Qui

For the amount of money it was, I could not shake the «I’m getting hustled» feeling as they brought out each mediocre bite sized tasting during our two plus hour long dinner. At no point was I like «oh, this dish is really good». For $ 70/​head, that should have been my reaction to the majority of them.
Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem spending the money if what I’m getting is a quality meal and an enjoyable/​relaxing experience, this was neither.
On a lighter note, our waiter was very professional and attentive. Great service from him. This is reason for the second star.

Easily one of the best meals in my life — Orsa & Winston in LA and Qui are neck-​in-​neck but the prices and cocktails/​drinks at Qui push it over the edge.
Nicole L. & I had the pairing on Nov 19^th so the menu may have slightly changed at this point ($ 70). In menu order:
*Escalivada (eggplant, red pepper, onion, valdeon, migas) — This course was served cold! I usually don’t love eggplant but this was DELICIOUS. Really great balance of flavors — good start! If you don’t like onions though, there were a lot of onions in this for some reason but I didn’t mind.
*Nantucket Bay Scallop (yuzu kosho, liver rustido, salad burnet) — Served as carpaccio! This was amazing: sweet scallop pieces snazzed up by the yuzu. One of my favorite dishes of the meal.
*Grilled Boston Mackerel (skordalia potato, mojo verde) — I don’t love Saba usually because of how fishy and tough it can be. Qui prepared it really tender and the mojo verde helped to balance some of the fishiness out.
*Arroz Caldo (chappy diver oyster, pasilla, black vinegar, black trumpet) — AMAZING. The black trumpet mushrooms were charred so it created such an interesting texture and smoky taste against the creamy arroz. Favorite dish of the night.
*Maitake (pork blood, chanterell, pickled garlic, purslane) — I’m glad the pork blood wasn’t served in cubes like it traditionally is so it was much more palatable for me. This dish is the least memorable for me.
*Oxtail Kare Kare (onion, cilantro, radish, spicy peanut) — The presentation made me laugh a little. It was served in a traditional soon tofu pot but only in the corner. Really rich and tasty. Although I thought I would want more, I was so stuffed at this point that this was the perfect portion.
Before our dessert, we had a mini dessert — adorably plated but it was essentially like a key lime pie in a single bite. No complaints!
*Maja Blanca Mais (corn pudding, lime yogurt sorbet, binchotan seared meringue) — what a wonderful way to end the meal. Everything about this dessert was on point. Not too sweet, texturally interesting and so well-​balanced.
For cocktails, I had an amazing gin & tonic. I don’t know what it was about this gin & tonic but it was exceptional. Nicole and I also had a delightful cocktail that consisted Japanese Whisky and Sparkling Water. Although we were so full & I was already tipsy halfway through my gin & tonic, we couldn’t pass up the frozen beer. I can’t remember exact price now but it was like $ 5 — beers at restaurants in California are AT LEAST $ 10. Amazing!
Our server was also so knowledgeable and helpful.
I’ll definitely be back to Qui when I’m in ATX!

Hard to know if this was an off night, but almost everything from the kitchen was disappointing. In that (sad) kind of way where we couldn’t even get through the whole meal pretending to enjoy it for the other person’s sake. With most courses there were un-​subjective temperature and execution problems. Many of the courses were too heavily salted (and many were also unpleasantly smokey, for some reason?).
So, normally when a server asks me how my meal is I do that typical American thing where I say «great» even if it’s not, because. you know. It’s too late, and what are they really going to do about it. I don’t want to «cause a scene». But, hey, I actually spoke up this time, about how salty one dish in particular was. And the waitress’s response was. «Oh». and then she walk away. Ha. So, that was weird. At this point in the meal we just started rolling out eyes at how «off» it all was.
We were two people, so we tried 1 meat– and 1 veggie– menu, and then tried a bit of each other’s. Kind of an across-​the-​board disappointment. So, we won’t be going back. And we’re a little embarrassed at how much we spent for what we got. That’s a million miles from what you should be feeling when you’re walking out of a restaurant…

We came here to splurge to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The food portions seemed small but as the meal progressed they were surprisingly satisfying. They made special provisions for my onion aversion & it made my dining experience even better. My favorite was the Arroz Caldo with sisig (pig face). It was reminiscent of the Filipino dish with a very pleasant & attractive twist to the dish even sans shallots in my bowl. We found the PULUTAN menu (a la carte) & hope to be back to try that out! Well done Chef Qui!

