meganjoy's Profile
Chirashi?
Sorry you had a bad experience at Momiji. Maybe they're just better during the week because when I ate there last weekend I was a little disappointed in the sushi selection also. The roe was still great though. I've never seen Chirashi on the menu at Hayashi, perhaps because I've just gone for lunch. I'll have to try it out.
Another place I forget to mention is Chon Son on Wells Branch between 35 and Mopac. The fish has always been very freash and the rice though a bit more seasoned than normal is quite good. If the main chef (and part owner?) is working the presentation is really special too. Be sure to order the Wakame (if you like that of course) it's divine.
Chirashi?
This is one of my favorite dishes and I've had it just about everywhere downtown and north. What makes a good bowl for you? Price, selection of fish, texture of rice? My long time favorite is Origami (in Round Rock at 620 and 35) and I've suffered through many a bad service to have this. It's the best to me because of the taste of the fish and the steller sweet, but not to sweet rice. My new favorite is Momiji (620 and 183). The huge roe was melt in your mouth good. The pieces of fish (except for the shrimp) were as thick as I've seen in this dish in Austin. It's also pretty good at Sushi Sake (183 and Capital of TX) though I like other things at that restaurant more. It's also generally good at Hakata in Pflugerville, but call to make sure the main cook is working. It used to be a good deal to get this at Ichiban, but the sushi has not been great the last couple of times I've tried it. It's terrible at Mikado, which is a shame and mainly due to the rice.
El Grito Cafe (Wells Branch area)
Last week "El Grito Cafe" opened up within walking distance for me (corner of Merriltown and 1325/Mopac). As our other Mexican restaurant within easy walking (Margaritas) recently closed I was very happy to see this. It's mostly a tacquerria with breakfast tacos, beef (sauteed, fajita, and shreaded)/chicken/pork tacos, quesadilla, and gorditas. I was very warry as they're mainly serving the bar next door. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the freashness of all the food. The fajita meat gorditas are my favorite as the meat was firm yet chewable and yet in small pieces as opposed to rubbery strips. They came with a little lettece inside as well as two types of cheese (white and yellow). The salsa is pepper based instead of tomato based so it looked a little watery. I didn't eat salsa, but it had a pleasant spice that was mild enough for my three year old, yet had enough kick for the hubby. The chips were salty yet had a nice crunch. They were a little greasy, but I like 'um that way.
For desert I had the choco-flan. For those of you that have never had this it's a piece of slightly soggy chocolate cake with flan as the icing. It was awesome!
Another visit I had the tacos. The torritas seemed a little undercooked to me, but the fajita meat was good as was the onion/cilantro mix. The hubby liked his stewed beef with poblano peppers.
I haven't eaten here for breakfast yet, but it's just a matter of time. On our last visit we spoke to the owner/manager? He's from Guanajuato, Mexico and tries to prepare most of the food as you'd eat it there. He said that on Sundays starting August he'll have tamales. Mid August/early September he hopes to have cabrito.
I have found a new hangout. Please try it so it doesn't disapper on me.
Anyone try the new Yama Grill and Sushi Bar yet?
I went here with my daughter yesterday and had the chef's choice bento box. The good points first. My almost three year old loved the multi-colored fish and the miso soup was very flavorful but not to salty. The service was speedy and friendly and the sushi (two kinds of tuna, mackeral, and eel) was thickly cut and seemed fresh. The fatty tuna was very good. However, the salad dressing seemed off both to me and my little one who normally loves salad and refused to eat more than one bite. Also the carrots and greens were not the freahest. The breading on the tempora was good and not heavy, but the vegs seemed old. But the main reason I probably won't be back was the rice. It was sticky but had almost no flavor to it. Even putting soy sauce didn't help. That's to bad because as cbrownin said there aren't a lot of other sushi or even Asian restaurants in this area.
Sushi Quest
I liked Sushi Caliente; while the sushi is not as good as other restaurants I think the rolls are acceptable (and a step up from HEB). I also had a bite of a friend's noodles and they were freshly prepared with just a hint of spice. My octopus salad had very fresh produce. The octopus was not rubbery at all. While I don't think is a destination restaurant it's OK for grabbing a quick bite to eat.
Also, I think Hayashi is opening up in Cedar Park also. I saw a sign on 1431 with all those restaurants between the Target and the movies.
Marco Polo dim sum slipped HUGELY
I love Golden Wok for Dim Sim. They have weekend cart service, but I perfer to order it from the menu during the week even if the selection is a bit more limited (fewer deserts and one or two other missing items). My favorite is the squid, which for the price is the best in Central TX. It's garlicy, but not too much and not watery at all like some other places. Other things that are good are the shimp sui mai, lin yeung bau, and the gin doil. The hubby likes the spare ribs (I'm not a big rib person) and especially enjoys any dish with the black bean sauce. T&S seafood is still my favorite, but Golden Wok is better if you're with people who perfer more Chinese-American food because they'll have something to eat also.
