Austinite Appetites

TABLEOFCONTENTS 6 | Letter From the Editors

for Sur vival 8 | Struggle

By Isaac Held

Trucks vs Restaurants 12 | Food

By Isaac Held

14 | Culinary Kindness

By Adith Chagarlamundi

18 |

04 | Austinite Appetites

The Environmentally Friendly Waste Process

By Adith Chagarlamundi

of the Pandemic 20 | Power

By Aima Feng Bites 24 | Austin

By Aima Feng

Eateries 26 | East

By Wendy Geng

5 Bat City Eats 30 | Top

By Wendy Geng Connections 32 | Cultural

By Gloria Meng

to Dim Sum 36 | AByGuide Gloria Meng

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Letter fromthe editors

Dear readers,

As George Bernard Shaw once said, ?There is no sincere love than the love of food.? Food plays a vital role in life, and we started this magazine to explore the part it plays in Austin during the pandemic. I n this magazine, we focused on food and culture in Austin. Our magazine covers food trucks in Austin, the food in the East Austin Mueller community, the presence of Asian food, and how restaurants are staying in business during this global pandemic.

Through putting this magazine together, we?ve been able to talk to many inspirational people, and see the role food plays from their perspective. From talking about food trucks to East Austin culture with many qualified people, we hope we?ve created an informative yet fun experience. We are particularly proud of how many perspectives we were able to gather in our magazine. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the owners, chefs, and workers, who took the time during this undoubtedly busy pandemic to answer our questions. We also want to thank our editing team, for supporting one another throughout the entire process. I t has been tough to coordinate everything online, but we got through it together. We also thank you, for taking the time to read our magazine!

Without a doubt, this pandemic has been negatively impacting many communities all over the world, but our overall experience with this creative process has been wonderful and something we will all remember. We hope that through reading this magazine, you will learn just as much as we did about how food can be used to show love to others and support each other in times of need. hope you enjoy it!

Sincerely, the editors of Austinite Appetites.

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Meet theeditors Ad it h Ch a g a r l a mu n d i Hi, my name is Adith Chagarlamudi and I am a freshman at LASA highschool. I was born and raised in austin. I have one sibling, a younger sister who is currently in middle school. I n my spare time I love to watch tv, play sports with my cousins and play video games. I love spicy food but I also love indulging in treats like ice cream. This magazine is something I take pride in, and I hope you all like it!

w en d y g en g I ?m Wendy Geng, and I ?m a freshman at LASA. I ?ve lived in Austin for my entire life, but have moved once. I ?m the youngest of two siblings, with a 10 year difference. I n my free time, I like to listen to music, watch cooking shows , and test out new recipes. I don?t particularly like sour foods. This magazine was personally a really memorable experience, and I hope you find as much delight in this magazine as we did!

Is a a c h el d Hi, I ?m I saac Held and this is my first year at LASA. I was born in Austin and have lived here my entire life. I have one sister who is a junior at LASA, and I also have a dog. I play a lot of soccer, and I also enjoy playing video games with my friends and backpacking. My favorite type of food is Thai, and I don?t like anything too sweet. This magazine allowed me to appreciate the Austin community, and I hope it puts the pandemic and Austin food into perspective for you too!

g l o r ia men g My name is Gloria Meng and I am a freshman at LASA. I was born in Kansas and moved to Austin around six years ago. I n my free time, I enjoy hiking, baking, sleeping, and listening to music. I will eat almost anything that is given to me, but my favorite food is savory food. I had a fun time working with my teammates to create this magazine, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do.

a ima Fen g Hello! My name is Aima Feng and I am currently a freshman at LASA. I was born in Austin and have lived here my whole life. I enjoy making art, listening to music, learning about astrology, sleeping, and baking in my free time. I like most food that is given to me, although I do not have a very high spice tolerance. We worked hard making this magazine, so I hope you all enjoy reading this magazine as much as we did making it.

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struggl efor survival Th e ex p er ien c e o f f o o d t r u c k o w n er s HIP d u r in g COVid

By Isaac Held

West Cam p us Food Tr uck Plaza at nig ht . Phot o by Isaac Held .

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ustin is known for their innovation in the food scene and in the past few years, food trucks have grown rapidly in popularity. Since the Pandemic hit in March of 2020, many people have avoided eating out, steering clear from the risk of getting COVI D. Due to the reduction of customers, many Austin food trucks have been forced to close or adapt to these unprecedented times.

Many people?s lives have changed since the start of COVI D, and food truck owners aren?t an exception.

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I interviewed two Austin food truck owners. Ben Bratten owns SnoCo on Burnet, a snow cone truck that is normally open March through October. I n 2016, Bratten realized there were no sweet food places on Burnet and had a vision to open a snow cone shop. When SnoCo was first introduced, people were excited, and it has grown with the community ever since.

"The personal touch and personal care towards customers is sacrificed."

- Ben Bratten, Owner of SnoCo

Due to COVI D restrictions being set in place, restaurant owners have noticed significant changes in their companies.

When Bratten reopened he had to make major changes,?We removed the tables so there's nobody sitting,? Bratten said. ?There?s a lot that happens, kind of the personal touch and personal care towards customers is sacrificed because now you have plexiglass between you.?

