Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.
Openings and closings
Austin still doesn't have a Chinatown, but we'll soon have the next best thing: a well-respected Chinese restaurant from New York. RedFarm, known for its modern take on Chinese eats and dim sum, is opening its third location overall, and its first outside of New York City on November 8. The downtown Austin location (201 W. Third St.) is a fairly large venture at 5,700 square feet, seating 150 guests in a dining room, a covered patio, a bar, and two private dining rooms. Unique menu items will include Pac-Man-shaped dumplings, pan-fried lamb dumplings, and sautéed lobster and egg; plus, a very nice-looking bar will serve up wine, sake, craft beer, and creative cocktails. Operating hours are Sunday through Thursday from 5-10 p,m and Friday and Saturday from 5-10:30 pm. Reserve at redfarmatx.com.
ICYMI: Wolf and Wheat, by the increasingly well-known Austin chef Margarita Kallas-Lee, is now open at 1009 E. 6th St. The bakery and workshop sells some of her best bakes from fine dining restaurants like Pasta Bar and Sushi by Scratch, which would otherwise require a hard-to-get reservation. Visitors will also be able to watch Kallas-Lee and her team work. Find out more in our editorial coverage from the initial announcement.
Other news and notes
One of Austin's top Thai restaurants, Thai Fresh, is celebrating its 15th anniversary under the Hunter's Moon (signifying the time to start hunting for winter) on October 28. Fittingly, the special dinner is fall-inspired, but the release does not say what will be on the nine-course pairing menu. It is instead a broad representation of Chef Jam Sanitchat's cooking style and heritage, experienced in two seatings of 24 people, each. Tickets are almost sold out, but the second seating is still available on Tock — if they sell out, consider the newly rebooted cooking classes.
Asahi Imports, a Japanese deli and convenience store on Burnet Road, is hosting another one of its annual Onigiri Socials, for its 6th year on October 29. This open house and parking lot tent celebration draws Ausinites in with onigiri (stuffed rice balls) for sale, plus alcohol and food samples, live music, a raffle to bid on, and giveaways. The first 100 people to check in at noon will receive gift bags with items like candies, snacks, Japanese teas, stickers, and more.
Chefs Reyna Vasquez of Veracruz and Deepa Shridhar of Sicc Palette are launching a dinner series that will highlight their similar-but-individual immigrant backgrounds. The series, called El Ritual, kicks off on October 29 with a four-course prix fixe featuring a fusion of pork, mezcal, Hoja Santa, coconut, and South Indian spices. These courses, will of course be non-traditional by the virtue of their fusing, but will represent certain parts of both chefs' pasts. Tickets ($150) are available via Eventbrite.
If the gang is still looking for something to do on Halloween, pitch this low-key but festive plan: Asian smokehouseLoro is serving up $2 "boo'zy slushees" to anyone who shows up in costume and buys food — dog costumes do count, if Fido doesn't mind footing the bill. These delicious frozen drinks are not going to put anyone in a sugar coma (looking at you, Instagram bartenders), and come in similarly adult flavors like frozen gin & tonic, mango sake, Vietnamese coffee, and even a zero-proof piña horchata. After that, consider sharing a few flights for $12.75 (for three) so you can try them all.
Photo by Evan Sung
RedFarm brings modern Chinese food from New York City to chic new digs in downtown Austin.
