Another Amazing Birthday

Over the weekend, the wife and I traveled to Austin to celebrate her aunt turning 60. I dare say I was more excited about the get together than her aunt. Why? Because of the food, of course. Her aunt is an amazing cook whose poor bookshelf is under undue strain from all the cookbooks she owns. Put the same amount of weight on the back of a pack mule and you'll be charged with animal cruelty. So in tried and true Vietnamese tradition, a birthday celebration means the birthday girl hosts an elaborate meal for everyone traveling from afar. Needless to say, I was giddy with excitement.


For appetizers, my aunt-in-law (AIL) and my mother-in-law (MIL) rolled these picture-perfect spring rolls filled with lettuce, rice vermicelli, Chinese sausage, grated carrots, and fresh-picked happiness. What is it about mothers that everything food related ends up being near perfect? While rolling these, the two of them were gossiping like school girls and bickering like nemeses, both seemingly not paying attention to the food. However, this photo shows spring rolls that look more appetizing than those at most restaurants. I guess it's the secret superpowers of moms.


For soups, we had a choice of two options. And, yes, I chose both options. The first was the wonton soup made with a pork/shrimp mixture. The broth, unlike commercial versions that are basically salt water, was a flavorful orgy of fresh chicken stock, sweet radishes, and pungent green onions. The wontons were cooked perfectly so that the dough was not a mushy mess.


The second soup option was a tradition Vietnamese beef stew called bò kho (pronounced baw caw). Chunks of beef shank and tendons are slow cooked until melt-n-yo-mouth tender in a broth infused with lemongrass and star anise. The carrots are in the mix to successfully alleviate any guilt for the indulgence.


And for the main course we had crab fried rice and fried shrimp patties. Now don't go thinking it's patties of ground shrimp, which can also be delicious. These patties are made with fresh whole shrimp and mung bean both melded together with batter. So when it comes down to it, it's battered fried shrimp. The inclusion of mung bean, like the carrots in bò kho, is really just there to break up the richness of the oily fried goodness. This foto only shows two patties but I easily consumed half a dozen. The red peppers helped kick the party into gear. Take a bite of the shrimp patty, take a bite of pepper, stuff my mouth with fried rice, wash it down with beer, repeat until physically incapacitated. So many meals of my life follow these simple steps.

Believe it or not, this was only lunch. My AIL prepared enough food with a dozen people in mind but there were plenty of leftovers. But as always, the leftovers end up being like socks in the laundry; it all eventually mysteriously disappears.

Competition at the Salt Lick

We visited Austin again and had a meal at the Salt Lick, again. However, this time I had to bring my A-game. After being seated, I noticed a camera crew in the corner of the large, mess-hall type dining area. Our server informed me that Food TV was there filming food for a show. Needless to say I was a bit intimidated by the competition... Just kidding. There was no competition. Those guys were way out of their league...

OK, self delusion aside, we had another great meal at the Salt Lick. To read about our other Salt Lick meals, view the posts with Austin or BBQ in the tag.


This was the standard family-style platter which came with all the beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage I could eat...and I did. I prefer the fatty brisket and always request it. Also make sure to ask for their habanero BBQ sauce. Don't worry, it's not nearly as spicy as the name implies but it does have a little more kick than their standard juice.


While eagerly awaiting the best part of the meal, the dessert, I came across this awesome view of their pecan pies. Though I'm not a fan of pecan pie, I love desserts enough to give all desserts their due time on this site.


So here it is, the grand finale. Salt Lick's blackberry cobbler is the best blackberry cobbler I've had. (If you think you can make a better one, feel free to leave your contact information and we'll schedule a time for you to prove it.) The crust is a buttery cornmeal mixture and the blackberries taste as if they were picked and baked within the same day. Order this thing up a la mode and you'll forgot all your worries...if only for a little while. If anyone were to ask me, "Tam, if I could only order one thing at the Salt Lick, what would it be?" I would respond, "Bahkbary caaber." And when they ask me to repeat myself, I would finish swallowing the cobbler in my mouth and say, "Blackberry cobbler."

Gathering at The Salt Lick

Our final meal of our Austin visit was Sunday lunch at The Salt Lick in Round Rock, which is north of Austin. The original location is south of Austin in Driftwood. Their website doesn't appear to make any mention of the north-side location. We had to call the Driftwood place to get the phone number for the other.

To get to The Salt Lick in Round Rock:
1. Head north on I-35 from Austin
2. Take exit 253 for US-79
3. Turn right onto US-79 AKA E Palm Valley Blvd (heading east)
4. Just past 4 miles in and The Salt Lick will be on your left just in front of the Round Rock Express Ballpark.


The smell of BBQ smoke seeps through the car's air vents as we searched for a parking spot.


This location is similar to the original in several aspects. In addition to wood dominating the interior and exterior decor, diners see the kitchen in full view as they pass to enter the main dining area. However, a big difference from the Driftwood location is that this one is not BYOB. This was a very disheartening lesson to learn first hand.