Before COVI D hit, Bratten remembered a scene from over the summer, where the tables in front of his truck were all crowded with people talking and laughing, which is no longer the case. Due to COVI D, there has been a reduction in foot traffic in Austin, and food trucks have lost many of their customers. Bratten said COVI D and its restrictions have sacrificed a personal connection between him and his customers.

Inside of Cold Cookie Com p any. Phot o by Isaac Held .

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Aust in Chai Wala in Rosed ale. Phot o by Isaac Held

sacrificed a personal connection between him and his customers.

Although most things have been going downhill, not everything has been negative this year. Bratten said he enjoys the community outreach aspect of his job. ?Favorite part is probably just community outreach? Bratten said, ?being a part of the community and neighborhood that were in, really getting to know a lot of the people; and greater Austin in general, as the brand spreads you get to know more people, and you get to see regulars, so

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just building relationships is food truck tucked behind probably my favorite part of the Rosedale Market. Before Zaidi business? opened, he noticed a lack of Unlike brick and mortar I ndian cuisine in Austin, and restaurants, many food trucks thought he would introduce new are tucked away in menu items to the Austin area. neighborhoods where the Zaidi?s first plan was to open in a community is able to connect with the truck. Since food trucks food truck park closer to Burnet, only require a couple people to but all the spots there were run it, owners can expect to see booked. On his way home, he regulars often, which helps them saw a spot near Rosedale and thought it would be perfect. He form closer relationships with people in the Austin community. got a permit, opened up, then quickly became a part of the Wajahat Zaidi owns community.

Austin Chai Wala, an I ndian

Zaidi, owner of Austin Chai Wala, had a similar experience to Bratten. He witnessed a change in the atmosphere of his food truck after COVI D hit. ?So a lot of changes from, you know, before Corona a lot of people used to come and sit down and have long conversations regarding just catching up with life and stuff,? Zaidi said, ?but now, you know people are not spending that much time outdoors.?

Zaidi had a response in the same spirit as Bratten earlier. Zaidi said what he liked about owning a food truck was,

?Just the interaction with people of different backgrounds, having conversations with them.? Zaidi recalled a situation where there was a family sitting outside his food truck and he had the time to go out and have a conversation with them, though since the pandemic moments like these have been sacrificed.

Although there have been many changes and trials for food truck owners in Austin throughout COVI D, Austin?s food truck culture is here to stay.

SnoCo and Austin Chai Wala have gotten through the worst of it, but they are both back to being open after having to shut

down. Bratten and Zaidi are hopeful that this summer they can bounce back, and Food Trucks all around Austin can keep thriving after COVI D. Throughout COVI D, Austin?s food truck culture is here to stay. SnoCo and Austin Chai Wala have gotten through the worst of it, but they are both back to being open after having to shut down. Bratten and Zaidi are hopeful that this summer they can bounce back, and Food Trucks all around Austin can keep thriving after COVI D.

Cust om er s at West Cam p us Food Tr uck Plaza. Phot o by Isaac Held Austinite Appetites | 11

Restaurants 14.7 million people work in the restaurant industry The Restaurant I ndustry is currently worth about 890 billion The Average cost of opening a restaurant is $275,000 The average revenue of owning a restaurant is around $150,000 The growth of the overall restaurant industry is 4.3% Due to COVI D-19 the restaurant industry dropped by 120 billion Their are around 1 million restaurants in the United States 9/ 10 restaurant managers started in entry level positions (2nd Kitchen)

Other Facts

(On the Line Blog)

Basketball Player Shaq owns 155 Five Guys Locations I talian food is the most popular ethnic cuisine in the USA 3 billion pizzas are ordered every year in America 12 | Austinite Appetites

V

VS FoodTrucks

As of 2018 their are 23,873 Food Trucks in the US The Food Truck I ndustry is currently worth about 2 billion The Average cost of starting a food truck is $50,000 The average revenue of owning a food truck is around $290,000 The growth of the food truck is around 5.4% Due to COVI D-19 the food truck industry dropped by 1.24 billion Millennials make up the majority of food truck diners A study showed 30% of food truck owners are immigrants

By Isaac Held

(United States Census Bureau)

People most likely to purchase from a Food Truck are between 18 and 34 Food trucks have their own national holiday The first food truck opened in LA Austinite Appetites | 13

Cul inary Kindness Ho w t h e Co mmu n it y Ca me To g eTh er

By Ad it h Chag ar lam ud i ustin as a city has been severely affected by this pandemic. Not only restaurants but also smaller communities have been greatly damaged. Families, especially ones in a poor financial position, have been hurt more severely. Some restaurants in Austin have decided to put help back into the people that made them what they are.

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I nterstellar BBQ is located on the north side of Austin. The owner, John Bates, decided to help others around him that were harmed by this crisis. He has been doing many things to make things easier for families during COVI D.

whenever I can, " Bates said.

Bates noticed that people doing hospitality work have been less fortunate than him. He does not see this as something that he has to do but he wants to show his appreciation to everyone that has made his life better.

"I don't feel like in any way that we are required to give back to our workers. I n my opinion, it is not something that you shouldn't want or expect. When they sign up to work for us, we become kind of like a family and we want to make sure that each one of our family can work to make sure the restaurant can function ,"

Map of t he locat ion of Inter stellar BBQ. Phot o cour tesy of Ad it h Char g ar lam ud i.