Brian and I did the beverage pairing tasting menu. We thought the paired drinks weren’t going to be enough, so we ordered a separate drink on top – HUGE mistake. The pours were generous so I don’t recommend getting an additional drink if you do beverage pairing! And we do love our alcohol!
Our service was impeccable. I actually ordered the agave service for my drink and did not like that it was basically two shots you «sip» on, so they allowed me to return the drink and order another! Unheard of, but I am so grateful even though I couldn’t finish the drink.
Here was what was on our menu that night:
Duck chawanmushi paired w/​Riesling– I love my chawanmushi and this hit the spot. Pretty small but packed with different layers of flavor with each bite (cliché but true).
Carrots & whipped lardo paired with Czech wine– Um, never thought carrots could taste so amazing… Best carrots I ever had!
Mushrooms paired with Pinot noir– My absolute favorite of them all! Brian thought it was a tad bit salty on the edges but I thought it was perfect. Slightly crunchy on the edges and seasoning was delicious. Would come back just for this dish.
Porridge (arroz caldo) paired with red rice ale– Brian’s favorite and for good reason. Very flavorful porridge without tasting overly salty or cheap, if you know what I mean?
Oxtail kare kare paired with Riesling– Definitely took advantage of the oxtail texture here. So differently cooked than the usual noodles and soup bowl.
Ranch ribeye paired with Syrah– Small portioned but very well seasoned. Nothing extremely unique but good nonetheless.
Sweet potato pudding– Great ending to the whole tasting! Light and fluffy.
We would probably come back only for a special occassion. I don’t recommend coming here if you’re starving and ready to chow down a cow. Though, they do offer the patio menu if you are still hungry!

Tasting Room — Ticketed Option
The tasting room experience is a divine treat. My party of two was the first to arrive for a seating of 5 people on a Saturday night. When we arrived there was an envelope with a card and a key attached inviting us to unlock and explore the contents of a box in front of us. Inside were menus, books, customer notes and other items that contributed to inspiriting the current menu.
As our other dining companions arrived we were introduced to our two chefs and server for the evening (3 staff members dedicated to 5 guests: excellent ratio). Then the festivities really began with dish after dish being served. Too much to describe, and your menu will most certainly be different than what we had.
Every bite was absolutely delicious. After two hours of eating, I was still hungry, and that was good, because we still had 1.5 hours of experience ahead of us. By the time we got to dessert, my hunger was satisfied. So for me the portioning was perfect.
In total the tasting room experience lasted 3.5 hours for us. I’m eager to find an occasion to go again.

Paul Qui, you wonderful wonderful man. I took my wife here for her birthday. We did the 7 course prix fixe menu along with the drink pairing and we were absolutely blown away. The complexity and flavor of each and every dish. Wow. Each bite told a story, we felt like we we’re reading Paul’s biography or looking through his journals. Sounds cheesy, I know. We got goosebumps each time a new dish was brought to us.
Food aside, the service was impeccable. Every person that brought a dish to our table was very educated and knowledgable of what we were having. Such attention to detail, we were really impressed. My wife works at Franklin BBQ and when they found that out they took even better care of us! Just the amount of mutual respect for people in the service industry that work at equally reputable establishments. I have to say it was really refreshing to see and it made my wife’s birthday that much more special. Thank you to everyone at Qui.
There are few places that live up to the reputation the precedes them. Qui is definitely one of them. Without a doubt one of the best meals I’ve ever had. You must try this place. Celebrate food here because it doesn’t get much better than this. I smell michelin star…

