Daito

Yay, Daito!!! We were just looking for some reasonable and delicious sushi tonight, and boy oh boy did we find it! Kome was packed. Ichiban was closed. As we drove down Lamar wondering what our next option would be I remembered that Daito seemed to get some great press on Unilocal.I saw 4.5 stars and $$ instead of $$$$, and I was sold. Steering the gang in the Daito direction was a cinch once I relayed the pricing and reputation. Thanks, Unilocalers!
Our server, Cole, was very helpful, and we could tell he was a fan of the food at Daito as well. He let us know some important information about the menu when he heard we were first-​timers, and confidently let us know that every option on the menu is great, and we would be happy with anything and everything on the menu. That was very correct, Cole. We did love everything that we tried.
We had some great fatty salmon and Whelk on the sashimi sampler. We also all fell in love with the chicken karaj. Very good. Next we were impressed, and pleasantly surprised by the mackerel roll. I will get that again. We also thought the yellow tail sushi was great, the miso soup was yummy, and the seared sushi appetizer blew us away. All that plus two large bottles of hot sake for three hungry adults ended up costing about $ 34 per person. That’s a great deal in my book.
The restaurant is not cool and trendy, but I kind of like that actually. I have always wanted a more laid back place to get straight up sushi. I love inventive rolls as much as the next guy, but I prefer the classic stuff anyway.
Oh, and we didn’t even try the thing Daito seems to be kind of famous for, which I believe are the Udon menu options. I can’t wait to go back for that, but how will I ever be able to NOT order all the awesome stuff I just tried tonight? This is going to be tricky!

This restaurant is like a little slice of Japan. The family that runs it is from Osaka, and they are as polite and considerate as the people that I met when I visited Osaka this summer. They have been overrun since their fabulous review in the Austin Chronicle. I really enjoyed my niku udon (beef noodle soup). However, my husband wanted the curry udon and the restaurant had run out, so he ordered the champon udon (chicken) and said it was too sweet for his taste. Also, I had about a third of my meal leftover, but the restaurant doesn’t allow you to take the noodles as leftovers (because the noodles get soggy), so my husband and I slowly finished them. Other restaurants such as Shabu will separate the noodles from the soup so that they don’t get soggy and you can still take them as leftovers. Daito should consider this option. Parking is also challenging until you figure out where you can park (not in the lot immediately adjacent to the restaurant, but on the side streets behind the restaurant west of Guadalupe). A wonderful experience overall!
For more reviews, check out my blog:

I’ve eaten at many expensive sushi restaurants. My preference in sushi are not the typical sushi rolls doused in spicy mayo, mayo or eel sauce. I love the way fresh fresh and certain ingredients can bring out the freshness and flavor of the fish. This one is the most authentic sushi I have ever encountered. The wasabi was light and fresh tasting rather than chalky like other typical sushi restaurants. The sushi pieces form was well compacted. The freshness of the sushi was definitely on point. Not to mention, the flavor was definitely well balanced and it brought out the taste of the fish. This restaurant needs more recognition! I have yet to try the freah udon. The omakase is a steal!!! Will definitely be coming back!!!

Considering the price also, the portion that I received was smaller than expected. The udon itself was delicious, but the overall experience fell short of expectations. The curry reminded me of the curry I’ve made with pre-​packaged curry blocks, yet it was refreshingly light. Besides the udon, the only other topping was three slices of fried tofu and a few beef slices which I had to ration along with my udon. However, I felt the staff was absolutely polite and charming.

One of my favorite restaurants in Austin. It’s really close to UT, so as a student it’s really convenient. However parking is hard to find due to the location. Their food is delicious, very authentic, and always fresh. I love so many things from their menu: karaage, tempura, udon, soba, and sashimi/​sushi to name a few. I’ve loved every single dish (around 10+ dishes) I’ve ordered from them. Service is great as well. Sometimes, though, it may be slower due to bigger parties, but I usually don’t mind waiting a bit. Also, it’s not a big restaurant so be mindful of how many people you are bringing. It’s good to call ahead if your party is big to ask about accommodation. I highly recommend a trip here! It’s well worth your time and money.

