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Asia Cafe
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese
The Asia Market8650 Spicewood Springs Rd, Ste 115
Austin, TX 78759
Neighborhood: Barrington Oaks
(512) 331-5788
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
320 reviews for Asia Cafe
Review Highlights
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"Had the spicy fish and it was amazing." In 88 reviews -
"Usually twice cooked pork is made with pork rib meat." In 14 reviews -
"Try the ma po tofu, it is amazing." In 18 reviews
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320 reviews in English
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Review from j t.
San Antonio, TX
5/25/2012
Wow. Came to visit a friend here in Austin and he lives right behind this strip center. So he showed me the area and decided on going in for Easter Dinner.
Upon entering, patrons go to the counter, look over the menu, and place your order. Grab your own drink; tea is included in the price. You are given a number then you sit at the table of your choice and wait for the guy to call your number out.
The plating is simple but the size of the food. SERIOUSLY? WHO DO THESE PEOPLE FEED WHEN THEY COOK, A NATION?
WOW. Alot of food for the price, not just your typical Chinese food, this was the best I have ever had. I was blown away big time.
You sit yourself, get your own food, you get your own refills, so basically it's high quality Chinese food served as you would find yourself at a fast food restaurant. But way better and priced perfectly. We both ordered our own plates. I had the Spicy Fish and Mike, my buddy; ordered Cashew something? We both were given a small bowl of rice with each order and we shared it all.
Great parking, clean environment, glasses were clean. Service at the counter was dead on and polite. Even the customers there were polite and helpful with one another on giving suggestions while we waited in line. It was very busy.
Worth the drive... -
Review from Mike S.
Austin, TX
5/24/2012
have not had better chinese in austin than this. it's in a stripmall space and you can see back into the kitchen if you go to the bathroom -- that kitchen has as many humans as possible frantically crushing orders.
got the spicy fish, fried dumplings, and the garlic spinach. all exciting dishes.
the ordering system and line are completely fucked up chaos. it rules! -
Review from Heidi L.
Austin, TX
5/24/2012
Pros:
-Favorite dishes so far: Drunken chicken, seafood pancake, fried pig intestine, eggplant and pork (I don't know the name, my friend ordered it in Chinese)
-Huge portions
-Only 15 minutes away!
The restaurant is set up so you can dine and dash. You stand in line until it's your turn to order and pay, then they give you a number. You pick a table, grab your own water or tea, utensils, and bowls, and wait for them to call your number. Your dishes will come out 1 by 1.
The reason that this place gets 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the lack of consistency. Sometimes a certain dish is amazing, other times it's just alright. -
Review from Rebecca L.
Austin, TX
Updated - 5/21/2012
You know this place is legit if they can make pork blood and pig intestine taste awesome. Yeah that's right. You heard me. It's #792 on the menu. Spicy Szechuan pork blood and intestine. Try it if you're feeling adventurous, but don't bite any of the peppercorns. Your mouth will go numb. Also, their drunken chicken (#232) is pretty amazing, and the Shredded Pork w/Preserved Veggie reminded me of my mom's cooking (except she used less salt). My boyfriend and I were pretty impressed with all of the dishes we tried, and he especially liked the intestine and pork blood.
I'm fairly confident that whatever you pick, Asia Cafe will deliver in terms of taste and speed. I think the only other place that can match the speed at which they cook your food is a pho restaurant. So close your eyes, and pick something off the menu at random. You won't be disappointed.Listed in: Around the World, I've got a hunger twisting my…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/19/2012
I took my mom here for lunch last Saturday around noon because I wanted to see what she thought of… Read more »
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Review from Tiffany W.
Austin, TX
5/15/2012 4 Check-ins Here
Asia Cafe has come quite some way since its days tucked away in the back of the asian market next door. I've been a long-time patron of Asia Cafe and used to rave about their authentic Chinese food to other native Houstonians who now live in Austin and miss the cuisine in Bellaire. Not so much anymore.
The menu is expensive and each dish will set you back anywhere in the upper ranges of $8 to $15. I've ordered at least a dozen different items from their menu and of the dozen, only 3 or 4 have stood out. There is no consistency on their menu other than an overwhelming amount of grease in every dish. But these slight flaws could be overlooked if it were not for the lady at the cashier needs a lesson or two on customer service. There is no need to rudely rush a paying patron who is trying to decide on several dishes from a hundred item menu -- especially when there is no one else waiting in line. This has happened for the past 3 visits. I will not be returning for discourteous treatment and mediocre food. I'll be taking my business to Mandarin House from now on. -
Review from Sharon C.
