I'm genuinely so happy that Austin has a Japanese grocery store like Asahi Import. This was my…read morethird visit, and every time it feels like a little slice of Japan right here in the city. One of my absolute favorites is their onigiri rice balls--I honestly crave them. I stopped by a little after lunchtime, and there was already a sign saying they were finished taking onigiri orders for the day. I was browsing around anyway when one of the ladies kindly asked what I was looking for. I casually mentioned a few onigiri styles, and to my surprise she smiled and said they still had some left and could make them for me. That small gesture completely made my day. The kindness and warmth of the Japanese ladies working there truly stands out. You can feel the care they put into both the food and the customers. I also picked up some Japanese noodles and sweets while I was there, which made for a very delicious and comforting lunch at home. Thank you for the wonderful service and atmosphere. Keep up the great work always. Cheers

I walked into Asahi Imports with ONE GOAL: black sesame soft serve. That was the mission…read more Anything else I bumped into would simply be a bonus. And I didn't know what to expect my first visit. I thought I was going into a mini Japanese version of H Mart or something, but nope. This is very much a Japanese CONVENIENCE STORE with a little extra bonus on the side, so adjust any expectations. SIXTY PERCENT OF THE STORE IS NOODLES. Like WTF...is this a noodle headquarters? It felt unbalanced...like I had walked into the wrong store and wasn't supposed to be there. So many noodles, it scared me. I expected a variety store. Carry on. The layout is also a bit confusing for such a small space. I genuinely wasn't sure what areas were designated for customers and what areas were for employees...at one point wandering way into the back. My bad. They've got a solid selection of imported goods. Slightly pricey, but this is expected since they offer quite a few niche items you can't find everywhere. Still affordable, though. I HAPPILY grabbed some black sesame latte mix to whip up iced lattes at home as well as some black tea flavored soy milk. This is what you come to these stores for! The niche items. Now to the soft serve: Flavor-wise? Good strong black sesame flavor. Texture? Not so great. This was very icy and not creamy at all as I had hoped. The online pics were deceiving. Plus there were clumps in it that should've been blended out. However, it was refreshing and I could MAYBE see myself returning on a hot day for more if I'm close by. They only offer it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. It's good, but no need to run for this. You can walk. Lol. It scratched the itch but I'm not running back for it. All in all, not an everyday stop, but an "I'll see you when I see you" spot. Know what I mean? 3 stars.

A friend who's opinion I really respect recommended Antonelli's Cheese Shop for a three cream…read morecheese. I wanted to get this for my book club soiree, but did not have time to make a visit as it is a little north of downtown. Antonelli's Cheese Shop is charming and quaint. While the shop is small they have an assortment of items to sell in addition to cheese - wine, sauces, jellies, etc. I was immediately greeted upon entry into Antonelli's cheese shop. Two other customers were being helped, however, I had a store associate offer me some cheese samples. While the samples were good, I was specifically interested in the three cream cheese. They had two choices to select from. I was hoping they had more. This is a shop you need to spend some time in to leisurely evaluate the cheeses. There was also a human size dog in the shop at the time. I don't know what is about dogs, they like to lick me. Guess what...I do not like to be licked. So, I jetted out of the store.

Cheese glorious cheese. Antonelli's has such a large selection of quality cheesy cheese…read more This is a small family run, local, cheese shop, but it packs a lot inside. They have wine, jams/jelly/preserves. Chocolates, and olives. They also have premade charcuterie boards too. When I came, they were giving away free cheese everyday of the week. The first 100 people that were in line. Free cheese? Yes please. As you can imagine, there was a long line of people waiting, and with the store being small, we were sent in in small groups. Couple people come out, couple people go in. As the line shortens and you get to the counter. You're given your free cheese, and asked what type of cheese you like. I gave my favorites, soft cheese, like brie, hard cheese, like manchego I like spicy cheese like hatched chili cheese or a jalapeño cheese. So after giving some examples of cheese that I like the gentleman helping me brought out three different samples and we tried them together and loved every one of them so I chose which ones I liked out of the three and then we moved down the counter a little bit, and the gentleman brought out another selection of three cheeses, and I tried those and told him which ones I liked, and they were all phenomenal. The gentleman that helped me was very attentive. He listened. he gave examples exactly what I was asking for and it was absolutely beautiful experience. even though they were packed and crazy and had 100 people waiting outside. He just treated me like we were just one on one. He took his time with me. I thought it was such a spectacular experience very personable. I walked out with 5 different cheeses. A bar of orange chocolate with dried cherries. And a baguette. And let me tell you, I ate so good during our Texas ice storm 2026! So here's the down side. Parking. There are like 8 parking spots in front. And a couple parking in the back. But beyond the back, there is a small pay with a QR code parking. It's a bit of a struggle as far as parking goes. There is no street parking. But I'm sure when you're not dealing with 100 customers it's not as much of a struggle. There are 2 accessible parking spots out front. Had a great experience. And will come back again.

