The main broth at this ramen-ya is tonkotsu, a broth made from pork bones that takes many, many hours to make. There are other ramen styles here as well such as tsukemen (dipping ramen), chicken shoyu, and veggie but the focus is on the tonkotsu. Those wishing to spice up their bowls even more can opt to add on "bombs" like the Spicy Bomb or Yuzu Kosho Bomb which range from $1 to $1.50. We wanted ours straight to best gauge what made this restaurant so beloved.

Duc ordered the Mi-So-Not ($10 - pork bone broth, miso blend, goma pork, ajitama, scallion, napa cabbage, bean sprout, and corn) and added on kikurage for $.50; there is also a spicy version of this bowl called the Mi-So-Hot if you are so inclined. Stacked high with quality toppings, the ramen had a sturdy broth base that coated one's palate with just the right amount of creamy smoothness. It was different to not have chashu be the main protein but the minced goma pork was a welcomed change; it was seasoned well and mixed into everything perfectly to give you some meat per spoonful.

I was particularly fond of my Tonkotsu Original ($9.50 - pork bone broth, chashu, ajitama, woodear mushroom, and scallion) to which I added on marinated bamboo for $.60. Since this one did not have additional miso added to it, the broth was purer and gave us a stronger sense of its prowess. Here was a good bowl of ramen. The chashu was thicker than I am accustomed to but still flavorful and crisp in the right places. We both also noted that they made delicious ajitama (the marinated soft eggs) that came out as hot as the broth with a molten, bright yolk. I'm looking forward to checking out more of their broths in the near future.

If you are craving a hot bowl yourself, visit them at 8557 Research Blvd #126, Austin, TX 78758 and be prepared for some lovely comfort food. Heck, take us along why don't you? My meals need more ramen in them!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Smoke surrounded us for hours on end as we waited in anticipation for the doors to open and let us in. All the times that we had heard about Franklin BBQ and its infamous wait, we would scoff and say we'd never wait for hours to eat. The commitment was at minimum three whole hours, and who wants to stick around that long to get some lunch? It was a tourist trap, right? The more I read about Franklin BBQ though, the more I saw some other values in sitting there - meeting other folks who are waiting, spending some offline time with friends, and eventually getting some great barbecue. We finally agreed when asked to join our friend in the wait, and with our lunch pack and foldout chairs in tow, we made our way over to the iconic barbecue joint one morning.


What a fluke! Perhaps it was the blessing of recent resolution-ers who may have sworn to be more health-conscious that found us second in line at Franklin. We had arrived just a little after 8AM (the restaurant opens at 11AM) to find that there was only one other sole person waiting, and he had been there since 6:45AM. Eventually the line did start to build but not before we had already claimed our spots as the second group to get in and feast on the cared-for meats. If you do decide to go yourself, I highly recommend bringing along others and treating it as time to catch up. If you don't have chairs of your own to haul over, don't worry; there are spare ones underneath one of the staircases outside the restaurant.


Because of Franklin BBQ's reputation, many get there early to reserve a spot in line with the hopes that they will be able to get ahold of some delicious barbecue. The restaurant only serves a set limit of pounds of meat per day (a tad more than one full ton's worth) and because they have several offerings, there are many times when the options start running out. We heard that food can even be gone two hours after opening if the crowd is thick enough. Choices are served by the pound and slammed onto metal lunch trays after being expertly sliced into weighed portions; while you are in line, a staff member comes out to get an idea of preliminary orders so they know when to start flagging potential end points in the line. To be honest, it was hard not to get a little greedy, even knowing that we wouldn't be able to finish everything...


We did manage to restrain ourselves though. After three hours of waiting, our little group pulled together 1.5 pounds of moist brisket ($20/lb), 3 bones of ribs ($17/lb), 1/4 pound of pulled pork ($17/lb), 3 links of sausage ($12/lb or $3/link), and a single portion of potato salad ($2.50). The experience comes with plenty of white bread to help sop up all the juices and oils, and a condiment station inside lets you snag miniature boats of pickles and thinly sliced white onions.

