Episode #4 - The International Eats Edit

We’re diving into the flavors that make this neighborhood one of the most exciting food scenes in Austin. In this episode — The International Eats Edit — We’re exploring the multicultural spots that bring the whole world to the East Side and sharing a few of our favorites along the way.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome to the East Austin Edit, where we discuss food, drinks, culture, and observations east of I-35. I'm your host, Lil Honey, here with my co-host, Big Honey. And today we're diving into the flavors that make this neighborhood one of the most exciting food scenes in Austin. In this episode, the International Eats Edit, we're exploring the multicultural spots that bring the whole world to the east side and sharing a few of our favorites along the way. But first, let's chat about the goings-on in the neighborhood since we last recorded.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Well, it's 95 degrees today, so that's all I can think about right now.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

It's so true. What is happening?

SPEAKER_01 0:50

It is so hot.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

It is so hot. Um, it feels like peak summer. I feel like we did not get a winter. Because we didn't get a winter.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

No, we skipped right over it. Look, I'm glad we aren't having a blizzard right now, like they are in Wisconsin, but it's still 95 degrees out.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Okay, so other than the weather, what's new?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Well, we're coming to you right from the middle of South by Southwest.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Happy South by y'all.

SPEAKER_01 1:19

Uh condensed this year, one week, only covering one weekend. And I actually dig it.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

I like it too.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

It feels more energy-packed. Things aren't spread out. Uh calendar-wise, things are spread out physically, though. Uh, we have torn down the convention center here in Austin. And because of that, South by obviously can't happen there, so it's spreading all around. And I feel like I'm seeing a lot more people on the east side this year than last year.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yes, um, I agree. Uh, I I feel like the east side is like the locals South by.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

It is. There's a lot of music stages.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah, and I just feel like it's a little bit of maybe a little bit of like a grittier, more indie alternative to like the very corporate activations of downtown and South Congress.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Oh, you mean where downtown where the good bands are playing?

SPEAKER_00 2:13

Yes, exactly. But as a result, I feel like, you know, we can actually enjoy it, right? We can actually show up without an RSVP or without a ticket and actually see some live music or see some random pop-ups of, you know, some app that we've never heard of. It just feels like, you know, more accessible, if you will.

SPEAKER_01 2:35

Yeah, rolled right into Zilko Brewing yesterday. They have a pretty big stage this year, bigger than I remember them having ever before.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Yes. And we happened to catch part of their utopia fest. But for us, you know, it felt like just a slightly turned up Saturday, right? Where we could get your favorite beers, get fries from the Patty Palace, get some spicy boys, get some Patty Palace.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

I don't know if we were fully taking advantage of South Vibe, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, but I wasn't mad at the fact that, you know, we had a different crowd and we had live music, right? I think that's always fun because it brings a new energy, right? And I love, you know, even our local gym class, right? Had some new people, some new faces that were in town for, you know, for South by. I love that, right? I love just the vibe that South By brings to the city.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

Yeah, as people who aren't, you know, South By's great, but it's not really something we go to per se, like any of the sessions or anything. It's nice just to have this energy in the city.

unknown 3:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Rivian has their 270-foot-long dirt dirt track downtown, two blocks from my office. Yeah. So when I go get coffee, I watch people taking rides in the new R2, which, hey, good for them.

SPEAKER_00 3:49

You know, I was sad that I missed this last year. So I actually feel like I want to make it a point to get driven around in an R2 this year.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

No, you got a few more days.

SPEAKER_00 3:59

All right. Well, note to South. What else we got?

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Oh, just one more note about South Bye. Hopefully, next time I can report back on how the Australia house was. They still have not confirmed if I'm allowed in.

SPEAKER_00 4:10

So Okay, well, here's hoping. I do like, and you know, we are not the experts on South Bye by any means, but did they have these country houses in previous years? They did. Okay, they did. But did they have did Australia House have theirs on the east side? Because that feels new to me. I didn't know. I don't remember that. Um, so anyway, Australia House, which is right by NADC burger. It is. Um, yeah, I mean, you should definitely stop by.