We originally came here for the tasting menu but I really wanted to try the pulutan menu as this is what was more close to home for me. So we arrived a bit early, pulled up a chair at the bar and started ordering some «apps».
Sisig — this was one of our favorites. If the idea of crispy pigs head makes your stomach turn, trust me, I don’t think you’d even know the difference. The dish seemed to have been cooked in the glazed pot it was served in so the rice that touched the bowl added a nice little crunchy texture to the dish.
Pork & fried shrimp lumpia taco — mmm mmm mmm The flavors in the taco were great and the thinness of the lumpia that was wrapped around it allowed you to embrace the flavors that the taco held inside.
Squid Adobo — love this dish! This is nothing similar to how my family makes adobo but also I didn’t expect it to be. Then again I’ve only had chicken and pork adobo and never any with squid or squid ink. This dish was so rich with flavor. The squid was cooked perfectly tender with not a hint of being too chewy. There was an orange aioli which added a perfect touch of flavor. I spooned most of the dish into my mouth as if it were soup. Yummy rich flavor and smooth and creamy.
We also tried the Kinilaw, Kare Kare, and Dinuguan. These were all a good contemporary take on the traditional foods I grew up with but by far the above dishes are ones I would keep coming back for.
Long story short we did not end up doing the tasting menu. With bellies full and satisfied we rolled out of here already excited for the next time we can come back for more.

Llegamos a este lugar pues el New York times lo recomendaba y unos amigos de Austin nos dijeron. Fue una agradable sorpresa. Sin pretensiones muy honesto. Incluso los cocineros no estaban de uniforme y muy relajados pero la pasión impresa en la los platillos mantenían el rigor necesario para entregar un excelente producto. El Menú de degustación de 7 tiempos. Los vinos son bastante ligeros pues estamos hablando de Mariscos y el vino no puede eclipsar los platillos. Combinan ingredientes de mar, filipinos españoles vascos y hasta mexicanos.
Hay dos tipos de menús, el vegetariano y el normal es decir no vegetariano.
Los vinos son ligeros pues estamos hablando de mariscos.
Los platos son bastante arriesgados. En particular hay uno que lleva puerco y… Como decirlo… Es un Pork Bloc que es una especie de sangre que al pensar en ello pide parecer desagradable pero es solo un prejuicio pues el plato es una verdadera delicia.
El postre es un merengue con helado y en la mesa
Le queman al merengue un carbón japonés que le da un toque ahumado y dulce a la
Vez con un vino generoso tipo Oporto.
Gran experiencia y gran lugar.

Well, with all my traveling around the globe over the years and the plethora of chefs tastings to boot, this goes down as 1 of my top 5 culinary experiences! I sat at the bar with 7 friends, some new some dear, and from the first glass of champagne, to the culminating coffee duo, my taste buds were met with extraordinary delight.
We all did the full tasting menu with pairings, which I highly recommend. The staff and chef de cuisine were a true pleasure and made us all feel like we were in this together, one big happy family.
I can’t say much more then just go, Qui does not suck!

Simply tries a bit too hard.
Food overly fussy for no sincere gain, it’s like the chef just read a book on molecular gastronomy before creating his menu.
For the tasting menu, the wait between dishes far exceeded the time it took to enjoy any of them.
Tables way too close together making the hard surfaces of the restaurant create a cacophony of cutlery and conversation.
It felt like an attempt to introduce people to fine dining in a ramen joint.

*This review is only for his outside area Pulutan menu.
I love Filipino food. It is a cuisine that does not get enough attention in the US as far as I’m concerned. When I heard Qui was including some Filipino dishes, I was all in and wanted to check them out. It took me a while to finally make it in, but it did not disappoint.
This was my first Qui restaurant experience. I’ve had some good and not so good experiences with his ESK trucks and the ESK South Lamar spot. I really liked the openness of this restaurant and the exposed kitchen where you can see the cooks do their magic. Service was solid and while I did not like the two cocktails I tasted, I did think they were creative and unique in their make up.
As for the food, I went with the Sisig (crispy pig head, garlic rice, fried egg). It had fantastic flavor and I felt it was the most flavorful dish of all his stuff I’ve tried before. Plus the pork had a nice mix of juicy and crispy and the rice had some crisp to it as well after being served in a hot cast iron pot. I also tried the Kare Kare (Filipino peanut curry) which I thought was just ok. I would definitely come back here and I really love the split up between the typing of dinning experience you’re looking for. You can go all out or keep it simple depending on your mood and budget. That is pretty cool. I’ll definitely be back.

If you could pay $ 70 to be a tasting judge on Top Chef would you do it? Exactly… Service was impeccable a ballet for the eyes. Food was heat seek missled from the kitchen to our table and properly introduced to us. The food was incredible and the experience matched the food.
All the food was great, but what captured my memories were the: Rib-​eye, mussels, and Mushroom.
Our Party both got the regular tasting menu and the vegetarian option menu. i would recommend trying both.

