Talk about a flavor explosion. I've lived in the area for years and really slept on Sugar Pine! This is one of those omnivorous restaurants that offer high quality vegan options. As a vegan, I was impressed with the vegan options on their menu, and they did not seem like an afterthought. I ended up having the salt & pepper tofu and the the Kimchi-Tofu Onigiri. The flavor was so good. The ambiance is super cute as well. I can't air to come back! read more

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How have we never been here before!!! Sugar Pine is an absolute gem. We ordered at the counter, seated ourselves, and had food in less than 10 minutes! Sometimes it's hard to find a restaurant for date night that has decent vegan options, but this place was a home run! I ordered the vegetable spicy miso udon soup and the spicy tofu onigiri, and my bf ordered the chicken spicy miso udon soup and chicken onigiri! Everything was so fresh and flavorful! The portions were generous, so we ended up taking half of our udon home for lunch the next day. Their happy hour is also great! Got draft beers for $2 off, and I believe the small plates are also $2 off. The staff were all super sweet and created such a comfortable + cozy cafe-like environment:-) read more

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Such a cute spot to eat, the inside is so aesthetic and they have a nice outdoor seating area as well. And the service is so nice! The woman taking orders was so patient in explaining the menu to us. And when a part of my order was taking a while, they were sure to keep us updated on the food. As for the food, the set plates are so worth it! It comes with so many delicious sides. And the katsu is so juicy, but still so crispy on the outside. The yaki udon was also delicious but it wasn't the most filling. But it works out because then you have an opportunity to try what this restaurant is know for - their onigiri! I tried the spicy tuna onigiri (which took a while to come out) and my first bite was so good! There was a decent amount of tuna and the white sauce on top was sweet and offered good balance. But the rest of the onigiri was hard to eat for me because it was soo spicy. Idk if this was just mine, because I don't see any other reviews saying anything about it. But my eyes were watering!! Normally, I think I'm ok with spice but idk I was struggling. Overall it was still very good, but my tip if you can't handle spice, is to probably get another flavor onigiri, or be prepared to drink a lot of water. They also have a lot of interesting flavored ice creams which I can't wait to go back and try though! Maybe this is their business model - make what they're known for super spicy so you'll want their ice cream more lolll read more

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This cute little spot may have just become one of my all time ATX favs!! Sugar Pine is the real deal yall. From the moment you walk in you're warmly greeted, the aromas from the food being set at the tables near by, the entire flavor you get to experience. This spot is a 6/5 in my books. Everything on this menu (at least what I've tried thus far) has been top notch and the presentation is outstanding. You don't find this level of service and quality just anywhere. My #1 fav (so far) has got to be the yaki soba noodles, it was packed with so much flavor that I would've been totally fine with just the noodles by itself. Chicken was just the cherry on top. The onigiri was excellent as well, I can't wait to try the avocado one next time, highly suggest trying the kimchi pork if you can't decide. The service here was amazing!! I felt bad for the gentleman that was running the front all by himself during peak time but he managed the pressure very well and still gave an excellent experience. The shop is small but intimate and it does feel very cozy as well. Don't forget to try their amazing ice cream as well, especially on a matcha cone. All in all, this place has captured my heart and will be a staple in my "go-to's" for a light snack or full on meal. I encourage you to stop by when you can! read more

Need more vegan gf choices , more organic options, need more ego friendly to go box ,

All their homemade ice cream were so good me and my wife legit stood there for a couple minutes deliberating on what flavors to choose. We finally come to an agreement and chose a scoop of the toasted coconut (which turned out to be very soft and smooth with an amazing toasty flavor) and taro root (which turned out to be bursting with taro flavor while not being overly sweet) and both were absolutely delish! The service was excellent and friendly and the decor was cute and had a very nice chill vibe to it. Overall, would recommend for if you're feeling creative asian-flavor-infused ice cream. read more

Sugar Pine - Toasted coconut ice cream and taro root ice cream - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Food was delicious. Pork katsu was cooked to the perfect temperature. Tender and not over cooked at all. The flavor of the steak onigiri was great. They're made to order and the rice fell apart a bit. It's counter-service and your new comes out as it's ready. That can mean that if you're a party of three and you all order onigiri, one of you gets you're after the other 2 have finished. We'll likely be back. read more

