Hot Pot Goes Cold
Austin hot pot restaurant DipDipDip Tatsu-ya closing after 6 years
DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is closing to make room for a new concept.
Austin's Tatsu-ya group runs the gamut from fine dining to casual solo lunch spots, but it's about to close its most sophisticated restaurant. After six years in business, DipDipDip Tatsu-ya will close on Sunday, August 17.
According to a press release, the restaurant is closing to make way for a new concept in the same space at 7301 Burnet Rd., Ste. 101. The release seems to imply the new concept will follow a similar thread: "But this isn’t the end—it’s a metamorphosis. A new evolution is brewing."
DipDipDip is a Japanese hot pot restaurant with shabu-shabu and nabemono styles, in which diners cook their own meats by dipping them in broth or enjoy them more as a slow-simmering soup, respectively. The restaurant also had an omakase experience. It overhauled its menu in July 2024, and was awarded a recommendation from the Michelin Guide in November.
“DipDipDip was a love letter to Japanese nabemono — it allowed us to share a unique side of Japanese cuisine, a place where we could slow down, cook together, and share something special,” said Chef Tatsu Aikawa. “We’re beyond thankful for the team who brought it to life and for every guest who dipped with us over the last six years.”
Shortly after DipDipDip opened, the hot pot restaurant got an ice cream parlor twin. DipDipDip Ice Cream opened in 2019 and closed toward the end of 2023 when it went into a seasonal "hibernation" and never woke back up.
The rest of the Tatsu-ya group's portfolio doesn't offer many clues as to what a new concept could be. The only thing tying these restaurants together, besides Aikawa himself, is an adherence to Pacific cuisines; Ramen Tatsu-ya, Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-ya, and Kemuri Tatsu-ya are Japanese, while Tiki Tatsu-ya is of course Polynesian. But once hot pot, ice cream, and tiki drinks have all been on the table, anything can happen.