Wow, talk about an experience. We came here for a celebration dinner and got the full meat and beverage pairing that included 7 courses. Literally did not have to lift a finger– the service was superb. Restaurant atmosphere was very east Austin and hipster like, and I also really liked the open kitchen area that is in full view for the diners.
First course: the eggplant dish was a good start to the meal– somewhat drenched in a sauce (which is not usually how I prefer any food), but still tasteful with the cider pairing.
Second: the fish was excellent. Very flavorful and with great texture. The watermelon texture contrasted well and also added a light and crisp taste to the dish. The white wine was another perfect pairing for this seafood dish.
Third: actually the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The aioli was the perfect addition to add flavor. The beer was also a cherry on top– chicken and beer is a hearty meal no one can turn down.
Fourth: mussels mmmm I love seafood so no complaints here! White wine went with it excellently as well.
Fifth: by now, surprisingly, I am actually full and very tipsy. Nicely done qui! Still not too drunk to taste the great flavors of the maitake with sparkling wine as a beverage pairing.
Sixth: qui has mastered the short rib. I am used to eating this meat Korean style bbq’d, but the way that this was slow roasted made me appreciate the short rib and the hearty flavors and tenderness on a whole new level. Full bodied red wine along with it of course.
Seventh: ah the grand finale– after a nice surprise from the wait staff (cookie type dessert thing they gave us). I got the dairy alternative and it turned out to be a better preference of our party than the original dish. Coconut ice with coconut cream was so refreshing after this long meal. I am not a fan of ports however, so I skipped out on this last beverage.
7 courses was more than enough to fall in love with this dining experience– and yes it was the experience of a lifetime. Thank you qui and the artists that so excellently mastered these dishes!

Most of the reviews were pretty spot on. I disagree with the comments about the slow pace and amount food (tasting menu). It’s a tasting menu for goodness sake. And I was pretty full by the time I got the desert. I opted not to add the beverage pairing because (1) I’m alone and had to drive back to the hotel and (2) I usually get full right away if I don’t pace myself.
Surprisingly, I think the highlights of the tasting menu were the veg dishes. That’s a lot coming from a person who can’t live without meat. The depth and range of flavors were more evident in those dishes. I am allergic to mussels so I asked for a suitable replacement. I was disappointed for a second when the server told me it was a daikon dish. The first bite took the disappointment away. Whatever they did, I liked. It had Japanese undertones but was constructed as a new American dish. Pretty amazing. My favorite was the first course, which really played with one’s palate. Even the bitter ash added a zing to a very unassuming dish.
Everyone raves about the fried chicken. It was served to me by the chef who was expediting in the kitchen. He explained that it’s one of his favorites. It looked great, the crunch was perfect. But, for some reason, I found it a tad bland. Maybe it was intentional? The succeeding dishes started getting more aggressive. It felt like you reaching the crescendo.
The mushroom dinuguan was aggressively seasoned. I wondered how other people adapted to it.
All in all, the meal was great, the service awesome. I was not in Hell’s kitchen for sure. I was at the bar watching the crew prepare meals so meticulously, but with quiet confidence and calmness.
Too bad I didn’t meet Paul Qui. But, kudos to his team, I forgot about him mid way through the meal. A well oiled machine.

Inventive, creative & adventurous with ingredients. This is my first time at Qui and it was definitely a great culinary experience. Service was spot-​on, from our dedicated server to the other servers that brought out the dishes, everything was very pleasant.
We had the regular tasting menu ($ 70/​pp) that consisted of escalivada, albacore crudo, fried chicken, seared salmon, pork blood maitake, shortrib, & coffee cashew semifreddo. And also two dishes from the chef, one was spring greens with pâté and nori crackers with whipped cheese BONUS :)
Notable mentions would be the fried chicken with the smoked oyster aioli… probably the most flavorful fried chicken I have ever eaten! The chicken was juicy, fried just enough and had a light, thin crispy skin. The oysted aioli adds a very nice touch to the flavour as well. The albacore crudo & binchotan seared salmon was very fresh and absolutely delicious!!! The binchotan gave the salmon a smoked, aburi style taste! And the coffee cashew semifreddo was so light & fluffy, very yummy. though I could do without the goat milk icecream. I personally don’t like goat milk (still ate it though), but felt like the taste of the goat milk was a little overpowering.
For the pork blood maitake, I was totally expecting pork blood in cubes (what I am use to eating in chinese food) so it was a surprise to see it more in a paste form. Not sure if I liked the taste. felt like the pork blood didn’t add to the dish except making it taste slightly bitter.
Overall, the experience was very enjoyable! I am a happy diner!

