It's finally time to eat at Qui!! Chef Paul Qui was my favorite contestant during Top Chef Texas and I was so thrilled when he won. Later I hear that he's opening up his own place! Been following it ever since. It's been open for about 7-8 months now? And business seems pretty great. I was so excited when I was able to get a reservation while in Austin! I basically emailed the restaurant 3 different dates and said whatever is available I'll take!
Qui
1600 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 436-9626
www.quiaustin.com
Price: $$$
The restaurant is pretty small, but it's very cozy and well designed. All the design elements and decor were so well thought out. There was a fun pattern that they used on their menus that was used throughout the place, on the walls, on the doors, etc. I thought that was really fun. The kitchen was wide open so you can see everyone working in there. I've always liked that type of layout.
We checked in with the hostess and she said our table was being prepped. So we waited at the bar for a little bit. The bar area was pretty small too. But the whole place was very cozy. I had asked the hostess if the chef was in and she said yes! And that she would send him over to our table at some point. OMG OMG OMG!! Excited!!
We were soon seated. And our waiter Kacey was super friendly. She got us started with some drink orders and went over the menu with us. She was definitely very knowledgeable of the menu and restaurant.
Mama Floyd's Cup o'Love (el dorado 12yr rum, lemon, orange, maple, spiced yunnan tea; served hot) $10~
My bf got this to share with me. He loved it! It was pretty tasty. If you like spice, mulled wine, cider, or all of the above, you'd like this too. It was very warming. And it came in the cutest bunny cup. Oh I wanted to take it. haha.
That English Devil (pimm's #1, tapatio tequila blanco, allspice dram, lemon, curacao, ginger beer) $12~ One of his sisters ordered this. It was too strong for me, and I'm not a tequila fan. But she is! And she said it was really good.
Kacey came back and gave us some recommendations on how we should order. We decided on the option of everyone ordering something different and share family style. She also suggested on the order of dishes to be served. Everything at the restaurant was thought out. All the plates, utensils, etc were specially designed. I loved how it was eclectic yet cohesive. :)
Kinilaw (amberjack filipino ceviche) $16~
Never had amberjack before but this was delicious. It kind of looked like yellowtail? It wasn't a fishy tasting fish. The texture was great and the sauce in the ceviche was creamy and tart and refreshing. The sauce was made of coconut milk, vinegar, yuzu juice and ginger. We all loved it. Kacey told us that the chef would like all raw fish to be eaten with chopsticks. Good! I would do that anyways. :)
Kuruma Ebi (orange, fennel, green garlic, chapulines) $20~
We found out that chapulines were crickets so one of my bf's sisters was extra excited. She's always wanted to try cricket. We were informed that the cricket was more of a relish on top of the Kuruma prawns which made it easier for me to eat it. haha. His sister was slightly disappointed in that little detail but it was quickly forgotten. It came 4 to an order which was kinda expensive. But it was soooo good. The body of the shrimp was pretty good. But then Kacey came over and told us that we should also suck the shrimp heads. I never suck shrimp heads. I don't do it with crawfish either... But it was AMAZING. I didn't know such a little piece of shrimp head can have so much flavor!! Definitely one of my favorites of the night.
Cabbage (crispy chicken skin, fennel relish, spiced yogurt) $8~ This was good too. I particularly liked the crispy skin with the fennel relish. Never had fennel relish before. It added a sweetness to the dish.
Rib Rice (pork ribs, koshihikari, sofrito, aioli) $18~
Slow cooked rib meat in dashi-pork stock rice? OMG. Sounds awesome. And it was sooo good. The aioli on the side added another layer of richness. This was one of my top 3 dishes of the night. So many layers of flavors. Each bite, I would get a different flavor. I scraped that plate clean!
Pasta (sea urchin (uni), yuzu, chanterelle, squid ink, trout roe) $24~
This was my pick. Uni and squid ink? Done! The pasta was nicely cooked, and you can tell they made it in-house. And lots of uni on top! The uni was a little fishier than I've had in Japan. But that was Japan, and I've learned not to compare that with things in the states. hahaha. Everyone loved it. The creamy uni with the salty squid ink and earthy mushrooms. Yum.