Austin, TX
5/7/2012
Finally!! After almost a year of searching for decent Chinese food in Northwest Austin, we stumbled upon Asia Cafe.
Excellent food, many authentic looking items on the menu (ones that a gringa like me might not be brave enough to try), good Chinese stand bys and a wide variety of items to try. All the dishes that were being brought to the tables looked amazing. I wanted to ask everyone what they had ordered.
Spicy fish was delish. Dumplings were chewy and perfect. Special Green Beans were awesome. We haven't gone wrong yet.
The digs are nothing fancy, but who cares when the food is this good?
One additional note. If you eat in the restaurant, the portions are huge. If you order take-out, you get about a third of the order you got in the restaurant. -
Review from Nan C.
Austin, TX
5/22/2012
Love love love this place. Feels and seems authentic (In my imagination anyway since I haven't been to any Asian countries; I do watch Anthony Bourdain, does that count). It is always packed when we go with dine in and take out customers. Love the communal feel and the food is amazing! Sadly no beer or wine though.
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Review from Ryan H.
Cedar Park, TX
4/30/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Excellent authentic chinese food.
Everything I have ever tried here is great. I do really enjoy the salt and pepper squid and the snow pea leaves. The classic chinese american dishes are good as well, but be a little adventurous. -
Review from Wesley L.
Austin, TX
5/23/2012
The food here is great. I highly recommend the spicy fish, and the teppan dishes come out hot and sizzling and delicious. My wife and I come here whenever we need that traditional Chinese food fix. It's the best Chinese food I've found in Austin, which isn't saying a whole lot, but I'll take what I can get.
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Review from M G.
Austin, TX
4/24/2012
Great place. Cafeteria style. We sat at a big round table with some strangers. It didn't matter. The food was good.
The star was the shredded pork with chili. I'm guessing any sort of variation of "meat + chili" would be just as good. Nice and spicy.
I'd skip the dumplings.
The dan dan noodles were also yummy. Very authentic flavor - although served a little warmer than I've had before. The noodles are a bit thinner as well, but the flavor was still great.
The menu is extensive, it's hard to pick something that you love and probably easier to pick something that you're not going to love. Unless you bring a Chinese speaker. -
Review from John N.
Austin, TX
4/21/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Quite the interesting place. You come in with your group of friends, claim a table for yourselves and after coming to a consensus order at the counter paying for your ticket up front.
Next proceed to get your own room temp water (no ice), plates, bowls, silverware or chopsticks and napkins. You wait until your number is called to get your items yourselves.
Basically the first restaurant of this kind that I have been to. Definitely self-serve. After figuring out how the restaurant operates and actually getting all your food.. the actual food is what keeps people coming back for more!
My table ordered five dishes:
Eggplant in garlic sauce - Personally don't like eggplant, but my friends thoroughly enjoyed eating it.
Mapo Tofu - One of the best I've ever had! Nice and spicy!
Salt and pepper squid - A hit at our table! A fail-safe option.. I don't know how anyone could fail at making something as simple as salt and pepper squid.
Beef and Bamboo shoots - I personally liked the flavoring of the beef. It was quite nice!
And if I remember correctly general Tso's Chicken - Good, but it was the last dish left on the table for us to finish.
Canned soda was a dollar, but I wasn't complaining. I'd rather anything canned or bottled over their water.
Overall the food was delish and filling. Now factoring in the cost! $48 dollars to feed six guys using 5 delish dishes deserves 5-stars!
Just a heads up that it may be hard to find on your first visit because it appears as a small restaurant in a large shopping center. -
Review from Stephanie D.
Palo Alto, CA
4/17/2012
My cousin took me here last time I was in Austin and I really enjoyed their spicy fish fillet as well as their eggplant in garlic sauce. It was pretty delicious. I definitely recommend both of these dishes.
We also ordered some cheese wontons, and these I would pass on next time. The cheese filling was one-dimensional, and the outer wonton skin was chewy and tough. We didn't finish those.