SPEAKER_01 4:44

Well, I'm hoping to go to a panel discussion on Tuesday. Yes unconfirmed if they're letting me know.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Okay, well, I think you should just go anyway, right? Roll in. Who's gonna say no to Big Honey?

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Maybe some Australians.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Maybe, but I feel like you're just they'll they they will just think that you're one of them, right? Just roll in, wearing your board shorts. They'll never know.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

True. All right, we'll report back next time on how that went.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

We will report back. So sorry, I was premature. What else we got?

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Some new openings.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Yay!

SPEAKER_01 5:14

New food truck openings to be more specific.

SPEAKER_00 5:16

Yes, very exciting. Very exciting because we love a food truck, obviously, but also these feel very local because they are right down the street from our house, which proximity is always great, right? Like, I think take whatever it is and we'll bump it up a few points just because we can waddle over to it.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah, you're telling me if you're telling me I can get to a new truck in a three-minute walk. Uh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Done.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

You're starting pretty high already.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Yes, 100%. And we we talked uh a little bit about this last pod with Space Cat Barbecue. We were excited that it had just opened up. We went there, we actually took Big Honey's dad there, and it did not disappoint.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

Crushed. It was so good.

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Yeah, I mean, different, right? Like they're doing barbecue a little bit differently than you would expect in Texas, right? They were bringing that California vibe with the Santa Maria tri-tip.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

God, right in my wheelhouse.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Also, some lamb.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Yeah, um, those ribs were amazing.

SPEAKER_00 6:15

Oh, yes. Yes, okay. The pork ribs, you know, very traditional when you think of Texas barbecue, but I have to say, these were maybe my favorite pork ribs that I've had.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

I won't argue with you there.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Out of uh anywhere. They were so good.

SPEAKER_01 6:33

They kind of look shockingly good.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Yeah, and I feel like it's because they're not, they are not overly fatty. I would say they're pretty lean, and so they've got that nice like bark.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

The bark was perfect.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Um, really good.

SPEAKER_01 6:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Real like the flavor was hitting, the texture was hitting. I really, really liked Space Cat.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

So And now what has opened in that same little renegade food truck park with Space Cat? Smash City.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

A place called Smash City, which if you know and you know the honeys, we are all about a Smash Burger.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Yeah. Um the burger episode, I think, laid that pretty clear.

SPEAKER_00 7:12

Yes, yes. We left we left no room for for doubt there. So when a brand new food truck rolled in today um with the the big words of Smash City, um, you know, honey's got real excited.

SPEAKER_01 7:29

High hopes for that place.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

Yes, so we will report back, but Smash City on our radar for sure.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

And next door in the OG Veracruz truck. And somehow, like, there's always like that one building or location, restaurant space in the neighborhood. There's one right across the street from Zilkwood Brewing that nobody can make it work. And somehow, this tiny food truck park has the same issue. The spot next to Veracruz just can't stay open.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Occupied, yes. There has been a revolving door of different food trucks, um, and ones that we you know thought were good, certainly very serviceable. Um, but yes, that seems to be a tough spot. And you know what? I get it. Like it is maybe hard to occupy the same space with Veracruz, with Desnudo. The Maryland does it though, so it's a clutchy place.

SPEAKER_01 8:35

Yeah, he closed down the truck yesterday after closing hours and then came right over to Zilker.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Yes, okay, that was something new that we found out. All right. And, you know, if you are the proprietor of the Maryland, hit us up because we actually love what you're doing. And, you know, Big Honey is kind of from the area and certainly spent a lot of time in Maryland. So, you know, that pit beef, the old bay seasoning. Stop everything that you're doing over there at the Maryland, it's hitting just right. I I fully support. Um, you know, we didn't we'll talk about this. This is not the breakfast sandwich pod, but the breakfast sandwich at the Marylander, if you get it fresh, one of the best.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Incredible.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

Yeah, in town. So here the honeys are going off on a tangent.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Yeah, because the Maryland has a new next door neighbor.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

They do. But I think the whole point of that story was the guy from the Marylander also works at Silker, we found out. So I love to see it all stay within the neighborhood. So we are getting way off topic, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

It is okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

But yes, please talk about the Marylanders' next door neighbor.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Diablo hot chicken.