3.5 for food 4 for experience/​service
My review of the experience will just be the same as everyone else that had the standard tasting menu.
WARNING: Do not go hungry. Out of the 10 dishes (7 standard, 3 surprises) I only liked 4 of it. I did not like the fermented shrimp surprise dessert they gave us. The surprise chicken liver pâté with fried crickets tasted like vomit to me, and I like pâté… Maybe their surprise dishes just really sucked… Anyway my favorite dishes were the fried chicken, pickled mussels, Alaskan salmon, and semifreddo dessert. Everything else was just OKAY. It’s a really good food experience, but not fit for a filling meal. Sat there for 2+ hours and my butt started aching. Came home close to 11 and boyfriend and I were hungry again… I’ll come back to qui only for a special occasion or ordering from their pulutan menu.
They also asked if we had any food allergies and we said no. But my bf had a really small reaction to the pork blood and mushroom dish. He has no known allergies. He’s a doctor so he was telling me his current symptoms and he was wheezing a bit. So just be careful!

4.5 stars.
I may be too uncultured to know how to properly pronounce this restaurant name, but I do know that my meal was fantastic and relatively budget-​friendly. For only $ 70, I stuffed my face with seven gourmet courses and experienced immaculate service to boot.
The kitchen did a great job of accommodating my dietary restriction (I’m annoyingly high maintenance) — my favorite courses included the gazpacho, fried chicken and semifreddo. Although there were a couple of long lulls between the courses, I still found the overall experience to be top-​notch. My only regret is not purchasing a tasting room ticket!

I wish all the cool kids could afford to eat at Qui. Perhaps they’ve moved away tho.
A room full of 40 plus something’s
rec (h)anted a languid chirpiness you might hear after a special Christmas meal, with growing volume, as the beverage pairings continued.
Qui is a $ 70 price fix menu for the regular menu, $ 55 for vegetarian option, add $ 45
for beverage pairings, which I think is essential.
As I exited the number 4 chicon bus into the retro snazzy crunch of east austin, I quietly found my way to a clean white modern house with a royal blue graffiti tag that tripled as peace sign, heart with candle lit aortic valves and as a supernatural logo for one of the coolest and best meals I ever had.
The graffiti itself was easily worth 3 of my 70 dollar meal, carefully placed panels economically distributed as tastefully as a gallery at Basel Miami.
Inside an awkwardly cautious smiley greeting from the hostess welcomed me to a warm dimly lit dining space that was as comforting as an expensive ski lodge.
The paper menu’s graphic of black and white 2-​D biomorphic cartoon creatures cues the playful nature of a menu I’d reckon as Austin’s lucky version of New York’s Momofuko Ko.
I queried about the beverage pairings to get clearance on alcohol levels, and at about 2 ounces a serving times 7 my server said its about 3 full glasses.
The most painful thing about the meal was after the fourth course I was getting full and tipsy. The second bad thing was the urban sourced tasting tap water.
I saw Paul Qui right away helping in the open kitchen, where the staff was as serious as most surgery rooms.
Most surgery rooms actually have a casual joking nature that accepts the ways of nature, but executes with Intrepidness yet knowledgable respect to the anima of life.
This team, managed gracefully by Qui, worked with a fairly quiet yet more serious orchestra. It was the wait staff that seemed a bit unsure, apologetic, whipped, and surprised at my emotes of positive praise.
Maybe I’m silly but I wanted to see them having more fun with this wonderful absolute tongue in cheek menu.
I know it’s serious business, my meal proved that the execution paid off with a menu so superbly thoughtful, cool, fun and creative in its accessibility, portioning, and beverage pairings.
The meal began with an amuse bouche of greens, about six beautiful singleleaves, in a citrus sauce with a pâté, a sort of gourmet lettuce leaf taco. It was perfectly zen super cute. My crush began.
The kitchen was busy when I arrived at 8:15 and at 8:49 without my first course I started to get worried, but that was unnecessary.
My first wine pair my waiter, who maybe didn’t introduce himself, described as an effervescent rosé that he likened to a strawberry limeade. He was spot on — it was delish.
Then —
A bowl of marcona almond bits appeared with slices of foie gras in a bowl. A woman noted a house made almond milk which she artfully poured over it making a sort of gourmet stoner cereal.
Pardon my French — but that was so fucking fun.
Menu Spoiler alert
Continue to «the end» if you want to experience it on your own.
Next up, cold duck slices with pickled strawberry paired with a marvelous Greek assyrtiko wine. The duck was a bit unattractively fatty and tough as it can be.
4
Fried chicken on top of a white, smoked oyster aioli — a careful medium portioned hackie sac sized luxury boneless chicken nugget with a southern nod and a perfectly textured buttermilk crust. It was the perfect grease size and comfort at that time. The server noted, «chef wants you to have fun and eat with your hands.» Only a hot towel is provided to clean your hands afterward.
5
Hamachi seared on white hot coals table side then placed in a cold citrus sauce. Clean, fresh, simple.
6
Pork blood sauce with jalapeño, reminiscent of a mole, over meaty miatake mushrooms, was a spin on a Filipino dish. A favorite.
7
Ribeye slices with an amazingly beefy
Romesco. The slices were simple and clean, the sauce had a citrus, and the almonds in it gave it a wonderful bold character.
A much needed cigarette break
At this point I needed to stop eating, but couldn’t back out now.
Secret course — Congee paired with tiger beer, a lovely porridge with pork bits.
Fantastic!
House Made cheese whiz on nori cracker, piped at the table.
Dessert
Delicious — it was a cake/​cookie with coconut, coffee flavors and had a goat milk ice cream on top. It was paired with a sweet cherry Belgian beer, like a framboise.
The End
Around 11pm — I was eating for about three hours. I walked down scenic sixth back downtown to revive from all the food and alcohol.
POW right in the kisser
A real magical quirky Hipster gourmet
price fixe.
At $ 70 for food, it was a big bargain.
Half the price of the disappointing WD50, Qui put Dufresne to shame. Qui also gives David Chang a run for his money.
Save up $ 150 and go one night.
A million stars in your eyes Paul Qui.

