We visited yesterday, and Yen took great care of us. She was wonderful! Kiarra also went out of her…read moreway to surprise our mom for her birthday, and we truly appreciated the thoughtful gesture. However, after Yen's shift ended and another server took over, we noticed on our bill that we were charged for additional items that we did not order. We also realized that some of the items we had ordered were missed. This could be a good opportunity to review and double-check orders and billing accuracy. Overall, the food was great, and both Kiarra and Yen provided excellent service. We really appreciated their kindness and effort in making our visit special.

awesome environment, amazing food, amazing service! Onuma was very attentive and provided excellent…read moreservice! Will definitely be coming back:)

If you were anything like me when growing up, you always looked forward to your mom's cooking. Her…read more"special cooking" was not about elaborate dishes. It was a simple meal made with love and basic ingredients such as rice, vegetables, and meat. When she cooked, the kitchen became the focal point of the house. You could smell the aroma wafting through the entire house and enveloping you like a warm winter coat. Mom's Special Cooking restaurant is based on this same principle...really good food made simply. I got a chance to meet "mom", and she was the quintessential mom figure...warm, friendly and welcoming. Also, the restaurant feels lived in and homey. I ordered the tempura shrimp and was more than pleased. The shrimp were served on a wooden skewer in an oblong shape. This was not your typical shrimp skewer. First, the shrimp had an oblong shape. Importantly, the tempura was extremely lite and enjoyable to eat. In addition, the shrimp skewers were bursting with flavor.

Mom's Special Cooking IS actually special. As far as I know, it's the only place to get Burmese…read morefood in Austin, and it is wonderful. The restaurant itself is clean, bright and welcoming, the decor is nice with a good selection of those Burmese puppets and other charming doodads, and the people who run the place are lovely. Of course, the real test is the food, and judging from the lunch I had there today, this place should be a winner. My friend and I shared a tea leaf salad as appetizer, and it lives up to the best I had in Myanmar. We both tried variations on the Shan noodle entree, dry (as opposed to a soup-based version) and both the chicken and pork types were delicious, with a wonderful complexity of flavors and textures. So far, the only concession I noticed to American tastes was in the portion size. The entrées were huge, which is OK by me, as I am already looking forward to dinner and maybe breakfast! The service was very friendly, and we got to chat with mom, the genius behind these great flavors, and she is as wonderful as the food she cooks. If you're familiar with Burmese food, you're in for a treat. If you're not, give it a try - - because I selfishly hope that this restaurant will be around for a good while.

Went to Qi for dim sum brunch and overall had a really enjoyable experience. Qi is know for…read morecombining western and traditional Chinese cuisine by using local organic farming. Did not have a reservation on this occasion, but they always make me feel welcome and manage to fit us in. Sat on the outdoor covered patio that was cool and shaded. The atmosphere is modern and lively, making it a great spot for a weekend brunch. Started the meal with cocktails including Lycheetini with Deep Eddy Vodka, Giffard Lichi-li. lemon, cranberry, I cut the cranberry. Also had a Fresa Paloma with Socorro Reposado Tequila, Contratto, strawberry, lime, grapefruit, five-spice that was very sweet and garnished with a flower. You are given a card where you can mark your dim sum selections. I ordered the Shrimp Pancake, Snow Crab Ball and Chinese Sausage Sticky Rice. The standout was the shrimp pancake that had a really great texture and flavor. The snow crab ball had a strange texture with shrimp surrounding the snow crab claw. The Chinese Sticky Rice is always a favorite. Also ordered the Truffle Egg Fried rice and Birds Nest with Seasonal Vegetable. The Truffle rice is so flavorful like a flavor explosion in your mouth. The Birds Nest is made with fried potato shreds which contain the a variety of vegetables including cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms and asparagus. The nest is also edible and has a crunchy texture. The presentation of the food is amazing and everything came out hot and fresh. The flavors were on point, and you can tell there's attention to detail in the preparation. Service was attentive outdoors and the pacing of dishes felt just right for a relaxed brunch. This restaurant is truly a gem whether you come for brunch or dinner service. Will definitely be back.

I wasn't as blown away by the service and menu as I hoped- but continue to hear great things so…read moreI'll be back. Can't recommend the truffle fried rice or soup dumplings enough. The chicken basil pot stickers and pork belly were good.. but a bit dry for my taste. However, the sauces they offer were all good. Martini was a jump scare in color but taste was on pointtt! Service was fine but we were out front on the patio and though our waiter was attentive while we ordered, we ended up finishing and waiting 40 minutes for someone to come by so we could grab the check. I ended up just heading inside and the maître d' was able to close us out. Tables around us were open so I'm not sure what had them held up, and it could've been a one off, but definitely not ideal at this price point.

Great food, friendly service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and came…read moreout quickly. I'll definitely be coming back!

One of my friends and I had a meet up at Azure, a Vietnamese restaurant located on North Lamar in a…read morestrip mall. I suggested this restaurant because it had 4.9 / 5.0 rating (67 reviews). This charming Pan-Asian café is warm, welcoming and with quite a lot of personality. The menu captures unique tastes such ascreamy udon, crispy chicken karaage, pho dip banh mi, croffles, bingsu, and Vietnamese coffee. The atmosphere is relaxed and laid-back. Neon signs, cute décor, and a laid-back vibe with cats as its focal point bring this restaurant to life. The store manager and staff were super friendly and welcomed any questions regarding the menu. The vibe was familial. Also, the music playing in the background was quietly intoxicating. My friend ordered the Banh Xeo Tacos, which she enjoyed very much. The bonus was they were gluten-free. I was not very hungry at the time, but I can always find room for dessert...so, Mango Bingsu was my dessert de jour! Mango Bingsu is when mango marries shaved ice (milk-based) and sweeten condensed milk. It reminded me of the desserts I had in China. Yummy! Azure is a whole vibe...it is the real deal! Definitely returning...