Kessho is always great for a hot summer day. Today was no different. The hubs and I grabbed a…read morepineapple upside down cake gelato for a nice afternoon treat. The gelato was cool, smooth and oh so delicious. You can taste the fresh pieces of pineapple and the Taiwanese pineapple cake embedded in the gelato. It's layered for enjoyment. Service is always fast and easy no matter how long the line. Fortunately, today we were able to walk right up. Pretty chill today...no rain and not too much sunshine.

possibly my new favorite ice cream/gelato spot! its not too sweet (which is perfect) and the scoops…read moreare big. there are so many unique, asian-inspired flavors to choose from that i was sooo indecisive. the black sesame cookies and cream was my favorite. so nutty and fragrant, with generous bits of cookies mixed in. the azuki bean came in second; it had real red bean throughout and tasted incredibly comforting. the mango sticky rice was also amazing, super refreshing with a great balance of mango and coconut, and you could even taste the sweet, steamed fragrance of the sticky rice coming through! the lychee rose raspberry was our least favorite of the four, but still really good. it mostly tasted like lychee with lychee jelly, and we couldn't really pick up much of the rose or raspberry. overall, we were obsessed with the nuance in each flavor and the creamy richness of the gelato. already planning to go back and try the ube next :D

5/5 Service 5/5 Food…read more5/5 Vibes We came in 50 minutes before closing for the AYCE mussels Monday and really hoped we could eat at least 2 plates before the restaurant/kitchen closed. Though service started off slow because the place was packed, we were incredibly thankful of their patience and generosity soon after. They welcomed us (and another table of customers) to stay past closing to eat more mussels and get our fill as they cleaned up since it took a while to cook each plate. Not only that, their coconut, lime, and basil sauce was delicious! My partner slumped up the first couple plates before we continued downing fries and mussels again. We hope to come back again (and earlier next time)!

OK, so we saw this space school viral on Instagram about their muscles and Fritz happy hour. And…read moreit's unlimited of muscles and fries for $35 which was amazing. We definitely got a reservation because it did fill up while we were there. When I arrived, the hostess was so nice. Got me seated right away and our waiter was super attentive and patient with us because we're very picky on wine and let us sample what we liked and then we ended up getting a bottle because also the wine bottles were half off that evening. Let me tell you the muscles were delicious that sauce that they were in you can literally drink it like soup. And the french fries were so good too. They were literally addicting and you just wanted to keep eating more and more and more. I could tell you, me and my friends ordered about three rounds of muscles each. And the rosé wine that we got was so nice and definitely worth the price. As you've seen my video of the pastries, I ended up caving and getting to go a artichoke croissant and a ham and cheese croissant and OMG they were divine. You can tell everything is freshly bake there. This is definitely a place. I will keep coming back too because everything was so good about it.

As a Texas native & Austinite, my boyfriend has been going to Fonda for years (they've been around…read moresince 1975 after all). I've only been once and it's definitely not gonna be the last time. In fact, we've got an upcoming reservation that's been on the books for quite sometime. They've managed to remain delicious, relevant and in demand 50 years! That's saying something. I'll tell you what that says...it says they rule! Reservations can be tricky to get but oh so worth it. The bar & atrium are fantastic and they boast a generous happy hour. The restaurant area and entire space are decorated wonderfully. Amazing artwork adorns the walls, they've got extensive art all about, vaulted ceilings and more. It's kind of like being in a hacienda. It feels like you're in Mexico. Truly. The restaurant and food are upscale without being pretentious. How refreshing! Speaking of refreshing...they've got cocktails and mocktails that will knock your socks off. I'm a big fan of the Nojito. My boyfriend loves the Mexican martini (it's primo). Let's talk about food. Wow-wee is it everything and then some. This is the kind of Tex-Mex flavor that sends your tastebuds into a tailspin of goodness! On our visit we did a salsa flight (we did 3 salsas), the queso (melted muenster and Oaxacan), Wagyu beef tacos, and chicken verde enchiladas. We did a spread like that in order to share everything. Food so good I'd give ten stars if I could. I can't put my finger on it but there's just something so special about the food, the taste of it, and the quality. It's just incredible flavor explosion bite after bite. If I had to guess, I'd say the food has been made with love, skill, and attention to detail all these years. Hence, their amazing reputation. Service is beyond compare. Hands down some of the best I've experienced in all of my worldly travels. Fonda San Miguel (Tzintzuntzan) is a dream come true! A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PS: They offer complimentary valet service-be sure to tip!