Daito is one of the most authentic Japanese restaurants I’ve ever been to in the U.S. I really like how they specialize in one thing (udon), which is how many restaurants are like in Japan. That way, they can really focus on that one thing and make it absolutely perfect, which is what Daito has done for udon.
It’s a small, intimate restaurant on the drag, and even with its location, it wasn’t that busy on a Saturday night. I came with a couple friends who, like me, have been to Japan and love Japanese food. We were all really impressed with the food here. The udon had great texture, perfectly chewy and smooth, and the soup broth/​curry were both really good. If you get the tempura udon and you like your tempura crunchy, I would try to ask for it on the side. One of my friends got the tekka don, which is a tuna rice bowl. They supposedly get their fish imported from Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, which is really impressive!
When I was eating here, I felt like I had been transported back to Japan again *_​_​*. The only thing is that there are tablecloths and it’s a little dark inside, so the atmosphere was more formal than most udon places in Japan. I think the waiters and staff are actually Japanese, and we heard other guests speaking Japanese too. Another +1 for authenticity! AND I heard they don’t allow to go boxes (which is typical of restaurants in Japan because they believe food should be eaten fresh), so be sure to finish all your food! It’s rude and wasteful in Japanese culture to not finish food: P. It’s so delicious, you’ll want to slurp it all up anyway.
Service was great, and prices were very reasonable! There are like 3 parking spaces at the restaurant, so you might have to find street parking elsewhere.

My new obsession: handcrafted fresh udon noddles. Thankfully, Daito is really, dangerously close to where I live. Don’t worry. I can handle it. Maybe.
Daito’s space is a little weird, but I mean, it used to be a Magic Wok! They had to work with what they had. It’s not the most visually appealing space, but completely functional for eating udon. Seriously, just give me a chair, and I can sit there and eat udon all day. Can someone tell me if that’s a profession?
I’ve only had the hot udon here: the niku and the tempura. I thought both were fantastic. The noodles are so freaking good, and the broth is subtle, but packed with good flavor. I just wish their servings were bigger, like 2x bigger. If you know me, you know that’s like the best compliment I could ever give to a restaurant: bigger portions please!

Great homemade and fresh udon!
This is the best udon I’ve had in the US. They make their udon everyday, and their menu is pretty limited. There are a few appetizers like edamame and karaage and also fresh sashimi, but I think the star really is their udon. I actually kind of like that they only have a few choices because it feels like they specialize and aren’t stretched too thin.
I got the tempura udon which came with quite a few tempura veggie pieces as well as two big shrimp. They put it in my soup, which I know some people won’t like so maybe you can ask them to put it on the side. They put the toppings like green onion and sesame seeds on the side for you, though. The soup was super clear and felt really clean. The udon noodles just felt so chewy. The texture was good, and it picked up soup flavoring well, too. I like that they give chopsticks with texture at the tips so it’s really easy to pick up the slippery noodles. On that note, I also feel like their décor was really nice. Everything was black and red but not glaringly so. It’s a pretty small place and not too fancy but also not super casual. The waiters were nice (and pretty cute ;) and very professional. It seemed like they had regulars because I saw one waiter chatting it up with a family.
My friend got the curry udon which didn’t taste like the curry blocks you get at the supermarket (that’s a good thing). It had a hint of spice to it and wasn’t too sweet. I really liked it! My other friend got the tekka donburi which is tuna on top of rice. That sounds sort of lame, but it was really really good! They say they fly the fish in from Tsukiji which is Japan’s most famous fish market. Right now, there’s a special for it for $ 12. The udons are generally $ 8-​$ 10 unless you get the special ones, which we did not get.
We also shared the shiratama an-​mitsu which tasted like an-​mitsu I had in Japan to me. I would highly recommend it!
Parking is basically non-​existent so you’ll have to find street parking elsewhere and walk, which wasn’t a big deal for us.
If I lived in Austin, I would probably be here once a week. Maybe I’ll move to Austin for Daito…

