Whenever you find a good pupusa, you should let me know because I am a pupusa fiend. There is something so irresistible about the luxuriantly soft dough of a freshly-made pupusa around luscious cheese. My favorite pick? Queso (of course) with loroco (traditional). Not only is the item itself hard not to love but the accompanying slaw is always a home run. We wanted to find a go-to in Austin and Costa Del Sol popped up in our online search as the most viable candidate. It was assuring to know that the restaurant focuses on classic Mexican and Salvadorian food, not Tex-Mex or fusion creations.


Before you set expectations of a wondrous place, I wanted you to know that it is usually the case that quality food comes from sparse spots that spend their time and energy in making the food good, not beautifying their restaurant space. The hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop establishments often produce some of the best stuff. With Costa Del Sol, if we weren't looking for it in particular, we could have skipped over it during any drive in the area. It does not stand out whatsoever and the back parking lot where we parked had an odor to it along with plenty of potholes and refuse on the ground. Outside the restaurant was plain; inside it was colorful but casual. We hunkered down in a corner.


The goal of the meal was to stuff our faces with pupusas. A restaurant that offers Salvadorian food as well as traditional Mexican, Costa Del Sol had an extensive menu that featured items more commonly found in a household. We saw many plate options that came with healthy servings of rice, a few sides, and protein. They were simple but that's the point - you aren't fancying up your meals at home all the time, are you? I was tempted by the other dishes but chose what we had come for - pupusas. While I had a favorite place in southern California, the moment I bit into one of the pupusas here, it instantly became my favorite. Two topped generously with slaw will keep you full for a little while and set you back about $5 or less.

In addition to pupusas, you can find the delightful treat of a tamale de elote at this restaurant located at 7901 Cameron Road, Austin, TX 78754. This would be a simple tamale without filling but which has been made sweet and with corn baked in; it is light, fluffy, and addictive. We also enjoyed horchata that was heavy on cinnamon and flavor but also contained some natural grittiness we assumed was a part of the homemade process. All in all, I'm looking forward to our next visit to try the other dishes...if I don't succumb to the pupusas again!

We haven't been in Austin long now but cravings for Asian food seem to pop up more frequently now that it isn't as ubiquitous as it was in Orange County back in southern California. One option is to make it at home which we've been doing but there are some dishes/cuisines that require an experience to follow. Dim sum is one of those. When we had easy access to Los Angeles (specifically the San Gabriel Valley area) restaurants, we could venture up to dig into delicious, skillfully-made dim sum any weekend we wanted. It isn't as widespread here but dim sum can be found. We took our chance with New Fortune out in Chinatown and were pleased to find some familiar grounds.


First was the familiar wait when it comes to dim sum. Though the food is readily available and swings around in carts to be handed out, there is only so much capacity at any given time in a restaurant to attend to the hungry bellies needing to be filled. We had gotten there early enough not to wait long, and having a table for just two people helped. The dim sum service is just part of New Fortune's operations; they are a full-fledged restaurant in the non-morning hours, complete with live seafood tanks near the entrance to entice diners.

The hustle and bustle inside were just as expected - crowded tables pushed together to allow for aisles for carts to roll down. Some features we noticed here that we hadn't seen before was a hot "bar" area in the back that had additional dishes you could order as well as desserts. Also, our stamp sheet for each item actually had sections that would tell you the sum per category that you've ordered so far. That's new and a great way to keep an eye on your bill!


The selection was not as varied as we're accustomed to but it didn't matter when the most popular dishes were still available. Those would be the shu mai and har gow pieces everyone knows and loves. We also dug into their ha fun (shrimp rice noodle rolls) that are my favorite dim sum offering, and who can say no to dan ta (egg tart)? The carts at New Fortune came around frequently, and the service was polite and patient. The shrimp was of a different variety than we've had before, and I think it actually enhanced the dishes. The egg tart was put together quite well too with flaky, buttery crust.


The main difference we saw in this experience and other dim sum ones we've had was that the location of New Fortune in Austin rather than a heavily populated Asian area resulted in a major price discrepancy. While we were used to dim sum courses ranging from 2.19-3.59 on average, courses here could start at 4.95 for the same foods. It certainly reduced the amount of food we ordered that morning and the bill at the end (for less food) nearly equaled what it would have cost for my whole family to go out. However, that isn't a deterrence; geography matters! If you want to find New Fortune to sate your dim sum craving, they are at 10901 N Lamar Boulevard, Suite A1-501, Austin, TX 78753 in Chinatown. If you want to make some of the dishes yourself afterward, you could hobble over to MT Supermarket next door for some ingredients and walk off the tastiness!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

The main broth at this ramen-ya is tonkotsu, a broth made from pork bones that takes many, many hours to make. There are other ramen styles here as well such as tsukemen (dipping ramen), chicken shoyu, and veggie but the focus is on the tonkotsu. Those wishing to spice up their bowls even more can opt to add on "bombs" like the Spicy Bomb or Yuzu Kosho Bomb which range from $1 to $1.50. We wanted ours straight to best gauge what made this restaurant so beloved.

