bar news

Popular East Austin den shutters, new concept to open in its place

Au Sing Den will pour its last cocktail on June 9.

The next few days are going to be melancholic for one of Austin's most cherished bars: Ah Sing Den is closing up shop on Sunday, June 9, to make room for a new Southeast Asian food and beverage concept scheduled to open in fall 2024.

Ah Sing Den is leaving its space at 1100 E. 6th St. after eight years in business. In a June 5 Instagram post announcing the closure, the beloved Victorian London-inspired lounge shared its gratitude for its dedicated supporters.

"Thank you for the wonderful years, unforgettable moments, and the most delicious tipples & morsels we’ve shared," the post said.

Ah Sing Den added that the social media account would be rebranded to OKO, the new culinary establishment taking its place.

According to a release, OKO will be "a celebration of Asian cultures filtered through a Texas prism." The new project is backed by Trinity Concepts (Ah Sing Den, Parlor Room) and FAM Hospitality Group (Thai Kun, East Side King).

OKO Austin OKO's 1,600-square-foot space will be designed by Austin-based Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.Rendering courtesy of OKO

"Years of dreaming and brainstorming led to this collaboration with FAM, born from friendship and a mutual interest in expanding our visions,” said Trinity Concepts founder Donny Padda in the release. "We’re so grateful to the Austin community for their support of Ah Sing Den the last eight years and look forward to creating a new space for Austinites to embrace."

Chef Harold Villarosa, who has previously worked for Michelin-starred New York restaurants Aureole and Aquavit, will lead OKO's culinary program alongside FAM Hospitality co-founder and James Beard Award-winning chef Paul Qui.

Menu offerings will have distinct Southeast Asian influences "presented in the cultural context of the Filipino diaspora," the release says. There will be a "kinilawin" (raw seafood) bar serving Filipino-style ceviche and Texas oysters with pinakurat (spicy Filipino coconut vinegar), and other dishes like lumpiang sariwa (fresh spring rolls), various Filipino street foods on skewers, and Filipino classics like Texas lamb adobo.

"OKO is a way to introduce Filipino cuisine in a way that is both thrilling in its newness and familiar in its makeup," said Villarosa. "OKO celebrates diversity within its narrative of the Filipino culinary journey."

The cocktail bar, which will specialize in agave-forward and rum cocktails, will be helmed by beverage director Jarmel Doss.

An official opening date and operating hours are expected later this summer.

closings openings asian cuisine cocktails seafood

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.