Pho Thaison's Banh Mi - An Austin Hidden Gem

We've been hearing it for years. "There's no good ______ food in Austin." Austin is all growing bigger, and with the growth, comes opportunity for growing a market for new types of food. For the near and possibly distant future, I'll start bringing you posts on these hidden gems in Austin. Some of them have been around for a while, and some are pretty new. All will offer menus from another country or region that you might be missing.

Very few of these places have marketing programs nor do they focus on an upscale dining experience. The vast majority of the places that I’ll introduce to you are family run with an emphasis on bringing you cuisine that they consider comfort food. Do keep that in mind when visiting these restaurants less talked about. The owners are welcoming you into their home to show you foods that show off their culture and their history.  

Additionally, this sparks a conversation that Austin. Growing bigger and developing into a bigger city means being more aware and educated about diversity. Austin does not yet have cultural districts of town like Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, and New York City. And that lack makes it really difficult to be exposed to different cultures, foods, and traditions.

However, before jumping headfirst into learning about the other cultures and their foods, taking a step back to understand the challenges. By now you should have hear about the Pho debacle caused by Bon Appetite. This is one of the best responses to the issue I have read, and it brings up many of the issues that is in the following links.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/07/the-future-is-expensive-chinese-food/491015/

http://firstwefeast.com/eat/2013/01/20-things-everyone-thinks-about-the-food-world-but-nobody-will-say/29176

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/11-asian-american-chefs-you-need-to-know/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/08/31/childhood-friends-called-my-food-chinese-grossness-how-did-it-become-americas-hottest-food-trend/

http://civileats.com/2016/03/31/beyond-talk-the-search-for-real-solutions-in-the-conversation-about-food-and-cultural-appropriation/

http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/11/foodie-without-appropriation/

The first one on my list of hidden gems is Pho Thaison, which has several locations in Austin. My favorite location is the William Cannon and Brodie locations that started serving banh mi’s about two years ago. I am a self-proclaimed banh mi connoisseur having eaten banh mi’s all over the world. 

The pork lemongrass banh mi with fried egg roll is one of my favorite dishes. It is my go to dish when I need something fast, satisfying, and to be out of the house. The pork is coming out tender and juicy, and the bread is crusty on the outside, soft and fluffy on the insight. My other favorite dish at Pho Thaison is the pho number 1. It is perfect comfort food on a cold day, rainy day, or just every single day.

There you have it. Hidden gem pho and banh mi in South Austin, TX.

Vietnamese Food in New Orleans

During my stint in New Orleans, I took researching Vietnamese food seriously.  I tried many establishments, several times before I made up my mind - and there were many who did not make the list.  Here's the results of my research.

• Best Overall Dishes: Hoa Hong 9 Roses 1100 Stephens St  Gretna, LA 70053
  (504) 366-7665
  •  The dishes here are amazing.  I've had the Vietnamese Crepe, bird's nest dish, and grilled pork dishes that were out of the water.
  • My favorite dish is the grilled pork with rice cake.  Get it. 
• Second Best Dishes: Tan Dinh  1705 Lafayette St  Gretna, LA 70053
  (504) 361-8008
  • The coconut rice cakes that come with make of the main courses are quite delicious.
  • The chicken wings and quail were really delicious as well, however, the way they were served was really awkward and uncomfortable to eat. 
    • I have hard time understanding how to eat the quail in a steamed bun.  Many tiny bones don't really make it easy to eat. 
  • The service here is not very good at all.  Expect poor service and you won't be disappointed. 
• Best Banh Mi: Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery and Restaurant 14207 Chef Menteur Hwy  New Orleans, LA 70129  (504) 254-0296
  • This isn't necessarily my favorite style of banh mi, but it is very, very, very delicious.  The bread was perfect.  The mayo was amazing.  Oh yes...... it is only a 15 minute drive away from downtown. 
• Second Best Banh Mi:  Tan Dinh  1705 Lafayette St  Gretna, LA 70053
  (504) 361-8008
  • The banh mi here are tasty.  I'd eat them. 
• Best Pastries: Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery and Restaurant 14207 Chef Menteur Hwy  New Orleans, LA 70129  (504) 254-0296
  • The pastries here are amazing.  I have not had Vietnamese pastries like this before. 
  • Get one of each pastry at least. I said at least.  They are amazing.  Did I mention that?
  • Meat pies.  Meat pies.  MEAT PIES!
  • I think the bakery was way better than the restaurant.