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My first experience with Sugar Pine was a to go order one fateful night after a relaxing massage. While I enjoyed most items in my to go order, I realized I needed to try them in house because to go dumplings were made terribly soggy by the humidity created in the to go container. While I would like for them to repair their to go method for dumplings, they were still very tasty and I see it as my mistake for ordering something best served fresh. For my next bout with Sugar Pine, I met up with a couple of friends for a late dinner. It's counter service, which is not my favorite but that's a me problem. None of the tables were cleaned, which was largely in part to how busy the two front of house employees appeared to be- one person on register and one person scooping ice cream and running food! Truly, they lose a star for being understaffed and unable to provide the bare minimum of service, even for counter service. Mostly kind, though one of them was seemingly frustrated anytime we wanted anything, like a rag to clean the table. Food comes in a couple of waves. We realize the cashier missed a couple of items. No biggie. We put those orders in and they arrive before we come close to finishing our first orders. As I suspected, the gyoza was FANTASTIC fresh! We also loved the katsu, fish and chips, salt and pepper tofu, and the black soba noodles. The onigiri was lack luster and we could have done without. Next up was dessert! The ice cream selection is so hard to choose from. I ended up getting a scoop of black sesame and caramel. Both were phenomenal! Super interesting flavor profiles that satiated my sweet tooth while arousing my umami taste buds. Save room! Food: 5 stars Service: 4 stars Ambiance: 4 stars due to dirty tables read more

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Our go to place to hang out on weekends! This place has literally everything - from food, to beer, wine, cocktails, WiFi to work and not to mention - ice cream! Great little place to work or catch up with friends and get something light to eat . They have a cute patio as well and parking has never been a problem . Their onigiris are great, especially the spicy tofu one :) their small plates, set dishes are all great - we like the gyoza and also katsu dishes are delish! Their recent addition - spicy miso udon has become our favorite :) and with ice cream - they have a whole lot of amazing flavors from taro to green tea! If you haven't been here already, it's worth going once . Service is always great and they welcome customers with a sweet smile as always! read more

Sugar Pine - Sautéed tofu set dish - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Love the food here. My favorite is their chicken kaarage. Their onigiris are delicious as well. Pretty much everything I had here was great and yummy. Oh have you tried their ice cream? The miso caramel ice cream is my daughter's favorite. I love their black sesame ice cream. read more

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I went here in the summer and was really craving cold soba noodle, but the soba was only okay. The soba wasn't that right bite, and also wasn't very cold. I've also had better dipping broths in other locations. Felt for the small portion it was a little on the expensive side. We also tried their ice cream, and while my friend really liked hers, I thought mine was also just okay. They have interesting flavors, but the flavor itself isn't that exciting to me. I wouldn't mind coming back as a place to catch up with a friend for some snacks, but it's not a place I'm particularly excited to return to. read more

sugar pine never disappoints! it's been a while since i've been back but it's still as yummy as ever. I got the pork katsu, salmon onigiri, and finished lunch off with some ice cream. everything tasted delicious and the staff was incredibly friendly. the restaurant is cutely decorated and modern - there's plenty of seating and tables. it is a great spot to catch up with friends or even a date night since dinner and dessert is all in one place. read more

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I was pleasantly surprised at how good Sugar Pine was! My boyfriend and I went a little before closing (our fault, we didn't check the time), but the staff were still so warm and friendly. We got the katsu pork set and the karaage set, both of which I thought were decent value for the price. The sets had a nice variety of veggies that I feel like you don't usually get at other similar Japanese restaurants, and the miso soup was warm with lots of seaweed and tofu chunks, which seems to also be a rarity at other places. The katsu and karaage were flavorful and crispy, a big thing for us as it's hard to come by katsu that retains its crisp after being seasoned in sauce, though the pork was a little dry. The karaage set came with a unique citrus-aioli dip which was a refreshing change from the usual kewpie mayo-based dips. The sugar pine nut cookie that came with each set was perfectly lightly flavored, with melt-in-your-mouth pine nuts - as Asians typically like to say when they're complimenting a dessert: "Not too sweet!" We finished our meal with scoops of made-in-house black sesame and matcha ice cream. The black sesame was creamy but a little sweet for me, and I thought the matcha flavor could be a little stronger. All in all, a pleasant experience and we'll definitely be back. read more