SPEAKER_00 9:47

Yes. Okay, so uh what kind of chicken are we talking about?

SPEAKER_01 9:52

You it looked like you had your choice of grilled or fried.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Ooh, that's good because sometimes you know, Lil' Honey is trying to get more protein, and so some grilled chicken is what I tell myself I need to be eating more of. But then other times I'm like, I just want some fried chicken. So I like that there's options for both.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

Yep, customizable sandwiches, plates, you name it.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

And judging by the name, I feel like it's hot chicken, or there will at least be options for hot sauces.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Yeah, it looks like four different uh heat levels.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Very customizable, very promising. It'll be gone in two months, so enjoy it while you can.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Okay, well, I fully intend to enjoy it because hot chicken, especially hot fried chicken, that's right up the honey's alley. So I'm I've got high hopes.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Excited for that one too.

SPEAKER_00 10:45

All right.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Uh recently, also, one last thing before we get into our main topic of the day primary voting.

SPEAKER_00 10:53

Primary day. Yes. Okay. So big proponents of voting, right? Yes. Everyone should be voting. Go vote.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

And if you live on the east side, go vote at Houston Tillotson University.

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Okay, Houston.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

Because that was the best polling place I've ever been to.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

All right. Well, we'll get into it. Um, but first, Houston Tillotson, the oldest higher education institution in Austin.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Yes, they celebrated their sesquicentennial. Was it last year?

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Beg your pardon?

SPEAKER_00 11:25

The year before?

SPEAKER_01 11:26

It was last year.

SPEAKER_00 11:27

It was last year. Sesquicentennial 150 years.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Uh you can tell who the smart one is around here.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Um, but that's a big deal. And um, it's certainly a fixture of the neighborhood. Um, it's, you know, right by our house. Uh, they are developing, actually, Big Honey, you know more about this. What are they developing over at HT?

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Yeah, they're putting a new 5,000-person arena over at HT. Um, still not exactly sure where on the property this is gonna go because that's pretty large.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Very large. I'm not sure either.

SPEAKER_01 12:00

Yeah, the Moody Foundation donated $150 million to the school, which I think is a great investment in the community, especially here on the East Side and in Austin in general. Um, so it looks like they're doing a lot of work over there. So it's very exciting.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Yes, yes. Thank you, Moody's, for uh the investment.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

But yet Don't you dare name it after Moody's.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Yeah, because we the last thing that Austin needs is another Moody venue that's going to confuse us all because we already go to the wrong moody. And we just we just don't need another.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

No, we really don't.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

No.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Thank you. Thank you for the donation. But yes, we have we please name it something else.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Very generous. Thank you. And thank you for supporting uh HT. But let's name it something else. Anything else. Just anything. Um, but yes, very excited for that to come. Okay, again, another tangent, but let's get into our experience on primary day at Houston Tillotson University.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

So primary voting in Texas is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. We rolled over there at 8 15 a.m. eight o'clock, eight fifteen in there. And we walked in the door and there were people who were clearly there to vote, just sort of sitting on the sofas, waiting. And it was a little confusing at first, but then we quickly figured out that they were still setting up the polling place. Yes. Um, including a woman who jumped out of her SUV and ran inside and said, Her do you need some help?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

They did. They did, they absolutely did.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Uh, they had nine voting booths, and it was three tables of three, and that's important because one of the volunteers set up one of the tables of three and then sat down and said, That was it for her.

SPEAKER_00 13:47

She was done. She was out.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

She was done. Uh, and then she went and took her spot over at the table where you checked in to vote. So I would say, like another 30 minutes later, we were finally ready to vote.

SPEAKER_00 14:00

I mean, they were really going through it. And I just want to preface all of this to say, you know, thank you for your service. You know, as much as we say voting is really important, it takes the hard work of these volunteers to make it all happen. So I do appreciate that they were giving of their time, but man, they were really struggling over there.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

His his the lead guy's phone kept going off. Well, and his ringtone was amazing.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Well, I think that's why you wanted to talk about this so much because yes, the head volunteer's phone went off the entire time that we were there.