My wife ordered their pork ribs and beef brisket combo plate. The ribs were tender and easily came off the bone as we bit into them. Notice the beautiful pink coloring through out the meat. This permeating pink is a sign of low and slow smoking. The brisket was soft enough for folks without teeth. I once heard of another BBQ joint in TX whose slogan is "Don't need teef to eat our beef." Though that motto doesn't officially belong to The Salt Lick, you could probably fool a first-timer. The folks at The Salt Lick really know how to smoke their meats.


I ordered their special, which was a plate of beef ribs, beans, and au gratin potatoes. Before I get into the meat, these potatoes were amazing. That's saying a lot coming from a guy that isn't big on the pale root. These had plenty of butter and cheese to win me over. The meat on the ribs didn't "fall off the bone," which is expected of beef ribs. The ribs' connective tissues were tough, almost as if waxed paper was Superglued onto bone. This usually means one of two things, the ribs were cooked too quickly or the ribs came from an old steer. From the tenderness of the actual meat, I concluded it was just a geriatric bovine. This was a small price to pay for the richly marbled meat that came with ribs. Through ribs are typically messy, a dexterous diner could successfully eat pork ribs with a knife a fork. Beef ribs, on the other hand, requires a expectation of and commitment to saucy, oily hands, lips, chin, and, occasionally, shirt and pants. I'm proud to say that I extracted all the meat possible from these ribs. The remainder went to my dogs who acted like Christmas came early.

For dessert, we ordered a couple of their sinfully delicious blackberry cobbler. It comes out in a small bowl where a warm blackberry bottom layer is topped with a buttery cornmeal-based crust. Since the first time I had this years ago, it's been a must-have for every visit. There's no fotos of it because the dessert came out while I stepped away and the others at the table weren't patient enough to wait. But don't worry, I'll definitely visit again and will be prepared.

Torchy's Temptations

Despite a great meal at Uchi, later that same night I got a strong case of the munchies that needed satiating. This was probably due to the fact we had dinner at 5:30. So I and fellow foodies headed over South Austin's Trailer Park & Eatery to so that Torchy's Tacos could silence our growling tummies.


The vivid street sign to ensure drivers don't miss the stop they didn't even know was on their itinerary.


Long hours and hard work make for a happy trailer park eatery.


This is Torchy's green chili pork taco and was hands down the best pork taco I've ever had. The pulled pork plenarily pleased palettes with plentiful porcine pieces of pure propitiousness. In other words, it was good. The tender pork was slow simmered in a green-chili's and topped with fresh cilantro and onions and served a wedge of lime. I opted out of the cheese as to fully taste the pork and I'm glad I did. My mouth still waters with the memory of mouthfuls of fatty pork, zingy lime, fresh garnish, and warm buttery flour tortillas. It was so good I actually went back and got another.


This is their brushfire, which is Jamaican jerk chicken, grilled jalapenos, mango, Sour cream, and cilantro served on a flour tortilla. This taco was served with their Diablo sauce, a creamy habanero sauce (it's in the pork taco foto above). The taco was as delicious as it was photogenic. My wife particularly enjoyed this one due to her affinity for mangos.


For dessert, we ordered their nookie. These golf-ball-sized spheres o' fried fun are deep-fried chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-covered Hershey kisses. I know what you're thinking and, yes, we got some nookie in the trailer park.

In all honestly, I ate at this place twice during the weekend. However, due to my excitement and eagerness to start eating, only a few fotos turned out appetizing enough for blogging. This won't be so the next time I visit.

Itching for Uchi

Saturday dinner in Austin was at Uchi, which we understood to be the best place for sushi in Austin. Wow, we weren't disappointed. As you approach the front door, you walk through a large zen garden that makes you feel guilty for stepping in it, even though there were seats and tables set up. Upon entry into the restaurant, you see the sushi bar with sushi chefs working elbow to elbow. Looking pass the sushi bar, you see a long dining room with ornate wallpaper, which creates the sensation of being in one of the cars of the Orient Express. Definitely romantic.

Alright, enough about the ambiance, the following are the flavorful fotos of our meal.


Our first appetizer was their uchiviche, their take on ceviche. Their version consisted of salmon, striped bass, vine-ripened tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, garlic and cilantro drizzled in a light vinegar mixture. This dish tasted much like sashimi with a tangy zingy kick. The tomatoes were fresh and the peppers were tender, probably from poaching. This was a great beginning to what was to come.


This was their saba shio, Norwegian mackerel broiled and served with 3 different spices. The mackerel was delicious. The meat was firm and dense. The skin was crisp yet chewy. And both meat and skin were wonderfully melded by the flavorful, fatty fish oil through out the filet. Like I always say, fat is flavor.


