#Austin Ethnic Food Round Up - The Secret List

These aren't necessarily a list.  Rather these restaurants don't typically have a big web presence or a team of public relationships professions getting the word out.  *Secret list subject to change.  *List isn't a secret anymore.  In bigger cities like San Francisco, Houston, and New York City, there's a wealth of traditional ethnic foods in breath and depth.  Ethnic food in Austin is not always easy to find.  However, in the last decade or so, the ethnic food landscape in Austin has improved drastically.  Unfortunately, marketing and public relations for some of these ethnic restaurant isn't always a priority.  I put together this list of restaurants that either I like or have been recommended to me.  None of these restaurants have a fancy marketing plan or even a website. So here I am, giving you list of current ethnic foods in Austin.  Asia Cafe  8650 Spicewood Springs Rd #115  Austin, TX 78759   (512) 331-5788 This restaurant has been around for a while, so you might have heard about it. I have noticed lately that the level of spiciness has dropped significantly. This restaurant is also BYOB.  My favorite is the 759. Salt and Pepper Eggplant with Pork filling. I also like 699, the Seafood Combination pot.  Asiana Indian Cuisine 801 East William Cannon Dr. Austin, TX 78745 This restaurant isn't "pretty," but I assure you that this is one of the best Indian buffets in Austin.  The flavors are really interesting and distinct.  Weekend lunch buffet for an adult was $11. The saag paneer is incredibly creamy, and the naan is perfect with it. The lentil donut is fantastic.  It is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  Dip these little babies into the tandoori sauce for some fun.   Do beware of the whole peppercorns though. The mango cream is also really tasty.  I only had three servings.  A+A Chinese Sichuan Garden  13376 N Hwy 183 Ste 100  Austin, TX 78750   (512) 258-5445 I haven't eaten here yet, though a friend has recommended it many times.  She recommends mapo tofu, spicy fish fillet, the eggplant and ground beef with brown sauce stuff, and twice cooked pork. Supposedly, the previous chef from Asia Cafe opened this restaurant.  The menu is pretty similar to Asia Cafe. Coco's Cafe  8557 Research Boulevard  512-833-6588 and 1910 Guadalupe Street  512-236-9398 I used to love Coco's, but the food has been pretty inconsistent lately.  I still get the shaved ice.  Curry in a Hurry  2121 W Parmer Ln  Austin, TX 78727  (512) 821-0000  Two words: Thali Special.  Get it.  Thank me later.  All menu items are vegetarian. You won't miss the meat. Ho Ho Chinese BBQ  13000 N IH-35  Bldg 6  Austin, TX 78753  (512) 339-9088 My parents like this place, so it has to be passable to their high standards.  I've only been here a few times, and I thought it was pretty good.  It isn't quite like Houston Chinese restaurants, but quite tasty.  Michi Ramen (location pending) Before they closed the trailer in hopes of a brick and mortar location, this was rumored to be amazing, authentic ramen.  I had it once, and it was quite tasty, though I'm not a ramen connoisseur.   Let's hope they open up another location.  Milano Cafe  4601 Southwest Pkwy  Austin, TX 78735  (512) 428-6076 I cannot say that I'm a connoisseur of Italian food, but dang, do I love this restaurant. The owners lived all over Europe, and the menu is a mash up of different European styles. Get dessert.  Talk to Sami.  Tell them I sent you.  Pakwan Indian Restaurant 3601 W. William Cannon Dr., Austin TX 78749 (512) 366-5204 I tried this restaurant twice with some friends, and I liked it. I can't vouch for its authenticity.  It is a little bit more mainstream.  The lunch buffet (occasional coupon on their website) is a steal at $10.  It does have a large meat selection, and the dishes are well-executed.  I would eat the lunch buffet everyday, but then I would start to waddle around.  Ramen Tatsu-Ya 8557 Research Blvd. #126  Austin, TX 78758 I thought much about whether or not this restaurant should be put on here.  They have gained quite a bit of attention, and I was trying to focus on restaurants that didn't have a big media following.  I haven't tried it yet, but many people really like their ramen.  I'll update this once I try it.  Rice Bowl Cafe  (pic below) 11220 N Lamar St   Austin, TX 78758 (512) 835-8888 This place was recommended to me by Peter Tsai and Michelle Cheng. I love the mapo tofu and the spicy fish and green onion pie here.  The Hunan chicken and Sichuan chicken are also fantastic.  A knockout dish here is the three cup chicken.  It makes me glad that I'm FOB.  Sichuan Garden  110 N Interstate 35 #240, Round Rock, TX (512) 238-0098 Michael Chu recommended this place to me.  Here's what he's recommend.  E1 - House Special Crispy Chicken G13 - Boiled Fillet with Spicy Sauce (shuizhu yu) B1 - Sliced Beef & Mow with Szechuan Style (fuqi feipian) H2 - Lamb with Hot Cumin I've only been there once for a pick up order, so I haven't really solidified my recommendations yet. Swad   9515 N Lamar Blvd   Austin, TX 78753   (512) 997-7923 I love the samosas and the masala rice here.  The menu is vegetarian, just in case you were wondering where's the meat. The Thali here is great too.  I'd get it if you like to try a little bit of everything.  Taste of Ethiopia   1100 Grand Ave Pkwy  Pflugerville, TX 78613  (512) 251-4053 This restaurant is a little gem way out in Pville.  Woinee, the owner, is incredible kind and generous.  She is a wealth of knowledge, and you'll love her as much as you love the food. If you like coffee, try the coffee ceremony (not just a cup of coffee).  It is about $30 for groups, and it takes about 25 minutes.  Woinee roasts the green coffee beans on the stove for this ceremony! A group of friends and I went to Taste of Ethiopia for lunch on New Years Eve.  Check out the photos below.  Texas Bakery 10901 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, Located in the MT Market Shopping center on the north corner. (pic below) This is not really a "Texas Bakery."  There are no kolaches.  There are no giant cheesecakes.  This is really an Asian bakery in Austin, TX. Asian desserts are much less sweet and less rich as compared to American style dessert.  However, the breads tend to contain eggs, and they tend to be more like a brioche.  Some of the items are not as tender as I like, but they are fairly new. Please keep this place open so I can enjoy my comfort food. Rice Bowl Cafe Texas Bakery Taste of Ethiopia Taste of Ethiopia More Taste of Ethiopia as the last 2011 meal. The before. And the after. Green coffee beans, prior to roasting. After roasting the beans. Traditional coffee ceremony. Pouring of the coffee. Post coffee mess.

