Still the top Chinese food in Austin, I think.
The one minor complaint I had was that the service seemed slightly less efficient than usual the night we were there: on the other hand, it was a holiday, and we didn't have my usual waiter (AKA The Amazing Psychic Waiter: he seems to literally know what I'm going to need before I do.)
And the early-bird specials are available on weekends as well: outstanding food at bargain - heck, at buffet level - prices.
Be there now.
I think I've found a weakness in Pao's otherwise impressive repast: their soups are merely adequate. Neither the "Sizzling Shrimp with Rice" nor the wonton soup were anything special. (The best wonton soup I've ever had was made in the late, lamented Asian Restaurant near the intersection of Anderson and 183. Anyone know if they ever opened up another restaurant?)
However, everything else was delicious, as usual. The hot and spicy wonton dumplings remain a favorite. Though confounded by the presence of peanuts on my Mandarin Duck (something not mentioned on the menu), it was otherwise quite tasty, as was the Three Cup Chicken Dwight ordered. Plus the service was good, and the bill was less than we thought it would be. Still the best Chinese restaurant in Austin.
What can you do with a failed Pizza Hut? Convert it into an Indian restaurant.
As it turns out, the people responsible converted it into a very average Indian place: prices run about the same as Bombay Grill, and perhaps a little cheaper than Sarovar, but the food is nowhere near the quality of those two spots. I'd actually put India Cuisine just a notch above the late (and unlamented, at least by me) Passage to India.
If it's the only Indian place open on Thanksgiving, there's nothing wrong with India Cuisine: but for regular dining, there are at least two superior choices.
Our object was Indian food, but when we arrived at Mr. India Palace, we found their doors inexplicably locked (even though the sign on their door said they had been open for a half-hour, and at least one table hadn't been bussed). So, as a plan B, we drove down I-35 to India Cuisine.
The good news: the Tandoori Mixed Grill seems every bit as good as you can get at Sarovar or (if they're still open) Mr. India Palace. The chicken in particular seemed especially well grilled.
The bad news: Everything else seemed pretty mediocre. The na'an (I tried at least four different varieties) seemed flatter and less flavorful than competing Indian offerings. The service was somewhat indifferent, even though we were (early on) the only customers in the place. And they charge not only for soft drink refills, but also for papadaums (which Sarvovar gives out as part of your meal).
It's good to have additional Indian restaurants to choose from, but so far India Cuisine isn't doing anything to challenge the leaders.
No, Thai Spice is not the newest member of the group.
It is another shot at the Thai buffet market in North Austin: slightly better than Bangkok Cuisine, but not quite good enough.
I did like the two soups (tom yum gai and tofu) served on the buffet, and the spring roll like appetizer assortment.
I was also pretty impressed by the guy grilling satay in the middle of the buffet (though he seemed to have a hard time keeping up with demand).
But the main dishes on the buffet seemed to cater more in the direction of vegetarian tastes: those that I tried also seemed to suffer badly from the steam table. Even the pad thai was a disappointment.
And, while it was nice to find desserts on an Oriental buffet, the implimentation left a great deal to be desired: cold apple pie and cold fried bananas? Gag.
I am willing to entertain counter examples, but, for now, I think of Thai Spice as another argument against buffet Thai food.
After having somewhat similar experience here that we had at Bangkok Cuisine, I've pinned down three commonalties that seem to apply to Thai buffets:
There are a few things Thai Spice does better than Bangkok Cuisine. The salad bars include dressing, the Thom Kai Guy soup was very good (though a bit thin on chicken), the spring and winter rolls were nicely crisply, and the satay chicken (if you could get any--it disappeared seconds after being lifted off the grill) was just fine. However, everything else on the buffet table was bland and mediocre; though there were the usual peppers-in-fish sauce and red pepper to mix in on the side (no fresh cut peppers, alas), I don't go to a Thai place for bland food. Plus their $1 per soft drink--no refills policy is just barely tolerable.
What is the deal with Thai restaurants North of 183? The good ones (Thai Orchid, PooThai) seem to close, while the mediocre or clueless ones (Bangkok Cuisine, Classic Thai) keep rolling along. Why? Are North Austin taste buds too wimpy for real Thai food?
I think I like Castaways just a little bit more than the Catfish Parlor: Castaways puts on less of that fake "homestyle" charm (which can be annoying) and it seems to me that the menu is a bit larger.
But the differences between Castaways, Catfish Parlor, and The Captain's Oyster Bar are slight: fewer seats at The Captain's, more all-you-can-eat offerings and slightly lower prices at the Catfish Parlor, better service and desserts at Castaways.
One of these days, someone will open a seafood place in Austin that I can feel good about praising. Until then, I guess we have to settle for well-executed but un-inspired offerings like Castaways.
What Castaways does, they do pretty well. The gator tail, corn fritters (we should have ordered more of those) and fried shrimp were all good, and the fried catfish was OK, though hardly different than that served at the Catfish Parlour. Service was pretty attentive.
However, what I would like is a little more variety in the seafood (i.e., more fish choices than catfish), and I prefer thinner fries than the ones they serve.
(I also note it's now possible to both see and breathe in the bathroom, two things that were not possible on our last trip.)
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