Where to begin? This was one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had in my 14 years in Austin.
Asian food, especially authentic Japanese, is truly hard to find in Austin and Texas in general. Having been to Japan before, I know the difference when a restaurant is operated or owned by Japanese people and not Chinese flavored imposters.
We started with a tuna ponzu scallion appetizer and it was ridiculously good. Tuna was soft like butter, melting in our mouths. Truly a special little naughty thing.
I ordered the tempura udon. It was OUTSTANDING. By far the best udon I have found in Austin and probably the best tempura I’ve had outside of Japan. This really knocked my socks off. The tempura alone was enough to make me want to return many times.
My friend, she ordered curry udon. Incredible Japanese golden curry flavor. With some Thai basil fusion thing going on. Very impressive, it was very authentic.
At one point my friend dropped one of her chopsticks. Before she could ask for new ones, a waiter promptly brought her fresh chopsticks. The only way he could have beat this service was if he caught the chopsticks before they fell on the ground! Remarkable. This is true to the Japanese high standards of customer service. Wait staff was incredibly friendly, knowledgable and Japanese. Imagine that?
I really don’t want to recommend this place as I am afraid it will be too successful. I cannot wait to go back. They have a lifelong customer with me.
Also, we tried this place for the first time after a Japanese drum concert. We were shocked to see the mayor of Oita Japan and his cohorts already seated there. You know it’s good if Japanese visitors and politicians are seated next to you, enjoying some udon! Itdakimasu! So very good!

My first visit to Daito was somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. I’m going with 5, just because I’m very thankful such an authentic Japanese restaurant exists in Texas, let alone central Austin. (I go to Japan ~4 times a year and love Japanese food.)
Ordered 2 appetizers and 2 main dishes. The main dishes came out well before the appetizers, which is a faux pas in the U.S. but truthfully not a big deal to me personally.
Expect Japanese portion sizes, and not Texas portion sizes, and you will not be disappointed. To compensate for this, price: ingredient quality seems quite favorable.
Appetizers
Stewed pork belly — very delicious and tender, easy to eat.
Kara-​age — Japanese fried chicken. Generous portion size (unlike most of the menu items). Tasted very crispy and fresh — was definitely fried right then and there. Not oily at all, which was great. It was very hot (temperature in the mouth) — my fault for not being more patient.
Main dishes
Curry udon — tasted like real curry in Japan, not the instant kind.
Tekka Don (tuna sashimi donburi) — while I liked it, it could have been a lot better. The ingredient quality was great, but I wish there were more green onion and less wasabi. Was my fault for leaving in so much wasabi before mixing the bowl (I did remove about half). I would advise to remove most of the wasabi, unless you’re a big wasabi fan (I have heard of «wasabi donburi» so maybe this was a version of that?).
Water cups are huge (unlike Japan) which is a big plus for me; I consume a lot of water.
Next time I come here, I will try the sushi. The tuna sashimi inside the Tekka Don bowl was very fresh with a rich mouth-​feel.
There’s no parking in the lot, but plentiful street parking to the west (e.g. on Nueces).
Service was friendly, quick, and attentive.
There were «real Japanese people» here eating, a good sign of authenticity.

