East Side King @ Hole In The Wall

Had the veggie meshi (brussels sprouts and rice). Oddly a huge fan of brussels, and these didn’t disappoint. The dish is spicy, but the chef offsets the spice with some mint which is really interesting.
Just know the portions aren’t very big at all. Better for me as the holidays have me struggling to fit into all but one pair of jeans, but just know you’ll get 6 – 7 sprouts on top of a bit of rice.

East Side King is quickly becoming a favorite spot of mine in Austin. The Steamed Buns are consistently the best ones I eat, the Ramen was fantastic and their Karage chicken is outsanding. The Vegi Meshi is also a must.
My recent trip here was with a group of 12 people, most who had never been to East Side King before. They LOVED the new flavors and the great atmosphere of Hole in the Wall. With cheap pitchers of Shiner I seriously don’t know what else you could look for in a meal.

I’ve now had all 3 ramens here and I can assure that they’re all bad, so skip them.
The Pork Qui buns, spicy avacado buns, and chicken kara-​age are all excellent, however.
Even the dishes that are good are generally over-​priced, which feels super out of place considering what Hole-​In-​The-​Wall is. I understand that Paul Qui is a famous chef and all but let’s not pretend that he’s the one cooking this stuff. A small bowl of chicken thigh chunks with herbs on top probably shouldn’t cost $ 9. You’re really looking at $ 20 per person for food after tax/​tip which is just silly for a place with a PBR + Whiskey Shot special.
It’s not worth coming here just for the food but if you’re drunk and hungry it’ll do the trick, for a price. I think you’re honestly better off walking next door to Vert’s unless you can’t stand to leave the bar for a bit.

Eastside King is a beloved centerpiece of Austin, Texas, USA. I can certainly see why people like it, but I myself don’t love it.
Before the negative, I will say the Beet Fries are incredible, the Brussels sprout salad is fresh and delicious, and the buns melt in your mouth (that’s what she said). The Jasmine rice is the bees knees!
That said, the chicken dishes all taste generic. Without being saved by the cilantro, jalepenos and jasmine rice, there would be no genuine taste in their entrée dishes. I’m sorry — just tastes like chicken nuggets.
Oh, and the person who took my order told me to tip. I always tip at least 25% so this was a bit insulting and caused me to tip 20% instead of my normal 25%. Sorry.
I need to try a Ramen dish. One of my friends says it’s incredible, so next time I will get that. If it pans out, I’ll change my review to a 4 stars.

Absolutely love this place. Love hole in the wall type of restaurants. It’s a bit hard to find because it’s located behind the Hole in the Wall bar. But it’s worth the search.
I had the brussel sprout salad which was awesome as well as the chicken tortilla ramen which was amazing as well. On those two items alone I filled myself up. Had a bite of my friend’s pork buns which was good but not great. Also took a sip of the shiner beer ramen, absolutely phenomenal. I am definitely gonna go for that ramen next time.
This place is a must go while you are in Austin near campus

Food
I make Asian Fusion noodle soups at home often, but this was the first time I’ve gone out for «ramen,» which is becoming a cuisine in and of itself. I had to see what the hype was all about, and I’d say much of the appeal is in the presentation; with half a dozen condiments artfully arranged above the broth line, a pinch of this, a pinch of that, it’s undeniably a pretty bowl of food. I appreciate how each flavor packs a punch individually without one overpowering an other. Very cohesive. The broth tastes like it’s been given the time a broth needs to steep properly, which would be hard for a food truck to accomplish, so I’m glad they opened a brick-​and-​mortar that will allow them to conduct increasingly abstract experiments. The famed beet fries were just okay. As another reviewer commented, the creativity begins and ends with putting a nontraditional vegetable in the deep fryer. Treating them with salt and mayo is contrived, in my opinion, an attempt to mask the earthiness of the beet rather than highlight it.
Service
They have the space and staff to make patrons feel at home but, instead, there’s a stark divide between the kitchen and dining area, with just one person manning the counter — sometimes. The protocol for being seated (self-​seating) and ordering (at the counter) was not immediately clear, and we had to pine for attention to be served. No effort to greet us or ask if we’d been before, etc. I also expected more love to go into presentation, but the signature paper boats are here too.
Atmosphere
The Austin aesthetic is strong here, kept getting distracted from my soup by the awesome wall art. Depending on where you sit, you can really «choose your own adventure.» During the day, it’s quiet indoors with music playing at a comfortable level (I think it was classical when I went, strange as that seems). Outdoors, it’s buzzy and social.
Value
Choosing a sit down restaurant over a food cart pod indicates a willingness to pay more for the overall «experience» of the meal, which includes service, cleanliness, more elbow room, among other dining preferences, but there’s nothing exceptional about the experience of eating here, aside from some additional items on the menu and higher prices.

