Is Austin Where it Should be on the Ethnic Dining Front?

Could it be that the reason that Austin doesn’t show up on more Top Ten lists for food (as is does on just about every other list these days) is our lack of diversity of ethnic restaurants. And no, Tex Mex doesn’t count.

Let’s look at some various cuisines, and analyze our standing on each one.

Eastern European

We used to have Hungarian (European Bistro), Romanian (Drakula), but alas those are gone. Zip for Czech or Polish fare as well. There are a couple of trailers that do a hint of this or that, but nothing to speak.

German

We lost Ilsa’s Kitchen in Spicewood, and the European Bistro used to serve some killer Bavarian cuisine. Scholz still remains downtown and there’s a little 5-table joint in Pflugerville called Das Cafe. But that’s about it.

Russian

We finally got our first ever Russian restaurant, the Russian House on East 5th. It’s authentic, and it takes a while for the American palate to make the adjustments necessary. But I think they’ll be fine.

Asian

We’ve got loads of good Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai places. But what about the amazing cuisine of Maylasia? Or Taiwan? Or Indonesia?

I get calls on the radio all the time asking about Filipino cuisine, but all we’ve got is a tiny little store/bakery called Mang Dedoy’s on Research with four tables and Gammad Oriental Store and Restaurant on Parmer. Both are pretty authentic, but we’re still lagging behind given the popularity of this cuisine.

Indian

This cuisine is pretty well covered from the more meat and foul centric dishes of Northern Indian cuisine to the spicier and more vegetarian dishes of the South.

There are many good restaurants including the Clay Pit, Madras Pavillion, Star of India, Bombay Grill, Bombay Bistro, Shalimar, Swad, and the new Royal India serve many variations of these foods. We even have the Indo-Chinese front covered with Masala Wok.

Middle Eastern/Northern African

We’re a bit short in this area as well. Phoenica Bakery & Deli dishes up decent Lebanese fare, Alborz offers up Persian cuisine. Arpeggio Grill on Airport does a good job, and you’ve gotta try Maoz on North Lamar. Wide range of bases covered here. Marakesh seems to have gotten a bit off track since its move to Steck from Congress. But you can still get one of the best Falafels around.

The only truly Greek restaurant in Austin for a time (El Greco) passed away several years after an intervention from the great Gordon Ramsey. Unlike our other “Greek” restaurants it was actually owned by a Greek. But then came the Satorini Cafe on North Lamar to the rescue. A real Greek family. Hope they make it.

The Athenian Grill is run by an Albanian but close enough. The food’s usually very dependable. I’m not wild about any of the Tino’s Cafe’s although they seem to do well. I just wish there was a wider array of choices. The Kismet Cafe is likewise pretty good, but probably owes its survival to its proximity to UT.

Let’s not forget Milto’s on Guadalupe which mixes up a decent melange of Greek and Italian cuisine.

I am seriously jonesing for some great Morrocan Tajines in Austin, but alas they can’t be found in a brick and mortar restaurant. The Flying Carpet food trailer on Oltorf serves up some good ones, but I’d really enjoy it at a restaurant like the old Cafe Bleu. Wasota African cuisine in a trailer on South Lamar is a very decent spot for boneless Goat et al.

Ethiopian

We just lost Karibu, my favorite Ethiopian restaurant in Austin. Their Injera was to die for. But we have Aster’s, a decent family owned spot on IH-35 adjacent to the UT campus. Healthy and reasonably priced cuisine. Also available is Habesha Restaurant & Bar at 6109 N. IH-35. You gotta try the Ayib Begomen Roll which is cottage cheese and spinach wrapped in Injera. Then, in of all places, Pflugerville, is the Taste of Ethiopia Cafe at 1100 Grand Parkway. They’ve been there for 5 years, which in and of itself is a minor miracle given the overwhelming popularity of Cheddars not far away.

I summation, for its size, Austin is a great food city. But we do seem to have a preponderance and BBQ, Tex Mex, and Steak Joints. Nothing at all wrong with that but I sure would like to be able to sit down and enjoy some Chicken Paprikash and maybe some Bopka.

Think I’ll pass on the Vegemite though mate.

What do you think? info@diningoutwithrobbalon.com