Lunch time dum sum?
Golden Wok does a limited Dim Son menu at lunch time during the week. I like the squid is quite tasty as are the sticky red bean sesame buns.
Vietnamese else where in NW Austin? SeaDragon II Closed
We went there about three weeks ago and were not impressed. First, the menu is much smaller than the Houston locations. Secondly, they were out of the first two items I tried to order (crab legs and a soup dish). Third, the server didn't know the contents of a simple dish like fried rice. Fourth, the hot and sour soup tasted as if it had been reheated several times. The main courses we ordered, shrimp fried rice and a mongolian beef, were good, but nothing special. In short, I'll stick with other restaurants in this area.
Threadgills Cedar Park
I don't know about smoking, but the website does say that they won't start working on the Cedar Park location untill the remodel of the North Austin location is done.
Hungarian in Pflugerville
I also love the European bistro but am partial to the jager schnitzel (veal) with mushroom gravy and the purple cabbage. The cucumber salad has just the right mix of sweet and sour for me. The portion sizes are kinda small, but the quality is always good. Another favorite of mine is the cherry soup. It's a cold yet sweet soup that I often order at the end of the meal. My husband prefers the Black Forest Cake, which I find a little bitter, but he loves it.
In my experience though, the service has been spotty. My husband and I used to eat there from mid 2004-early 2006 almost monthly and usually got good service. We went for our anniversary in 2006 (with a reservation) and had to wait almost thirty minutes for a table. Then we had such poor service --waiter forget our apps, served us the wrong wine and then tried to charge us for it, never asked us if we wanted desert, and we waited for almost twenty minutes after we'd asked for the check--that we didn't go back for almost a year. I took my MIL there for a belated mother's day in early June of 07. The place was almost empty, as it was a bit early for dinner (around 5), and the food was still the same, yet we got good service. So, my husband and I went for an after church lunch a few weeks later. The place was busy, but not full and the service was poor once more. The waitress kept pushing wine/drinks after I told her I was expecting and then forget to put in our to go order. She also didn't bring out our bread even after we requested it after watching other tables eating some. This time we mentioned this to the owner and she became a little defensive. We might go back again because the food is so great, but it's no longer a monthly event. And that's bad because this restaurant has some of the best food in Central Texas. The hubby just refuses to put up with poor service.
Mexican Food in North Central Austin
I went to Elsi's today for breakfast and the Sandia (watermelon juice) was fresh and not overly sweet. I also ordered the Huevos Montulenos (fried egg on a corn cake with black beans) and it was disappointing. I ordered it without the ranchero sauce because I'm expecting and spicy tends to give me heartburn. The dish came out with the sauce on anyhow. When it was returned to me the egg was undercooked and it was coated it a thick Chedder cheese. The corn tortillas were faintly stale. The black beans were good though. The restaurant was not crowded and had only two other tables. If someone else wanted to go I might give this place another try for lunch, but I'll stick to Curras for breakfast.
Tomorrow is last day here - where to get good breakfast taco in RR or Parmer area?
NO! This is my favorite taco place on the North side of town. I agree I've had better service, but the food is always hot and fresh. The only thing I've eaten here that was less than steller was the queso; it wasn't bad just to much Velveta for my taste, but my two-year old loves it. When I first started to go, they were not always crowded. Lately though, there has been steady traffic even during non peak times. I'll drive by on Friday to see if they've reopened; otherwise, it's Taco Deli (whose breakfast tacos are equally good, but whose lunch ones aren't).
Incredible Sushi at Tomo
I had the Seafood Tempora Bento box last week. I really liked the breading on the Tempora, it was lightly done yet crispy with just a hint of pepper seasoning. The miso soup was OK, but nothing to write home about. I'm expecting and so am not eating sushi, but my work buddies seemed to enjoy their Philly rolls and a spicy roll (they are not adventurous people). Mikado always seems to take a while, but service here was very quick for a crowded Wed. lunch.
Ethiopian in Austin (really Pflugerville)
My husband and I ate there tonight. The decorations are sparse, but nice. There are about 12 tables inside and another 6-7 on the patio. At the moment the menu is very small 2-3 apps, 6 vegs, and 3 meats. My husband and I got one meat dish and the veggie combo. The lettuce on the salad was not the best, but everything else (beef, goat cheese, mixed vegs, kale, lentils) was fresh and flavorful. To me this restaurant was more akin to what I've eaten in DC and New York than the one near campus (though I like that also). The owner told us he plans to add a lamb dish to the menu next month and perhaps Sambusa. That's my favorite dish, it's like an Ethopian empanada. The drink options were very limited --Sprite, Coke, Diet Coke, coffee, or water. I'll give them a pass on that though because they just opened. This restaurant is fairly close to my house, so we'll give it another try in three weeks.