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The food was great! We also tried their homemade ice cream and the kids loved it. They also have great prices for happy hour! read more

Sugar Pine - Set Katsu chicken with Curry and Yaki Udon Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love the variety of unique flavors of ice cream! We got Thai tea, black sesame, and miso caramel. They are quite sweet, but I love the creaminess of the ice cream. You can sample multiple flavors, and we were also given a free waffle topping because we accidentally walked in during happy hour:) This is a great place to catch up with friends and there is plenty of seating. I haven't tried the food yet so this review is just based on the ice cream. read more

Sugar Pine - Thai tea, black sesame, miso caramel - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

I went here for lunch and I cannot believe I haven't heard of this place before. The name can be deceiving because everytime I would drive by I just assumed this restaurant served American food. If I knew it was Japanese I would have come immediately. The inside of this place is also super cute! This place could be a fun date night option. I ordered the yaki udon tofu bowl to go and was very satisfied. The veggies were nice and crunchy, there are other vegetarian options here so I will definitely go again especially now that I know it served Japanese food and is so close to my clinic! read more

Pros: Really friendly staff Decadent ice cream Cute interior Cons: The rice in the onigiri is way too crumbly, making it difficult to eat compared to others I've had in the city I tried two onigiri, steak and salmon. Was not a fan of the steak's sauce or how it combined with the rice/nori. The salmon was fishy and not super fresh tasting. The sweet potato fries were wayyy thick, and unfortunately since we got them to go and they were packaged in a sealed plastic container they were really soggy by the time we got home. This was partly due to the travel, but still a bummer. Unfortunately don't think we'll be back for food, but maybe for ice cream! read more

This is such a cute dessert spot!! I like their ice cream. Very creamy and sweet, but not too sweet. It is perfect. I usually love rice balls but I have tried two different onigiris and personally not a fan. If you come here, definitely try the ice cream. Good service. Nice decorations, they have couches. read more

Sugar Pine - Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

This is a super cute spot. I highly recommended this spot. Sugar Pine is a great spot for a small group or a date. I ordered the katsu chicken with curry. The presentation was great but the katsu chicken with curry was very okay. I would like to go back at some point to try the ice cream and onigiri read more

Sugar Pine - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The price of this restaurant can be pretty high, so I did have higher expectations and I really felt ripped off after spending like $60. I got the Gyoza, and while I wish the filling was spicier or had more going on, it was good and I did like the dipping sauce as it was pretty tangy. I alsgo got the onigiri with spicy tuna which was good. I got the Katsu Chicken with Curry and was really underwhelmed. The curry was an interesting texture, as it was a bit slimey. The potatoes in it were cooked well and I did like the flavor but could not get past the texture. The chicken katsu was dry and bland and had almost no flavor. There was no sauce to put on top of the katsu. It was very dry, so the curry was needed but even then it still tasted bland. I got sweet potato fries also and I am not exaggerating when I say that all of them were burnt. Not the whole fry, but every fry was partially burned. They were not salted, so another bland item. And they were very soggy and limp. Overall, just very unimpressive and dry. read more

I continued my onigiri tour of Austin and tried Sugar Pine. One thing to note is that the rice balls here are expensive... like 150% more than Asahi or Snowball Riceball, and yet they're about the same size as those other onigiri. I don't see where the added value has come from. I got salmon and chicken (which is a karaage), both of which were tasty but were also oddly sweet, like the seaweed wrapper or the fillings themselves had been dipped in sugar sauce. While I wasn't too impressed with the onigiri, the pork katsu was really good. I don't know if it's worth what they're charging -- Tsukimi is like $2 cheaper for a similarly tasting tonkatsu -- but maybe the ambiance (or the pine nut cookie they add on) is worth the extra few dollars to you. read more

