news you can eat

Huge international food fair and relocated rotisserie tour Austin food news

This may look like a standard birria trio (still fabulous), but they feature Vietnamese beef. (Found at FoodieLand Texas)

3 Brothers Kitchen/Instagram

From ultra-casual street food to politically minded fundraisers, the Austin food scene has it all. The cool thing is that both can be equally meaningful and enlightening. Chew on that while contemplatively nursing a bowl of ramen.

Openings and closings

This may not technically be an opening (jury's out), but to South Lamar residents it'll feel like one. The Austin Rôtisserie truck is moving from the Far Out Lounge to 1700 South Lamar Blvd., where the Picnik trailer used to be, in "early June." The menu will remain the same as other locations — a streamlined set of classic french sides like roasted potatoes, baguettes, and salads alongside the anchoring rotisserie chicken. The restaurant also announced two upcoming pop-ups: one on June 6 at Hotel San Jose'sFirst Thursdays, and one at Kitty Cohen'sOui Oui on June 9.

Dubious news for some loyal grocery delivery shoppers: Farmhouse Delivery posted May 26 that it would not be fulfilling the next day's orders because of unspecified challenges. The post did not confirm a total closure, but it has been the last communication for five days, as of May 30. The website calls it a temporary closure, and the post says, "We will be in touch soon with updates regarding future orders and the steps we are taking to navigate the future of Farmhouse." In its current state, the business has emphasized the health and sustainability benefits of shopping with small and family-owned farms, and has offered a wide variety of prepared foods and meal kits.

ICYMI: Austin's leading ramen chain, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, is opening its first Round Rock location June 2. This will be the first real suburban location in the Austin area. Now that you've got your casual fix, here's an extremely fancy influencer favorite: BOA Steakhouse, a sister restaurant to the newly opened Sushi Roku, is opening downtown June 3. Austin is also pre-mourning one of its iconic grocery stores as Wheatsville Co-op has announced its Guadalupe location closure a couple of years down the road.

Other news and notes

Wolf and Wheat, an adventurous bakery by pastry chef Margarita Kallas-Lee, is undergoing a summer transformation. Ice cream is not just the newest menu item, but the only one in the new ice cream-only program. A release boasts "the only composed interactive cones in town," whatever that means. [Update: A spokesperson explains via email that "composed cones are like a show almost[,] as they are placed in each cone stand and then finished off with each component of the dish by the pastry team. ... It differs from something like Amy's [Ice Creams] as each component is homemade by the pastry chef team and layered on, and there are not toppings like M&M's or other candy that have been purchased and then mixed in on the table.] The new program is kicking off with a visit from Graza Olive Oil, providing a drizzle over a raspberry and fig leaf sorbet swirled with sweet cream ice cream. That's available May 30 to June 1. Then the rest of the season is indefinite, but it starts with these flavors.

Italian restaurant L’Oca d’Oro is inviting Austinites for its last Pasta Paisanos fundraiser dinner of this “season” on June 3 — the last dinner benefitting Good Work Austin, which supports healthy workplace training in the food and beverage industry. The guest chef is Reem Assil, a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in California. Assil’s work at Reem’s California and in the award-winning cookbook Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora centers on how food reflects and strengthens identity. Assil was one of the chefs who resigned from Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, an organization a joint statement says "chose to normalize Israel’s intentional starvation of Gazans." Presumably, she might disagree with Rabbi Neil Blumofe, one of two pro-Israel speakers who led L’Oca d’Oro’s Passover dinners this year. His last retweet at the time included an assertion that “You don’t win wars just by intercepting your enemy’s hits, … [but] by exacting a deeply painful price.” Restaurant owners said they were unaware of the Rabbi's post and that their series is meant to “to send a message of unity, peace and kinship.” All belief systems are welcome, and thoughtful conversation is encouraged. They also say they’ve spoken extensively with Assil, so it seems that this neutrality hasn’t made it onto her chopping block.