"When I created this place, I always had the I dea of giving back. I feel like it is my duty to help others because they have always helped me, especially with this restaurant. Without them, the restaurant would not be what it is today and I feel like as a favor I need to help out 14 | Austinite Appetites

"We as the community have been doing many things to help others. This is a good question.

Every Friday we provide bowls of homemade soup to hospitality workers that have been affected by COVI D, especially financially. This is a small thing that we can do to provide for

people that need it and also allows me to show my appreciation towards them," Bates Said.

They use their extra resources to make extra food for the workers free. They have the opportunity to provide help and they took it.

"I do not expect anything more in return. I believe that someone helps you when you need help and you need to return the favor. We help people risking their lives every day to help us. I have been lucky for the community to love my restaurant and that is what I 'm getting back in return," Bates stated.

"I do not expect anything more in return. I believe that someone helps you when you need help and you need to return the favor. We help people risking their lives every day to help us. I have been lucky for the community to love my restaurant and that is what I'm getting back in return."

- Bates, Owner of Interstellar BBQ

Bates has not always been in the position that he is in now. He has needed help in the past too. "I like helping others for a bunch of different reasons. First of all, like I told you before, I know what it feels like to need some help. I have needed help before and I know how much of a difference another person can make. Also I have been very privileged to be in the spot that I am. This pandemic has negatively affected many of us and I am lucky to still be in a good spot. I cannot not do anything knowing that I can easily help others". Bates has the resources to do so, he wants to provide a haven.

This organization has not always been perfect.

There have been many challenges in setting up this whole operation. "I think that this isn't necessarily a problem in my community or my restaurant but in our city. I think that people that can help others often do not and this causes it to take longer to fully recover from pandemics such as this. I f everyone gave a helping hand whenever they could, it could cause all of our problems to be fixed much easier than normal. That is the only problem I see in our communities," Bates said.

Front view of Scholz Gar ten. Cour tesy of Scholz Gar ten online web site

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Front view of t he g iving BBQ, Inter stellar BBQ. Phot o cour tesy of Ad it h Chag ar lam ud i.

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After getting a good shelter running, he also has many plans for the future. He wants to also reform our community. His goal is to not only give a place for people to not worry, but also make our city a safe place.

Another restaurant that has been aiding the people is Scholz Garten. This restaurant was one of the few that was not too greatly affected by

help centers or other diners that need it.

This community has also had its fair share of problems. They have had the normal challenges that come with setting up such a large project.

Northcutt did not feel overwhelmed because this was something that he was passionate about.

That still means that they struggled to get this running. After they set that up Northcutt stated that all the communities have made it easy on him to keep running.

"To be honest, the nonprofit communities have made it very easy to set this whole thing up.

They have made our life so much easier. I f I had to pick something, I would just say picking and first contacting different organizations that we can help. That took a little bit of time but

A d onat ion b ox used t o help t he people in our com m unit y. Phot o cour tesey of Ad it h Chag ar lam ud i.

COVI D. They were motivated by living through a rough patch and learning what exactly is happening to the places that were less fortunate.

Northcutt, the owner, has followed his dreams of helping others.

"I decided to get back from Scholz Garten when I realized how lucky we are to have a business still running pretty smoothly. I saw so many other restaurants such as ours fail and not be able to make it through this pandemic.This is when I realized that I want to do it again and give back to our own."

Money show s t hat is b eing used for ot her p ur p oses such as helping ot her s. Phot o cour tesy of Ad it h Chag ar lam ud i.

"We do not have a specific date or time when we help the nonprofit organizations. We instead donate 20 percent of all orders and revenue instead so we can constantly be helping out. I feel like if we held a couple events that it would not be enough and this makes it much easier to manage," Northcutt said.

nothing was too hard to handle," Northcutt said.Both I nterstellar BBQ and Scholz Garten have lended a helping hand. I nterstellar BBQ has provided free soup bowls to workers in hospitality. Scholz Garten has helped out other restaurants around Austin and many other help centers. They both wanted to help in the fight against COVI D. They do not plan to stop and have more plans for the future.

He does not want to have to go through the hassle of setting up events. With these certain types of meetings, not everyone will be able to attend. That puts others at a disadvantage and the people who need help the most might not get it. This is why Northcutt decided to just have a certain percentage of revenue to put back into

"We believe that we are currently helping in many ways but I still believe that we can do more. We do not currently have a solid plan to do more but we are still currently working on other ways that we can give back to Austin. Be sure to stay in touch to find out!", Northcutt said.

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TheEnvironmental ly Friendly WasteProcess

By Ad it h Chag ar lam ud i Source: Desert Valley Disposals, Duquesne University, WebStockReview

New Life!

Now that materials can be used for whatever, they are shipped to different manufacturing companies. They can now use that to make whatever they want. Now the trash that w was once thrown away, is given another chance to be used again. After this, the cycle keeps repeating so we do not harm out environment and our home.

Cleaning and Melting After all the materials have been shredded up into little pieces, they need to be cleaned for their next use. Almost all thrown away objects are not sanitary and they need to be for whatever they are used for next. They are put in a through cleaning process to get rid of any dirt and make the object like it is new. After being cleaned, they need to be melted to be pure pieces of materials. This makes it seem like this batch of thing just came out of the original factory.