Another plus: I had enough left-overs from the spicy fish and eggplant to enjoy two more meals at home!! -
Review from C D.
Austin, TX
5/17/2012
I had to chuckle at one of the previous reviewers who said this place is really ASIAN. And that makes her nervous because she never knows if menu items are vegan or not. Um, yeah, it's real Asian food. By the way, "Braised Sea Cucumber" is not vegan! :-)
If you're nervous eating in a restaurant where many of the other diners are Asian, and you have your choice of MANY delicious Chinese dishes, then you probably shouldn't come here -- stick with places like Panda Express or P.F. Chang's instead. But if you want straight up, freshly prepared, authentic Chinese food -- as opposed to Americanized "Chinese food" -- this is one of your go-to places in NW Austin.
It can get really crowded on weekends and major holidays (like Lunar New Year). So come early! I'm happy to know they now take reservations. -
Review from Eugene L.
4/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Holy moly, Asia Cafe is definitely a reminder that you can't judge by appearances! Like many Austin greats (Juan in a Million, the original Fricano's Deli), this place looks pretty ghetto on the outside - but the food speaks for itself.
MUST TRY:
-Spicy Fish
-Mapo Tofu
-General Tso's Chicken
-Salt and Pepper Squid (basically, really good calimari)
Everything else I've tried has also pretty much been awesome - the eggplant dish, stir fry flat noodles with beef, garlic sauteed water spinach (since everything else is so rich, you really do need to get a vegetable dish...), fried dumplings. Seriously, wow.
Best Chinese food in Austin, hands down. Prices are reasonable, around $6-10 per dish and ordering 5 dishes could easily put 7 people into a food coma. Nothing better. -
Review from Cory K.
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Haven't I reviewed this place yet? I've eaten here over twenty times. Come here to get unusual Sichuan dishes that you don't find in most Chinese restaurants. Best approach is to order something you've never heard of and *trust*.
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Review from Jeremy D.
Austin, TX
5/16/2012
Best Asian food in Austin, hands down. fun, family style dining when you go with a group. Staff is excellent and the menu is huge. Twice cooked fish is definitely my favorite, but I've had a lot of different dishes there. Perfect place for a work lunch outing.
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Review from Wayne N.
Updated - 4/7/2012
It loses a star from last time but only because 2 of the dishes I'm a huge fan of went slightly down hill. It's been a long time since I updated my review here, but eaten probably a dozen times here since then.
First thing to note is that they NOW TAKE RESERVATIONS 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Keep that in mind cause on Saturday this place is packed.
We came for a celebratory dinner, so we made reservations for 25 people and they gave us the banquet room with our name on it. Narrow, but it fit everyone fine. And for 25 people, we ended up with 20 dishes.
Spicy Fish: Ah yes..the first time was magical. This time around, good, but not great. Less vegetables than I remember (though the first few times there felt like way too much), fish wasn't quite as flavorful nor as spicy this time. But that sauce is still there that goes gets soaked up by that rice.
Mapo Tofu: This was a pity. Ours got burnt a bit; you could taste the char. Otherwise, it was a bit spicier than normal, but I'm sure this was just an off day.
General Tso's chicken: Normally when you get this dish elsewhere, its a lot of veggies and some small bits of chicken in between. Reverse that here. A lot of spicy, saucy chicken with a scattering of broccoli and carrots. Crisp, juicy and flavorful.
Shredded Chicken with King Oyster Mushrooms- this has become one of my new personal favorites. The chicken and mushrooms blend together into a gorgeous melody of flavor and the mushrooms add an almost buttery texture to the near silk like texture of the chicken. The sauce is mellow and complex that complements the lightness of the dish.
Asia Eggplant with Ground Pork - one of favorites of my friends as it makes vegetables taste like meat! But really, this braised eggplant in garlic sauce has everything you can want.
Sauteed Snow Pea Leaves- simply, but stir fried in chicken broth just remind me of home. Great taste, great palate cleanser and quite healthy
Beef and Broccoli - yeah at this point we were running our of ideas of different dishes to feed 25 people, but for the chinese american classic, they do it quite well. Very earthy sauce complements the beef and vegetables well. Not too overpowering and the beef is quite tender.
Shredded Pork with Dry Tofu - I think this is the one people liked the least, but I liked it. Well seasoned pork with dark dried tofu. It's very homestyle chinese, so if you're note quite into that, don't worry about this one too much.