The brisket was glorious. Easily the best we've ever had. It was extremely moist and fatty in all the right ways, imbued with a long-lasting smokiness and the right balance of savory and salty on the edges. The meat was so tender and hot that it neatly fell away with each fork thrust. No wonder that people line up for this - it is not just the experience of waiting for Franklin BBQ but it is the brisket that makes up for the queue. As a whole, we also really enjoyed the mild meatiness of the sausage which lent itself to be a great companion to the bread. The pulled pork had a good crust on its edges where its succulent inside meat wasn't, and the ribs had a beautiful flavor but came out a little tough on the bite. The potato salad was a pleasant break from the juices of our pounds of flesh as well.

Find Franklin BBQ at 900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702. If you must bear with others on the wait time, know that the moist brisket will be the ultimate focal point of your meal so definitely order up!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Wholesome vegetarian food coming atcha by way of Bouldin Creek Cafe and their artsy ways. Had it not been freezing the morning that I came here with my friend, I would have likely taken more exterior shots to fully showcase all of the walls of the restaurant so creatively covered in art but alas, the chill was too unbearable. I retreated into this fully vegetarian hot spot with curiosity and excitement as I always enjoy vegetarian/vegan menus even if I am not fully following the lifestyle.


The intrigue of the art on the walls outside is carried into the inner walls as well. Everything imaginable aside from the furniture is covered with creative works including a full room with hung artwork by local artists. These were for sale too should one catch your eye. There was also a shelf full of books that touted a "Take One, Leave One" policy for the avid reader. I found the multicolored amalgam of art styles, media, and more to actually give Bouldin Creek Cafe quite the charm rather than looking like an abandoned junkyard sale. Everything just worked well together and had I wanted to meet some interesting folks, I'm pretty sure I could have talked to anyone there and heard some fantastic stories. Instead, I sat down with a thick mug of the Tokyo Fog ($3.75 - green chai, steamed milk, splash of vanilla) and people-watched a bit as more and more came in for their breakfast fill.


We'll have to return here one day for more perspective on the menu as I only had my one entree and my friend his. My tasty plate was their Tamale Breakfast ($8.75 - two organic, pasture raised eggs or tofu scramble, two sweet potato & pecan tamales, house-made salsa, warm tortillas & choice of red & black organic beans or refried organic black beans) of which choices I made were the eggs scrambled and red & black organic beans. The stars here were definitely the tamales themselves because their make-up led to a sweet masa that played off of fall spiced flavors; I really enjoyed the nuttiness from the pecans as well. I was also surprised by just how tasty the eggs were on their own, scrambled to a perfect consistency and complementing the beans very well. My friend who has visited several times before settled on the Breakfast Tacos (range $2.50-$3.75) and claimed they were also solid choices here.

If you're curious about visiting, Bouldin Creek Cafe is located at 1900 S 1st Street, Austin, TX 78704. I think the best part of the restaurant is that despite a vegetarian menu, it still consists of many hearty, savory dishes that can stand against the best of the meaty breakfasts/lunches. Plus, all the neat art doesn't hurt either!

Part of our transition to Austin includes getting ourselves familiar with great eateries and vendors doing wonderful things. That may involve looking up some events happening around town; luckily, we came across a roastery hosting their tasting room's open house, and we really liked their mission and goals! Greater Goods Roasting Co. is named so for a reason, and it looks like they have really found a lot of headway by sharing their goods to Austin at farmers' markets, fairs, and the like. A congratulations goes out to them for the opening of their tasting room where their expert barista(s) can make the coffees just the way they ought to be made.