I came back from Japan a few weeks ago and found myself dreaming of the food last night. So I spent the morning planning my attack on the local Japanese places. I opted for Daito because it seemed authentic, small, and wholesome. My Unilocal fellows didn’t steer me wrong!
Side Note: As left in the tips, the parking lot isn’t theirs anymore but there is plenty of street parking.
Coming here, you have to be looking for either Udon or Soba. That’s it. They’ve got a select menu; a number of hot and cold udon options, a cold soba, and about 4 options for sushi (sashimi). Oh, a few appetizers and one desert! Lots of options for good Sake as well.
Side note 2: Blue fin tuna is well advertised here — straight from Tsukiji Market. I’m not a fan of that, for environmental reasons, but if you are its here and pretty cheap.
I opted for the tempura udon and Japanese fried chicken as an app. I’m pretty sure it was half a chicken. Its served tender style and it was a bit greasy, but not bad. They serve it with lemon and a salt mixture, so it took me back to katsu in Japan. Mission accomplished. The Tempura udon comes out beautifully on a tray. The broth is light, with what tastes like a fish base. They provide sesame, wasabi (real!), green onions, and daikon to mix in your broth. The noodles were fat and fresh, offering the perfect slurp. The shrimp and vegetable tempura was light and flavorful. The shrimp was the standout there. Again, a tiny bit greasy but not diminishing.
The waitstaff… this would have been a «meh» experience if they weren’t as awesome. From the moment you walk in they’re there to assist; friendly, helpful, and fun!
Overall, definitely give it a shot. Quality and tradition stand behind this food. I left with a full belly and a happy soul.
Time for the next one…

Looks like the owner is healthy again, and Daito is back open! Udon is a staple Japanese dish, yet I rarely get it in my rotation. Let’s see what this hype is about.
Went here for dinner on a Saturday and although this is a relatively small place (it’s on the Drag, what can you do?) only a few tables were occupied. The place is dim and pretty intimate. Big shout out to the service! Our waiter was really nice right from the beginning when he greeted us as we walked in all the way to the end when he held the door open for us as we left, wishing us a good night. ¹⁰⁄₁₀.
We started with the Toro Salmon, which is five pieces of salmon sashimi. This was incredibly delicious. The salmon had a snap, a great density, and freshness. Even the soy sauce tasted good!
I ordered the Curry Udon while she had the Tempura Udon. My Curry Udon was pretty good: thick and a bit spicy. The noodles were perfectly cooked as well. However, it’s thickness became its own enemy after several bites. At that point, my taste buds were pretty saturated with the heavy flavors that I had to make an effort to finish the dish. Tasty at the beginning, but probably not something I’d get again. The Tempura Udon was closer to my alley. The broth was delicious and flavorful (I’d prefer to have it without the ginger (?) add-​on). The Shrimp Tempura was pretty crispy, but I would’ve liked it more if it had a more shrimp: batter ratio. Tip: she chose to have the tempura ordered on the side instead of in the broth to prevent it from getting soggy and falling apart. Great idea!
Overall, a great meal with even better service! If you find yourself on the Drag and getting bored of your usual establishments, definitely give Daito a visit. You won’t forget the experience!

It’s the stock.
It’s the broth.
It’s the wet stuff in your soup.
Call it whatever you want.
This is why you are here.
Noodle places are all supposed to have amazing stock.
This is the first place I have been in the U.S., Japan or China …
which really DOES have a stand-​out stock.
And god knows I have seen a lot of wannabes for best stock category.
I had the plain ordinary side dish miso soup.
I knew from one sip that this place was going to be different.
I then had a more elaborate udon concoction — in stock.
The udon noodles were home made.
They were «that’s nice dear».
There was a lot of tempura in the soup.
The tempura was outstanding …
and survived being in the soup without being even minimally soggy.
This means both a fine coating and a flavorful but firm interior of the tempura that was going to hold its flavor in liquid.
Hats off to the fry-​person.
There was a fancy elaborate specially prepared egg.
It was not that different from a poached egg.
I ate the solid stuff out of the soup bowl and was thinking
«This place has to be the most overrated place ever».
My Japanese friends all love it, and the place was full of Japanese people …
ah but what do they know?
Then I tasted the stock in my soup
and attained Enlightenment.
The Universe became Centered —
The Eternal Light Began to Shine.
The Lotus Flower Bloomed.
Rumor has it that the Sashimi at Daito is also good.
This may easily be the case.
The fried chicken appetizer was nice but could not hold a candle to a good Mississippi fried chicken.
But none of that matters when you can have stock like this.

