twitter feed to find their whereabouts); The Peached Tortilla (full blog post here), which offers high quality, super-delicious, Asian fusion tacos and sliders, with options for vegetarians and gluten-free eaters (again, check their website for their schedule; they are also on the move); and G'raj Mahal, which serves Indian food in a covered outdoor dining area draped with gauzy white fabric.

The best brick-and-mortar Asian restaurants in Austin are north of 183, but if you need a fix and aren't up for a hike, you can find decent Korean food at Koriente. Happy hour is indeed happy at Imperia, an upscale Asian fusion spot with fantastic cocktails and delicious appetizers and sushi at great prices (be warned: after happy hour, the prices are not so great). I also have an inexplicable soft spot for the totally divey, weirdly-laid-out Mongolian Grille, where you pile your own raw ingredients into a bowl and the chef cooks them up for you as you watch. For contemporary Indian food, check out Clay Pit. They've got a surprisingly cheap lunch buffet and the most sinful take on korma I've ever tasted (not on the lunch buffet) - made with cashews, almonds and pistachios.


JUST EAST OF DOWNTOWN:
The area east of downtown is particularly bereft of traditional Asian food offerings, but again, Asian fusion trailers save the day here. I really like both locations of East Side King, one of which is on the patio of Liberty Bar, and the other of which resides at The Grackle. The menus for each are totally different; the Liberty location has buns similar to those at Momofuku, brussel sprout salad and beet fries; the offerings at the Grackle location are all grilled. I'm also a big fan of Not Your Mama's Food Truck, which is turning out some seriously tasty Asian treats like Korean fried chicken and beef tongue. The guy who owns this place isn't Asian and is basically self-taught, but he is good. Trust me on this one. Me So Hungry is another food truck serving up huge banh mi and noodle dishes.

SOUTH OF THE RIVER (CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN):
You'll find trailers serving Asian food south of the river, too. The idea of sushi from a trailer may sound scary, but the owner of Sushi-a-Go-Go works at the super-fancy Uchi, so he knows how to prepare sushi right. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the deliciousness of Asian-inspired crepes at Crepes Mille; I was a skeptic, but one bite convinced me. For banh mi, pretty much your only option is Lulu B's. Lulu B's also offers bùn - I'm not all that fond of their version, but it'll work in a pinch.

Your south of the river brick-and-mortar options include Thai Fresh, quite possibly the only Asian restaurant in town that has a focus on sustainability. Be sure to save room for their homemade ice creams; they are amazing. For an easy Japanese-inspired meal, local chain Zen is super fast and always fresh, if not the most authentic (and they offer brown rice as an option, which I always appreciate). Zen has multiple locations, all of which I've mapped above. Just east of I-35, you'll find our only Indonesian restaurant, Java Noodles, where sweetened condensed milk became a part of my eating repertoire. Get away from the SXSW crowds at Bistro 88, where you'll find upscale Asian-inspired fare (including sushi) in a peaceful setting.

NORTH OF DOWNTOWN (south of 183):

Just north of downtown near campus, discover Madam Mam's, a great little Thai place that caters to the student population. Madam Mam's has opened a couple of other locations which are also mapped above. Another Thai place, Thai Kitchen, has my favorite squid with red curry dish and a gatee thom yum gai that is guaranteed to instantly cure any ailment. In this area, you again have only one choice for banh mi - at the hilariously-named Bite Mi. Vegetarians will enjoy the all-veggie all the time Veggie Heaven. Nearby Coco's Cafe serves Taiwanese food and delicious bubble drinks (and they have quite possibly the cutest website I've ever seen).

Further north of campus has the highest concentration of Korean food. Manna is adjacent to an Asian market and sports a lovely pickled veggie bar. Across the street is New Oriental Market, another Asian grocery store with a Korean restaurant arm. Still further north, Korea House offers a full Korean menu, including Korean barbecue. I'm partial to the bi bim bap at Shilla near Highland Mall. Not Korean, but also near the mall, is Shanghai, which has some of the better dim sum service in town.

Uchiko has breathed new life into another Asian-food-bereft part of the city. My favorite meal of 2010 was here; it's pricey, but well worth the splurge. If you're feeling more frugal, check out Banzai down the street, which always has my favorite shrimp tempura bowl on special.

Just barely south of 183 is the place I first discovered Vietnamese food. While in law school, a big bowl of Kim Phung's shrimp, hot pepper, lemongrass bùn was an extra special treat. I particularly like the spring rolls here, too.

FAR NORTH (North of 183):
Here's where the gettin' gets really good. My two favorite places in Austin for a family-style Vietnamese dinner exist north of 183 - Sunflower and Le Soleil - owned by two people who divorced one another and he opened a competing restaurant up the street with a nearly-identical menu. I love the sizzling seafood platter, the steamed sea bass, the "shaking" beef, the roll-your-own spring rolls...OK, everything on the menu is terrific. My favorite banh mi in Austin are at Thanh Nhi, but Tam Deli and Baguette House both have great versions, as well.