Salt & Time Butcher's Cut (pork secreto...shhh) $20~
I asked what the pork secret was.. Kacey said it was the piece of meat behind the ribs. It's usually too tough to sell so the butchers take it home to their families. And since it's a tougher cut of meat, they cook it low and slow. It was really great. The meat wasn't super tender, but it had a good texture. And the seasoning on it was pretty light so you can actually taste the meat itself. It came with vinegar potatoes and kimchi which were both awesome. Never had anything like the vinegar potatoes before. That was a big winner at the table. And I ate the kimchi with the rib rice...which also paired extremely well.
I was actually quite full! I think the snack at East Side King helped though. hehe. But can't forget dessert! They only had 2 options so we got one of each.
Halo Halo (seasonal fruit, ice, milk) $6~
This had a lot of ingredients in it: rice pudding, pumpkin custard, toasted coconut, waffle crunch, candied pecans, pumpkin seeds, pears, eggnog, sweet potato gelato, spiced pate fruit, candied sweet potato. And a rum sauce was poured on it tableside. Wow... it was a little cup packed with stuff! It's more of a single serving but we all just wanted a bite or 2. Halo halo basically means mix mix, so we mixed everything together. Pretty yum! I got to down the last bit and got a big gulp of the eggnog and rum sauce at the bottom. That was amazing.
Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream (crispy waffles, goat milk cajeta, peanut praline, aged cheddar ice cream) $12~
This was the main dessert I wanted to try. It just sounds so interesting. Although I was a little hesitant on the goat milk cajeta since I don't like goat cheese. But it wasn't gamey at all, I didn't even taste any goaty-ness. :P This was the best possible end to an amazing meal. The perfect blend of sweet and savory. The waffles and praline added the crunch factor and all the flavors worked so well together. The perfect ending.
After the meal, the chef came to our table. OMG!!! I'm freaking out. hahaha. I'm such a foodie groupie. :P He was all smiles just like when he was on Top Chef. One of the main reasons I liked him. He seemed like just the nicest guy. And he was! Took pictures with our table and I got another pic with just me and him. :) Definitely didn't disappoint. In fact, we were all pretty blown away.
From beginning to end, the meal was fantastic. The friendly hostess, to our awesome waitress, delicious food, and of course, Chef Qui himself. Even the other waiters/waitresses were super nice. I had asked Kacey to tell me the ingredients in the halo halo and she said she would write them down for me. Within a few minutes another waiter came by and gave me their notes to the entire menu for the night. It had every dish listed with ingredients, the stations it's prepped in, the utensils used to eat it (which we learned was called "marking"), and dietary considerations. Wow!! That's awesome. I will definitely file away these notes.
It was a wonderful meal with some amazing people. We still talked about how great it is the next morning!
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This was my first Christmas with my bf and I was invited to join him and his family at a lake house in Canyon Lake (an hour south of Austin). We had a ton of fun and food! I'm very glad and grateful that I spent the holidays with such a great group of people. :)
On Christmas Eve Eve, we went into Austin with his 2 sisters and brother in law. We had dinner reservations at Qui, Top Chef Winner Paul Qui's new restaurant. Our reservation wasn't until 8:30PM so we wandered around Austin and decided to get some snacks before dinner. My bf's brother in law recommended this bar called The Liberty. But more importantly, they had the food trailer, East Side King, in the back. I had heard of ESK and even bookmarked it on yelp, but I didn't know there were multiple types of cuisine from each trailer. This location was just a few yards down the street from the restaurant.
East Side King - at The Liberty
1618 1/2 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 422-5884
www.eskaustin.com
Price: $
This one was the Asian fusion trailer. I also learned that it was a collaboration between Paul Qui and another guy. So we're going double Qui today! :P It was pretty cold outside but we were able to order and wait for our food inside the bar. I wanted to try everything on the menu, but gotta leave some room for dinner!