Next up was the bacon steakie. Like it sounds, this was an dish of twice-cooked thick steaks of pork belly covered in a sweet brown sauce and sour green apples pieces. It's practically a self-explanatory name for the dish. If fat is flavor, this dish was almost purely flavor; wonderful, delicious flavor. Imagine delicious cubes of pork where it's layers of just meat, fat, more meat and more fat. Though others at the table stated they could have done without it, I personally thought it was brilliant.


This was one of their specials of the night. Tuna, avocado, and cucumber rolled in rice rolled in crunchy tempura flakes served with a spicy mayo sauce. Not a complicated combination, the simplicity of this roll was what made it so great. Fresh tuna and avocado is always a great mix with similar textures and differing subtle flavors. The virtually flavorless cucumber and tempura flakes added a great, crunchy texture. Though it may seem rather plain compared to the selection found at most sushi bars, it's a great roll.


The salmon and escolar sashimi were extremely fresh.


The mackerel was fresh, fatty, and unforgettable. A raw version of the saba shio mentioned above.


The broiled fresh-water eel was flaky, moist and made everyone smile.


I typically don't order scallops, but my wife is the fan and so we ordered a round for the table. This was some of the freshest scallops I've had ever. And since I'm a sucker for avocado, Uchi has made me re-evaluate my stance on scallops.


From left to right, we had salmon roe, flying fish roe, and sea bass.


The sea urchin was amazingly fresh. Too bad it was served with the mint leaves. My wife knew better and removed it before eating, so she loved her piece. I got a piece with very little mint and didn't hate the combination, but would have preferred it without the green leaf. Sadly, the others at the table said the mint overpowered the urchin and it was as if they were eating minty, mushy rice.


This was everyone's favorite of the meal, foie gras nigiri. Thin pieces of goose liver seared and topped with a bit of mint and crispy-fried something sitting in what I think was some of the pan drippings. When bitten into, the rich liver spreads like warm butter over the rice, prolonging the slight sweet and salty juices already permeating the rice grains. In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned that roasted pig would be apart of my final meal. These morsels would also be included in said meal.

The delicate fish to rice ratio was delectably perfected. This was some of the best sushi rice I've had in Texas. It was just as it should have been, room temperature, held firm, and it seemed like every piece was covered with rice vinegar goodness.

Everyone loved this place and the wife and I would definitely go again if ever in Austin. In a rare stroke of genius, we went right when they opened for dinner and got seated immediately. Fifteen minutes into our meal the dining and outdoor waiting were packed. The food gods must have been smiling on me that day.

Flipping Out

For Saturday lunch in Austin, we tried a place we saw on Food Network's Throw Down with Bobby Flay. According to the show, the two founders of Flip Happy Crepes could not seem to find a decent crepe after a trip to Paris. So after perfecting their recipe with lots of practice and discarded batches of batter, they obtained a cozy vintage trailer from which they serve warm smiles 5 days/week.




Though the line moved fast, it didn't let up the entire time we were there. It's outdoor seating, which was great this weekend since the weather was perfect. Interestingly enough, from a few conversations I overheard while standing in line, there were a handful of other Ike evacuees in our midst. So it truly was one big flip happy.


The first crepe we bit into was their smoked salmon with herb cream cheese, spinach, and tomato. Since we were so eager to dig in, I didn't showcase the filling as much as I would have liked. But from this foto, you can easily see the warm, buttery, crispy exterior that completely surrounds the filling. All the subtle ingredients complimented one another extremely well. In other words, each ingredient has a mild flavor that's easy to distinguish when eaten alone but could easily be overpowered with the wrong combination. But by their powers combined, they were crepe extraordinaire. The rich cream cheese was balanced out by the doughy crepe and crisp veggies. At the center of this tango on my palette was the salty smoked salmon. It's kind of like that group of 5 nerds in high school. Individually, each was meek and oft overlooked. But together, they formed an incredible team of matheletes. Yeah, it's exactly like that.


Our next crepe was their shredded pork with caramelized onions and Gruyere. Unlike the team of mathelets above, this one was more like two of jocks trying to one-up the other while their girlfriends roll their eyes. Shredded pork and caramelized onions are very pronounced ingredients. I felt the mild flavor the Gruyere was almost lost in the mix but it definitely added a great richness to the crepe. After taking a bite, someone commented, "I suddenly feel happy."


For dessert, we got their cinnamon sugar crepe with toasted coconut and cream cheese frosting. The cinnamon and sugar was mixed into the crepe batter. The filling consisted of sweet coconut flakes and cream cheese frosting. All this was topped off with powdered sugar and crushed almonds. The kind of response that comes from eating this warm triangle is silence. In this one moment, there are no words, no conversation, just smiles and glances of complete understanding that everyone at the table is in the same state of mind as the other.

We wanted to go again the next day on Sunday, but they were closed. We're supposed to go camping in the Austin area soon, maybe we'll just camp outside the Happy Flip Trailer.