I have had two bad experiences at this location. Ingredients have gone missing from my order and when I question the staff, they are super rude. This location seems to be run by college students and they just don’t seem to care about the quality of the food.

I LOVE this place. This is where I’ll go to grab food to-​go before meeting people. This is where I’ll wander into when drunk because ESK sounds like a great idea right then. This is where I’ll want to go on a Sunday (until I realize it’s closed). Basically, I’m down to eat here at any time. And that pretty much goes for all ESK locations.
I’m a huge fan of the Brussels Sprout Salad and Thai Chicken Kara-​agé. The ramen here isn’t as good as Michi or Tatsuya but it’s definitely better than some other places I’ve been to. And I’ll still sometimes find myself craving the Kimchi Pork Ramen.
This location is the best because they have room to sit down. The décor is entertaining and if I happen to be picking up a to-​go order, I sometimes get distracted just looking around at the walls of this place.
All in all, what really keeps me coming back is that delicious Brussels Sprout Salad and as long as they keep it on the menu, ESK will be one of the first places I visit when I’m in town.

Tried out East Side King last night for the first time (I know, finally, right!). It is located in the back of The Hole in the Wall and while there is a way to get to it from the front, they’d like you to enter from the rear (teehee, I’m immature, I know).
The building looks like it is held up by plywood and duct tape, but people don’t come here for the fancy décor or architecture so let’s get to the reason for the visit. Food! I ordered the Tori Meshi (fried chicken pieces on rice with sweet-​spicy sauce, onion, jalapeño, Thai basil, mint, cilantro) and the Poor Qui’s Buns (Roasted pork belly in steamed bun, hoisin sauce, cucumber kimchi, green onion). Both were recommended by the lady taking my order.
The pork buns were delicious, not overly fatty and the hoisin sauce was a nice accompaniment. The two buns were more snack sized than meal sized, but I had been told as much beforehand. Who can resist pillowy soft steamed buns, I ask you! The Tori Meshi was flavorful and large enough to make a meal of it alone. The chicken thigh pieces were smallish, similar to popcorn chicken, but that made it easier to eat than if they had been huge chunks of chicken.
Overall, my rating is based primarily on the food because I don’t think anyone comes here expecting La V’s décor or service. If you do, the problem lies with you, not the establishment.
Happy eating, folks!

I didn’t love this. I had the chicken tortilla ramen — it looked much better than it was. It was like eating a massive bland bowl of carbs. Maybe I’m not a sucker for the ramen craze
Maybe it’s worth trying the non-​ramen items so I can reassess but it seems a bit shticky — I’d rather have some more authentic asian flavors

Worst service ever. You call ahead & sit on hold for 10 minutes… arrive to restaurant and they have 2 people working the counter, nobody in line, still on hold. I explained & they just kind of stared at me. Order & it still takes 40 mins for 2 takeout dishes, & many of the tables aren’t even occupied!
I wish this were a one-​time experience. Have called ahead before and still waited, at least as long, only to be handed boxes of cold food off the counter along with just one that is still hot & just came from kitchen. Wouldn’t have returned except as favor for a friend. Food’s mediocre ~ hyped way up by locals, but so many better options with better service in town; I won’t waste my time & money & stomach space again.

Originally a food truck, huh?
FOOD
Stop and let us talk about ramen. Having had eaten at Michi and Tatsu-​ya the previous evening, I was willing to try out ESK’s Shiner ramen because a friend of mine had highly recommended it.
Verdict?
Better than Tatsu-​ya, practically on par with Michi. Still a tad too salty for my taste, but overall the broth flavor was distinctive and delicious. Plus a point for the soup spoons that were as huge as my face. Noodles were chewy and had good mouthfeel, and the, chashu was better than either of the ramen places mentioned above.
My friend got the tori meshi — although it was good, I can’t say anything about it other than that it was a glorified, tangy-​glazed version of Taiwanese popcorn chicken over rice.
We also got the avocado buns because of my penchant for those things, but in my honest opinion they were overpriced for the portion and the taste.
AMBIENCE
Murals! Funky art! Wow! But in all honesty, the bar/​arcade fusion lent a unique vibe to the place, hidden behind the actual Hole in the Wall establishment. I really like the art plastered on every inch of visible wall.
SERVICE
Chill, nothing to comment on.
Tl;dr Get the Shiner beer ramen or you may not have been quite as impressed with this place as I was.