Now if only Asia Cafe were closer to where I live....Listed in: My Top Restaurants in ATX
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/10/2010
Probably without a doubt the best Chinese food in Austin. The only real issue I have with it is the… Read more »
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Review from PJ G.
4/6/2012
Friend: That Dish Cray! Ain't it J? What She Order? Spicy Fish FIllet?
Me: Please don't ever talk to me again.
One of the best "normal" dishes at Asia Cafe is the spicy fish fillet. Definitely a must get unless you're allergic to seafood! But besides that, there' are so many good entrees there that you can't go wrong for the most part. The vegetables I've had were cooked perfectly and tasted so fresh and delicious that I could just order baby bok choy for my meals! But don't be afraid to venture off, sure some of the things may sound weird but it's the best chinese restaurant in Austin to try something new!
This place gets busy during the lunch and dinner hour but there usually isn't that long of a wait until your food arrives. When you walk in, you'll see plenty of people eating and probably a line at the counter. Go wait in line and look at the menu so you can order your food.You'll get a number and can order a soda can or a variety of asian drinks or have plain water. A few minutes later, a chef will yell out your number so you can come get your dish so pay attention! So yes, there really is no customer services because there's just a person taking your order then a person saying your food is ready. Plain and simple which means the focus is on delivering a great meal! -
Review from John M.
Austin, TX
3/28/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I have eaten here about half-a-dozen times. The food is always good and it's very authentic. I have spent time in Asia and this is the real deal. If you order seafood expect the heads, tails, and shells to be still attached.
The service can be very hit or miss and it's seems independent of how busy they are. I once went when they weren't busy and waited over 30 minutes for a simple dish. I've also been there the line was long and had my food in less than 10 minutes.
They offer water and tea for free. The prices are reasonable. The food is tasty. And as I said, it's very authentic. It's not the "Chinese food" you get at the mall. -
Review from Jonna C.
Boerne, TX
5/4/2012
Here from out of town. Chose this place pretty randomly using star rating and it was fantastic! You order at the counter & they call your number. The line was nearly out the door when we arrived about 12:20, but nearly non-existent at 1 pm. The pan-fried spicey shrimp was amazing and my husband said the kung pao chicken was really good. The kpc was enough to share, but I ate everyone of my wonderful shrimp!
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Review from David B.
4/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very good Chinese food in Austin. More of a local, traditional place than one might expect; it's like a diner in that you stand in line to get your food. The menu is huge with little description. Just take a chance on what sounds good, it all is.
Service is non-existent, it's self service, and they forgot one of our dishes, so pay attention when you place your order. -
Review from Chieu L.
Washington, DC
3/12/2012 6 photos
Love love this place, amazing chinese food like none other....It's also run by those that used to run Wokaholic on Wells Branch....I was so sad when they left but I'm so glad I found them again! It's amazing food, always delicious, always reliable and consistent.
Great food, amazing dishes...honestly I really couldn't tell you exactly which dishes to try but I love the fried rice and I'm pretty particular about my fried rice! -
Review from Melvis V.
Leander, TX
4/7/2012
I've always enjoyed going here to eat - the menu is enormous and according to a co-worker who's from Shanghai it's quite authentic. It's a bit overwhelming to look through pages of stuff that have some odd descriptions (which is why I drag M who has no problem going with me over there to translate). Ordering is easy enough but getting your food is an experience. You get a number and it come out as it's done so you have to keep your ears peeled for someone yelling your number in heavily accented english over the din of this very busy restaurant.
The food is excellent and the servings very large - half of it is usually lunch the next day.
If you're really, truly adventurous, there's plenty of things on the menu that will challenge your taste buds. Make sure to try the zhong dumplings which are excellent.
Also, if you're going to lunch during the week, make sure you get there before noon or there won't be any tables. This place is VERY popular with all of the tech firms that are proliferating in the Research Park area. -
Review from Jason L.
2/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
So myself and 3 coworkers came here for lunch on a suggestion from 2 who frequent here often. The tales they told of duck tongue and pork intestines did scare me a bit, wasn't sure what to expect. I will say entering and seeing Asians eating here did make me think it must be good. I know going to a Mexican restaurant I often look around for my fellow brown folk, b/c if they eat here, its gotta be good lol. Coworkers ordered up as they new what was tasty, and we sat at a big round table with spinning top to do a family style lunch. I am SOOOOOOOOOO glad we did so, the food, all of it,was suburb.