Alright, hands down the MOST AUTHENTIC Japanese restaurant in town. Yes, I know there are Uchi and Uchiko but those are more for a fine-​dining experience. I’m talking about a homey restaurant where commoners like myself could visit casually. Thank you Austin, finally! This is the first time that a restaurant in Austin has brought back memories of my childhood in Japan.
This place has the whole package: the food, the service, and the experience. This is not your average Americanized Japanese food or those Chinese/​Korean-​inspired Japanese food. Previously, the best bets in town were places like Kome, which is quite underwhelming esp if you don’t like their Izayaki styled dinner. Anyways, let’s start with the food:
Special Curry Udon: This is the udon that’s drawing all the hype… and I would say it’s worthy of the hype. I’ve always been more of a ramen guy instead of a udon guy but this udon is legit. The idea is rare (udon + curry) and the dish is well executed. Udon can sometimes taste bland due to its thickness but the flavor here is right on and the curry spice provides an extra kick. Yes, the bowl is large but not too large, and the $ 14 price tag is just right.
Ten Zaru Soba: The udon might get all the hype but this is the star of the restaurant IMO, both the soba and the tempura. Having attended cooking lessons back in Japan and observed how rural chefs cook soba first hand, I understand the difficulty of perfecting a soba dish. It looks so simple yet so difficult to get the right texture and chewiness. These ones are pretty much spot on.
Now, for the tempura. Like I always tell my friends, you can always tell the quality of a Japanese restaurant by their tempuras. I can honestly say that these are the BEST tempuras I’ve had in my 10+ years in the US. You can’t nail such a nice crisp batter by accident. The shrimps were large and they literally melts in your mouth. YUM! To top it all, I don’t know when is the last time I’ve had the potato-​carrot-​onion tempura (forgot the Japanese name), must have been back in Japan. Man, the nostalgia.
Kara-​age: Japanese-​styled friend chicken. This is what I’m talking about! Real kara age. Seasoned perfectly.
The service at the same time also deserves an A+ rating. Our waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. I essentially gave her a pop quiz by asking her things like different kinds of cooking styles, the source of the ingredients, the Japanese names of the food, etc. and she nailed them all. Impressive.
I can’t say enough good things about this place and it has obviously became one of our family’s favorite restaurant in town. Can’t wait to bring my parents here!
To summarize, 1) you should definitely come here and 2) you should definitely try the zaru soba and the tempuras. The curry udon is good too but the soba and tempuras are better. We haven’t tried any of their sushi yet but they do look a little expensive on paper. However, I do want to remind my American friends that Japanese food is NOT always about sushi or ramen. If you come here just for the sushi, then you’re missing the point.

Came here with a group of girlfriends for dinner. They didn’t take reservations but we didn’t have to wait at all for a table of 11 people. This was around 630pm on a Saturday night. The staff was friendly and polite. Thanks my fellow Unilocalers, I along with 8 of the people at our table ordered the curry udon. I didn’t know the diff between curry udon and the special curry udon so I went for just the curry udon. I love the aroma of the curry udon. It wasn’t spicy for me so I asked for some extra hot pepper. Absolutely love this dish, as people can tell based on my empty bowl. Also got to try my friend’s potbelly dish. That was yummy!
The staff are awesome. They didn’t charge us tips BC we had more than 6 people party. That was odd but I don’t mind that at all.
Will definitely come back and order the curry udon again.

