It's Qui's World

Esquire names Austin's top chef as 'Chef of the Year 2014'

Paul Qui, chef/owner of qui restaurant in Austin.

Esquire names Paul Qui Chef of the Year. Photo courtesy of Qui

Esquire, the men's magazine showcasing all things stylish and sexy has bestowed upon Austin's top chef another major honor: Chef of the Year. Paul Qui, proprietor of Qui and the East Side King franchise, received the award Tuesday night at the Esquire Food and Drink Awards in New York. "Qui is a true sui generis talent, and none of his work — currently on display in his fantastic new restaurant, called Qui — is easily classified," writes Esquire.

Unlike many critics and food writers who wax poetically about Qui's dishes (and rightfully so), Esquire writer Josh Ozersky manages to capture the essence of what makes our homegrown hero such a success. "One of the things that makes Qui exceptional is that unlike most great chefs — especially young ones — he doesn't bully his staff or feed off his own ego. Instead he creates a space in which his cooks can excel, working in quiet synchronicity." Indeed, it is hard to look around Austin's burgeoning culinary scene and not find something influenced by Qui and his contemporaries.

Ozersky also calls out Qui's partner and fiancee Deana Saukam, who has become as much the face of the Qui empire as the chef himself. "Deana Saukam ... has done more to enable his genius than any investor or critic, and you have a chef defined not just by his food but also by the quality and loyalty of the people behind him. Culinary brilliance and character don't always go together. In Qui's case, they do."

The award comes just a few weeks after Bon Appetit named East Side King's Wonderland outpost Thai-Kun the No. 8 best restaurant of the year.

@pqui @deanasaukam receiving @esquiremag “Chef of the Year” award from @OzerskyTV at Esquire Food & Drink Awards!! pic.twitter.com/eFNRZvgDeB

— qui restaurant (@QUIAustin) October 15, 2014

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First Taste of Fish

New East Austin raw bar gets its sea legs in 3 pre-opening pop-ups

Justin Huffman and Nicole Rossi Le Beef Fish Shop

Justin Huffman and Nicole Rossi, the couple behind Austin's Le Beef pop-up, are introducing locals to their upcoming seafood restaurant, Fish Shop. Photo courtesy of Justin Huffman and Nicole Rossi

Austin is getting a new neighborhood restaurant devoted to seafood soon. Fish Shop is opening at 1401 East 6th St. #201 sometime this summer. But first, there are a few opportunities for taste testing. Pop-ups around town April 12, 19, 20, and 26 give Austinites four chances (at three venues) to preview the restaurant before its full debut.

Husband-and-wife team Chef Justin Huffman and Nicole Rossi are behind the existing Le Beef burger pop-up and now Fish Shop, which has been teasing social media users with artsy ocean imagery and a stock message on nearly every post:

"It’s a neighborhood spot. A place for oysters and clams, for peel-and-eat shrimp and fish crudo. Classic fish & chips, the Le Beef Burger and Guinness on draught. It’s simple food done right, in a space bustling in good company," the repeated caption says.

A press release adds a bit more detail, highlighting the couple's search for "the best seafood in the world in European countries, California, and Austin." Together, they've spent 17 years in Austin's restaurant scene.

Huffman brings experience within one of Austin's most influential institutions for seafood, Uchi, and its more casual spinoff Uchiko. Austinites might also recognize his work from the local French restaurant Justine's, and he maintains fishing contacts in the Bay Area and Los Angeles. That means he'll be getting seafood from the West Coast as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

Pop-ups will be held on the following dates, which are all Saturdays:

April 12, 2 pm at Kitty Cohen's: Menu includes Filet o Fish Shop Sandwich with fried fish, American cheese, tartar sauce, and pickles on a Martin's bun; and the Le Beef Burger, cooked in butter with special tomato-based sauce.
April 19 and 20 — Outdoor supper club Midnight in the Garden pairs eight courses by Fish Shop with wine by Ruth Lewandowski Wines + Ernest Vineyards from California. Tickets ($100 per person, plus tax) are available on Tock for two seatings at 5 pm and 8:30 pm.
April 26 at LoLo: Menu includes a Crab Roll, Filet o Fish, traditional Irish chips (Fish Shop's signature steak fries), and grilled barbecue peel-and-eat shrimp.

So far, no opening date for the brick-and-mortar has been announced. CultureMap will share an update when it is available.

seafood pop-ups openings chefs