We had the; Mapo Tofu w/Ground Pork ,Stir-fry Baby Bok Choy, Shredded Pork w/Chili , Chicken Fried Rice, and the Spicy fish fillet.
Mapo Tofu w/Ground Pork- would give this a solid 3. Alone, it actually may be better, but when eaten with the other tasty food it kinda fell a little short. Definitely good though.
Stir-fry Baby Bok Choy- 4 Stars. This was actually the first time I had ever had this really enjoyed it. Stir fried was tasty, kinda reminded me of a spinach cabbage taste. Went very well with the other dishes we had.
Shredded Pork w/Chili- 5 Stars. LOVED LOVED LOVED this dish. Everything about it was right. Could eat this everyday. Not as spicy as I like, but nothing some sriracha
couldn't solve.
Chicken Fried Rice- 2.5. Just didn't really do it for me, just kinda seemed like white rice with added ingredients. Kinda bland, wasn't horrible, but not really a table favorite.
Spicy fish fillet- 4, and this coming from a non fish fan. The flavors here were very pleasing. No super fishy taste, which I need or I won't eat it. Fish at an Asian restaurant is always something I run from as most seem to have an over whelming fish taste. This was completely different. It was almost like eating small chicken nuggets, but fish, lol. Enjoyed it, and would actually order it again.
With a huge menu and variety I will for sure be coming back here again. Was very pleased in what I tried, and judging by the crowd everyone else is as well. Definitely worth giving a try if you haven't.Listed in: Lunchtime around 360, Mr512's Top Picks
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Review from Sylvia H.
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Looks like a regular dine in restaurant upon entry you think you will be sat but you must walk to the cashier towards the back takes your order gives you a numer then you find your table and wait to be called.
The place is nice and tidy looks and smells clean... They have a various Selections from appetizers, soups to dishes in fish , pultry, and beef.
I tried the spicy fish recommended by the gentlemen in front of me after I told him it was my first time ... I also tried the cream cheese wontons and shrimp fried
Rice the price is super cheap too. Many people order one entree and share with white rice sides.
I would return for the spicy fish it's as good as everyone says it is... However the fired shrimp rice had precooked mini shrimps so that was a disappointment . Next time I'm just sharing the spicy fish and leaving it at that, we also ordered cream cheese wontons mind you we had to get up three different times to have a complete order since you pick up your order it's not
Delivered so note to self only order one thing next time. -
Review from Connie S.
Austin, TX
4/21/2012
I love Asia cafe! Their dishes come in huge portions at regular-sized-portion prices, and they are quick! I call in my order when I'm driving during my lunch break, and it's ready by the time I get there! I always get the noodles which are a bit on the greasy side, but they are absolutely delicious, and always serve as at least two meals!
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Review from Katie L.
Cedar Park, TX
5/1/2012
This place has many selections of different things you can get! I have never seen so many different types of meats before! They are served in large portions so you can share with others. They have individual private rooms if you want some privacy. The food is ok but not the best I have ever had. I really like their rice though!
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Review from Natasha C.
Memphis, TN
2/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm an American-born Chinese girl, and I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where you can't turn around without getting extremely authentic Chinese food from various regions of China and Taiwan.
That obviously isn't going to happen in Central Texas. The Asian community simply isn't as large. BUT this is the best it gets in the area. This is legitimate Szechuan-inspired cuisine (meaning many dishes can be spicy), but it also serves more regionally generic Chinese food palatable to everyone.
Be prepared to stand in a line to order at the counter. Take a menu while you're waiting so you don't hold up the line when you're at the register. Since they specialize in Szechuan food, go for the Ma Po Tofu. You can't go wrong.
I'm definitely going back. -
Review from Keryn H.
Cedar Park, TX
4/24/2012
This place is REALLY Asian. Has a lot of weird items on the menu like "Bitter Melon with Beef" and "Braised Sea Cucumber". Places like this kind of make me nervous because I don't know how much I can trust that the items are truly vegan. It seems like the more Americanized places seem easier. They have several interesting and different vegan items on the menu, despite the fact that their Veggie and Tofu section of the menu includes items like "Eggplant with Ground Pork".