SPEAKER_01 14:35

Hadn't heard the 2004 classic from the Buckwheat Boys, Peanut Butter Jelly Time.

SPEAKER_00 14:41

It's peanut butter jelly time, peanut butter jelly time. Wait yet, way yet, way yet, way yet. Um, yes. So that, just imagine that song.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

And over and over. While you're he answered it one time and just goes, stop calling me.

SPEAKER_00 14:56

Yes, but uh, you know, while you're trying to figure out which judges to vote for.

SPEAKER_01 15:03

He he also called the helpline and they told him to unplug and plug it back in. Yes, and that worked, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

It it did work. I mean, it it usually works, right? As as someone who works and have worked in technology, I mean, that would be my best advice.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

The quote unquote power cycle.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

So, yes, we successfully voted.

SPEAKER_01 15:27

We almost witnessed a murder.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

What?

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Because I almost committed one. Because we waited forever, and the very first person in line gets up there and they uh, you know, you put your driver's license in the little holder and it reads it, and they ask him if this address is still correct. And after we've waited there forever, he goes, Oh no, I moved.

SPEAKER_00 15:47

Yeah, I want to be like, sir. You need to get out of line.

SPEAKER_01 15:51

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_00 15:53

You do not need a change of address form.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Bro, get in the back.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

I know.

SPEAKER_01 15:57

Get in the back. They were not equipped to handle a change of address.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

They were not. They were not.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

But it's a paper form, it's a whole thing.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

Yes, yes, yes. Um, but we voted. We did. We got our stickers, we did. We were home in time for work.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

We did. We were successful voting. Looking forward to another round on May 26th, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Yes, yes. So we will bring you updates. May 26th. But for all of you, public service announcement, we hope to see you out May 26th. Get out and vote, please.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

Get out and vote.

SPEAKER_00 16:35

All right.

SPEAKER_01 16:37

So let's get into it.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

Let's let's get into our topic talk. Now, we eat and talk a lot about burgers and tacos. And yes, tacos are from another country, but I think we probably won't f focus on tacos today. Um, because a lot of our absolute favorite spots on the east side really do a great job of highlighting cuisines from other countries and cultures. So that is what we are going to be focusing on today. So if you live in Austin and don't frequent the East Side, or even if you do, or you're coming to visit and you're looking for something different, some flavors that maybe you don't get every day, this is the pod for you. So, big honey, I'm gonna let you start.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Oh, big day.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Big day.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Man, I I'm going with the most casual one on my list. Because I could eat this constantly. I'm going ramen tatsuya.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

Uh yeah. I I I think I could have guessed this.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

It's just so good.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

It is good.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Number four, the hot. It's not really that spicy.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

The miso hot.

SPEAKER_01 17:55

The miso hot. Number four, every time. The gyoza with that black garlic vinegar.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Or the spicy one too is good.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Oh my gosh. Yes. Raman tatsu is just, it's it for me. It's so good.

SPEAKER_00 18:10

Yep. I think they have like a chicken katsu slider, which we never get because we're always just slurping that ramen. Now, I think that this is a great pick because you're right, it always hits. Now, is it the best ramen that we've ever had?

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Ever like ever?

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Yeah. No. No.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

But it's right down the street and it's excellent.

SPEAKER_00 18:32

Yes. But if you were to ever say, hey, do you feel like going to ramen? Or if our neighbors are like, oh, we're gonna hit up ramen tatsuya.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

Yes. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:41

It's just a yes every time.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

And it's not an east side specific place. There are ramen tatsuyas all over the city. So you're welcome, right? You can get ramen tatsuya probably in whatever neighborhood you live in.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Yeah, they have a sister restaurant, Kamari tatsuya, on the east side as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Yes, also very good. Some Japanese uh barbecue meats, Texas.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Yeah, a little different focus over there. Um, but yeah, ramen tatsuya. Uh you can eat inside, or they have the really nice outdoor area. There's a couple seats you gotta be careful of because the birds will poop. Um, but otherwise, it's really fun to hang out outside there, too.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Yes, great patio, great drinks, the ramen is really good. Yeah, yes, I love it.