Summary of you hate long reviews: small place that makes a legit cold dipping soba/​udon & tempura. Highly recommend that dish over curry udon. Other menu items pricey & needs some improvement in service.
4 stars for the dish I got. If I got curry udon only, would probably have rated 2 – 3 stars.
Rumor is… This place found a chef and flew him directly from Osaka to Austin. I can’t say I saw the bed or confirm the rumors… But their Zaru udon and tempura was the best I’ve had in Austin.
Unlike alllllll of the other reviews– I have to say. Please do not order the curry udon. It’s honestly nothing special– it’s a bit spicy and ok. But you’re definitely missing out on some legitimate Japanese cuisine by ordering this dish. Go for the Zaru soba or Zaru udon with tempura. Not many Japanese places serve this dish & this place does an awesome job.
Background: when I visited Japan a few years ago, I fell in love with Zaru soba & udon. I had it every day on my trip there. Coming back to Texas, I had to learn to make it because I loved it so much & couldn’t find a restaurant that served it. So thank you to Daito for allowing my cravings to be satisfied & to do the dish justice!!!
Zaru udon with tempura $ 11.50
This dish is a plate of cold noodles that you dip in a special sauce, and then consume. It comes with tiny adorable cups of condiments. White radish, green onion, nori (seaweed), pulverized ginger. How I do it: dump all the white radish and green onion into the dipping sauce. Sprinkle all of the nori onto the noodles. I personally don’t prefer the ginger so I only add a tiny bit. Dip and consume.
Tempura is legit!!! I could eat their tempura all day long. It’s perfectly battered and crispy. The thickness and texture of the batter is the best I’ve had. Do not miss out on this.
Portion size– Japanese sized & not Texas sized– not too small but definitely not big enough to fill up the bellies of a hungry man. The soba portions are a bit more generous.
Price– definitely pricey sushi menu. $ 2 – 5 per sushi piece!!! Udon is also pricey for what they are serving. (Noodles! With very little meat/​vegetables) I think the only dishes that are priced appropriately are the noodles served with tempura.
Service– friendly but needing improvement. We had missing parts all throughout our meal– missing waters, missing chopsticks, missing sake cups, missing napkins even when promised. It really interrupted the meal, so I hope they step it up a bit.
Other tips– small parking lot to the right of the restaurant. Small venue– best for 2 – 4 ppl unless it’s summer and you make a reservation first.

Flying under the radar and not getting beat up over this review. here we go…
Daito possibly has an identity crisis going on, are you a romantic hole in the wall playing jazz music in dim lighting while ordering furniture and fixtures from Walmart? Or are you a 20 minute in and out glorified udon noodle BK Lounge? (Side note, watch your step walking into the front door)
Oh the food. reviews are about food, I think. Ordered the Curry Udon, and I believe what was called the Onsen Tamago (soft boiled egg in a cold miso type broth) The noodles were perfectly cooked, and had a good flavor to them. The pork was extremely fatty and chewy, in a bad way. The broth in the curry udon seemed watered down? Maybe I got a bad batch, who knows… but basically if I took some cream, water and curry mix from HEB, I feel as if I could replicate this… IMHO.
I recommend taking the egg and placing it in the bowl, basically similar to the Specialty Curry dish. The egg was creamy, but the broth it came in tasted like a miso inspired fishy sour clear broth…
It’s possible I came in here with high expectations based up the Unilocal reviews, which is more than likely. But for me, I will hang it up as a one time stop, glad I got to check it out, and wish them the best of luck, fast and efficient service. Although, our total time from entrance to exit was 25 minutes — felt a little rushed.

