Eating


Edited by Erin Kuschner timeout.com/austin/restaurants @erinito


Tokyo tastes


Drink. Eat. Repeat. We take a tour of the best dishes at Austin’s


top izakaya spots. By Erin Kuschner Photographs by Jessica Attie


IT MAY HAVE taken a while for izakayas to catch on in Austin, but in the past few years, the popular Japanese gastropub concept—shareable plates and snacks, plenty of beer and sake—has infiltrated Austin’s dining scene. And is it any wonder? We’re big on drinking in this town, so the idea of pairing fried chicken strips and skewers of pork belly with our impressive beer intake only makes sense. To celebrate some of the izakaya spots doing it best, we put together a dream team of dishes from their menus. Kanpai!


Buta bara yakitori at Fukumoto Chef Kazu Fukumoto has created a casual


neighborhood izakaya where yakitori are grilled over binchotan—charcoal made from Japanese oak branches—resulting in a fantastic smoky quality to each skewer. You can find almost anything on a stick here: gizzards, chicken hearts, sausage, king salmon, shiitake mushrooms. Our favorite is the buta bara ($4), silky chunks of pork belly apt to melt as soon as they hit your


Time Out Austin May 11–August 16, 2017


tongue. The dish comes with a side of spicy mustard for a welcome hit of heat. à 514 Medina St (512-770-6880, fukumotoaustin.com)


Tokyo street corn at Kemuri Tatsu-ya The Texas-inspired izakaya from the team


behind Ramen Tatsu-ya made a splash


when it opened earlier this year; where else can you find octopus fritters loaded with Texas chili? In addition to excellent scallop skewers and Hot Pocketz filled with Gouda and brisket, you’ll want to order the Tokyo street corn ($6). Two short, grilled ears come slathered with yuzu pepper aioli and cotija cheese, plus a couple hits of hot sauce. This is Texas, after all. à 2713 E 2nd St (512-893-5561, kemuri-tatsuya.com)


Panko soft egg at Lucky Robot As demonstrated by its pink and


Lucky Robot 28


black color scheme and raucous weekend brunch special, Lucky Robot is all about having fun. Soup, entrées and sushi rolls are supplemented on the menu with refreshing palate cleansers—like the Green Machine with seared escolar and avocado— but comfort food reigns supreme here. The panko soft egg ($9) is the ultimate drinking dish, a hefty bowl filled with Wagyu beef hash, chili garlic and tonkatsu and topped with a perfectly


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