SPEAKER_01 19:25

Look, the I think the best ramen we've had is either in San Francisco or San Diego. Or Tokyo. Or well, yes. Uh so this is a little more accessible.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

It is.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Just slightly.

SPEAKER_00 19:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

All right, a little honey.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

That was a good pick.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

What's your top pick?

SPEAKER_00 19:40

Um I am gonna go with an you know what? I like your vibe of casual because certainly there's a range, but sometimes you just want something that's not gonna break the bank, you know, that you can just feel okay about eating, you know, grabbing for lunch or on a random Wednesday. So I am gonna go with Twin Isle. Oh, yes, a new entrant, yes, relatively new um east side spot. Okay, so this is located on Rosewood, and it's a fast casual place, and it's serving up uh what I believe, not that I would know, but it feels very authentic Caribbean cuisine. Um, I believe the chef is from Trinidad and Tobago. So um I really feel like she is doing all of these really um saturated flavors and all the things that I like, right? Give me some rice, give me some plantains, give me some protein, give me some sauce, right? Like that's a winning combination for me. Um, I haven't had a chance to have everything on the menu yet, but so far I think the curry chicken rice bowl is my go-to. I loved this dish. Um, it feels like it is um very it feels like it's very filling, but like healthy, which, you know, the honeys, the honeys like to eat a lot of food. I can't say that about a lot of the food that we eat, where I'm like, this feels good for me, right? Like this is the right amount of proteins and carbs that I should be eating, right? Um, but I definitely don't feel bad about myself when we eat at Twin Isle. Um, they also have goat and oxtail, which a lot of people really love. I have not had a chance to try it yet.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

The goat was excellent.

SPEAKER_00 21:39

Okay. Oh, that's right. Big honey did get the goat wrapped in roti. Which I love roti.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

Yeah, same. The sandwich like the roti sandwich itself was really hard to eat. Yeah, from a physical standpoint, but it tasted delicious.

SPEAKER_00 21:54

Yes, it almost feels like get the bowl, just get the bowl, and then get a side roti if you're feeling and they have a bunch of different.

SPEAKER_01 22:00

Sauces, so you can at least keep it fresh too.

SPEAKER_00 22:02

Yes. Uh so the sauce that I had, which I loved, I thought it paired so well, is the pepper sauce. And you know, the honey's like a little heat. Um, I didn't find it overly spicy, spicy, but it did have a little kick, and I loved it so much. So I can't say enough about Twin Isle. Check them out. Delicious.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

Yeah. Excellent addition to the neighborhood. Uh nice to have something a little honey, as you were saying, a little bit more low-key. You know, a lot of the international, as you were alluding to, a lot of the uh kind of international eats here are kind of on the higher end. So we somehow decided that the international restaurants are gonna be the high end restaurants in East Austin.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

You know, which is fine, but it's nice to have something a little bit more accessible.

SPEAKER_00 22:47

I agree. What's your next pick?

SPEAKER_01 22:54

I'm going to go Suerte.

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Oh. That's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

Yeah. Suerte is the interior Mexican restaurant. They have a sister restaurant, Este, which is coastal Mexican, also in the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

So good.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

Uh Suerte just I think everything they do there is class. Uh it's it's all really high-end, it's really good. Um, you know, like everything from the Goat Barbecoa to the Swadero Tacos.

SPEAKER_00 23:28

I know we said that we weren't gonna talk about tacos, but if you go to Suerte, don't miss the Suidero Tacos. They are they are can't miss.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

Yes. So it's it's such a it's such a nice, like fine dining, but also you can just sit at the bar and hang out and just eat some Swidero tacos.

SPEAKER_00 23:44

Yeah, good, good cocktails.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Yeah, I it's it's uh it's been around for a little bit now, uh, for good reason. Just a really classic, nice uh restaurant in East Austin. Um just absolutely one of our favorites.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

They're they always have some version of a Trace Ley Chase cake. And sometimes we don't even have dinner there, but I'll drag Big Honey there um just to sit willingly just to sit with me at the bar so that I can order cake.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

It's excellent.