18 | Austinite Appetites

Waste Collection All of the trash collected and is not just thrown away from the restaurants in Austin. It is collected to be used in a better way. They store all the trash from a single day or week depending on the amount they get to put it towards the community.

Transportation and Sorting All of the trash that is collected after that period of time is then carefully transported to one of the many plants we have here in Austin; they are not just put in a place where they can harm living organisms. Then after they arrive, they go through a sorting process in which they are put into different groups based on what they could potentially do and what they can achieve when reused.

Bundling and Shredding The next step after all the materials are sorted is to bundle them. This basically means pack them into tight cubes. For example, if they had a bunch of plastic bottle, they put them together and compress them so they take up less space and are easier to manage. After everything is bundled, they need to be able to use those materials in different ways so what they do next is to shred those bundles. This allows everything ot have a bunch of different opportunities in what will become next.

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Power of thePandemic Th e Impa c t o f COVID o n Res t a u r a n t s a n d Co mmu n it ies

By Aim a Feng

early 2020, D uring COVI D-19 hit the U.S., forcing the whole country into lockdown. However, as we drive through Austin today, the streets are busy again, filled with people, a clear contrast to how it was a year ago.

Restaurants have reopened, with people heading in and out to dine again, allowing many local restaurants to run business again and make up for the losses during the first lockdown.

COVI D has affected thousands of people and communities, and among some of the most affected are local restaurants.

With being forced to close or transition completely to in person delivery, many owners have lost their hard worked businesses in this pandemic.

Kenny Jones is an employee at a local tea shop in Austin called Zhi Tea. Zhi Tea has been in business for almost 13 years now and they sell a variety of teas, such as: white tea, green tea, and even limited edition teas from all around the world.

Before the pandemic hit, Zhi Tea had just moved to a new location.

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Kenny Jones filling online tea order s. Phot o cour tesy of Kenny Jones.

?We actually moved to this Like other local restaurants, location just before COVI D and Zhi Tea had been heavily in doing so, we increased our rent by about 30%,?

"We also had debts that Jones said. ?We certainly were not being repaid, so weren?t anticipating COVI D, but we moved in, we were very worried about got everything situated, what our future would look we dressed up the front of like." the shop for the public.?

- Kenny Jones, employee at Zhi Tea

impacted, and almost went out of business. ?Not only did we have business grinding to a halt, we also had debts that were not being repaid, so we were very worried about what our future would look like,? Jones said.

With fewer customers everyday, their main business became almost nonexistent, so they had to do something to try and save their business. ?We decided we would start trying to learn a little bit about how to use social media and other means of trying to advertise ourselves and getting public notice without spending much money on it,? Jones said.

With this new idea, they had managed to save themselves and stay out of debt. ?We had at least moderate success over the course of the past year, our retail business through online has increased quite a bit, and that increase coupled with a lot of our promotions, etc. were enough to keep us afloat and keep revenue coming in , although revenue was definitely down more than it had been.?

As the pandemic dragged on, public restrictions started being lifted. Restaurants were allowed to open again, allowing customers to come in. They now had a new problem to deal with: keeping their customers safe.

?For a while, we were not throughout his experience. offering any table service at all, ?We were worried about and if we did, we would set up whether the business would tables outside where people can survive, and ultimately that sit and enjoy their tea,? Jones would mean whether or not we said. But as more and more had a job to come back to. I protocols were being lifted, would say that we all dealt with they were able to start offering it pretty well, just coming in more options. ?Now that some and trying to stay positive and of the COVI D restrictions are making sure that everyday we being lifted, we are offering tea did what we could to support service in the shop again, but any new avenues of business, we are asking people to sit especially for online retail, and outside if they want to be think of new ways to get unmasked, and if they want to people's attention for sit inside and enjoy their tea, promotions and other things. we?re asking them to kind of We hadn?t previously done as remove their mask to take a many promotions or sales as sip, and put it back on in Jones w or king in Zhi Tea's sup ply between sips, just so that w arehouse. Phot o cour tesy of Kenny we can keep Jones. everyone in here safe and any guests that arrive can feel as safe as possible.?

With the pandemic also comes a lot of stress, especially to those who have almost lost their jobs and businesses.

Jones shares his strategies on how to handle the stress that he encountered Austinite Appetites | 21

operating in the red for the majority of the past year. I think he also has to deal with the stress of distributing the staff, deciding who would stay and who would go, and I know he has a lot of stress over whether or not this business he?s been working on for over a decade would weather through the storm.?

Zhi tea em plo yee taking p hot os for t heir social m ed ia cam p aig n. Phot o cour tesy of Kenny Jones

we had done in 2020, but a lot of those efforts really were what brought in enough revenue to keep us above the water,? Jones said. ?The greatest amount of stress, I ?m certain, was on the owner, not only because the revenue dropped so dramatically over the course of the year, we?ve been kind of

During the pandemic, the community has become a very important aspect. Lynn Miller is the owner of Oseyo, a modernized Korean-American restaurant. They offer a variety of Korean food, with recipes inspired by Miller?s mother. ?The restaurant community has

come together, there's an organization that I just joined that has come together to help each other during these times, to come up with ideas of how to run businesses together,? Miller said.

