Lunch at Flower Child
Flower Child makes me feel bougie. There I said it. Go ahead and make fun of me for eating my kale salad and grain bowl but the joke’s on you because it tastes so good AND it’s better for me than other foods. There’s nothing wrong with liking healthy food and while some might think it’s too trendy, I think making healthy food popular is a good thing!

Boiled Shrimp and Appetizers at TLC
My blogger friend Kate moved from Austin to Phoenix last year, so of course, we had to get together the blogger gals for happy hour when she visited. We tried out new restaurant TLC in the Lamar Union complex. This family-friendly spot has a spacious patio and good eats. We enjoyed happy hour drinks, deviled eggs, fried pickles, hush puppies, and boiled shrimp. The seafood boil is the big thing here, so if you’re craving it, this is the place to go!

Chinese Food Lunch at Old Thousand
Second time at Old Thousand and I am still a fan! Can I eat the brisket fried rice every day? The pork belly bao was also a favorite. I wasn’t obsessed with the spring rolls and the Taiwanese chicken but they were good. The sesame balls with red bean paste were the perfect way to end the meal. Chinese desserts aren’t overly sweet, so it’s more savory than sweet.

Homemade Chocolate Pecan Pie
What happens when I have guests coming to visit? It’s the perfect time to make a big pie so they can help me eat it. HA! This was a pretty easy and tasty Smitten Kitchen recipe. I’ve been inspired by pie art so when it came time to do the top crust I tried doing something a little more unique than the traditional criss-cross? (This recipe was part of my Cookbook Challenge.)

Ramen at Yoshi Ramen
Can you ever get your fill of noodles? No. No need to twist my arm when it’s time to try a new ramen shop in town! This bowl of Old Classic Shoyu, which is a Tokyo-style chicken broth with the typical additions like chashu pork and ajitama, was so satisfying. I also tried the pork belly bao, which was surprising because the bao was fried and a little sweet. It was different but I liked it!

Pizza and Pastrami at Pieous
We don’t make a trip out to the Dripping Springs area without visiting Pieous. This is the pizza and pastrami of my dreams. I did list it as one of the best things I ate last year.

Cider at Argus Cidery
My cider first love. Argus is making moves with more canned varieties and testing new flavors at their cidery in Dripping Springs. Ginger Perry has been my go-to (they sell it at the grocery store) but I was surprised and disappointed to find my drink on this day had a lot more subtle ginger flavor than usual. I like their new updated cans though!

Beer at Family Business Beer Company
The reason for our trip out to Dripping Springs was to try some new beer and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. We ventured out to the much talked about new brewery – Family Business Beer Company. It’s co-founded by Jensen and Danneel Ackles, which you might know from the shows Supernatural and One Tree Hill, respectively. I went for a flight of IPAs and yep, there are definitely hops in all of these beers. My favorite ended up being the Hamilton, a pale ale, which was a lot more subtle than the IPAs.

Korean BBQ at Chosun Galbi
Boyfriend and I had just watched a show that featured Korean BBQ so the cravings were strong. We went to try Chosun Galbi for the first time, and we ordered it up! Kimchi pajeon, marinated beef short ribs and brisket for the BBQ, and Haemool Soon Doo Boo (spicy seafood tofu soup). I didn’t love the banchan (where’s my seaweed salad?!). I would definitely go back for the kimchi pajeon and marinated beef short ribs.

Homemade Braised Pork Belly by StreetSmart Kitchen
My friend Sharon of StreetSmart Kitchen is pretty awesome. At her going-away party, she made us this amazing braised pork belly. The thing is, she was getting ready to move around the world in 24 hours and here she is making US food! Food is a love language and I’m so glad we got to spend time with our friends enjoying it before they left.

3rd Annual Crawfish Boil
We hosted our annual crawfish boil and it was DELICIOUS!

Happy Hour at Barley Swine
It’s been too long since my last visit to Barley Swine. My friend Luan was in town so I suggested we do a quick happy hour before he left. The happy hour (Swine Time) menu was great and I loved all our dishes. We got the Aged Akaushi rib meat, Fried Chicken, Chocolate pecan chunk ice cream, and daiquiri from the happy hour menu, and added the pork belly dish. I’d get all of them again!

Other Food Stuff

• I posted about two Austin restaurants this month. Did you see them? Café Nena’i and 101 by TeaHaus.
• Think you know Tex-Mex? Think again. Here’s a good read.
• There are more kinds of pizza than we know. This article features some from Southern Italy.
• What happens when chefs work to create global solutions? This is the power of what World Central Kitchen is doing.
• In the world of diets, food trends, and click-bait headlines, it’s hard to navigate what we should and shouldn’t eat. This article is trying to be the end-all solution. What do you think?

What’s one thing (food/restaurant) I should try this month?

P.S. Want to see the best foodie events in Austin? Check out this list.

Keep up with my food adventures! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Flavors of the Month: March 2018 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

They say you never forget your first love.

Ramen Tatsu-ya was my first taste of ramen not from a Styrofoam container requiring you to sprinkle in a slightly questionable flavor packet, and they had me at first slurp.