I've eaten here twice now, because it's my husband's best friend's new favorite place, and very close to his house. Last time I got the Eggplant with Garlic Sauce, and they wouldn't allow me to add anything (I wanted to add broccoli and/or tofu, most places will just charge you $1.00), and one other item, probably the sesame tofu. I don't exactly remember how well I liked them. This time I got the "Stir Fried Pea Leaves" and the "Soy Bean with Mustard Greens". They promised me there was no meat or fish in the sauce. These items were very good. If fact my husband's best friend's daughters even tried them and liked them.
I'm sure I'll go back, and I'll try different items on the menu. Seems safe so far. -
Review from Keyla R.
3/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
My girlfriend introduced me to this place today. We met for lunch during what is clearly a very busy lunch hour here. Tables were at a premium. But the food was authentic. Not as good as what I have had in San Fransisco's Chinatown or in Chicago's, but quite acceptable.
The portions are huge. One order will easily feed two. So bring a friend and order the same entree or be prepared to lug your leftovers around for the rest of your day.
Parking is busy at lunch time but it doesn't take too long to find a space.
And, next door is a cool Asian market with goodies for you to take home so you can try making your own.
I wish I could find more to say about this place, but it just wasn't that memorable. It was okay, but just okay. -
Review from Carly S.
Cedar Park, TX
5/10/2012
BEWARE, BEWARE! I don't care how good their food is because I just looked up their last inspection score and they got a whopping 73!!!!! THIS IS DIGUSTING! And people are going there in mobs!
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Review from Michael H.
Pflugerville, TX
3/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I am going to try almost everything from this place. 700+ dishes that's pretty amazing. Never get bored. Good pricing for decent portions.
Don't order any of their salt-n-pepper (insert animal here). It's not good at all. Bad flouring and not salty at all. And I know people like a certain degree but there just wasn't even a HINT of saltiness. Go to T&S if you want to try a decent Salt-n-Pepper dish.
As for their saucy and soupy dishes, so far so good. Haven't been disappointed at all. The Spicy Hot Lamb, never can go wrong with that dish. Hint of cumin, and other spices. Tasty.
Docked 2 stars because it's hard to understand them sometimes and especially when they try to call out the numbers, it's nearly difficult to understand it. I don't understand why they won't just display the number that's ready on the huge screen.
Overall pretty an ok experience. Will come again. -
Review from Sam E.
Austin, TX
2/10/2012 2 Check-ins Here
In NW ATX this is the place you want to get your Asian fix. In a strip mall next to an Asian grocery that is super cool the place is kind of what you would expect. Counter service where you have to walk through the dining room only makes sense because the line can get rather long and they need the room. However it is kind of wonky. Very rarely do I have an opinion on decor, but Christmas lights still up in February or even the summer is not uncommon.
But the food. Family style (portion sizes made to share) Asian hits the spot every time. Only once was the curry chicken I ordered a little too oily, but even other dish and even the curry chicken was right on. I am not too adventurous when it comes to some of the more exotic fare, but this place has something for anyone that needs their Asian Food Fix scratched. -
Review from Ryan P.
2/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've only been once. I got the Spicy Fish.
Thank you, Yelp, for suggesting I eat the Spicy Fish. Ryan loves the Spicy Fish. I want more Spicy Fish to put in my Spicy Fish hole.
It was only when I had finished that the regular world came back to me. I realized that the room reminded me of a church cafeteria. This isn't really a bad thing as it provides a real family-style vibe.
You walk up front, order your food, pay, prepare a beverage for yourself and sit down with your number. The whole thing only took like 5 minutes and our number was called. The dishes arrived on a tray, which I promptly whisked away into my own personal grub town. My girlfriend ordered the Seafood Udon. The consistency was surprising and actually reminded me of traditional chicken noodle soup. I dig their take on this dish. It was easy on the soul.
The service is insanely efficient and the food is the best Chinese I've had in Austin (passing Din Ho as my previous champion). Easy five star. -
Review from Kathie T.
1/24/2012
This place is delish! It's authentic. It's flavorful. It's salty. It's greasy. But that's what Chinese food is to me. You can see the grease on the bottom of the dish.