Miller has also had various challenges with her restaurant throughout COVI D and has had to think about running the business in a different way. ?I think that the most challenging part of it all is that it really forces you to have to do things really differently than what you're normally used to doing at a restaurant, so you really have to think creatively and differently everyday about how to keep going. I t's not a normal environment where people come, and you serve them food, and the basic model for a restaurant; you really have to rethink everything,?

Miller said.

With all of the obstacles from the pandemic already

Lynn Miller cooking a m eal. Phot o cour tesy of Lynn Miller.

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"It's not a normal environment where people come, and you serve them food, and the basic model for a restaurant; you really have to rethink everything."

- Lynn Miller, owner of Oseyo

building up stress, the February storm that hit Austin presented Oseyo with a number of new and different challenges. They lost power and couldn?t open for a while, but they got together with their community and did what they could. ?I felt like the restaurants in our community and also people in the community came together to help each other, and that felt really nice. We weren't able to open because we lost power, and we ended up losing

some food, but some of the together that's fun. I personally food that we were able to do a daily meditation; that salvage we were able to make helps me reset everyday and into meals. We ended up taking meet challenges with an open those meals and donating them mind,? Miller said. to people around town who did Jones and Miller learned a lot not have power or water, and from the pandemic experience. that felt As COVID restr ict ions star t lift ing , Oseyo b eg ins t o star t really reser ving cust om er s in per son. Phot o cour tesy of Lynn Miller. good,?

Miller said.

The stress from running a

business piled up with the challenges that Miller had gone through during the pandemic builds up, but she doesn?t let that stop her from having a positive attitude everyday. ?I think one of the main things that I try to do is to create ways for my staff to do something together.

We've tried to have an outing once a month where we go and do something

One of t he m any d ishes t hat Oseyo offer s on t heir m enu. Phot o cour tesy of Lynn Miller

2021 has brought a fresh start to many, and given them hope for better business this year. ?I t seems that now that 2021 has arrived, and the hope of vaccines is starting to spread, some of our wholesale businesses are beginning to order again and this may turn out to be a good year,? Jones said. ?I would say that despite all of the hardship of COVI D, I guess maybe we got lucky that during the slowdown we were able to learn some things that would help us going forward even after the pandemic is conquered.?

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AustinBites Th e mo s t p o p u l a r Ea s t As ia n d is h es a mo n g Au s t in it es

By Aim a Feng Ramen A noodle dish of wheat noodles typically served in a meat broth. Usually it has a verity of toppings, including but not limited to nori, scallions, pork, eggs, narutomaki, etc.

Ramen is a popular dish and can be found in a number of restaurants like Ramen Tatsu-ya, Michi Ramen, Haru Ramen, Eurasia Ramen, and JI NYA Ramen Bar.

Mochi Mochi is a ball shaped Japanese rice cake. I t has two layers to it, an outer shell made of glutinous rice flour encapsulating some type of filling, like sesame seeds, red bean paste, ice cream, etc.

You can find Mochi at places like SnoMo and Sugar Pine.

Spr ing Rol l s A type of dimsum that is rolled up, with usually a vegetable based filling on the inside. Can be served with a variety of sauces, or you can eat it alone.

Spring Rolls are offered at restaurants like 1618 Asian Fusion, Tan My, and Pho Phong Luu. Tea A drink that originated in East Asia, tea is one of the most commonly drinked drinks in the world. I t is prepared by pouring hot boiling water over fresh tea leaves. There are a variety of teas like green tea, oolong tea, black tea, white tea, etc.

Many places in Austin offer tea, including The Steeping Room, Zhi Tea, Xiang Yun Tea Room, and Teapioca Lounge.

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Scal l ion Pancakes Also known as cong you bing, scallion pancakes are made from chinese flatbread and folded with oil and scallions / green onions, giving it many layers. I t is then fried, making it crispy and flaky on the outside but chewy on the inside.

Places that offer scallion pancakes include Julie's Noodles, Chen's Noodle House, Lin Asian Bar, Rice Bowl Cafe, and Sweet Chive.

Sushi A Japanese dish that contains rice and a number of different types of seafood and vegetables. Sushi is often served with a side of soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

Sushi is also a very popular dish and can be found at many asian restaurants. Popular sushi restaurants include Soto, Haru Sushi, Fukumoto Sushi & Yakitori, Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, and Kome.

Boba Tea A Taiwanese tea drink that has small tapioca balls called boba, or other toppings like jelly and popping boba.

Places that offer boba tea include Teapioca Lounge, Share Tea, Fruitealicious, Feng Cha, Ding Tea, Gong Cha, and Kung Fu Tea.

Baozi Baozi are Chinese steamed buns that are usually filled with a large variety of fillings, like meat, vegetables, seafood, etc. I t can be served with a side of sauces like soy sauce, vinegar, chili paste, garlic paste, or sesame oil.

You can find baozi at places like Julie's Noodles, Bao'd Up, or Old Thosand.

I nformation courtesy of Yelp

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EASTeateries

Co m m u n it y t h r o u g h f o o d in t h e e a s t s id e

by Wend y Geng When searching for a new spot to eat, Austinites look to the east side. Within the last decade, cafes, bars, and every kind of food truck have popped all over East Austin, turning this area into the new ?it? spot.

The residents here hold a deep love for community and the neighborhood, with a fierce devotion to support Austin area businesses. This atmosphere has led to a rich and vibrant cluster of restaurants, contributing to the drastically changing East Austin.