This is a perfect japanese comfort food / cafe spot. Its hard to find these in austin and i only know a handful of places that are actually good and authentic. Ive been here a few times and each time its been good- their food is super hearty and they have decent portion sizes. Their set items are super cute and their presentation is always on point. Last time i got the onigiris and it was delicious. This time i got the pork katsu with curry and the karage, with half and half fries. Their fried stuff is amazing here and everything is really crispy. I love that they give you miso soup to go with your meal and rice. The service is also good and the servers here are always so nice. You order up front and they bring you the food. They also have dessert here! read more

Sugar Pine - Katsu - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I decided to come here during my visit in Austin and this place did not disappoint! The staff working there are so kind and are more than happy to answer all of your questions and concerns. I ordered a vanilla bean ice cream cone (not pictured) that was super delish! Also, their waffle cones are freshly handmade which is super cool and tasty. Their house fries are to die for, especially dipped with the ranch. Their fries are super crisp and flavorful. As for the Onigiri, it is pretty good but is definitely more pricier than purchasing it at a grocery store. The portions are decent and is mainly consisting of rice. However, between the steak or the avocado Onigiri, the avocado one had a lot more flavor than the steak. We paid $30 for the 4 dishes. I liked how they had a happy hour which was $2 off all the appetizers. Definitely would recommend anyone to stop by for a quick snack if they're ever in the area! read more

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This place is a total hidden gem that you have to go to if you are visiting Austin! They might have one of the best bento boxes that I've tried! Everything is so incredibly fresh and beautifully presented. Portion sizes are also great for the price that you pay. The Pork Katsu was deliciously crispy on the outside without being greasy while the meat inside was tender and moist. The Japanese pickles are the perfect complement to the fried pork. The store, while quirky in decor, gives such a inviting feel. This goes perfectly with the sincere and kind nature of the people who work here. Excellent service! Finally, if you have room for dessert, the various ice cream and sorbet flavors are fantastic! I got the Watermelon and Basil Sorbet and it was super refreshing! A perfect way to end the meal. Great job and would definitely come back here! :) read more

Sugar Pine - Pork Katsu Bento Box. Delicious! :) - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The shop is really cute but the ice cream is only OKAY at best. The onigiri is only okay as well.

This place is suuuuper cute. We will definitely be back to try more! I wish they had some more options on the menu to go more often. They also need a little work on we had to ask for things quite a bit. I know everywhere is lacking servers right now and this you also order at the kiosk and get your own water and silverware but it took a bit for us to get some soy sauce and little things that I would think should be by the silverware. read more

Sugar Pine - Onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Adorable little Japanese joint with a bunch of different options to suit any mood. Want ice cream? They've got it. Just need a quick bite? Got a bunch of those too. Want to sit down and really eat? Yep that's an option too. Food was quick to arrive and staff was efficient and friendly if you had questions about anything on the menu. I got the spicy tofu onigiri and it was pretty spicy but in a good way! Tons of parking around the restaurant and usually not too busy. Definitely recommend checking it out if you want an authentic Japanese meal or just want a cute place to grab some delicious drinks and desserts. Going to go back to try some of their interesting ice cream flavors like the spiced chocolate chip! read more

Sugar Pine - Spicy tofu onigiri - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

Nice place with tasty food. Atmosphere has a good balance of being casual while looking nice. We got the salmon, chicken, and steak onigiri, along with an order of the salt & pepper tofu. Everything tasted really good. I did have an issue with my visit, where I had a bite of food contaminated with gluten from their shared fryer -- something I was actually very anxious about -- calling beforehand and also talking to them about my allergy in person, but was still suggested to get the chicken onigiri which still contained fried chicken that I ingested before realizing. They're a nice business and have good food, but it's a bit of a letdown when a place boasts being allergy-accommodating but don't actually know the level of care needed. I'm very careful and take all the steps to not get sick when eating out, but the majority of times I do get sick it's from similar cases as Sugar Pine who maybe think they're more accommodating of allergies than they really are. I feel they should consider removing the allergy markers on their menu for gluten that mostly aren't correct, factoring in that they're literally cooked in oil that's full of flour. I wouldn't in good conscience mark something as safe for say, a peanut allergy if it's cooked in peanut oil. At minimum a disclaimer along with knowledgeable staff would be great. Still might be back, sticking to the couple options that are available. Would definitely be a happy regular if they upped their cross-contamination game read more

