Qi: Divine Dim Sum

Five lunching ladies got together for dim sum brunch at Qi this past weekend.  Pretty much impeccable, from the decor to the place settings to the food, and especially the company as our group has bonded over food for many years now. And everything tastes better amidst friendship and laughter, though Qi's food and presentation does not need much assistance. 

From the entrance on 6th Street, the wine walls form two private dining areas.

Main dining area, with kitchen to the back and bar to the right.
 Could see a number of women preparing foods at the counter.

Our table, in the smaller of the two more private areas was called the birdcage table on our bill. Throughout the restaurant, there were beautiful embroidered Chinese robes on the walls. I would love a time to just study the decor in there! 

Beautiful plates, nice heavy crystal water glasses, and even the chopsticks had a nice weight and feel to them. 

In order of how we received the food. First up, sticky rice with Chinese sausage.

Snow pea shoots

Zha Jiang noodles, kind of a Chinese bolognese. I believe they said the meat was a combo of beef and lamb,
and you mix everything together before serving. Loved this!

The utterly divine crab fish maw soup dumplings. You could taste the sweetness of the crab meat. We should have ordered more of these! The accompanying sauces were soy, chili, and a light vinegar (plum?) with julienned ginger that was lovely with the soup dumplings.

Scallion pancake curry dip. This is the one dish that wasn't as great as everything else. The curry sauce was very flavorful,
 but the pancake was thick and almost tough, without any of the real flakiness I expect from scallion pancakes.

They changed our plates out partway though. 

Steamed barbecue pork buns; nice flavor in the pork.

Chicken with cashew dumplings. This isn't a dumpling combo I have had before, and I really liked them.

Shrimp har kaw.

The adorable little creatures are lobster dumplings with a hint of truffle in them, making them extra decadent!

Even the restrooms spared no design expense. From my travels to Japan, I have learned there is an Asian fascination with toilets. These had the motion activated lids, warm seats and automatic flush. (If you haven't used them before, you don't always know what to expect or even how to operate them at times!) Gorgeous carved wooden sink, very much a masculine-feeling space.

Here's our order. And it came out to $37/person with tax and tip. Not bad at all!

Qi was fantastic, and I can't wait to go back! Have you been and if so, what were your favorites?

First Look: 1417, Bouldin's Neighborhood Bistro

By all appearances, 1417 has successfully managed to open their new restaurant during a pandemic. The upscale (but still casual) French bistro, 1417 took over the space vacated by Thai sweetheart Sway (the Westlake location is still open) at 1417 South First Street, in the heart of the Bouldin Creek neighborhood.  When they first opened over the summer, they were only serving on their outdoor patio, and just in the past month have added indoor seating. We had an early dinner reservation, and while the inside was empty when we arrived, when we left, the patio was filled and the inside was bustling.

Service was great from the moment we walked in. Staff was friendly and welcoming, water glasses were continually attended to, and dishes came out in an appropriately timed manner. 

Gorgeous interior!

The Jane Doe + Cucumber Gimlet cocktails.
 They put some attention into details like the glassware and serving pieces.

Duck confit crepe, which had a nice range of textures from the tender meat to the crisp crepe to crunchy hazelnuts to the mostarda.

Cheese board with firm goat's milk, blue, and soft ripened, which are a good mix of styles, accompanied by pears, berries, apricot compote, candied walnuts and sourdough crackers.

Eggplant with "chorizo" from farro, roasted squash and fava beans. 

Mussels in chile oil broth with a nice hearty focaccia, perfect for dipping. Hard to pick, but I think this was my favorite.

Chocolate mint candy bar with peppermint butter cream inside, and mint sorbet. 

All in all, a great new addition to my Bouldin neighborhood! 1417 is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Mattie's Brunch

Green Pastures is an old South Austin iconic event spot with its huge live oak trees, peacocks, and manicured grounds that have hosted many a special occasion over the years. The huge old farmhouse with its rambling porches is the centerpiece of the tree-filled property, and houses Mattie's, the latest reincarnation of their restaurant. Perhaps I should have taken photos of the surrounds, but I did not, so you'll have to go visit on your own. On a warm August Sunday, I gathered with friends for one's birthday celebration out on the patio, The food was delicious, our server patient and helpful, and we made it out just before a big thunderstorm rumbled through! 

Artemis Cup: hibiscus tea, ginger, lime, vodka

Southern style sour cream + onion dip with house made thick cut potato chips

Blueberry donut holes

Fried green tomatoes with crab + shrimp salad with creole remoulade.

Decadent milk punch French toast with mascarpone + strawberries. Green Pastures has always been known for its milk punch bourbon cocktail, so it's no surprise they found a way to incorporate it into brunch.