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From East Austin rises a new neighborhood. The Mueller district is a meticulously planned urban area. Built on the location of the old Austin airport, Mueller is aimed at young families with its sustainability, walkability, and abundant parks. The construction of Mueller brings with it numerous small businesses, offices, and restaurants.

Adam Orman is one of the owners of L?Oca d?Oro, an I talian-inspired restaurant located in the Mueller district.

L'Oca d 'Oro is an neig hb or hood b ased Italian restaurant located in Mueller. They are know n for keeping t o t he sim ply m ade spir it of Italian food . Phot o cour tesy of L'Oca d 'Oro.

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L?Oca d?Oro started out as a pop-up dinner series in 2013, but eventually moved into the brick and mortar spot it is located in today. All of their dishes are made with sustainable, locally-grown produce and meats, which is one way L?Oca d?Oro?s philosophy of farm-to-table is able to shine. Adam Orman said finding a location like Mueller was important. ?We always wanted to be in a neighborhood, we never wanted to be downtown.

Neighborhood I talian restaurants were sort of the model we wanted L?Oca d?Oro to be,? said Orman. ?So when we saw the space in Mueller and knew what kind of neighborhood they wanted to build there: that it was going to be very walkable, there was going to have a movie theater, there was going to be a grocery store - people were really going to be able to stay in their neighborhood, it seemed like the perfect spot where we would be able to cultivate regulars, get to know people and their families. Being right in the

L'Oca d 'Oro co-ow ner Ad am Or m an and one of t he chefs p rep are b owls and b owls of t he tast ing m enu item s. All t he ot her chefs stand read y near by. Phot o cour tesy of L'Oca d 'Oro.

middle of Mueller seemed like a perfect location.?

I t seems like Mueller was the best possible location for L?oca d?Oro to be. ?I t really has been, for those reasons and others,? Orman said. ?I t?s really telling during the pandemic, because so many of our customers, our regulars, have been reaching out to us, they?ve been ordering takeout as much as they could, we have a really

strong subscription program that we started in October, which has really helped the restaurant and in our first year when we were slow, and in the last year it?s been really important to have that type of relationship with our customers.?

With the pandemic, community has become a more important, even vital, part of life for some people. Brian

?Being right in the middle of Mueller seemed like a perfect location.?

- Adam Orman, co-owner of L'Oca d'Oro

Batch is a co-owner of Bird Bird Biscuit, along with Ryan McElroy. Bird Bird Biscuit opened in June 2018, located on Manor Road. This restaurant serves up biscuit sandwiches, from chicken to grilled cheese. Their dedication to being better can be seen through their menu items, with each recipe perfected over the course of two years. When Batch and his partner first opened Bird Bird Biscuit, the community was overwhelmingly supportive. ?I n terms of the reception from the

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Top5Bat City Eats A Gu id e On W h e r e t o Fin d t h e Be s t Re s t a u r a n t s

by Wend y Geng

Olamaie $$$ 306 E 53rd St Austin, TX 78751

Serving up contemporary Southern dishes rooted in love and tradition, their biscuits and sandwiches keep customers coming back for more.

Suerte $$$ 1800 E 6th St Austin, TX 78702

Offering traditional Mexican dishes, made with ingredients sourced locally, many customers say this is one of the must-try places around town.

28 | Austinite Appetites

Top Notch $ 7525 Burnet Rd Austin, TX 78757

An Austin classic, this diner still uses the original recipes, including the charcoal grill. Their menu includes hamburgers, onion rings, and secret sauce.

Foreign & Domestic $$ 306 E 53rd St Austin, TX 78751

A small neighborhood restaurant, known for the great vibe, the menu boasts unique American-European dishes, such as the Gruyere & Black Pepper Popovers.

Salt & Time $$ 1912 E 7th St Austin, TX 78702

A restaurant and butcher shop, this spot draws in customers with the carefully sourced Texas meats, selling items from steaks to charcuterie.

I nformation courtesy of Adam Orman (co-owner of L'oca d'Oro) and Yelp

Austinite Appetites | 29

A w aiter from L'Oca d 'Oro takes an order, d ur ing p re-COVID t im es. The out side p at io is p op ular am ong cust om er s.

Phot o cour tesy of L'Oca d 'Oro.

community,? Batch said, ?we were very fortunate and blessed, I think that the fact we were doing biscuits and not doing something like tacos, the concept itself, there was a lot of

excitement around it because it was new and it was different, so people were willing to give us a chance.? Batch said.

The support has never died out. ?Bird Bird is such an

inclusive place that I feel like so many more people come to Bird Bird - we have people who drive to Bird Bird from San Antonio, from Leader, from Dallas, from Houston,? said Batch. ?The community has been so very supportive of what we do, we have a ton of regular guests, they come and live right around us.?

When the February sudden snow arrived in Austin, Bird Bird Biscuit was ready for it. Throughout the pandemic, they have been partnering with multiple organizations to provide support for the people in the community.

Bird Bird Biscuit is a b iscuit sand wich b ased restaurant located off Manor Road . It t ook t he ow ner s Br ian Bat ch and Ryan McElro y t w o year s t o per fect ever y recipe. Phot o cour tesy of Wend y Geng .