Walk through the bar, out the back, into the huge ESK B&M. Wow, I didn’t expect the place to be so big! They have beers on tap, a couple TV’s, and plenty of seating. Walk up to the counter, order, take a number, and wait for your food.
The chicken karage is spot on, consistent with other ESK locations, as are the beet fries. The brussels sprout salad is delicious, but different than what I remember having at the Draught House ESK location. Am I crazy, or are they different?

Pork Buns — delicious fatty pork crisped up and with a nice sweet bun and salty pickle. Had 3 of these… so good.
Shiner Ramen — on point, with fatty pork and a nicely cooked egg (but not a perfectly cooked egg). Ginger was a little overpowering for me. Noodles were perfectly chewy.
Kimchi Ramen — a bit too fishy for my liking… felt like the kimchi was just a little over fermented so it killed the ramen for me. Everything else was similarly good as the shiner ramen.
Sprout salad — outstanding, fresh, crispy. Salty and Sweet.
Karage chicken — on point, we got it over the rice which was ½ off for HH, but the rice combination basically made this entire dish taste like I was in a vietnamese restaurant, which was really AWESOME. Seriously, a great dish.
Fried beets — pretty good actually. None of the earthiness that some people don’t like about beets, but sweet and salty and on point.
Main downside for me was price. All of our food was about $ 75 before tip so to me, a bit overpriced (even with the HH specials).

This is the ESK with actual space to eat, indoor and outdoor on rustic picnic tables, surrounded by lovely graffiti-​style wall art that will remind you you’re in Austin. It’s also well within in the walkable radius for lunch from the UT campus and a hipster magnet, so it will likely be quite active for lunch. However, in the evenings, it’s not crazy-​busy.
That makes it a good place to hit if you’re in the area for a show, say at the Hole in the Wall, or shopping, or on campus late for any reason. They’re open until midnight except on Sunday, when they’re closed, just like Chick-​Fil-​A. Campus area is fairly dead on Sundays anyway.
The menu is simple and creative, and I’m told the chicken and pork-​based ramen is delicious. However, since I’m not a meat eater and they don’t offer a seafood or vegetarian option, I’m limited to the plated fare, which is really an array of hearty sides/​appetizers.
My favorite dish here is the Brussels Sprout «salad,» which is actually fried. If you’d like it with rice, it’s a little farther down the menu and is called Veggie Meshi. Same «salad,» paired with their Liberty Rice. The rice is steamed jasmine rice with light seasoning. The Beet Fries are also tasty, as are the vegetarian (tofu) Yoshi Mart Curry Buns. The menu offers to make many of the dishes vegan and gluten-​free, so that’s helpful if you are either or both.
I tend to like the funky dive bar atmosphere here better than the food. I know that probably horrifies the fairly famous chef who owns the restaurant, but here’s why: What would make it better for me is to have more vegetarian/​seafood options that aren’t deep fried (including a ramen choice), and to have a brown rice option. Also, some real green tea (hot in a pot or cup) and not that nasty canned stuff, which is to be avoided at all costs ($ 3).
Otherwise, from my point of view, I’d give them 3−½ stars. The extra half star is for the graffiti art on the walls and the music, and the fact that they’re doing their part to keep Austin weird.

This place has an interesting setup and interesting wall art and the food seemed interesting as well. We ordered the Thai chicken kara-​age, pork buns, beet home fries, brussel sprout salad and tako tacos. I was most excited to try the tako taco, but the raw onion overpowered the tako and I couldn’t taste much else. The beet fries tasted fine when it first came out, but as they cooled, so went the taste and I never was a brussel sprout person (I was out voted when we ordered). The pork buns and the chicken kara-​age were good. But for some of the other dishes, they really need to consider the «less is more» concept and reduce the number of ingredients… and the price.
The service was fine. It’s an order at the counter place and they give you a number and bring your food out when it’s ready. There’s not much to mess up. But food-​wise, this place was over-​priced, over-​rated and and has left me underwhelmed. If I’d known this is what passed as Asian fusion, I would have passed.

