This is what Zen should be. I like it a heck of a lot.
They do a very good pad thai. I also tried the soba noodles with unagi (freshwater eel): I'm a sucker for unagi, and this was a good preparation. (It was slightly more soupy than I like, but that's personal taste.)
The only problem I have is that it really isn't on the beaten track for me: I'm not in South Austin that much now that my office has moved, so it really isn't a convienient dinner spot. If they opened up a third location somewhere in North Austin (say, off of Far West somewhere: I actually have a space in mind), I'd probably be eating there at least once a week.
Interesting. An Asian restaurant that's sort of a cross between a fast food place, a pho place, and a bistro (like the one they share a kicthen with). My hot pork and noodle dish was fairly tasty and reasonably priced, and they have a better-than-usual selection of desserts thanks to the Bistro 88 connection, and my key lime cheesecake was pretty good.
However, I don't really see this as much of a dinner destination. If I wasn't on Atkins during weekdays, I could see this as a frequent lunch destination, and I'd like to try their funky-sounding hamburger.
Lawrence got the last of the mutton. (Growl.) But the ribs and brisket did seem better to me this time.
Unlike our last visit, this time they did have some mutton left, although it was a bit fatty. But the ribs remained delicious, and the brisket seemed a touch tastier this time around. And they make some pretty darn tasty banana pudding.
Moreover, you can't complain about the price. You get twice as much meat at Crosstown as you do at, say, Rudy's for the same amount of spondulix.
Eh. By the time you get past the hassle of parking (probably over at one of the hotels), getting a seat (though, to be fair, I was impressed by the only 15-minute wait for our party of six), and trying to be heard over the noise, you end up with...fish that is mostly okay. I think you can find better, cheaper, elsewhere. (Rockfish and Castaways, to name two alternatives.)
First, the bad things about Pappadeaux: Parking is impossible (you might have to cruise down to the Pappasitto's parking lot ), and it's hellishly crowded even at 6 PM on a Saturday. (C'mon, Pappa's chain, it's time to open up another location in Austin. (Perhaps right across from a Joe's Crab Shack.)) However, despite the crowds, it only took us 15 minutes to get in.
If you can get past the hassle, the food at Pappadeux is still splendid. The fried alligator was quite tender, and the fried crawfish tails were very good as well. I thought my cup of gumbo was a bit pricey for the size (as compared to wherever Yoli is cooking right now and JC's Steakhouse), but was otherwise acceptable. And my mahi-mahi special (blackened, with crawfish etc. on top in a rich creamy garlic butter sauce) was excellent. Likewise, the creme brulee was very good, though the carmelized layer could have been a tad thicker. Next time I want to try the banana pudding.
Besides the hassle, the main drawback is the price. At $22.95 for the special, it seems a bit chintzy not to include a salad and at least one side (though I might not have had room). But frankly, I can't blame them; if you're this busy all the time, there's no reason not to jack up the price. Still, with generous portions of excellent food, is it any wonder they're crowded?
The cheese rolls were pretty good. I also liked the fried-banana thing, and the dipping sauce for it (some sort of mustard, maybe?).
Unfortunately, my "kabob" (no menu handy, so I can't give you the exact Brazilian name) was pretty skimpy for the price, and it wasn't very good: the sausage was a particular disappointment, but I also didn't much like the rice served with it. At least one other diner commented that they really liked their Brazilian equivalent of chicken-fried steak, though, and I will admit the bathroom thing irritated me enough that I might be biased.
But Sampaio doesn't click for me. Pricy and not worth it.
A Brazilian place and over all a pleasant surprise. I liked all the appetizers, including cheese rolls, cheese puffs, and some sort of stuffed chicken turnover (there didn't seem to be any take-out menus, so I can't give you the actual Portuguese names of the dishes). My entree was somewhat fajita-like, only tenderer and tastier, and I strongly recommend the banana fritter-type sidedish, which comes with a very interesting sweet, creamy dipping sauce.
I had the trece leches (three milk) cake for dessert, and it was very good and appropriately moist, though not quite as delicious as the rum cake at Mikado. I might have been tempted by the Creme Brulee, except for the fact there there were already several sitting in the dessert display case when we arrived, and I expect my creme brulee to arrive within minutes of being taken off the blowtorch, not having sat around for a couple of hours.
Except for the bathroom problem (see above), there was nothing to dislike about Sampaio's, and I'd be happy to make a return trip. (Be aware, however, that being part of a strip mall near campus, parking may be problematic during weekdays.)
See the logs for March of 2004.