30 | Austinite Appetites

"I n particular, when power outages happened some time ago and lots of people lost their water, we partnered with some groups,? Batch said. ?We have some businesses around us be like: ?We just want to sponsor this many sandwiches for people. We just want to give you the money, just do something good with it.?or ?We want to buy 50 chicken sandwiches to give to people and show them love.?We?ve seen a lot of that, and it?s just beautiful.?

The East Austin food community prospers. Batch has a personal relationship with many of the chefs in East Austin, such as the people at East Austin restaurants Patrizi and Nixta. ?Knowing all of these people, how focused they are on their products, how focused they are on the care and the love for what they do, and they take that and they really help the community with it,? said Batch. ?I think what makes East Austin special is the hearts of the people that are there, the hearts of the chefs, the hearts of the owners. I know the people doing it are dedicated to seeing what?s best for that community.

They want to see East Austin - I know a bunch of the Manor road people - they want to see the community thrive, they want to see it stay vibrant and not just turn into something

The Queen Beak (t op left ), t he Biscuitar ian (t op r ig ht ), and t he Bird Bird Bacon (left ).

All t he sand wiches feat ure Bird Bird Biscuit 's from scrat ch b iscuit s. Phot os cour tesy of Bird Bird Biscuit .

that?s cookie cutter like everything else, they want to keep the life and the character to it.?

Through the sharing of food and sense of togetherness the east side holds, the community can safely assume that East Austin will continue to flourish, and that it?s in good hands. From everything, we see the east side has many passionate people who love what they do, which is not only

good for East Austin, it?s good for Austin, it?s good for everyone. During the pandemic, life has been revealing the essential role that community plays in everyone's lives. The way that the east side has helped others in need has been inspirational and instrumental in getting everyone through these tough times. East Austin keeps people coming back, for the good food and the good vibes.

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Cultural Connections Ho w As ia n c u l t u r e is e x p r e s s e d t h r o u g h f o o d

By Glor ia Meng

ustin is becoming increasingly diverse, with people moving in from various East Asian countries. As people move in, they bring and spread their cuisine, allowing Austinites to get a taste of various cultures without even leaving the city.

Within the past decade, many Asian restaurants have opened across Austin. These restaurants and their founders pride themselves for bringing a taste of Eastern culture to Central Texas.

A

Rebecca Lee has been in the restaurant industry for over 20 years. After moving to Austin in 2006, she ended up becoming part of the opening team for Wu Chow, a farm-to-table restaurant located in the downtown Austin area. Lee, who has been Wu Chow?s general manager since 2015, is proud of working for a restaurant that is committed to serving authentic Chinese food.

Lee believes restaurants like Wu Chow are

A var iet y of d im sum offered at W u Chow.

Phot o cour tesy of Reb ecca Lee.

32 | Austinite Appetites

important parts of the community. ?I ?m really proud to be a part of the company that I work for,? Lee said. ?We do a lot of efforts for the community, and particularly, being the general manager of Wu Chow, I really enjoy working with traditional Chinese food. I am half Chinese, so there?s some cultural ties for me, so I ?m very proud of the product and the food that we give out to the community here in Austin.?

Wu Chow?s authentic food means a lot to Lee, who has a Chinese background herself. ?For me, what really stands out about Wu Chow, it was one of the first restaurants to open in Austin to really highlight traditional Chinese food,? Lee said. ?Our goal and efforts were to keep things as traditional as possible... and so to do traditional dim sum and Chinese food and bring it to the Austin community has been really great, specifically in the downtown area.?

W u Chow 's m oder n inter ior.

Phot o cour tesy of Reb ecca Lee.

With the owner and many of the staff being Chinese, the representation of the culture within the restaurant is very strong, which is expressed through the positive relationships both within the restaurant team and between the staff and customers.

opportunities to continue to serve those in the community with what we have.?

Collectively, between Wu Chow, several other restaurants, and different non-profit organizations, Lee has been able to provide over 50,000 meals to people in need. Lee is happy to have been able to do her part in giving back to the Austin community. ?Here in 2021, after a pandemic and after this big closure that we had

everything we can to continue to support the community and get food out to those in need, whether it be curbside availability during the height of the COVI D pandemic, or being a part of groups such as Good Work Austin,? Lee said.

Good Work Austin, which is a nonprofit organization that Lee is very passionate supports restaurants that then about bringing a positive supports those in need, has relationship from within the allowed Lee to ?take our restaurant to the community Reb ecca Lee, General Manag er of resources and go above and W u Chow, p acking food for COVID in Austin. Lee is doing her part relief. Phot o cour tesy of Reb ecca beyond just making food Lee. to help out the people who within the restaurant, taking have been affected by the recently with snow and the that facility and being able to global pandemic and the loss of water throughout the give food out to those in need, recent snowstorm. ?For Wu state of Texas, I ?m very proud so we?ve had a lot of great Chow, we have done to say that Wu Chow has a very strong reputation and we have ?Our culture is very strong and there is a lot of been really lucky and blessed respect and positivity amongst everyone; it?s to continue to do very well and serve our community and stay by far the best I?ve experienced in my career, open,? Lee said. from ownership trickling all the way down to

the newest of employees.?

- Rebecca Lee, general manager of Wu Chow

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Modernized exterior of Old Thousand.

Photo courtesy of Ben Cachila.