Biscuits + chorizo cream gravy with scrambled eggs

Fried chicken eggs benedict

Decadent chocolate mousse cake 

Launderette Brunch

I hadn't been to Launderette in about three years, and my friend and I were excited to catch up over Saturday brunch. It did not disappoint as it was pretty much an exquisite meal all around!

Mimosa + Bloody Mary cocktails to start

The crispiest potato latkes I have ever encountered! 

The English muffin sammie, with avocado, cheddar, egg, romesco and the true star of the show, fennel sausage, with incredible fennel flavor.

The fried chicken sammie, which I heard no complaints about. Also, it was recommended by our waiter. 

I had been eyeing this coffee custard tart since I had seen it on their Instagram page after we made our reservations. Firm crust, creamy ice cream and delicious on it's own. However....

The frozen honey nougat parfait was different and we both really loved it, somewhat surprising myself as I am always a chocolate fan. A creamy but not too cold texture with passion fruit caramel and candied honeycomb on top. Very unique + very glad we went for two desserts!

Don't skip dessert!

Lucky Robot

Last week, I caught up with a friend at Lucky Robot on South Congress; for a weeknight at the end of June, the area was buzzing (Netflix was filming something next door at the Continental Club) and the restaurant was full! We were fortunate to snag a table without a reservation. 

Brussels tossed in a lemongrass soy marinade

Tako (octopus) and pork belly "sashimi" bites

Summer cebiche with white fish, baby corn, watermelon, jalapeno with a watermelon
leche de tigre broth. Gorgeous plating, delicious and super refreshing!

Hira hira (yellowtail tuna) maki roll 

A lovely glass of Gruner Veltliner. And see the wooden bud vase?
That's an elegantly designed QR code!

The interior of Lucky Robot is certainly what you would call Instagrammable. (Or sensory overload, lol.) As June represents Pride/LGBTQ+ rights/visibility/equality, this bench seating is loud and proud and I loved it! (The photo also belies the crowded restaurant! This was taken right after the table next to us left.)

Side note, a friend and I had gotten carry out from Lucky Robot last summer that was also delicious!

Stunning carryout chirashi bowl from last year; a version of this is now on their brunch menu.

Also delicious were these pork belly buns

All in all, a successful venture out into the real world! What are your current summertime faves?

Aba: The Greatest Hits

Passion fruit gin + tonic. Yes, please! 

In the past month, I have been fortunate to go to Aba twice for lunch. The first visit was quite good, and the second trip even better! Aba is a Mediterranean spot on South Congress in the new Music Lane (read: upscale) development; the original restaurant is in Chicago and this is now their second location. Here's a rundown of our foods with a little commentary. 😀 

Whipped feta with pistachios and pita bread. If you only order one thing at Aba, make it this. OMG. So creamy, not overly salty, and a basket of  warm pita which is doughier + fluffier than your standard pita.

Hummus with short ribs was quite tasty.

I believe this was the farro salad with sunchokes; gorgeous presentation but to me it didn't have all the flavors the menu promised. (I actually don't see this version on the current menu.)

Grilled chicken kebabs with wonderfully juicy chicken. The zhoug sauce (like a cilantro pesto) was a bit flat and needed more acidity to really shine.

Frozen Greek yogurt with strawberry sauce was a refreshing palate cleanse at the end of our meal.

On to my second visit:

This ahi tuna tabouli was outstanding, and I am not one that gravitates to raw dishes. The tuna was like velvet, the pomegranate seeds offered the perfect texture and acidity along with a light bit of yuzu, and I like the mouthfeel of pearled couscous rather than cracked barley for a tabouli.

Very crispy potatoes, which I loved, served with a scallion crema.

Big Brussels sprouts, with almond dukkah (a sumac-based seasoning) and honey harissa for a touch of sweetness. Great flavors.

Slow braised leg of lamb wrapped in eggplant. I love lamb and would eat this again in a heartbeat! It was very tender, the tomato sauce full of cinnamon, which may sound strange (though very typical of Mediterranean food), but so good!

Plan your visit ahead as getting a reservation can be challenging. Both times, we went for an early weekday lunch and were able to get seated in the outdoor breezeway with no problem. The design of the place is beauitful with a huge deck with lounge areas, tables, and a full bar; the majority of the seating is outdoors, nestled between old trees and new buildings. My photos of the exterior don't do it justice and hence not posted, but take my word for it. They also have a gluten free menu, and to-go parking in the below-ground lot.  The scope of South Congress is changing, loosing its once funky vibe, but Aba is a welcome and VERY delicious addition to the scene. 

Have you been? What foods did you enjoy?