To share a little bit about what we ourselves learned about Greater Goods Roasting Co. is that their products are put together on a model of responsible and quality sourcing. They proudly (and rightly so) boast that less than 2% of all coffees grown internally meets their standards for what they decide to carry. Additionally, as members of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Specialty Coffee Association of America, Roasters Guild, and Baristas Guild, they prove through their dedication to the coffee that they are serious in making sure everything is perfect and consistent. We were intrigued to learn about their small-batch roasting process as well which allows for optimal freshness but also clean emissions (smoke-free roasting, 80% less energy used during process, etc). Not only that, a percentage of purchases go toward charitable causes!


The lovely Open House was celebrated on January 7, 2017 and well-attended. Guests enjoyed live music in the warehouse by Hot Texas Swing Band and set up all around the roastery were tables featuring food items from Chaiwalla, Batch, and Skull & Cakebones. We tried out two drinks ourselves as well as some delectable pastries (Naan Bear Claws; yes they were delicious) - both of which were well-made and unique as they included ghee in their construction. Though it was our first exposure to Greater Goods that morning, it certainly left an impression! Check them out at 160 McGregor Ln, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 for the tasting room/roastery and find them in various areas around Austin.

Photography by Duc Duong & Minerva Thai. More photos available on Facebook here.

A huge congratulations goes out to Chi'Lantro for opening yet another location, this time in South Shore in Austin. What had started out as a food truck has now expanded to include multiple brick-and-mortar locations; it reminds us a little bit of the success story of one of our favorite fast casuals back in Orange County - Slapfish. Chi'Lantro brings something unique to the land of barbecue and that is the Korean inspiration. Korean barbecue (fondly known as KBBQ many places) gives a different flair to the meats here, and when we saw that they were having some soft opening events, we decided to hop to them and check them out.


Chi'Lantro hosted events yesterday January 6 from 12:30pm-2:00pm and 6:00pm-9:00pm and will host one later today, January 7 from 5:00pm-9:00pm. At a maximum of one entree per person, the menu will be free during those time periods to those who attend to show their support of the opening. Though the food and drinks were complimentary, guests are presented the option to make a donation in exchange for the freebies - all donations go on to assist local charities Carebox Program, Austin Animal Shelter, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, and Children's Tumor Foundation. It was certainly a kind gesture to contribute back to the community.


We had experienced Chi'Lantro before, via their food truck, during a conference and really enjoyed what they had to offer. The in-store experience is much like the widespread build-it-your-own fast casual restaurants out there these days; you select bases, proteins, toppings, and sauces to fit your fancy. We began with an order of their Korean Fried Chicken Wings ($7.50/6 piece - Gangnam sauce) which came out wonderfully crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. Whenever I have Korean fried chicken, I always marvel at how they can maintain two such differing textures within one piece. The Gangnam sauce added a pleasant sweet and spicy kick to each piece. Overall, a definite must.

Then I stuck it out for a traditional set-up of The Original Kimchi Fries ($7.99 - spicy pork, caramelized kimchi, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, onions, cilantro, magic sauce, sesame seeds, sriracha) which meant I let the experts choose their magic. Though the restaurant is a build-your-own style, I wanted to experience what fully entailed their signature dish that put them on the map. My initial impression beyond just the first look (so colorful and rich!) was that they stacked this high; it easily was an entree of its own. With all of the pieces together, the fries made for a spicy meal though - you got hit with spicy protein, spicy kimchi, and even a generous dosage of sriracha. This is a knife and fork dish, folks.

Duc's Burrito ($7.99 - spicy chicken, lime buttered brown rice, black beans, lettuce mix, homemade kimchi, salsa, grilled corn salad, magic sauce) was no joke either but we wished it had been wrapped tighter. Sorry for the flat, spilling shot; the stuffed innards just fell out once we split the burrito in half. Regardless, the flavors played well together and made for a solid meal. I can see this being a fantastic to-go option for those lunchers that need to dash.

If you want to check out the newest location of Chi'Lantro, visit them at 1414 Shore District Drive, Suite 102, Austin, TX 78741-1328. They are located at the end of the building and have ample seating space inside.

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.