Duc ordered the Mi-So-Not ($10 - pork bone broth, miso blend, goma pork, ajitama, scallion, napa cabbage, bean sprout, and corn) and added on kikurage for $.50; there is also a spicy version of this bowl called the Mi-So-Hot if you are so inclined. Stacked high with quality toppings, the ramen had a sturdy broth base that coated one's palate with just the right amount of creamy smoothness. It was different to not have chashu be the main protein but the minced goma pork was a welcomed change; it was seasoned well and mixed into everything perfectly to give you some meat per spoonful.

I was particularly fond of my Tonkotsu Original ($9.50 - pork bone broth, chashu, ajitama, woodear mushroom, and scallion) to which I added on marinated bamboo for $.60. Since this one did not have additional miso added to it, the broth was purer and gave us a stronger sense of its prowess. Here was a good bowl of ramen. The chashu was thicker than I am accustomed to but still flavorful and crisp in the right places. We both also noted that they made delicious ajitama (the marinated soft eggs) that came out as hot as the broth with a molten, bright yolk. I'm looking forward to checking out more of their broths in the near future.

If you are craving a hot bowl yourself, visit them at 8557 Research Blvd #126, Austin, TX 78758 and be prepared for some lovely comfort food. Heck, take us along why don't you? My meals need more ramen in them!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Smoke surrounded us for hours on end as we waited in anticipation for the doors to open and let us in. All the times that we had heard about Franklin BBQ and its infamous wait, we would scoff and say we'd never wait for hours to eat. The commitment was at minimum three whole hours, and who wants to stick around that long to get some lunch? It was a tourist trap, right? The more I read about Franklin BBQ though, the more I saw some other values in sitting there - meeting other folks who are waiting, spending some offline time with friends, and eventually getting some great barbecue. We finally agreed when asked to join our friend in the wait, and with our lunch pack and foldout chairs in tow, we made our way over to the iconic barbecue joint one morning.


What a fluke! Perhaps it was the blessing of recent resolution-ers who may have sworn to be more health-conscious that found us second in line at Franklin. We had arrived just a little after 8AM (the restaurant opens at 11AM) to find that there was only one other sole person waiting, and he had been there since 6:45AM. Eventually the line did start to build but not before we had already claimed our spots as the second group to get in and feast on the cared-for meats. If you do decide to go yourself, I highly recommend bringing along others and treating it as time to catch up. If you don't have chairs of your own to haul over, don't worry; there are spare ones underneath one of the staircases outside the restaurant.


Because of Franklin BBQ's reputation, many get there early to reserve a spot in line with the hopes that they will be able to get ahold of some delicious barbecue. The restaurant only serves a set limit of pounds of meat per day (a tad more than one full ton's worth) and because they have several offerings, there are many times when the options start running out. We heard that food can even be gone two hours after opening if the crowd is thick enough. Choices are served by the pound and slammed onto metal lunch trays after being expertly sliced into weighed portions; while you are in line, a staff member comes out to get an idea of preliminary orders so they know when to start flagging potential end points in the line. To be honest, it was hard not to get a little greedy, even knowing that we wouldn't be able to finish everything...


We did manage to restrain ourselves though. After three hours of waiting, our little group pulled together 1.5 pounds of moist brisket ($20/lb), 3 bones of ribs ($17/lb), 1/4 pound of pulled pork ($17/lb), 3 links of sausage ($12/lb or $3/link), and a single portion of potato salad ($2.50). The experience comes with plenty of white bread to help sop up all the juices and oils, and a condiment station inside lets you snag miniature boats of pickles and thinly sliced white onions.

The brisket was glorious. Easily the best we've ever had. It was extremely moist and fatty in all the right ways, imbued with a long-lasting smokiness and the right balance of savory and salty on the edges. The meat was so tender and hot that it neatly fell away with each fork thrust. No wonder that people line up for this - it is not just the experience of waiting for Franklin BBQ but it is the brisket that makes up for the queue. As a whole, we also really enjoyed the mild meatiness of the sausage which lent itself to be a great companion to the bread. The pulled pork had a good crust on its edges where its succulent inside meat wasn't, and the ribs had a beautiful flavor but came out a little tough on the bite. The potato salad was a pleasant break from the juices of our pounds of flesh as well.

