Java Noodles in Austin

[kura kura]

Looking to hear from someone who has been to Java Noodles fairly recently. Is it any good? Any other recommendations for Indonesian food in Austin?

[tokyomonamour]

Java Noodle has become a weekly haunt for us. I always, always order the kalio tahu, which is a creamy coconut soup base chock full of tofu and tempeh (I ask them to mix both), ginger, lemongrass, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, and tons of hunks of spices. It is spicy! I usually get the little order of cucumber salad too. They deliver to most of south austin and orders usually come w/ a free desert of fried bananas.

While I never go to the brunch anymore, I always remember it being very good as well. It is always enough food in one order for two to share, or you've got a dinner and next day's lunch for $8.00 plus tip!

[bookgrrl72]

Went there for the first time tonight and cannot stop thinking about the Spicy Eggplant. It's so tender, and more sweet than spicy while also retaining that barbecue-type flavor eggplant often has. Yum. Also delicious was the Java Special with tofu. It was pleasantly spicy and chock full of tender vegetables. So delicious. It's a bummer I live clear across town from them.

[caitlink]

For weekday lunch, is it you get choice of entree and appetizer buffet that includes soup and veg? Or is that only available on weekend?

I visit Austin monthly and work close by. It would be nice not to have to eat Wendy's and Jack in the Box. thx.

[Lotus7]

Has anyone been here recently? Missing the Southeast Asian food I used to get in Philly--good Malaysian, Burmese, and Indonesian choices there which I frequented weekly. Thanks, and looking forward to hearing about recent visits!

[Lotus7]

I'll take the lack of responses as a bad sign!

[Carter B.]

Yes

[renz]

I still want to try the new Java Garden, but I wanted to update/reiterate my appreciation for Java Noodles, especially in terms of delivery options in this area.

I tried their beef rendang last night and it was one of the best things I've had in a while: meltingly braised chunks of beef in a coconut sauce with star anise, ginger, and chili (and I don't know what else). I heartily recommend this to anyone.

The portion was very generous, enough for 3, or 2 really hungry folks, esp. if you add an app. I look forward to having it again.

[SpaceAgeNinjaCowboy]

I so love Jave Noodles. That place has a special place in my heart as it was one of the very first restaurants I tried in Austin when I first moved here from Seattle many moons ago. I highly recommend them and anyone that thinks they are anything less than great obviously has a passion for store bought Chun King frozen foods and Buffet Palace.

[The Tres Leches]

I like Java Garden's Sunday Buffet. The only downside is that to appeal to the previous restaurant's customers, they put a lot of Chinese food on the buffet, which is clearly not as good as their Indonesian food.

[Vgracewing]

Java Garden just opened in the strip mall at the northeast corner of Riverside and Pleasant Valley. I grew up eating Indonesian food--my parents lived there when they were young--and I thought it was excellent. Homestyle Indonesian, like what we ate when the klan gathered for holidays. I liked the soup with coconut milk and chicken--just enough bite. I appreciated the real krupuk (shrimp chips). The Sunday brunch was also well-priced. But I'm looking forward to having dinner there.

[Homero]

I'm a big fan of their fried dumplings. The sauce that it comes with is yummy.

[renz]

I just finished my first delivery order from Java Noodles and came online to see if there was any feedback here.

I ordered from a truncated menu available on whodelivers.com -- the menu that arrived with my order was easily twice as long. I stuck to basics: sate ayam (chicken sate), sambal goreng udang (shrimp and green beans cooked in coconut milk and basil) and mie goreng (fried egg noodles).

The sate was among the better that I've had: the chicken was more of a fine chop, less of a paste, which I like. They were nicely cooked--well-browned and moist--and the sauce was richly flavored (not any lame peanut-butter nonsense). All in all, tasted very fresh, if a bit on the richer side.

The sambal goren udang was terrific, but there's no indication on the menu that it's very spicy. The flavors (coconut milk, basil, chili) are simple but come together nicely, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked (and plentiful). The dish is full of green beans, which I love.

Least impressive--but not bad--was the mie goreng. They were tasty, but quite similar to any passable lo mein dish out there.

I'm glad I tried it out and will definitely order again, especially now that I've got the full menu.

[Twill]

Don't miss the Sunday buffet. It offers a pretty broad selection of items at an unbelievably low price.

[dee lannon]

Hey - I love Java Noodles. Their lunch specials are a great value - I ususally get the Kari Ayam, which is a wonderful yellow curry sauce over moist chunks of white meat chicken and onions. The Nasi Rames combination is a delicious little sampler of different meats without sauce. The shrimp chips and soups and fresh marinated veggies on the buffet are great too. Dinners are also yummy...I love two of their shrimp dishes in particular - Sambal Goreng Udang (shrimp in a coconut milk curry) and Udang Goreng Mentega (deep fried with a butter sauce).

This is the only Indonesian restaurant I am aware of in Austin, but Marco Polo has started including Malaysian dishes in their menu...I have only sampled a couple of curry things at dim sum, but I found some similarities.

[toastysweet]

Haven't heard of any other indonesian place in Austin. The food was okay but it could have more flavor in my opinion - they have an appetizer buffet that comes with your meal at lunch.