I love noodles. I love all types of noodles. the Ramen scene in Austin is blowing up right now but I’ve always preferred Udon to Ramen I just think its a better noodle. unfortunately getting Udon at the level of quality you get from the Ramen shops in town has been pretty much impossible. That is no longer the case thanks to Daito.
The service here was amazing! The waiter was quick polite and always seemed to be there when I needed something. I dropped one of my chopsticks on the floor and it was replaced in less than a mili second. I have to give mad props to the kitchen and wait staff here as they are amazing at what they do.
We ordered the Tempura Daito, Pork Belly and the Karage for appetizers. I know we ordered three appetizers for 2 people. what can I say that’s just how we roll. The pork belly was so tender and delicious. the fat was like butter. it may have been the best pork belly I’ve ever had. The Karage was crispy and the sauce it came with tasted like heaven. The Tempura Daito was an assortment of shrimp and vegetables fried in tempura. when it came out it was piping hot and fresh all of the tempura was excellent but my favorite was the shrimp. the shrimp tempura here is some of the best I’ve ever had. I know I’m insisting that a lot of stuff here is the best ever and I am by no means exaggerating.
The wife and I each ordered Curry Udon and they asked if we want to share. we insisted we each get our own bowl. When it was brought to our table and I realized how large the bowl was I instantly understood why they asked if we wanted to share. The portion size of the curry Udon is gigantic. and I’m certainly ok with that because it is amazing. The noodles were cooked perfectly and have just the right chewy consistency that Udon should. The curry sauce has a a subtle flavor that hooked me in and left me unable to stop eating.
It took a bit to learn how to eat the noodles properly but once we were comfortable slurping them down like pros we realized that not only is eating at Daito delicious its very very fun. Run out the door right now go order some Curry Udon and discover the joy of slurping down those noodles! Daito is some of the best Japanese food I have ever had I cant heap enough praise on them.

If I could give Daito 10 stars I would! It was that good!
My husband, Steve H. and I went here for lunch yesterday and to my surprise they were serving the lunch and dinner menus. Daito is a cute little spot on the drag. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by the friendly staff and seated. The décor and music playing were very fitting. As we looked over the menu we realized there was a lot we wanted to try. I had never had udon noodles so those were a must try.
I started off with a green tea over ice which was super refreshing. Then we moved on to some appetizers. We had the pork belly, chicken karage and termpera daito. The pork belly was absolutely one of my favorites of the afternoon and the best pork belly I have ever had. The fat on the meat was literally like butter in your mouth. I have never had pork belly that was cooked so perfectly. The karage was nice and crispy and flavorful as well. I also loved the tempera variety. The eggplant was my favorite on that dish and the sauce was perfect for dipping.
Steve H. and I both ordered the specialty curry udon. The server asked us if we wanted to share and we opted to get our own servings. When it was brought to our table I quickly realized why he asked if we were sharing. The portions are HUGE. Especially after 3 appetizers — we could have shared, but oh well — we were in it all the way now. The udon is served with a ladle and small bowl. It took a bit to figure out my method on slurping the noodles up. By the end of the meal I was a pro. The udon noodles were interestingly chewy, soft and delicious. They were unlike any noodle I have ever tried and I loved them. The curry was so creamy and almost gravy like. There were also nice size pieces of thinly slices pork all throughout. Everything about this dish was magic!
The service here was impeccable as well. Our waiter and the chef that was bringing the food out did not miss a beat. At one point Steve H dropped his chop stick and before we realized it a new one was in front of him.
Also one of best things about Daito is the price point! I go to a lot of awesome restaurants in Austin that are super delicious, but this is the type of great restaurant that I will continue to come back to again and again because of the awesome prices and the quality of food!
Steve H and I have already discussed that we will be back with friends and family in tow!

Finally had a chance to visit this place. The first thing I noticed about this place is that the staff is very polite, nice, and attentive. The menu was very authentic, and there were a lot of really interesting choices. I actually came to this restaurant with a friend who had recently visited Japan, and he definitely said that this place was more on the authentic side.
I ordered the tempera udon, which seemed to be the most talked about on Unilocal aside from the curry udon. The broth of the udon was not too salty, but definitely did not lack flavor. The portion was just right for me, and I definitely enjoyed it. One thing I recommend is taking the fried tempera out of the broth once you get it, so it doesn’t end up all soggy in your soup.
I will definitely be back to try more of the cool stuff that they have on the back on the menu. A very quiet and intimate place to come when you want to get away from the nice of the drag.