Poor Qui's Buns (2pcs. - Roasted pork belly in steamed bun, Hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchee, green onion) $7~
I can't resist pork belly. And I thought the name was so smart and playful. "Qui" is pronounced "key", so the name actually sounds like "Porky's buns. Teehee. :P The pork belly was totally tender and the buns were soft and steamed properly. Nommy!
Beet Home Fries (deep-fried roasted beets, Kewpie mayo, Shichimi togarashi, green onion) $7~
I've only had roasted beets one other time and it was pretty bland. This was the complete opposite! Fried to perfection, the outside was crisp and the inside tender. It had lots of flavor and paired so well with the mayo dip. I think this was my bf's favorite. It changed his life. hahaha.
Brussels Sprout Salad (fried Brussels sprouts, sweet and spicy sauce, shredded cabbage, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeno, deep-fried bun) $7~
I also lurrrrrv brussels sprouts, and these came highly recommended. It was fantastic. The sprouts with the fragrant herbs contrasted by the sweet and spicy sauce. Flavor explosion! I wished there was more brussels sprouts to herb ration though. I feel like there was some fish sauce in there, which added more complexity. The deep fried bun on top was great too. Lots of textures and flavors.
Chicken Buns (2pcs. - deep-fried chicken thigh in steamed buns, Thai flavored spicy mayo, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, jalapeno) $6~
This was delicious. I think it actually beat out the pork belly buns for me. The kicker... the Thai spicy mayo. That stuff was amazing!!
Everything was fantastic, but the restaurant actually texted me that they have a table for us earlier. We had checked in earlier so they said they would let us know if anything opened up. So we got in 30 minutes before our reservation! But that also means we scarfed down our snacks like a pack of hungry wolves. haha. Still tasty. I'd definitely go back next time in Austin. I still have 2/3rds of the menu to try!!! Great recommendation!
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I recently did a one day trip to San Francisco. The main reason for the trip was a miles run. (If you don't know what that is, you probably don't care to know or understand why people do this. But if you are on the same boat as me... you know what I'm talking about!! :P) Anyhoo, I'm trying to make Platinum status on AA for next year. But for me, if I'm spending the time and money to do this, I better enjoy it!! So I made plans with my cousins who live close to SF to meet up for brunch. :) A 4 hour food tour of SF is basically what I did. hehe.
I was upgraded on my flight there so I got a really good breakfast in first class! Egg souffle with potatoes, sausage, fruit, and a warm biscuit. I was trying to hold out until brunch with my cousins but the food was too yummy. XP
I landed SFO at 10AM and my cousins picked me up and headed straight for the Mission area. Apparently it's a younger, hipster area with lots of food places. And I basically stayed in that area for the whole day.
The Vestry at the Chapel
777 Valencia St,
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 551-7306
http://www.thechapelsf.com/vestry-restaurant/
Price: $$
We had reservations at 11:30, but got there at 11AM. They seated us immediately. It didn't start getting a little more crowded until 11:30. The decor was rustic. The tables were really small but makes it a more intimate setting I guess. It was a little dark for my preference for brunch but there was sunlight coming through the windows.
Duck Confit Hash (banana squash, apples, potatoes, sage and poached egg) $13~
This was my order. I was pretty excited. Until they served it. haha. It was very small. :( I guess I'm used to Texas portions! But this gave me the opportunity to eat more of other people's food. haha. The hash was meh. I needed more depth in flavor. The duck wasn't super tender. The egg was overcooked since the yolk had hardened a bit inside. But all in all it was by no means bad... Not worth the price though.
Corn Bread Benedict (bacon, poached eggs, chipotle hollandaise) $15~
I guess they tend to lean on the smaller side on portions. Other than the bacon there wasn't a side to the dish. But it was pretty good. The chipotle hollandaise made the dish. It was delicious. Still pricey for the portion though.
King Cake French Toast (bananas foster syrup) $12~
This was my favorite of the day. The french toast was awesome. Never had french toast with king cake before! The texture was great. It had a nice crust but the inside was soft and warm. The mound of caramelized bananas was a great addition. I ate half of an order myself. haha.