The quail at Tan Dinh were very tasty, but weird to eat.  How do you put a little bird with bones in a sandwich?

These chicken wings (available as an appetizer or as a mean) at Tan Dinh were very tasty and wonderfully crispy.  However, it was kind of weird to eat finger food with rice cakes. 

This is my favorite dish at Hoa Hong 9 Roses .  It is the grilled pork with rice cake. 

Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery had some rad cakes.  How's this for a dragon cake?

Aww..... a basket of flowers for me?

A close up the meat pies at Dong Phuong Oriental Bakery.  The bread is simply amazing. 

Here's a cross-section of one of the meat pies.  I dream of these pastries. 

2013 #Austin Ethnic Food Round Up

We've all accepted that the Austin food scene is has blossomed into heaven on Earth for food lovers.  While our ethnic food scene is still young, it is vibrant and growing strong.  Here's a list of where I'm currently going for ethnic food.  Some of these were from a previous posts on the secret ethnic restaurant list, and some are recent finds.  Not everything on this list is authentic, and that's alright.  Note: Uchi and Uchiko already have their own posts on my blog so they aren't included in this round up.  I love them that much. 

• 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.
• 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. 
• DFG Noodles 74 Rainey Street  Austin, TX 512-677-9DFG
  • I attended the media tasting, and oh my, I was surprised.  Many, many of the dishes tasted like what my family made. 
  • The Malay appetizer and the Special.  Get it.  You won't be sorry.
  • Cheryl Chin (of no relation to me) has an amazing resume.  She deserves the most diversified portfolio.  I've never been a personal chef for an actor.
• Habesha Ethiopian  6019 S Interstate 35 Frontage Rd  Austin, TX 78723  (512) 358-6839
  •  The Azifa Roll appetizer is amazing. I mean simply amazing.  I did not know that good could taste so good! I dream of it. 
• 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.
• Phonatic several locations  - 2525 W. Anderson Ln., Bldg 3, Suite 280, Austin, TX 78757, 9900 S IH 35, Ste 500, Austin, TX 78748, 1468 E Whitestone Blvd, Ste 200, Cedar Park, TX 78613.
  • Phonatic is a great introductory Vietnamese eatery with a large wide range of menu items.  There's enough menu items here to satisfy almost every, even for those who haven't tried pho. 
  • The sliders are pretty awesome.  Not completely authentic, but those sliders are awesome.
  • I also really like the toppings bar - all the jalapenos you want!
• Pho Thaison several locations
  • The South location is one of my favorites.  I think they make one of the best banh mis, though not entirely authentic. 
• Ramen Tatsu-Ya 8557 Research Blvd. #126  Austin, TX 78758
  • Tatsu has got it going on.  The man can execute like no one's business.  I think about Tatsu's cooking when I eat Japanese food at other restaurant. 
  • Get the chashu bowl.  Also, get the copy cat version of their citrus edamame.  
• 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. 
• Shabu Austin and Noodle Bar   2700 Anderson Lane  Austin, Texas 78757   512-336-8888
  • Shabu is one of the few places in Austin that actually serves hot pot.  Hot pot is like a fondue where raw foods are cooked in broth and cooked with a sauce. 
• Soto Japanese and Sushi Bar 11066 Pecan Park Blvd, Suite 402, Cedar Park, Texas 78613 (512) 257-0788
  • The sushi here is pretty darn good.  There are definitely French influences in the dishes along with liberal use of truffle oil. 
  • Happy Hour Everyday!
• 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. 
• Sway Thai 1417 S 1st St  Austin, TX 78704   (512) 326-1999
  • While I love many things on this menu, I probably love the desserts the most.  Don't miss the Miso White Chocolate. 
• Tam Deli  8222 N. Lamar Blvd. Suite D-33, Austin, Texas 78753  (512) 834-6458
  • The dishes here are pretty good, but my favorite was the dessert in banana leaves.  I'm not even joking. 

Salmon Craziness at Soto.

Moo Sway dinner at Sway.

Some pretty amazing dishes at Habesha.

Phonatic Pho sho!