In my eyes, Ramen Tatsu-ya is the OG ramen shop in Austin, Texas. At least, it was the first ramen-focused restaurant while other restaurants had it on their menus among other items. When it opened in 2012, every foodie was talking about the place and clamoring to get a taste. The line was out the door all the time. And eyes wide, Austin foodies were thinking – this is what I’ve been missing?! In addition to the fact that Ramen Tatsu-ya excels in their offerings, Austinites had yet to taste “restaurant ramen” or ramen in Austin.

The ramen craze had arrived in Austin.

The Restaurant

The restaurant woos with its simple yet appealing Japanese-inspired design, fashioned in red, white, and black. Wood features (usually tables) are seen throughout the restaurant. The counter-service makes ordering easy but study up on the menu before you arrive to not make people behind you in line antsy. The outside of the South Lamar location features a large mural.

The Menu

For all you newbies, ramen is a Japanese dish (though some argue it’s Chinese) with a rich and filling broth. There are different variations of broth, and tonkotsu broth is made from pork bones. Many times broth is flavored with soy or miso. Nevertheless, the broth is usually boiled for hours for the depth of its flavors. For toppings, you’re likely to see chashu, which is braised pork belly, and ajitama, which is a marinated soft boiled egg, in ramen.

I tend to stick with what I know I like when it comes to ramen, so I’m loyal to the Tonkotsu Original. It’s pork bone broth with chashu, ajitama, woodear mushroom, and scallion. They also have a menu of bombs and extra toppings if you want to add more spice or make your bowl heartier. If I ever let myself stray from the original, I would go for the Ramen Tsukemen, the dipping ramen. If you’re vegetarian, they also make a Veggie Ramen here.

Don’t forget the drinks! The Sugardog is sake, fresh grapefruit juice, mint, and a sea salt rim. Check out their happy hour from 2-6pm for drink specials.

The order without additions usually fills me up, but sometimes I can’t help but indulge in their appetizers and sides. The Munchie Katsu Slider is a panko beef patty on a Hawaiian roll. It’s crispy and juicy, and can I put katsu sauce on everything? My other favorite is the Sweet & Sour Yodas or also known as spicy Brussel sprouts.

The great thing about ordering at the counter is that you have no choice but to get dessert before you know if you’ll be able to fit it in. Yuzupioca is a Japanese citrus tapioca with strawberry, basil, and pink peppercorn crumble. They also have Gotcha Matcha, a matcha pudding with kukoto crunch, and blackberries. The desserts come in small sizes, which is the perfect amount after a big bowl of ramen.

Conclusion

It’s hard for other lovers to live up to a first love, and so far, Ramen Tatsu-ya has proven to be deserving of all the love and awards and honors it receives. When you’re in Austin and looking for ramen, this is the place to go!

Locations and Hours

• North Austin: 8557 Research Blvd #126, Austin, TX 78758
• South Austin: 1234 S. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
• Hours for both locations: 11am-10pm daily
• Houston, you’re in luck! Go to 1722 California Street, Houston, TX 77006. Same Hours.

Website: http://ramen-tatsuya.com

Have you been to Ramen Tatsu-ya? What’s your go-to order?

P.S. Looking for more good eats in Austin? Check out my Austin restaurant features or the full list of my favorite restaurants in Austin.

Keep up with my food adventures! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Favorite Austin Eats: Ramen at Ramen Tatsu-ya appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Go Greens Smoothie at Whole Foods Domain
I was looking for a green smoothie that was sweet and they recommended this off-menu item. I got my greens in without it being overwhelming!

Ancient Grains Bowl at True Food Kitchen
True Food Kitchen is my guilty pleasure. The ancient grains bowl is one of my favorite dishes there!

Ramen at Michi Ramen
It had been too long since I had indulged in ramen. This satisfied the ramen craving! (Psst, Michi Ramen, you need some natural light in your restaurant!)

Austin Food Blogger Alliance Happy Hour at Estancia Churrascaria
Our blogger group sampled some of the treats at Estancia Churrascaria for our monthly happy hour. We tried a variety of cheese, meat, cheesy bread, and drinks.

Canadian Tuxedo at Austin Daily Press
The Canadian Tuxedo sandwich includes roasted chicken, pickles, cheddar, aioli, and black pepper maple gastrique. It was a little messy but very flavorful.

Homemade Spinach, Bacon, Raspberry, Blackberry, Blue Cheese, and Pecan Salad
This salad is delicious! I don’t love blue cheese but when it’s combined with all the ingredients in this salad, it is so good! The salad is finished off with balsamic vinegar.

Chocolate Chip Cupcake from Polkadots Cupcake Factory
Cupcakes are always a good pick-me-up!

Cobb Salad from Snap Kitchen
A quick, healthy pick-up lunch made my work desk look pretty.

Udon Noodle Soup and Green Tea Soft Serve at Narita International Airport
On the way home from Thailand, we indulged in udon noodle soup and green tea soft serve at the airport in Japan.

Kit Kats from Narita International Airport
I couldn’t leave the airport without some different Kit Kat flavors! These were Uji Matcha (darker box), Sakura Matcha, Strawberry, and Melon.

What delicious things have you been eating lately? Let me know your recommendations below.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Snapchat (@wanderlustanita). You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Flavors of the Month: November 2016 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.