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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East Side King on South Lamar

Y'all. I just had a revelation.

I've been eating at the East Side King on South Lamar ever since they opened about a year ago. But somehow I was oblivious to the shaved ice offering they added to their menu back in September. If you like the $12 cheddar cheese ice cream sandwich at qui, I suspect that you'll love the $5 shaved ice at East Side King. They've somehow made the rather unlikely combination of white cheddar shaved ice, dulce de leche, green & fuji apple, waffle cone pieces, grated aged cheddar, and jalapeño salt - jalapeño salt! - work together beautifully, creating a savory, spicy, lightly sweet combination that I could not get enough of.

There are other winners on the menu, too. Of course, the East Side King staples like chicken karaage, pork belly buns, brussels sprout salad, and beet fries are there. But also the tako (octopus) taco, which I usually order over rice instead of in the fried shell it comes with. It's hard to get octopus right, but they do it right here. Still tender, and butter poached, which adds a richness you don't usually find in octopus. It's garnished with tobiko and a nicely acidic vegetable ceviche, and costs just $3.95.

My lovely friend and blog date, Linda, got this awesome "bento box" which came with a tako taco, an ebi ebi (tempura fried shrimp) steamed bun, some vegan beans and rice, and some kim chi fries. All so delicious, and just $12.95!

East Side King offers an incredible value for a menu driven by such an outstanding chef. And now that they've got me hooked on that cheesy shaved ice, I'll not let so long go between visits in the future.

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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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Getting Peached at The Peached Tortilla

It used to be that the American Dream was defined by the small business owner who became successful by virtue of hard work and clean living. For later generations who were fortunate enough to benefit from their parents' and grandparents' pursuit of that dream, another element was added to the mix: the desire to succeed at something they were passionate about.

It is obvious to anyone who's spent a few minutes talking to Eric Silverstein that he is on track to achieving the new version of the American dream. He quit a lucrative job as a lawyer in Missouri to launch The Peached Tortilla, a mobile food truck business that has spent the last four months winning the hearts of food lovers in Austin. Not only is the food being turned out of this truck outstanding, but Eric's passion is infectious, and his humble, friendly demeanor means that every visit to The Peached Tortilla is not just a food run, but a visit to a friend.

The Peached Tortilla open for business.

As anyone who knows me knows, I tend to be a little suspicious of Asian fusion. I'm not sure whether I'm a traditionalist or just protective of the flavors I grew up with, but I typically cast a wary eye upon perceived attempts to evolve Asian flavors into something different. But Eric and his chef, Louis (who has worked the kitchens at Maria Maria and Imperia), have done this right. They've captured influences from Asian, Mexican, and Southern cooking and have married them in a way that makes the finished product into something altogether new, and definitely delightful. Everything I've tasted here was busting at the seams with bright, crisp, fresh flavors. This is Asian fusion I can get behind. Their menu tops out at $3.50, so it's very affordable for upscale-restaurant-quality food. And with gluten-free and vegetarian options available, there's a little something here for everyone.

Just look at this gorgeousness. How can you not want to eat this?


Top: crunchy catfish taco (Southern spiced, cornmeal-encrusted catfish with creamy slaw, spicy mayo, and purple cabbage);
Bottom: banh mi taco (Vietnamese-braised pork belly topped with pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayo, and cilantro).


L to R: Southern squash taco (sautéed citrus-scented summer squashes and red peppers, sweet onions, spiced pecans, basil aioli);
chicken pad thai taco (chicken sautéed in pad thai sauce with bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime wedge);
banh mi taco.


Left: Banh mi slider (Vietnamese-braised pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayo, cilantro)
Right: BBQ brisket slider (brisket, creamy slaw, smoky roasted peach BBQ sauce).


Belgian fries - served with your choice of dipping sauces (peach mint, truffle mayo, bacon ranch, smoky roasted peach BBQ, or sriracha mayo). All of the ones I've tasted have been wonderful, but the peach mint is their special, and it is AMAZING.

Want to get peached? These guys are on the move, so check the truck schedule on their website to find them. You'll be glad you did.

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