Sugar Pine - Chicken, salmon onigiri. Salt & pepper tofu - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

You wouldn't know this place was a Japanese restaurant unless you went inside, but it's worth a visit just to try the ume shiso onigiri. The spicy tuna onigiri and salt & pepper fried tofu were also nice, but the ume shiso was really the highlight. Don't be put off by the fact it's pickled plum; it's a mostly savory filling with just a hint of fruit flavor. As a confirmed sweet tooth, I'd also love to come back and try the in-house desserts. The selection of filtered and unfiltered sake, beers, and wine was fairly impressive given how relatively casual of a concept this is. There were also a number of soft drinks including Ramune. Bonus points for playing 80s new wave hits, I can't think of a more crowd-pleasing genre. read more

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Amazing space and delicious food and treats. I like it to be my secret but business is business. If you go be respectful, the servers are so nice and the food is delicious. Just take a seat and relax. read more

This is my favorite $$ casual Japanese family-style restaurant in Austin!! Their onigiris are THE BEST and my favorite goes to the spicy tofu onigiris!! The restaurant is super clean and cozy - I love to dine in as well! They also serve free lemon water, which is great on summer days. For entrees, my top two are the steak set and the chicken yaki udon. Both are super delicious and I can literally eat their everyday! If you're also looking to get some appetizers, I recommend chicken karaage (their dipping mayo is superb) and soba with Yuzu flavor. Staff are sweet and friendly. One time I accidentally spilled the soup and they rushed over to help me clean up and reorganized my food. read more

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Sometimes I want to be a gatekeeper and not share hidden gem places, but I will be generous and rave about this place. Sugar pine is a cute cafe that serves tea, coffee and Japanese snacks like onigiris, and desserts. The pictures were cute and the place matched up with the pictures online. You make your order and pay up front, and then someone would bring out your food. I ordered the salmon onigiri with Soba noodles and ice jasmine green tea. The order came out and was nicely presented. There was detail in the presentation, and the taste was on point. I don't know why that made me happy, but you could tell there was care and love being put into it. The place had a nice, and calming vibe to it. This is a great place to get snacks with a friend, or simply a place where you want to get a bite alone. The location is a bit unexpected, but I appreciate that because it has a steady flow of traffic, but not overly crowded where you feel rushed and the quality of food and presentation are at bare minimum. The pricing is great and reasonable too! I can't wait to go back and bring another friend with me. read more

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Have been here twice and it's usually pretty empty so it makes for fast order-at-counter service. They have a smallish parking lot but not a lot of people come so it's empty as usually. Unfortunate because the food is actually really good, I guess not a lot of people have heard of it. I have only tried the onigiris but they are so fun and beautifully plated. Definitely worthy of a photo. They have cute pickled vegetables cut into shapes and the presentation is top notch for a small cafe. I have tried the salmon, ume, tuna, and spicy salmon. I personally like the salmon the most but everyone liked different flavors and I think they are all worth a try. I will say they do fall apart after one bite and it might be hard to share with more than 1 other person. Not a lot of places even have onigiris and the ones they have here are so beautiful and tasty, would recommend. read more

Want white chocolate Thai tea ice cream?...too bad!! on our sisters trip, we stumbled upon Sugar Pine wanting to try their ice cream after reading all the rave reviews to try them...sadly, we were met with disappointment. According to the staff, who were very friendly, and kindly explained to us that the ice cream maker/owner of the shop had just recently returned from being on vacation and didn't anticipate the popularity of how quickly their ice cream would run out and when we arrived there were only four out of eight flavors we could try because they had run out! It would have been wise to either double up on ice cream inventory or train a staff member to make the ice cream in the event the owner is "out of office"... Since we are Houstonians visiting for the weekend, and our Airbnb didn't have a freezer, we couldn't even purchase the pint size as an option. Thankfully we remembered this tidbit, and the staff member was kind enough to offer us a refund when we quickly realized it before leaving the shop. Nonetheless, it's cumbersome to go somewhere and experience that a popular flavor or dish is not available simply because they've run out and rely on one person to replenish it. If you're an out-of-towner or a local and you're craving a particular flavor, I recommend calling ahead to see if they have it. read more

