It's been four years since the inception of Texas chef duo Michael Carranza and Danielle Martinez's successful in-home omakase service and private dinners. Ready for something new, they'll debut a new brick-and-mortar omakase restaurant called Tare in North Austin on Thursday, January 11.
The speakeasy is a self-proclaimed first-of-its-kind for the area that combines Japanese specialties with the chefs' Mexican culture to create unique dishes and an intimate experience for guests, with space for 12 diners. It's located at 12414 Alderbrook Dr., in an unassuming building with ample outside parking.
Executive chef Carranza explained to CultureMap that his idea behind the restaurant wasn't specifically to make fusion food, but to add some of his and pastry chef Martinez's cultural influences and flair into the menu. These details can be found in Carranza's favorite offering on the menu: the Japanese shrimp sushi tamale.
"It's basically a tamale underneath [with] Oaxacan cheese and jalapeños right now, but we're going to move to Oaxacan cheese and huitlacoche once those become fresh and available," he says. "It kind of looks like a nigiri piece, so the the tamale underneath is the rice, and the Amaebi shrimp over the top."
Photo courtesy of Couple in the Kitchen
A few of the other delectable dishes Tare will offer include the aguachile, which is comprised of a dry aged ocean trout, serrano, and strawberry; a Lockhart-sourced quail yakatori, another of Carranza's favorite dishes; and a matcha tres leches cake.
The majority of the fish Tare will serve will be dry aged while still using traditional Japanese techniques like sukibiki, Carranza says.
"Anything that can go in the dry ager will go in the dry ager, and we'll utilize that for the quality of the fish, condensing the fat [and] really pulling out moisture," says Carranza. "Smaller nuances of Japanese technique is the base [of preparation], and Texas flavors and ingredients [are] in the forefront. So it's a little different, and it's something that I want."
Carranza and Martinez have a combined 30 years of experience in the restaurant and sushi industry, with backgrounds at Uchi, Musashino, and Minamoto. As the sole owners of Tare, Carranza says, the duo is primarily focused on providing an intimate environment and experience for guests, which allows more freedom than if they had to churn through guests to pay back investors.
"We've heard people say, 'We go to these sushi places and we're there for an hour — or two hours — and we're getting pushed out for another seating,'" Carranza said. "You're not a customer in our restaurant, you're a guest in our house. We're gonna take care of you and give you the hospitality we think is fit without the, 'Here's your bill, you gotta go.'"
Austin speakeasies often have an air of exclusivity, but that's not what Carranza wants to portray with Tare. His solutions to counteract pretentiousness are found in the beverage menu's down-to-earth offerings. Guests can order simple Texas classics like a Lone Star beer, or try Carranza's unique spin on "a shot and a beer" with a Miller High Life and an A5 wagyu beef-washed shot of whiskey.
"Being in the industry, I go to places with a shot and a beer option, so having that is a fun play on the [concept]," he says.
Photo courtesy of Couple in the Kitchen
After the January 11 soft opening, Tare will be open for reservations Thursday through Sunday. Carranza has future plans to expand the restaurant's operating hours to include Monday and Wednesday nights.
Reservations can be made online via tareaustin.com.