A large food festival is taking over Austin's Circuit of the Americas next weekend, June 7-9. With tickets for only $7, FoodieLand is one of the few festivals you can visit for relatively cheap, although you'll have to pace yourself to save on à la carte eats. Besides its size and intensity — more than 190 vendors selling over-the-top street foods — this festival stands out for its worldly selections. If past events are any indication, visitors will find lumpia (Philippines), tanghulu (China), Hawaiian honey cones, birria cheese fries (Mexico-ish), Cajun shrimp (Louisiana), pasta made in a cheese wheel imported from Italy, and more. Shoutout to California's Mama's Boy cookies, who let us know about this event. Note that parking is $15. Find tickets via universe.com.

news you can eat tacos asian cuisine desserts mexican cuisine italian cuisine ramen openings closings food trucks festivals ice cream

Omakase for Everyone

New South Austin restaurant swims against current of expensive omakase

Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi keeps things simple.

Austin had no shortage of beautiful sushi restaurants, but a new one at Lantana Place is doing drawing the trend away from the center of the city and sticking a lower price tag on the experience. Tancho Sushi, offering "everyday omakase," is now open at 7415 Southwest Parkway.

The thought of casual omakase feels like a bit of an oxymoron in Austin, where the service style — which tasks the chef with choosing what the diner will eat — is almost synonymous with something fancy and expensive. Factor in the interior design at Tancho, which certainly doesn't look pedestrian, and it's hard to believe it's actually an everyday meal.

But all things considered, these prices seem reasonable: $29 for the lightest dinner option, and capping out at a $59 feast. Lunch is even less expensive, starting at $24.

Tancho Sushi interior The airy space takes advantage of its surroundings outside of the city.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

In some omakase experiences, the chef might factor in a diner's taste, the special ingredients that are available that day, and any number of other factors to determine what hits the table. But at Tancho, these prix fixe options are predetermined, doubtlessly contributing to the more accessible pricing.

The 50-seat restaurant also uses a clever marketing angle to get diners in who aren't necessarily experienced in sushi, or might otherwise be intimidated by letting a chef choose unfamiliar foods. "With thoughtfully curated preset menus, Tancho simplifies the dining experience by eliminating the guesswork so guests can focus on enjoying their meals," a press release announcing the opening says.

The release was sent November 22, but it looks like Tancho has been serving customers in a soft opening capacity for about a month, based on its Google reviews (which are stunningly high for a new restaurant at 4.7 stars).

Offerings at Tancho are simple.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Although each menu is different, there is a shared arc. All four experiences start with sunomono salad, a cucumber-based dish with red seaweed and sesame. Then there's tuna sashimi with smoked yuzu ponzu and scallions, and the rest depends on what the diner chooses.

Some standout items across the dinner service are sea bream on the light menu; akami (very red meat along the spine of a tuna) on the standard omakase menu; a lobster open hand roll on the rolls-only menu; and a tuna flight on the grand omakase menu.

No menu item is especially complicated. The focus is on doing each ingredient right, including the temperature the fish is served at and even the flavor of house-made soy sauce and ponzu.

“We keep the focus on the ingredients,” said co-founder Brad Van Otterloo in the release. “By stripping away unnecessary flourishes, we allow the quality of our fish to take center stage. This is a Texas-born concept through and through, and we’re proud to contribute to Austin’s growing sushi reputation.”

The open hand rolls are a signature for the restaurant.Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Despite all this talk of omakase, it is possible to order à la carte items: some appetizers, nigiri (sliced fish on top of rice), and rolls. There's also a carefully curated beverage program, which largely focuses on sake. That includes the Kubota Manju or “Ten Thousand Celebrations" ($79), renowned in Japan for its complex layers and smooth mouthfeel.

“As Austin continues to grow, we wanted to introduce a fresh take on the sushi experience,” said Van Otterloo. “We’re here to make sushi approachable for Austinites while honoring the integrity of this cuisine. It’s about creating a space where everyone can discover and enjoy sushi at their own pace – no pressure, no pretense.”

Tancho Sushi exterior This restaurant is meant to be approachable.Image courtesy of Tancho Sushi

Tancho Sushi is located at 7415 Southwest Parkway, Building 4, Suite 300. It's open daily from 11 am to 10 pm, offering both dine-in and takeout. There are no reservations.

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