The most authentic Chinese food in town is at Asia Café (even their website is partially in Chinese!). Nearby, Chen's Noodle House serves wonderful made-to-order, hand-cut noodle dishes. If you can't quite bring yourself to drive all that way, try Din Ho Chinese BBQ, instead.

We have a small "Chinatown" shopping center with a number of good offerings, including First Chinese BBQ, and a place called Fresh Tofu. I've made an exception for my non-chain rule for Pho Saigon, since many people I trust consider this the best pho in Austin (for more opinions about the best pho in Austin, check out this Yelp thread. If you're in the mood for dim sum, Fortune Chinese Seafood has full dim sum service (try the turnip cake - it's outstanding). If you head up that way, you must also check out the ginormous MT Supermarket, the largest Asian grocery store in Austin.

For Indian food up north, I highly recommend Swad, with dosas as big as your head, a great Thali platter, and a delightful drink made from fresh young coconut.

If you happen to be wayyyyyyy north (as in, north of Parmer Lane), probably the best Chinese barbecue in town is at Ho Ho's, owned by the former owners of Din Ho (mentioned above).

LAKEWAY:
This restaurant probably shouldn't be on any SXSW lists, as it is a ridiculous hike from downtown, BUT - it's also the best Chinese banquet dining in the Austin area, as far as I'm concerned. If you're up for a drive or happen to be staying in the Lakeway area, I highly recommend Pao's Mandarin House. Fantastic salt & pepper squid, delicious Peking duck...delicious everything, really. Ask for the Chinese menu (they have a more Americanized menu, as well, and they presumably decide which to hand you depending on how you look).

Leave me a comment if I've forgotten something great!

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Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies

Last weekend, I was invited to attend a Lunar New Year hot pot party thrown by my friends Jennie and John. I cast about a bit looking for a fun idea for something to bring, and finally landed upon For Two, Please's lovely blog and their post about Matcha Green Tea Shortbread Cookies. Well, once I took a gander at those verdant treats, I knew I had to make them.

I was not disappointed. Neither my photos nor my cookies are as beautiful as theirs, but I was pleased with the way the cookies tasted. They're the texture of shortbread, only a little bit lighter, and the matcha perfumes the process of both making and eating them with the rich scent of green tea. If you live in Austin, both Whole Foods locations sell matcha in bulk, so you can get just the amount you need (surprisingly, Central Market does not). Of course, if you drink matcha anyway, by all means, buy a big canister of it!

Each batch of the recipe makes about 30-35 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter.

You'll wish you had more.

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Peanut Butter Noodles

When I was but a fledgling foodie, my mom used to make a dish she called Peanut Butter Noodles. As a college student, I think I may have tried to recreate it a few times (probably without consulting my mom, because that's what college kids do). I vividly remember one such experiment the very first time I ever visited Austin, back in 1992. My boyfriend at the time and I were staying in some co-op where we didn't know a soul, and we put the leftovers in a big tub in the fridge. We giggled the next day when we discovered that they had been devoured by somebody who likely had no clue whatsoever what they were eating. We later discovered how very un-strange that really was after moving in here.

For some reason, when I heard that the next Austin food bloggers' potluck was going to be a picnic, this long-lost dish popped into my head. I dug around a bit online and found this recipe, then consulted with my mom to get her take on it. Based on her recommendations, I modified it somewhat, so I'm posting my revised version here.

One particularly great thing about this dish is that it tastes good cold, so it's perfect for summer picnics, potlucks, or make-ahead dinners.

Peanut Butter Noodles

Ingredients:
• 1 lb extra-thin dry spaghetti noodles
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
• 1/2 Tbsp peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 c peanut butter (either smooth or crunchy works fine - if you use the crunchy, you might want to omit the peanuts)
• 1/4 c chopped dry-roasted peanuts (you may want to omit these if using crunchy peanut butter)
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp Chinese hot oil (with or without seeds, depending on your preference)
• 1/4 c hot water
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 c shredded chicken (I was lazy and bought a pre-roasted whole one - which was nice because I had plenty left over for another meal.)
• 6 scallions (both white and green parts), sliced
• Salt (to taste)

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente, then toss it in the sesame oil. (Confession: I missed this step when I made this, so there was no sesame oil in mine. Honestly, I didn't think it too lacking, although it might add a nice dimension of flavor. However, I'm inclined to blend the oil in with the rest of the sauce rather than tossing it with the noodles separately).

While the spaghetti is cooking, you can make the sauce. Put the garlic, ginger, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and chili oil in a blender and blend until it is smooth.

The original recipe then suggests that you pour in the water while the blender is still running. My blender blew a fuse partway through this process, so I ended up using a food processor to make the sauce, and I knew that was not going to fly (or, more accurately, that it was going to fly. Everywhere. So I poured the water in, then processed it, and it worked fine.

Toss the spaghetti in the peanut sauce, then toss in the chicken, cucumber, scallions and peanuts. Salt to taste.

Note that the sauce tastes pretty strong and a little harsh straight out of the blender, but it mellows significantly after being tossed with the pasta. If you're nervous, you can add the sauce bit by bit, tasting it as you go.

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