ESK falls solidly (along with Hole in the Wall, the bar this location is adjacent to) in the category of «Austin institutions that I just don’t get.» The fact that Paul Qui, who is responsible for Uchiko, the tastiest restaurant in the universe, is also responsible for this doesn’t even make any sense. It would be, to use a Rolling Stones metaphor, if he had followed up Exile on Main Street with Undercover: the former is the genius of a band at the peak of its powers; the latter is a cheap, derivative, phoned-​in mess screaming «pay me.» And so, it would seem, is this ESK.
First: serve plates. You’re a grown-​up, brick-​and-​mortar restaurant, not a food truck. And you charge like it. Serving plates means that the teeny-​tiny, insubstantial orders served in paper boats do not blow over and have the napkins trapped underneath scatter everywhere at the first moderate breeze that blows across the outside patio. Serving paper boats on cafeteria trays is bush league.
Second: for the love of gods, get working AC in your place. Escaping from the 97-​degree patio into your 89-​degree dining room with useless overhead ceiling fans does not make one forget about the absence of plates.
On to the food: also, not good, and sometimes very bad. I’ve had the fried beets, which are about as interesting as a deep-​fried vegetable and salt without much additional imagination have any right to be, which is to say not much. Dipping them in Miracle Whip-​inspired sauce that they are served with does not appreciably improve the experience.
The famed chicken karage leaves me deeply confused: I have had this at Uchiko, and it is beyond delicious. Do they truck over Uchiko’s rejects to give us this? Come to think of it, is that how they get the kitchen staff? «Well, you’re fired from our beloved, posh, awesome, sake-​social profit machine, but as a consolation prize, you can go make ramen for West Campus hipsters. And stop smoking in the kitchen, will you?» The karage is at best pleasant at ESK, occasionally tough, and missing whatever magic makes it so ungodly delicious less than two miles away.
Finally, the squid ink ramen is vile. It’s an unctuous, salty mess, probably made with cheap package noodles, and the egg I added on dissolved within seconds into the murky recesses of the broth. I could do better things in my kitchen with $.70 worth of Maruchan noodles as my starter kit. I ate half of it and gave up, which says something when you’re paying $ 11 for a bowl of noodles at a bar.
About that, btw: since the place doesn’t carry sake or Asian lager, it means that you’re pairing Japanese fusion with Lone Star. As a concept, this food doesn’t go well with binge drinking, and, although almost any lager will do in a pinch, it doesn’t fare much better as a flavor pairing.
I’ve never waited too terribly long, or been insulted by the staff, so two stars for competent service and food that seems to have been prepared as intended. I’m just not sure why anyone intended that in the first place.

Heard a lot of good things about this place but I was pretty disappointed on my visit. It’s too hot and stuffy inside, worst combo on a Texas summer afternoon.
I got a Ramen Bento box (which is on their wall menu), which had shoyu ramen, chicken kara-​age and rice. The ramen noodles were super dough-​y and not in a good way… tasted like flour more than anything else. The soup was really salty without much flavor. The chicken was soggy and soaked with way too much sauce.
At the end I just felt super thirsty (maybe after effects of MSG?) and left wondering if I just ordered the wrong thing. Not sure if I’ll be back…

I really like the Poor Qui’s buns, but it’s hard to mess up a pork steam bun.
I wasn’t super impressed by the kimchi ramen. It was very salty, thin broth, and I couldn’t really taste the kimchi over the heat. The egg was just a normal soft-​boiled egg, no special taste. The texture of the noodles was perfect, though.
There’s no vegetarian ramen option. Sad face.

Mm this is definitely a very sketchy location, but if you have the time, come try it. I’ve been coming here since it opened a couple of years ago. The food here has GREAT flavors, albeit a little inconsistent. My absolute favorite is the tori meshi. Makes my day. Their ramen is kind of meh. The pork buns are good but aren’t satisfying. Also, it’s pretty much self serve and the atmosphere is kind of dinky. But I find myself coming back here still.
tl;dr come for the food.