Austinites who have yet to dive deep into the Tatsu-Ya Group may associate it solely with causal dining. That perception was previously missing some details, but it's getting closer to the truth as the group makes some big changes to its fancier restaurants including Dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya, which now has a much more varied menu.
Dipdipdip is the group's shabu-shabu restaurant, referring to a hot pot method of service where guests dip thin-cut raw meat into simmering broth. As of July 17, though, the menu expands far beyond this anchor offering and the signature omakase to include appetizers and nabemono, a different type of hot pot where the meat stays in the broth, allowing for a less attentive eating style.
What's new
Both these changes make visiting Dipdipdip, which remains visually upscale, significantly more accessible. American diners largely still shy away from having to cook their own meat at a restaurant, and the existing omakase is a bit of a financial commitment at $125, plus $50 for beverage pairings. With an all-new appetizers menu, the cost for a two-person visit could be as low as a $7 plate of gyoza, plus two $12 cocktails and tip.
New appetizers include lotus chips in an aerated buttermilk onion dip with optional smoked trout roe; house-made yuba curds (soy skin) with imported soy milk and wasabi; prawns in a Japanese take on a shrimp cocktail; and pork sui gyoza with kosho ponzu.
In addition to these changes, there is a new "Dips and Slices" section for specialty add-ons: duck; strip loin or A5 waygu; and charred bone marrow with beef tongue or cold smoked brisket. There was already a shabu-shabu pot designed for à la carte choices, but this new section allows diners to choose one of the other, more curated pots (with recommended flavor combos) while also adding a thing or two.
Finally, and most subtly, the curated hot pots now come with shaved vegetables to add while cooking the meats.
“One of the things I’m most excited about is introducing guests to different styles of Japanese dining beyond shabu-shabu,” said chef-owner Tatsu Aikawa in a press release. “Not only are we bringing more variation within nabemono styles, we’re adding elements to the experience that are very familiar to diners."
The bone marrow could be a great add-in to any hot pot.Photo by Christian Remde, Palate Films
Nabemono vs shabu-shabu
“There’s a difference between broth and stock,” said Aikawa in the release. “Shabu-shabu involves experiencing the taste and texture of each ingredient by swishing them in a cooking stock, which starts out with a very mild flavor and builds as you go. It’s not a soup; The dips are where the flavor comes in."
The nabemono section includes three recipes: a chicken-based dashi with yuzu, chicken thigh, meatballs, cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, shirataki (rice noodles), ponzu for dipping, and rice; a tomato-based dashi that swaps the chicken for prawns, crab, clams, and the ponzu for a chili sauce; and a beef version with loin or A5 Waygu, that comes with truffle rice and a raw egg diners can boil themselves.
The latter was recommended on a hosted CultureMap visit, and had a unique, very rich taste that was both slightly sweet and mostly savory; something that should be familiar to ramen-lovers although it diverged quite a bit from the lighter-tasting shabu-shabu. The shabu-shabu did take much more coordination, while the nabemono simply continued stewing without intervention throughout the meal.
Seafood Nabe with tomato dashi.Photo by Christian Remde, Palate Films
The shabu-shabu is still worth trying, especially for visitors who want a more novel experience. The taste is more varied, since it comes with two dipping sauces, and the nabemono comes with none — everything in the pot shares a similar, stronger broth flavor. It is also, of course, fun to dip the ingredients, and it comes with a surprise ramen noodle and aromatics delivery at the end of the meal, which the leftover stock is poured over.
A new leaf for Tatsu-Ya Group
This new menu closely follows similar news at Tiki Tatsu-Ya, the Polynesian-inspired bar and restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard that charmed Austinites right away when it opened in 2021. Although all Tatsu-Ya restaurants have strong, often busy visual brands, this tiki spot took it to the next level by constructing a speakeasy cave complete with waterfalls, sound-and-light shows, and collectible tiki mugs.
This all made it incredibly hard to get a reservation at first, and that combined with the not-inexpensive menu made it a special-occasion spot.
But in June 2024, the restaurant opened the Retreat at the Nest, a concept only open early in the week in the formerly private event space upstairs. (It is currently only open Mondays and Tuesdays, but a spokesperson says it is expanding to Wednesdays starting sometime the week of July 22.) With similar decor, a snack menu, and mixed drinks or cocktails from $9-15, this separate-but-similar offering does not accept reservations.
Beyond that, it appears to be business as usual at the Tatsu-Ya restaurants — the barbecue-focused Kemuri Tatsu-Ya and the famous mini-chain Ramen Tatsu-Ya — which have always been relatively accessible, provided that diners don't mind an extremely long line for ramen during occasional busy spells.
Reservations at Dipdipdip Tatsu-Ya (7301 Burnet Rd., Ste. 101) are available via Resy. Limited omakase seatings are available each night. Both hot pot styles are available at any table, and diners do not need to know which they want to order when they sit down.
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