Find Franklin BBQ at 900 East 11th Street, Austin, TX 78702. If you must bear with others on the wait time, know that the moist brisket will be the ultimate focal point of your meal so definitely order up!

Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.

Wholesome vegetarian food coming atcha by way of Bouldin Creek Cafe and their artsy ways. Had it not been freezing the morning that I came here with my friend, I would have likely taken more exterior shots to fully showcase all of the walls of the restaurant so creatively covered in art but alas, the chill was too unbearable. I retreated into this fully vegetarian hot spot with curiosity and excitement as I always enjoy vegetarian/vegan menus even if I am not fully following the lifestyle.


The intrigue of the art on the walls outside is carried into the inner walls as well. Everything imaginable aside from the furniture is covered with creative works including a full room with hung artwork by local artists. These were for sale too should one catch your eye. There was also a shelf full of books that touted a "Take One, Leave One" policy for the avid reader. I found the multicolored amalgam of art styles, media, and more to actually give Bouldin Creek Cafe quite the charm rather than looking like an abandoned junkyard sale. Everything just worked well together and had I wanted to meet some interesting folks, I'm pretty sure I could have talked to anyone there and heard some fantastic stories. Instead, I sat down with a thick mug of the Tokyo Fog ($3.75 - green chai, steamed milk, splash of vanilla) and people-watched a bit as more and more came in for their breakfast fill.


We'll have to return here one day for more perspective on the menu as I only had my one entree and my friend his. My tasty plate was their Tamale Breakfast ($8.75 - two organic, pasture raised eggs or tofu scramble, two sweet potato & pecan tamales, house-made salsa, warm tortillas & choice of red & black organic beans or refried organic black beans) of which choices I made were the eggs scrambled and red & black organic beans. The stars here were definitely the tamales themselves because their make-up led to a sweet masa that played off of fall spiced flavors; I really enjoyed the nuttiness from the pecans as well. I was also surprised by just how tasty the eggs were on their own, scrambled to a perfect consistency and complementing the beans very well. My friend who has visited several times before settled on the Breakfast Tacos (range $2.50-$3.75) and claimed they were also solid choices here.

If you're curious about visiting, Bouldin Creek Cafe is located at 1900 S 1st Street, Austin, TX 78704. I think the best part of the restaurant is that despite a vegetarian menu, it still consists of many hearty, savory dishes that can stand against the best of the meaty breakfasts/lunches. Plus, all the neat art doesn't hurt either!

Part of our transition to Austin includes getting ourselves familiar with great eateries and vendors doing wonderful things. That may involve looking up some events happening around town; luckily, we came across a roastery hosting their tasting room's open house, and we really liked their mission and goals! Greater Goods Roasting Co. is named so for a reason, and it looks like they have really found a lot of headway by sharing their goods to Austin at farmers' markets, fairs, and the like. A congratulations goes out to them for the opening of their tasting room where their expert barista(s) can make the coffees just the way they ought to be made.


To share a little bit about what we ourselves learned about Greater Goods Roasting Co. is that their products are put together on a model of responsible and quality sourcing. They proudly (and rightly so) boast that less than 2% of all coffees grown internally meets their standards for what they decide to carry. Additionally, as members of the Alliance for Coffee Excellence, Specialty Coffee Association of America, Roasters Guild, and Baristas Guild, they prove through their dedication to the coffee that they are serious in making sure everything is perfect and consistent. We were intrigued to learn about their small-batch roasting process as well which allows for optimal freshness but also clean emissions (smoke-free roasting, 80% less energy used during process, etc). Not only that, a percentage of purchases go toward charitable causes!


The lovely Open House was celebrated on January 7, 2017 and well-attended. Guests enjoyed live music in the warehouse by Hot Texas Swing Band and set up all around the roastery were tables featuring food items from Chaiwalla, Batch, and Skull & Cakebones. We tried out two drinks ourselves as well as some delectable pastries (Naan Bear Claws; yes they were delicious) - both of which were well-made and unique as they included ghee in their construction. Though it was our first exposure to Greater Goods that morning, it certainly left an impression! Check them out at 160 McGregor Ln, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 for the tasting room/roastery and find them in various areas around Austin.

Photography by Duc Duong & Minerva Thai. More photos available on Facebook here.