SPEAKER_00 24:14

Oh, it's so good.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

And they we got some of their black magic sauce to go a couple years ago, and they gave us a t-shirt. So there is now somebody in Denver wearing a swearte t-shirt, a homeless person wearing a swearte t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

Represent.

SPEAKER_01 24:28

Representing.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

Um but yes, this actually we should talk about the black magic sauce because it is like a kind of like a salsa matcha, but very um, I don't even know what adjective to use. I mean umami, I guess. It's kind of like very pungent. I know that that might not be like the the best word, but it is. It's very saturated, very dense.

SPEAKER_01 24:54

It's their secret weapon.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

But you put this on anything and you can buy it, right? You can buy it and get it to go, which we've done, and we put it on shrimp, chicken, um, just really any protein, and it really brings out like this kind of deep, complex flavor that we are very into. So if you want if you're like making dinner um like shrimp tacos or just anything, and you want to impress someone and really make them think that you're like a very high-end world-class chef, that black magic oil will will be your secret weapon.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, all right, a little honey. What's up next for you?

SPEAKER_00 25:33

Ooh, okay. Well, you went higher end, so I think I will too. And I'm gonna have to go with CT.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Excellent choice. Excellent choice. Yes, another newer uh restaurant in the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

Yes, relatively new addition. Um it is in the uh space underneath the Francis Modern Inn. You've heard us talk a lot about Poeta. So this this is the location. Poeta's second location is now where City is. And I have to say, now that we have Poeta back, I am so happy that City is in that spot.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

Yeah. Uh they didn't do very much redecorating when they moved here.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

No, it looks exactly the same, but I'm not mad about it because I thought it was great. It still looks great. I think that it kind of fits the vibe of CT, even though this place says CT is very much Southeast Asian and Poeta was Italian, but it works. It somehow works um across cuisines. So this is um Chef Leila Bazam, who also does El Raval, which is the Spanish tapas place on South Omar. Um, but here she's really leaning into her Filipino background. So this menu is, I would say what, Southeast Asian fusion. It's just kind of like broadly Southeast Asian. So it's got, it's gonna have nods to um the Philippines, obviously, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia. Um, so a lot of a lot of different cultures and cuisines, uh, shareable dishes. Um, you know, we've had uh probably our favorite dish there was um was it like a tomka ceviche?

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Yes, yep.

SPEAKER_00 27:31

Um and it was amazing. So classic Thai uh tomka broth, but with the was it hamachi? I don't even remember what fish. Red fish. Anyway, whatever the fish was in the ceviche, probably the my favorite ceviche that I've ever had. Um just really delicious. Um there the menu rotates, right? So, you know, some of the highlights, um, they had a duck fried rice, which was excellent. We've had the pork belly, um there's like wagyu spring rolls, just everything that they do is excellent. Um, obviously, we really like Southeast Asian food, so this was right in our wheelhouse, but we went right when it opened, and then we went back and it felt like they had sort of cleaned things up a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

And I thought I thought the second time we went, they were just really on point with everything.

SPEAKER_00 28:26

They were, and we actually went and they had happy hours. So um again, this place is a you know slightly higher end, um, but hit them up for happy hour because they are doing um smaller portions of their classic dishes for a lower price point during happy hour.

SPEAKER_01 28:48

So Okay, not that either of us are going on dates anytime soon with other people, but if you were looking for a really early like first or second date, CT happy hour would score well with you.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

I'm going on dates. I mean look.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

Good to know.

SPEAKER_00 29:05

I mean, if they said, Do you want to go to CT? I'm I'm probably gonna say yes. I mean, it's CT.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

Okay. I mean So you're saying I should ask you to CT.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

I mean, fair, right? Well, yeah. If you want to go on a date, then yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Good to know.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

Okay. Big honey. What you got?

SPEAKER_01 29:28

All right. I'm going with one of the east side's most widely.

SPEAKER_00 29:32

I feel like you're gonna steal one of my Oh no.