First time visit. Food was amazing. Atmosphere a bit loud,…read morebut understandable. Had to ask for utensils after we got our chips & salsa. Server was good but had to serve over 15 tables with like 50 people. He did good.

I am planning an early Father's Day celebration for my husband this weekend because I will be in…read moreLas Vegas on Father's Day for a conference. Yesterday, I purchased some chocolates from Golden Eye. This is the first of several treats I have planned for him. Unfortunately, Golden Eye Chocolates will be closing in about a month, so purchase some chocolates before they close down. Golden Eye is named after the golden eye flower (perennial flower with a sunflowerish look). I tried one of their samples...so smooth and creamy unlike any traditional chocolate I have ever tasted. So, I bought six chocolates. They are a little pricey at $20 given their small size, however, a nice Father's day treat. This chocolate is quite unique with flavors like matcha latte, malted grackle, blood and honey and spiced chai. Also, the owner uses items that are unique to Austin such as the golden eye flower, chocolate sunflower and fruit bats. I also like that some of the chocolate is sourced from Venezuela, Tanzania, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic (DR). I tasted DR chocolate for the first time in November when on a cruise and it was absolutely delicious. In addition to selling chocolate pieces, they sell candy bars and coffee. Service was excellent. I learned the chocolates are made in south Austin and transported to the north location. In addition, I learned the owner is a pro nature and that's why she chose the name golden eye after the flower. The shop is small with no seating indoor or outdoor. Hope my husband likes his chocolates...

I had to write a quick update now that we finished the chocolates and tried all the flavors! Every…read morechocolate was clearly made with love and every flavor was amazing! Personal favorites- Husband said the coconut chocolate (speckled sky blue) was great, and I loved the cherry bomb (swirled red)- their take on a cherry chocolate but with a lovely cherry jam instead of a candied cherry. I also really enjoyed the 'basic' chocolate truffles- smooth, creamy, and decadent!

What a pleasant place to dine at. My husband and I were looking for some Asian-fusion place and we…read moreare so glad we came across this place. More of a diner/casual place and I can see people coming here for social gatherings. Wouldn't recommend for very large parties though. There is parking behind the restaurant and since the restaurant isn't that big, I don't think it would take long to find a spot. You definitely get what you paid for. We got the hanger steak and chicken and it was more than enough. We got some appetizers because we thought the entrees wouldn't be filling enough but were so wrong. And surprisingly, the main entree entree chicken wasn't dry and pretty flavorful. The steak was also cooked well - wish there was more flavor but the condiments complimented it very well. I would also get the umami wings (well cooked and great flavor). Service is A plus - the workers were all very attentive, personable, answered any questions we had. We had a mishap with our bill and the (I think?) manager was so nice and accommodating. They also have different specials depending on the day/week! Will definitely come back anytime I come back to Austin.

The service was awesome. Enhanced the dinning experience. Arrived during Happy Hour, and it was my…read morefirst time. Our server explained the owner's backstory, inspiration, the menu, HH, and the portion sizes. The charred Brussels sprouts were crispy and flavorful. The chicken wings were done in a spicy Szechuan Thai sauce. Very delicious. The Pork Buns were a home run. It was easily the biggest piece of Pork Belly I've ever seen on a bao bun. It was extremely tender and the sauce on the bun complimented it very well. It was my birthday and the wait staff gifted me an Ice Cream with Rice Paper Wafers. If I remember correctly, it was called a Thai Movie Theater (could be wrong). Ice cream was drizzled with chocolate, caramel, and fish sauce. Unique, unlike anything I've had before. The Rice Paper Wafers gave it a nice buttery crunch. Wonderful service. Wonderful food. Highly recommend and I will be back!

While they are very expensive for general groceries, they are a good little grocery store to have…read morearound the corner when you need to grab a fruit or vegetable while you're in the middle of cooking. They have a reasonable selection of beer and not too badly priced for when you have last minute company. Thats about all I come here for.

Spacious aisles, courteous staff, a great selection of your Whole Foods favorites for just a smidge…read morecheaper, and best of all - it's in my neighborhood! But because there isn't much traffic, many things stay on the shelf for a long period of time. I found out when I purchased "Tony's Chocoloney." Chocolate only gets this chalky color if it's been sitting a while.