89735 Sat Jul 21 23:11:35 -0700 2001 13 5 Texas 0 493232 Formosa is back! If you haven't been to this place, you owe to yourself to give it a try. They got kicked out of their long term home in west Austin by the nutbird flake who owns the building. She won't allow any business that sells any animal product. Won't renew the lease if the so much as sell a leather bound book, although I've been told her Lexus has leather seats. The chef/owner of Formosa now runs the kitchen at Wild Ginger on Mesa Drive, which is owned by his uncle. Tonight's meal started with wonton soup. This was always one of my favorites at Formosa, but the version at Wild Ginger is now better. An already excellent broth is now enhanced with more veggies and a healthy dose of excellent, house made wontons. My main was mixed meats in hunan hot bean sauce, a longtime favorite. Generous portions of chicken, beef and shrimp in an excellent sauce now tuned up with a few slices of jalapeno. My wife ordered her usual sesame chicken and got a perfect rendition. This place may be a little anglified for some tastes, but the quality of the food is very high and the prices very reasonable. If you accept that it's not perfectly authentic, you'll love it. They also have excellent daily specials. Sat Jul 21 23:11:35 -0700 2001 0 Greg Spence 1 493234 What are your favorite Chinese restaurants in town? I haven't tried as many as I should. Tien Hong, Chinatown, and Suzi's are my favorites so far. I wasn't very pleased with PF Changs or China on the Avenue although PF Chang's is very nice. I went to Formosa a couple of years ago and liked it and read about it leaving Tarrytown. I have never been to Wild Ginger even though I live in the area -- I guess it is next to Freytag's... For Japanese, Mushashino downstairs from Chinatown was very good... What are your thoughts on Austin Chinese food? Sun Jul 22 18:02:01 -0700 2001 493232 0 Texas97 2 493238 I agree on the Japanese pick. Austinites have a tolerance for bad sushi that is unbelieveable. Mushashino is pretty good, unlike many others in town. On Chinese, I could stick with T&S Chinese Seafood, Din Ho Chinese Barbecue and Wild Ginger and be pretty happy, but I know there are lots of others that are very good. Sun Jul 22 23:44:50 -0700 2001 493234 0 Greg Spence 3 493257 You are so right about the tolerance for bad sushi, It doesn't help that the food writers here seem to have no idea what good sushi is. Even my fave, Mick Vann, led me to the terrible Origami. At Musashino, the transcendent nights get me through the merely good ones. You must sit at the bar as the harried floor staff lets the prepared sushi sit too long. Tuesday is always a good bet - they're closed on Monday so old fish gets tossed and new fish comes in - but I had a great meal last Wednesday. Always get tuna and vinegared mackerel (saba). Lately they have aji, a special mackerel best had as a large sashimi order served alongside its head and body so you can see how fresh it is. Fri Jul 27 20:55:14 -0700 2001 493238 0 Phil Wronski 4 493259 And you want me to cut out the burger talk? Sat Jul 28 12:40:31 -0700 2001 493257 0 Greg Spence 2 493245 I can't let this one go without mentioning Pao's Mandarin House in an office building downtown at about 8th and Brazos. You can't see it from outside, so call to get directions exactly. They have the absolute best Dim Sum (Sundays before noon, of course)so take friends. Or, go yourself any other time. Their food is incredible. Tue Jul 24 13:34:42 -0700 2001 493234 0 Heather Elise 3 493247 Pao's = closed (from a local newsgroup thread). I believe the landlord kicked out all the restaurants in the building. Tue Jul 24 20:50:09 -0700 2001 493245 0 David "Zeb" Cook 4 493258 Too bad about Pao's. I remember a drunken chicken there that perilously skirted the line between undercooked and cooked. Unnerving, but delicious. Much better than the too safely cooked version I had at the otherwise exceptional New Green Bo in Manhattan. Fri Jul 27 21:03:13 -0700 2001 493247 0 Phil Wronski 2 493302 Din HO, in the shopping center by the Asian Supermarket up on 183 at Peyton Gin, serves simple, fantastic Cantonese. I'm especially partial to the chicken baked in rock salt and the Chinese broccoli. Sat Aug 11 18:26:26 -0700 2001 493234 0 John Morthland 3 493346 Din Ho is good Cantonese food, and the bbq rules. The best Taiwanese is at Mandarin Garden on N Lamar -- pretty authentic. Go for "wu geng chang wang" or "sa guo niu nan" if you feel adventurous. A yummy veggie dish is stir-fried pea shoots "chao dou miao". You won't be disappointed. Plus there is a place called "China Cafe by Phoenix" which serves sizzling tofu as well as a bunch of cool things like lamb meat wantons. Are there any Chinese bakeries in Austin? I heard that there was one here about 3 yrs ago but it closed down. :( Wed Sep 05 17:57:50 -0700 2001 493302 0 r5ahhj 2 493471 For authentic Chinese food, go where the Chinese go, at more reasonable prices than the fancy-looking places or chains in town. Try Din Ho on 183 (by Ohlen Rd & close to Target). Another is TNS (or something that sounds like it) on North Lamar along where Chuy's & Schlotzsky are; their dimsum on weekends is also fabulous. Both restaurants are very clean and fast service too! Fri Oct 19 11:19:33 -0700 2001 493234 0 vcray 2 494069 Why bother? Thu Feb 14 13:00:49 -0800 2002 493234 0 Betty 1 493783 I'll have to try this place but for the more adventerous among you Might I recommend The Chinese Barbaque on 183 near the Target right above 290. It is in the same shopping center as the Hong Kong Supermarket. I moved down from NYC and ate regularly in Chinatown in both SanFran and NYC. Several dishes which are excellent Singapore ChowMaiFun Fish Maw Congee Clams in Black Bean sauce Sea Cucumber in Brown sauce No Jellyfish and no curried ducks blood or pig uteri in Chili sauce but you can't have it all If anyone knows where I can get Jellyfish I'd love to know. I've heard a rumor that they have Dim Sum down here but I don't want to be disappointed. If any of you are familiar with Oriental Pearl in NYC or 40 Division Street this is the class of Dim Sum I'm looking for Tue Jan 01 23:08:52 -0800 2002 493232 0 Brian Davis 2 493820 You can get jellyfish at a Chinese restaurant on Airport just east of Lamar called China Palace. Make sure you get the Chinese menu. If you're Chinese, they'll probably give it to you automatically.. but if you're not you'll probably have to ask for it.. the Chinese menu is one sheet. This restaurant is grreat for getting more authentic Chinese food (off the Chinese menu of course)... you can even ask for stuff that's off the menu like "kou rou" which is called bacon pork at Coco's Cafe... but it's much much better at China Palace. Fatty braised with soy sauce pork sopping on a bed of baby bok choy... yum yum. I also regularly get "ma po do fu" which is a spicy soft tofu dish... home cooking... comfort food as I know it. Tue Jan 08 01:15:57 -0800 2002 493783 0 starflyer