I took my partner here to celebrate a birthday and it was perfect. The restaurant is dim, moody,…read moreand elegant. Also loved that I could take him here without breaking the bank. We ordered the hamachi, the pork belly, and the kare kare, and had the halo halo for dessert. I also got the karaoke girl cocktail. I would say the portion sizes are in the small side but for everything we ordered between the two of us, we did end up being full enough, not belly hurting. Every bite is well balanced with yummy flavors and textures. Leanne was our server and she was awesome. I love when servers describe the dish and recommend how to get the best bite. Can't wait to come back!

I first heard about OKO about a year ago and never got a chance to visit until recently for a…read moreValentine's Day dinner. Leading up to it we were pretty excited since we've seen a lot of online buzz about the place Man...we were super disappointed. I immediately knew we made the wrong choice when I ordered a "Banana Old Fashioned" and the only thing "banana" about it was a tiny banana chip that got tossed in a normal old fashioned (no joke, see pics) The prices on each of the items are also way too high for what it is. And the amount of food they give you is like ordering a side dish. You could get better bang for your buck at a food truck, and I'd argue that you can probably get better tasting food at a food truck too It's not even about the amount of food. If the quality was good, the price can be justified, but just because a waiter tells you how to dip your food in the sauces that it comes in, doesn't make it "fancy" You can tell this place loves their fish sauce, cause that's the only flavor you're going to get here Dessert was an absolute joke. Two scoops of blue bell ice cream with fruity pebbles sprinkled on top. Something that also bothered me at the end is that they pass on the credit card fees (3%) onto the customer. It'll say on the receipt. Even fast food restaurants don't do this. Waiters were very nice. Vibes were okay except for the "Valentine's Day" paper menu having a lot of food smeared on from previous diners. It was just another classic "let's charge NYC prices in Austin" type restaurant. Absolutely joke.

Authentic Thai food and other Asian dishes. Lovely service. Operated by the family and family…read morefriendly. Easy take away.

We stopped here after a visit to the zoo as it was relatively close by…read more The pho was pho-nominal! The broth was light and perfectly seasoned - no hoisin sauce needed. You have a choice of three meat options with the pho. I went rogue and ordered my pho with shrimp, tripe, and meatball. Interestingly, they had a lobster pho option. Will have to try that next time! I

Came to Don Don Express again, but this time for takeout!…read more I already knew I wanted the Chicken Katsu again after a really great experience last time. I also checked out the appetizer menu and decided to try the curry pancake. The boxed Chicken Katsu came out piping hot. It was still a generous portion of chicken layered over rice. When I saw the side compartment, I paused for a second and thought, is that soup? Then I realized it was actually the onion, egg, and soy mixture that goes with donburi. I did not know it would be packed separately, so I was not especially careful with the container and a little of it spilled into the bag. That said, I really applaud this place for separating it. It kept the chicken katsu crispy and the rice dry and fluffy until I was ready to eat. The curry pancake was different from what I expected, but in a pleasant way. It was not filled with curry or mixed into the dough. Instead, it was a hot, crispy, flaky Asian-style pancake with a texture similar to a scallion pancake, served with a curry dipping sauce. The curry had a bold and flavorful profile. It was not thick but nor sweet as the usual Japanese curry block sauces, as I was expeecting since it is a japnese themeed place. Te curry to me tatded more indian curry stlye, a bit spicy and a strong but it had a strong savory depth. Because of the texure closer to a desn flavor croth it did not cling to the pancake as much, not like how naan would scoopt up the curry, but it still paired very well, and works nice with the katsu, too! Very happy with this meal and definitely excited to return again.

I was really looking forward to trying Don Don, but unfortunately our order was a disappointment…read more We got two beef teriyaki bento boxes. The California roll was good, and honestly the best part of the meal was the miso soup. The beef, though, was tough, dry, and completely lacking in flavor--neither of us could eat it. Such a bummer.

My fiancé and I tried Pho Please for the first time and really enjoyed it…read more Pho is one of my favorite dishes, so I was excited to try out a new place. The space has a modern, clean vibe, and I loved the little touch of customer doodles on the wall and by the register. Parking was easy with a big lot, and the wait time was short. Service was great. My fiancé had a lot of questions about the menu, and the staff was super patient and helpful. I got the vegan pho with tofu and veggies and it was delicious. Really comforting and flavorful. The portion was great with a good balance of noodles to veggies/tofu. My fiancé got the chicken pho and thought it was delicious too. He actually had to take his home, while I somehow managed to finish mine. I'd love to see a few more vegan options added, but we'll definitely be back.

We came here for lunch since we were craving Vietnamese food. You can order at the front & sit down…read morewherever you want. Our food came out fairly quickly, and the staff were friendly. I really liked that they had a self service toppings bar, so you can grab extra cilantro, sriracha, or sauce. The pho was decent, but the beef vermicelli was a bit dry & way too sweet. I would come again if I wanted pho, not sure I would recommend vermicelli or the other dishes though.