Chocolate Kaju Katli: my twist on an Indian Dessert

I had my first piece of kaju katli a few weeks ago when a friend I traded some cookie dough for kaju katli, an Indian dessert.  At first, it looked a little like silver cigars, but I assure you that they are quite delicious.  The kaju katli recipe I'm posting here is a traditional cashew paste flavored with cardamom and rose essence covered in chocolate.  This recipe is adapted from Show Me the Curry.  They make it in a very traditional fashion, and they also have a fun video to go along with the recipe.  The basic recipe is the same, but I've changed up some of the methods.  Makes about 16-24 pieces. Ingredients: 1.5 cups of powdered cashews 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk (instant milk) 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder 2 drops rose essence or 1/2 teaspoon rose water 2 tablespoons warm water 1.5 cups of dark chocolate, chopped, chips, or discs Sprinkles, edible gold glitter, or sanding sugar (available at candy/cake stores, hobby stores, and some grocery stores) Hardware: Double broiler Two metal bowls Spatula Oil (to oil your hands) Forks Parchment or Wax Paper Tips: Powder roasted unsalted cashews in a grinder.  I used a coffee grinder to grind small batches.  If you use a food processor, you'll have cashew paste that just won't work.  Be very careful with the rose essence. It is easy to overpower the candy. Rose essence and rose water can be purchased at Indian Grocery stores.  I've also seen rose water at some H-E-B's and at Whole Foods.   In a large metal bowl over a double broiler, combine the cashew powder, dry milk, and powdered sugar.  Allow the mixture to warm thoroughly and mix around the bowl to warm it.  Warming of the mixture helps the oils of the cashews release which is critical for getting a dough to form.  Once the mixture is warm, add the rose essence and warm water.  Add the warm water slowly, mixing it in with the spatula.  Keep mixing until the mixture starts to come together.  Once a dough starts to form, oil your hand or hands and knead the dough.  I usually knead with my right hand and use the left hand to hold the bowl.  Once the dough has about the consistency of play dough, you can start forming it into the desired shape.  I used a spherical 1 tablespoon measuring spoon to shape my cashew dough.  I packed the spoon tightly with the dough, then I pushed it out gently to not ruin the shape.  It made little dome shapes.  You can try to shape the dough by hand, but it will not typically hold well.  If the mixture cools, it may become crumbly.  Warm over a double broiler to shape.  It makes 16-24 pieces depending on how big you make each piece.  Bigger pieces will yield fewer pieces. In another metal bowl over the double broiler, melt the dark chocolate.  Once completely melted, add the shaped kaju katli pieces.  Gently (very, very gently) use a fork to rotate it around in the chocolate or spoon chocolate over it to coat completely.  Remove from the chocolate using two forks to lift it out.  Carefully place each piece on wax or parchment paper.  Decorate with sprinkles, edible gold glitter or colored sanding sugar.  Sanding sugar and edible silver glitter didn't show up well on the chocolate.  The edible gold glitter stood out from the chocolate the best, but it is really up to your preference.  Allow the chocolate to set, and then serve.  For long term storage, store in the refrigerator covered.  Enjoy! Silver wrapped kaju katli. Don't use a food processor. Use a grinder to powder the cashews. My first batch, with gold sanding sugar sans chocolate. Shaped kaju katli. Dipping into chocolate. Covered in chocolate. On goes the edible gold glitter. Finished chocolate covered kaju katli.