I love me some uchi and uchiko so I was excited to try this place.
Came here during SXSW. It’s a pretty hip restaurant so make sure you make reservations. What is great about the restaurant is that it has its own private parking lot!
No sign to mark the restaurant though but the big white new building is your goal!
It’s a pretty tiny restaurant that offers two prefixe menus nightly: the vegetarian or the meat prefixe menu.
The service is perfect. We went as a group of 6, and when it was time to serve each course; 6 people would walk out and serve us each our dish at the same time. Very classy and makes the whole experience feel special.
The food was delicious. From fresh fish cooked at our table to an Asian version of cheese whiz and crackers, each course was a flavorful blend of Asian, French, and American tastes.
The drinks were unique (one drink had a caviar pairing!). Beware though: the portions are small and you have to be open to trying different things or you’ll go home hungry.

A phenomenal experience for my first dinner out experience during SXSW 2015.
I missed out on Qui last year since they were fully booked during South by. He seems to be the most celebrated chef in Austin. He is definitely a celebrity chef appearing in Top Chef and also as a James Beard Award winner.
I sat at the chef’s table which allowed me to view all the action in the kitchen and interact with the chefs. At the chef’s table, I had the tasting menu and ordered some items from the pulutan «Filipino» street food menu.
There were a few «surprise» dishes that were not on the menu such as the arroz caldo and also the «Ritz crackers» and cheese foam that was brought over to me. This reminded me of my childhood eating Ritz crackers with my Lola (grandma).
I appreciated Chef Qui incorporating his Filipino roots and upbringing in his cooking in a more refined way. The dishes were beautifully presented and described to me.
I loved the entire Pan-​Asian dining experience. I don’t even like diniguan, and enjoyed Chef Qui’s take on this pork blood stew dish.
The staff were very professional throughout dinner. Chef Qui even checked up on me to ensure everything was OK.
There’s a gorgeous patio where you can enjoy pulutan, a bar area with bar stools, indoor dining area, and chef’s table.
A must while dining in Austin.