Thursday 15 October 2015

Howdy, Austin!

Keep Austin Weird.
Yes, that's indeed their motto. It's cute, funny, brilliant and very realistic. Austin is one of the "weirdest" cities I've had the pleasure of visiting, which I did this past week. It's weirdness adds to its charm and it's an absolutely wonderful and incredibly hospitable city. The people are so friendly, there is art and music literally everywhere, and the food... well, I hadn't had a bad meal for the entire trip.
My friend had an extra ticket to Austin's biggest annual event, Austin City Limits music festival. It was an absolute blast. Despite the crazy heat, every performance was outstanding and it was all-round good vibes. I am so happy and grateful that I decided to go. It was a unique and wonderful experience.

The conveyor in the airport.
Our first proper meal was at Uchi, the number one restaurant in Austin, according to TripAdvisor. The sushi was indeed the best I have had. The quality of seafood used is top notch! The buttery fish just melt in your mouth. The salad and miso were fairly average but their shrimp tempura was also great!
Uchi, the number one restaurant in Austin, and it's wall of fame.

Seaweeds Salad at Uchi

Chef's Selection at Uchi

Dessert at Uchi

T-Rex lurking in the bushes.

Amazing graffiti.

Texas-shaped waffles!

Breakfast at the hotel, Ramada Inn.

Weird art everywhere!



Boba Milk Tea at Tea Haus

Brick Toast at Tea Haus

Basil Fried Chicken at Tea Haus

Little smoothie while we rested our feet.


Graffiti Park




The cutest little Boots Shop
Now for my favourite meal in Austin, the ramen at Ramen-Tatsuya. It was my first try at proper ramen and I was fairly skeptical. I do not usually like the dried pack ramen that you find at the stores that everyone likes. I knew it would be different of course, but I did not expect to enjoy it so thoroughly. It's the best ramen in Austin according to a lot of reviews and I am so glad we got the chance to go. The lines are usually long but it was definitely worth the wait. Good service, amazing food. 
Vegetable curry at Ramen Tatsuya

My Ramen!!! 

Our meal at Ramen Tatsuya

There's an entire museum dedicated to these little weird things.
Not worth the trip, though, for us anyway.
The weekend was spent at the festival and we ate primarily festival food. This festival had the best local vendors so the food was guaranteed to be good. It was. All of it.
Our kimchi fries and Korean tofu tacos from Chi'lantro, both fantastic.

Amy's Ice Cream. So good, especially on a hot day.

Lots of flags, balloons, signs and other random things at the festival.

Cooling off with Shade Tree and Snowie treats.


Pad Thai from Thai Fresh

Poor Qui Buns from East Side Kings

Incredible Fried Brussel Sprouts Salad from East Side King

A little dessert.

Brunch at The Steeping Room
Yes, we started with scones and clotted cream.

Brunch at The Steeping Room

Sunset at the festival.

Fabulous Torchy Tacos
Unfortunately, I did not get the time to visit Franklin's and sample their BBQ but Austin is a beautiful city that deserves more than just a few days. I may need to go back!