Ben Cachila has been working in the restaurant and business industry for over ten years. Four years ago, he decided to open up his own restaurant, Old Thousand. Old Thousand offers a mix of flavors, ingredients, and styles that shows off a modern interpretation of traditional Chinese cuisine, located in the East Austin area.

Cachila prides himself on creating something more unique to his identity as an Asian-American. ?We can create food that is not traditional and we don?t care,?

Cachila said. ?We do what we want, which is fun. I t?s the type of food that maybe my parents would say, ?Oh, well

34 | Austinite Appetites

how can you do that to Chinese food?, but for us it?s more like, ?Well try it, it?s tasty, it?s not Chinese food, it reflects who we are as Chinese Americans that grew up here in the United States,? Cachila said.

"This is a story of our food culture, how we grew up, not the way mom and dad grew up eating Chinese food.?

- Ben Cachila, owner of Old Thousand Cachila enjoys being able to experiment with new ways of expressing traditional Asian culture not only

through food, but through the restaurant itself. ?Creating a design in the restaurant, we get to put up pictures that are more edgy, have funky wallpaper, some things feel like grandma, some things feel like we got at a thrift store, a garage sale, some things are more modern, and we blend all of those things together,?

Cachila said.

Cachila?s identity as an Asian-American has allowed him to put away those traditional customs and really connect with the Austin community. ?What I like about Old Thousand is the fact that because our brand is irreverent, it allows us to express who we are as a team,

our personalities, without feeling like we?re stepping over the line of being proper business people,? Cachila said. ?We get to have fun, if we?re in the mood, we put on panda suits, hand out food. When we post on instagram, we can speak in a language that other businesses don?t want to do because they're trying to maintain professionalism, but for us, we don?t care about professionalism, that?s part of who we are.?

Although Cachila has received a lot of positive responses from the Austin community, he expresses the hardships he faces in the restaurant business. ?Making good food is just half of the battle, and then there?s the human beings,? Cachila said.

Cachila emphasizes the importance of treating the community and staff with respect, for ?you?re not only

making a restaurant for your guests or customers, you?re making a restaurant for the community; it?s large, it?s also your employees, which is very important because with employees of a restaurant you spend more time together than you do with your family, so we want to make a place where they feel included and we can be part of their lives. A lot of times, they see working in restaurants a part time job they?re only doing for money.

We want to change that by giving people a better experience so they can go away with being a better human being,? Cachila said.

Cachila strongly values giving back to the community.

During the recent snowstorm that hit Austin, Cachila and his team were able to feed over 1000 people who had no electricity and water . ?I t?s about being part of the

Trad it ional Chinese food m ade wit h Aust in fashion.

Phot o cour tesy of Ben Cachila.

community, and that helped us a lot, doing that team building exercise and making sure we did our part to help the community that needed us,? Cachila said.

Old Thousand's modernized interior with touches of Chinese culture.

Photo courtesy of Ben Cachila.

Four years after starting a restaurant from scratch with few staff and little manpower, Cachila was able to open up the second location of Old Thousand.This meant a lot to Cachila as the restaurant was originally created in honor of his childhood memories. ?Growing up and going to dim sum on Sunday with my parents was probably one of the most nostalgic childhood memories that I have,?

Cachila said. ?I wanted to do something that honored my upbringing through memories of my family being together in a Asian restaurant,? Cachila said.

Austinite Appetites | 35

AGuidet

summary

Dim Su m Ar o u n

a n d Po p

Dim Sum is a traditional Chinese meal that is typically eaten for brunch or lunch, usually accompanied by tea. It is composed of an assortment of small dishes of seafood, meat, vegetables, and various desserts that are prepared by steaming, frying, or baking.

history

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cha shao b

Dim Sum originated in southern China's Guangdong in the late 19th century. It began in tearooms where Silk Road travelers and traders would take lunch breaks in the tea houses for a meal and as they continued to travel along the road, the practice spread and gained popularity throughout the region and eventually throughout the world.

bbq pork b ?? ? xiao long bao steamed bun

? ? ?

how it works

nai huang bao custard bun

In a dim sum restaurant, carts with stacks of plates of food will weave through tables. When you see something you want, flag down the cart as it goes by and the waiter will unload the food from the cart and mark you table's menu card with what you've ordered. When you're done eating, the menu card will be picked up and it will determine the final check.

?? dan ta egg tart

?? nian gao rice cake 36 | Austinite Appetites

oDimSum

nd t he Wo r l d

p u l a r Pl a c es in Au s t in

top places in Austin

By: Glor ia Meng

New For tu n e -

bao

?a full-frenzy room with plenty of carts dangerously rolling through the haphazard aisles, each one filled with steaming delicacies of goodness? specialty item: Peking duck

-

W u Ch ow -

-

bun

"chefs who were born and trained in China, so it?s no surprise that the food is traditional and authentic" recommended dishes: xiao long bao

? ? xia jiao shrimp dumpling

Lin Asian Bar an d Dim Su m Restau r an t

? ? hun tun

-

wonton soup -

"jam-packed with people in search of delicious dim sum? recommended dish: soup dumplings

Sh an gh ai -

?feels like a family-run establishment? recommended dishes: steamed dumplings, egg tarts

? shui water

I nformation courtesy of Asia Society and Eater Austin

? cha tea Austinite Appetites | 37