Shrimp "Po' Boy" (with spicy remoulad and mardi gras slaw) $12~ I didn't get the try the sandwich but my cousin said it was really good. I used the jalapenos with my hash tho, which gave it a nice kick.
Not the best brunch I've had. Not the worst either. I was underwhelmed. I guess I expected more from SF since it's a big foodie town. Oh wells. Gotta try another place on my next visit!
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Next, we headed over to Humphry Slocombe for some ice cream! This place was on my list to hit. They had some interesting flavors! They're most famous for their "Secret Breakfast", which is corn flake ice cream with bourbon.
Humphry Slocombe
2790 Harrison St,
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 550-6971
http://www.humphryslocombe.com/
Price: $
One Scoop (Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee) $3.75~ This was really good. The coffee flavor was bold! I almost got the same thing. But obviously I didn't cuz I want to try multiple flavors. haha.
One Scoop (Cinnamon Brittle on a cone) $3.75~ I got this. The crispy brittle in the creamy ice cream was great! The cinnamon made it a little spicy and it just warms you up! Even though it's ice cream. hahaha. The consistency of the ice cream is really rich. I enjoyed it a lot. However, the scoops are too small! I missed the Texas sizes there as well. hehe.
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Last but not least, everyone I talked to had told me to go to Tartine Bakery. We walked by before brunch and saw a line out the door. It was about the same amount of people in line when we made it back later that afternoon.
Tartine Bakery & Cafe
600 Guerrero St,
San Francisco, California 94110
(415) 487-2600
http://www.tartinebakery.com/
Price: $
The cafe is pretty small and seats are first come first serve. But we were able to snag a few seats while I waited in line. The line moved pretty quickly. I kinda felt pressured to have my order ready due to the long line, but I wanted to look at and have everything. haha. The display of pastries and desserts were soooo tempting. They had these massive croissants!
I got some stuff to eat there and also a bunch of stuff to take back to Dallas.
Lemon Cream Tart (4 inch) $6.50~ My cousins wanted one of these. I'm not usually a lemon fan but this was really good. The cream was silky and just enough tartness. The tart shell was thin and had a nice crunch to it.
Passion Fruit Lime Bavarian Cake (topped with shredded coconut) slice $5.50~
I wanted to try something different and this cake sounded awesome. However, there was no description and from the brief glances into the display case, I thought the coconut flakes were actually white chocolate flakes. (Since they didn't include 'coconut' in the name of the cake.) I hate shredded coconut so it was a little disappointing to find that on the frosting. One of my cousins doesn't like shredded coconut either so both of us were trying to scrape it off the frosting. haha. But, despite the coconut, it was awesome. We all loved it. It had just the right amount of tartness between the passion fruit and lime. It was very refreshing too. The passion fruit cream in the middle of the layers were fantastic. I really liked it even with a few shreds of coconut flakes.
These are what I took home:
Pumpkin Tea Cake (slice) $3.75~ Pretty yummy. I liked the pumpkin seeds on the top of the slices.
Morning Bun $3.95~ I popped these in the oven for like 5 minutes. It crisped up the outside and the inside was still soft and warm. It was like a croissant muffin. Or a "cruffin"? hahaha. I'm pretty sure this precedes the cronut creating in NYC. This was my favorite out of the bunch I took home. Not too sweet and I loved all the layers of pastry.
Chocolate Hazelnut Tart (4 inch) $6.50~ I was really excited about this. And it wasn't too bad. But I waited over 24 hours to eat it. I heated it up for a few seconds in the microwave which helped I think. But it was not as moist as I would've liked. The tart shell is the same as the lemon cream tart, which I still enjoyed. It was good with tea, but I think if I had it when it first came out of the oven, it would be a totally different experience.
Gougere (popover with gruyere and black pepper) $3.75~ This was highly recommended on yelp so I got one to try. I love popovers. I popped this in the oven as well, so the shell got really crispy. But the inside was still soft. You can definitely taste the gruyere and black pepper. The inside was hollow and airy. I liked it a lot.
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