Sugar Pine - Shop - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Came on a Wednesday around lunch time. I already ate but I wanted something sweet so I got the white chocolate Thai tea ice cream with a homemade waffle cone. Flavors were good, but would've liked a little more cinnamon or spice in the waffle cone. It was mostly butter tasting. Ice cream was pretty hard which is good for a hot day but took a while to get to the consistency I like. Seems like a good place to come for a little bit of everything: beer, wine, ice cream, coffee, and snacks. Decent size seating for groups inside and outside too. More accurately 4.5 I think. read more

Sugar Pine - White chocolate Thai tea ice cream in homemade regular waffle cone - Japanese Near Me - Austin, Texas

The ice cream / sorbet is a MUST TRY. this is incredible. Best dessert ever. You can skip on the onigiri, but the sorbet do not pass on. Definitely get the mango sorbet. It is made in house. Actually I believe most if not all of the flavors are made in house. It is incredible. Sugar pine staff is amazing, they have these beautiful snake plants in there and we asked for a clipping and they happily accommodated thank you so much! The ambiance is cute and the location is right by a bunch of other amazing Asian eats. Certainly check this place out. read more

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We were looking for iced coffee and stumbled upon this cute spot. It may not look like much on the outside but it is very modern and comfortable inside. They have soft comfortable chairs that feel like you're in someone's living room. The decor makes it for a cute date spot or just catching up with a friend. They have small snacks, ice cream, homemade waffle comes, beer, wine and various sake. Staff were very friendly and helpful. read more

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This place is *legit*! Seriously, for a taste of Japan - as it is *today*, not the americanized version - this is is where you want to come to. It's kinda izakaya-ish, in the sense that there's a whole bunch of random foods (all excellent!) available, you can happily nosh through a variety of things all the while working your way through their excellent beer/wine/sake/drinks selection. Did I mention that the food is excellent? 'cos it is! All of it! BTW, the character changes somewhat dramatically from a "quick lunch place" to a "hang out and chill in the evening place"... read more

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This is a chill cozy place that is very easy to spot from the main road. Plenty of parking space and cute interior. Cold Soba noodles: Noodles are cold and sticky and a bit firm in texture. At first I thought it was very difficult to separate but I realized that maybe I should just dump the whole serving into the dipping bowl? Not sure if that's the right way to eat it since I'm used to separating the noodles first and then dipping it into the soup. The flavor is tangy and a bit on the sour side. The portion is also very small. I killed this in 2-3 bites lol. Presentation is very cute but not very practical because it's a bit difficult and messy to eat. I'm also not a big fan of the flavor. Chicken Katsu with curry: Right off the bat. Saw a very large chip on the rice bowl. No biggie for me but some might be concerned if they have young kids eating out of it. The curry tastes watered down and the chicken is very dry. The curry lacks any kind of depth or spice and tastes quite bland. To be completely honest. Any ready pack curry you buy from a supermarket will have more flavor than this. At the price point of almost $17 for this, I'm supremely disappointed. I really want to try their ice cream but after shelling out over $30 for two very underwhelming dishes I decided to go somewhere else for my sweet cravings. Interior is cute, colorful and on the kiddy side. I would suggest not coming here to look for good food but just a place to chat with friends for a quick ice cream or a spot to bring your kids. In summary - Service is great! Interior is cute. Food...not at all. read more

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Cute, clean, friendly & delicious. All words I would use to describe Sugar Pine. The interior is bright and welcoming, very open and tidy. The staff was very patient and friendly when we were ordering, chill vibes felt. The food speaks for itself, great usage of classic Japanese ingredients in each dish, some flavors subtle while others more bold and vibrant, really impressed. I recommend everything we ordered -- soba noodles, house fries with yuzu mayo, spicy tuna onigiri. Will have to try the chicken katsu next time. Their bar menu is also quite impressive, with several drafts beers on tap. I want more places like this in Austin. 5.5/5 read more

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