SPEAKER_01 29:34

Well, I can go.

SPEAKER_00 29:35

No, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. No.

SPEAKER_01 29:37

I I know where you're going. I'll let you have that one. No, no, no. You should there's another story I want to tell about another restaurant on the east side here.

SPEAKER_00 29:43

You can have it.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

No, I'm going eas off.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Oh, okay. That was also on my list, but probably you only get three and you already use two. Okay, but can I have four? Okay, no. Okay, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

Sure, you can have four.

SPEAKER_00 29:54

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

I'm going easov.

SPEAKER_00 29:56

Ezov, yes.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

Uh Mediterranean. Look, I, you know, we we're these are all excellent restaurants. We can talk about how excellent it is. But and and that'll just sound just like us telling you about all the other restaurants. What really stands out about Izov is they have a selection of different hummuses and other dips.

SPEAKER_00 30:16

Whipped feta, whipped feta, quite good.

SPEAKER_01 30:18

And it all comes with an excellent pita.

SPEAKER_00 30:21

Oh, their pita is very good. Unlike the pita that you are thinking of in your head, this is like it's warm, it's puffed, it's it's got the spices on there. Yes, like zitar. Anyway, it's like little pillows.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

So they serve some other things like assorted pickled dishes and stuff that also come with dips. These other appetizers are screaming for the pita. And if you ask them for extra pita, they will look at you and in the most serious manner say, Did you order any dips? Because they are not slinging you extra pita for these other appetizers that have dips on them that aren't labeled as dips. It drives me crazy.

SPEAKER_00 31:06

Yes, yes, and they only give you two pita, even if you do order a dip.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

And I'm sure Stop being so stingy with the pita.

SPEAKER_00 31:16

Yeah, bread is cheap, right? And I I okay, first of all, two pitas are never enough. Never enough pita for the dips. Also, the honeys, as you know, we like our breads. We love our bread. So we are always going to order more bread. So I'm just, and this is just kind of a just a call out to all of the restaurants out there. We will happily pay for bread if you let that be an option, right? Say extra pita, and then whatever price you want to attach to it, which is probably gonna be too much, but we will pay it because we want the extra pita. Um, but at Izov, that is not an option.

SPEAKER_01 31:59

No, and this is not us complaining about Izov because it it's it's just so good every time we go. It just crushes every time. But just cough up the PETA man. Just like it's in these tubs that you can see back by the kitchen. They aren't handmaking this for every order. I can literally reach the damn pita.

SPEAKER_00 32:22

Well, but you know, big honey in a long wingspan, you would just you could just waddle back to the kitchen and get that pita from the tub.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

So the Izov is my third choice. Because actually the pita conversation is kind of comical at this point. It's really good because we have we go through it every single time we're there.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

It's really good. It's really good. Um, yes, you do have to fight a little bit for extra pita, but it's worth it because the hummuses are great. Um, the swarma spiced meats are all great. Um we had I think salmon there once. Uh, just everything. Everything is is really, really good.

SPEAKER_01 33:01

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 33:01

Highly recommend.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

All right. Your third pick.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Okay, my third pick, I think, is what you were going to pick before I um interrupted you and said, don't pick my third pick. Um, this restaurant doesn't need any more, I guess, hype or accolades, but it certainly deserves it. That's kange.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Uh, where do you start with kanje? 2022 Bonapet, one of the 10 best new restaurants in the country.

SPEAKER_00 33:30

Yep. It's named after the kanje pheasant, which is the national bird of Guyana.

SPEAKER_01 33:39

Which is on the north coast of South America, just to the east of Venezuela.

SPEAKER_00 33:44

So Kange is pulling inspiration. It's not just from mainland Guyana, but also from other areas of the Caribbean as well. Jamaica, Puerto Rico, all of the islands. Um, so it's kind of like, again, this traditional meets modern um Caribbean cuisine. Um, very, very, very good. Um, the space is also really nice. It feels kind of like vacation, like you're on a Caribbean vacation, really nice bar.

SPEAKER_01 34:15

Which works well in Austin because you'll go and it'll be hot and human and you go in and it's like, oh, this I feel like I'm on an island.