A favorite of the place is the spicy fish. It's pieces of white fish lightly battered and then stir fried with Chinese cabbage and soaped in oil and pepper flakes. The first time I went to the restaurant, I think i saw this dish on every table.
My son is a fan of orange chicken so we had to order it the other night. Large portion, lots of meat, and not filled with chunks of onions, bell peppers and carrots like some other places. It's an authentic restaurant...Chinese people would frown upon the place if they don't put enough meat in the dish :)
I've had a few other dishes there and all good. This is the most recent recollection. The place used to be in the super market next door and then moved out. It's really busy around lunch. It's got a couple of small rooms for private parties.
The place can use some nicer decorations. But it's authentic. And I appreciate the affordable prices. -
Review from Jon M.
2/4/2012
Delicious food here! Most of the best dishes are emphasized in other reviews but my group's favorite dish is the Asia Eggplant w/ Minced Pork (though we debate whether there is even pork in it).
We also love the spicy fish and ma po tofu-and I'm not a big tofu fan. -
Review from Solomon W.
Austin, TX
1/29/2012
Asia Cafe blew my mind. Not often can you find spectacular Asian fare outside of the DFW or Houston metroplexes... but Asia Cafe defies the odds. In fact, I am not even a fan of Asian food; I often have identity crises. I like Southern food a lot more than my ancestral dishes.
Alas, I went with a big group, and we had a blast and feast. We rolled in a huge cooler of booze and reserved a private room. Oddly, the private room had a huge window that people looked through. Everyone pointed at our coolers, and we laughed because we knew that we were secure with the BYOB policy.
Now, I will say that there is a very non-authentic ordering method here. You order at the counter. The line is long. You must wait. They call your order out. Weird. Without service, it is kind of annoying that you have to walk to the kitchen to get your white Asian staple. Nonetheless, food is cheap, food is good, and food is filling.
The Eggplant turned my non-Asian friends into converts. They loved the rich, oily mouthfeel paired with the complex, deep flavor. The fried chicken is somewhat like popcorn chicken with peanuts. Don't order if you have a peanut allergy. The twice cooked pork is essentially slices of bacon in a sauce. The Mapo tofu is killer here, with just the right amount of spice. The sesame chicken is surprisingly tasty and crispy here. The special sweet potato cakes were gummy, but delicious. They had a little black sesame paste inside.
Not recommended: wok shaken beef.
Go with the N+1 method here, not the typical N-1. Order excess. Stay late. Eat too much. You will leave one happy camper. -
Review from Yulun W.
Austin, TX
2/16/2012
It is a great place to eat Chinese food. There are so many choices, my favorite is Hot Pot Fish Fillet and Eggplant pot. I think the Sichuan style food is very good there. And the dish portion is alwasy big.
Besides they have a lot of spaces, so you don't need to worry about finding a seat.
I never feel boring because in their long menu, I could always find something new to try. -
Review from Ronak P.
Austin, TX
2/19/2012
Solomon Wang (http://solomonwang.yel...) took me to Asia Cafe with a few of us from the Food Studies Project. To say that this was the best Chinese food I have ever eaten is still an understatement. To impress upon you how great it was, I made this yelp account just to review it.
The food was very delicious. We shared 6 different dishes amongst the 6 of us, using empty bowls to fill up with white rice and various portions of each dish. I went for seconds and even thirds on most of them. My favorite has to be the eggplant pot. The eggplant is soft and perfectly cooked and each morsel is soaked in rich flavors. I recommend going out with a fairly big group so you can order a bunch of different dishes. With a BYOB policy, we brought in some red wine to compliment the food.
Although the food was rich, delicious, and fit to be in a fancier restaurant's menu, the ordering process was more typical of a fast food joint. You order at the counter and the line is usually pretty long and not very orderly. I also advise sitting away from the line or reserving a private room as I can imagine it can become bothersome to have people constantly brushing past you or hovering over the table while waiting to order.
Recommended dishes: eggplant pot, mapo tofu -
Review from Greg J.
Austin, TX
3/22/2012
Sichuan food at its most authentic. Good Sichuan food isn't necessarily super-spicy, but instead has a complex flavor of which a variety of peppers are components. The dishes are delicious and sophisticated; in sharp contrast with the college dining hall atmosphere. Everything can be summed up with complementary pickles - excellent!