SPEAKER_00 34:21

Yes. Austin always feels like vacation to me because it's always so hot. So this space works really well. It does, it doesn't take much to transport you here, but Kanji does a really good job. Um, their cocktails are really good. I think they always do a good job um with the cocktails that pair really well with the food because um, like Twin Isle, which is also Caribbean, the food has some spice, right? So I think that that leans really well into um pairing with a nice cold cocktail. Now, um, again, my favorite dish is gotta be the Jamaican jerk chicken there.

SPEAKER_01 35:04

Yeah, hands down.

SPEAKER_00 35:05

It is, I mean, it's spicy. It's definitely spicy. So if you're not quite a fan of spice, this one is is gonna probably be hot for you, but it's it's so good. It's got that crispy skin paired with the heat. Chicken is good, their roti is good. I mean, I'll say it, I'll say it again. Honeys love bread in any form.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

So Yeah, I think kanji's going on four years now, and it feels just as fresh and exciting as when they opened.

SPEAKER_00 35:36

Yes, but you're but what I love is they're keeping the staples that we love because sometimes in these higher-end restaurants that have a rotating menu. I mean, we talk about this a lot in some other great restaurants in Austin. You'll have a dish that you really love, and it might not necessarily be there, you know, a couple months later when you go in. But Kondre seems to be keeping their staples constant, right? Like the Jamaican jerk chicken is always there. There's a wild boar pepper pot that seems to be constant. The curries, I feel like they have like a um, I don't know, West Indian type curry that's really good.

SPEAKER_01 36:12

So they're keeping the classics and rotating everything else out.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

I mean, are they are they rotating? I don't even, I don't even know. Probably, probably they are, but uh everything is always done really, really well. Um, really great flavors. Um, everyone knows about kanje, but it deserves it deserves a spot. It's it's great.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

Yeah, I'm with you. All right, are we doing bonus picks? Like a quick honorable mention around?

SPEAKER_00 36:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

All right. My quick honorable mention is Llama Queen. Oh Peruvian Izov's neighbor. Um go for the ceviche, stick around for everything else. I I think their menu is um doing a really nice job of showcasing all of the Peruvian cuisine. Um, several types of ceviche. You can even do the ceviche sampler. Like, it's such a perfect warm weather spot to go just hang out. So that's my honorable mention, Llama Queen Ceviche.

SPEAKER_00 37:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 37:14

Go for it.

SPEAKER_00 37:15

My honorable mention, Old Thousand.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

Ooh.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:20

Ooh. You forget about old thousand.

SPEAKER_00 37:22

The old thousand is not to be slept on, right? So old thousand, self-declared dope Chinese food. And it is.

SPEAKER_01 37:30

Yeah. No false advertising there.

SPEAKER_00 37:33

No. Uh highlights, right? If you go to old thousand, don't miss. I mean, brisket fried rice, classic there, delicious. So again, we're not um, you know, we're not pushing, you know, super authentic flavors at a lot of these places, but they're doing, you know, different, they're doing their food, but with a Texas bend, which I think is great because we're in Texas, right? And we're not, you know, necessarily going to these places for the most authentic version of Chinese food. And I really like what they're doing on Old Thousand. So brisket fried rice, great. They have a Sichuan pepper spiked mala-fried chicken, which is very much like a karangi chicken. It's spicy, it's fried, it's delicious. Um, they have a uh Chinese green bean dish, which we love anywhere we go, right? We're gonna get the um the Chinese long beans. They're so good.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Guaranteed we're getting that.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Yeah, they're like sauteed and like some spicy, some soy, some spiciness. It's so, so good. Kind of caramelized, so they're kind of sticky and spicy. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Old thousand.

SPEAKER_01 38:47

Yeah, you're right. Sometimes I do forget about that place, and absolutely should not.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Yes, it will not disappoint you.

SPEAKER_01 38:53

All right. Well, I think that wraps up International Eats.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Yes. So thank you for taking a tour through the many cultures and cuisines on the east side of Austin. Uh, stay cool, y'all, and we'll chat with you next time.