Every king needs his queen, and for Paul Qui – chef/owner of East Side King and winner of Top Chef Texas – that queen is Deana Saukam. Deana, better known for her alter ego the East Side Queen, has been by Paul’s side ever since his whirlwind rise to fame. After Paul’s win on Top Chef Texas, the couple has been traveling the world, planning new restaurant projects, and soaking up nothing but love from the Austin culinary community.

Not only has this been a great year for Qui; it has also been a banner year for Deana, who got engaged to Paul in New York earlier this year. The stylish, bubbly Deana talks with TEXAS MONTHLY about her year of traveling and eating, working in fashion, and what’s to come in 2013.

This has been a big year for both you and Paul. Tell me about your world travels and what you two have been up to recently.

We had a great year of travel. It was a whirlwind, beginning with the Top Chef Texas finale in Vancouver, British Columbia, with non-stop travel from February through November. The first set of trips – Louisville to London – was taken without any stops back to Austin in between cities. We went to Louisville, Kentucky for the Kentucky Derby and to visit Ed Lee, a contestant on Top Chef, and his wife, Diane; New York for the James Beard Awards. Paul won this year in his category, so that was a definite bonus; Paris to wine, dine, and shop; London for more delicious food, shopping, and to see the Snow White and the Huntsman premiere. We also had dinner from Heston Blumenthal, St. John, and Hakkasan; then, we went to Tokyo for more R&R. Highlights from that trip included Jiro, Tsukiji Fish Market, Ramen Inoue (a ramen stand in Tsukiji), the Tsukemen ramen in Tokyo Station, shopping in Ginza, and all the little izakayas next to the train stations. I also fell in love with MOS Burger, since I have a soft spot for really good burger chains, like In-n-Out. We went to Copenhagen for the MAD2 food symposium, hosted by Renee Redzepi. The whole conference was an incredible experience, and I have it on my list to go back every year. Copenhagen is so beautiful, and everyone is so friendly and fashionable, and the weather was amazing while we were there. We celebrated both our birthdays in Spain, starting in Madrid, on to Marques de Riscal, then San Sebastian, with a day trip to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. During this trip, we did so much and had such a great time. We ate such amazing food in all the places we went. We went to Manila, Philippines to see where Paul grew up and experience all the cuisine and culture that really influence him. The food was delicious, and Paul’s family is really great. Paul had to make an appearance to promote the Emmys, so we hung out in LA for a bit. Other trips we took included Chicago; New York City; Las Vegas; Kansas City; Seattle; Vancouver; Portland; Aspen; Washington, DC; Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I hope I haven’t forgotten any places we visited this year!

Since returning from our last trip, we’ve been working on opening East Side King at Hole in the Wall and Paul’s upcoming flagship restaurant, Qui, which is planned to open in spring 2013. Also in development is a fifth East Side King location on South Lamar. We are taking a break from traveling so we can focus on East Side King and Qui, among other side projects.

What was the most interesting or surprising culinary experience you had on your trips? Any crazy foods or restaurants you were exposed to?

I would have to say that my top places to eat this year were Copenhagen, San Sebastian, and Tokyo. Every place we go to is surprising and interesting in its own way. I am a pretty adventurous eater. I eat pretty much anything and everything, so there wasn’t anything that was too shocking. They did serve us live tiny shrimp that jumped out of mason jars at Noma and larvae and ants during the MAD2 Food Symposium, provided by the Nordic Food Lab. The ants have the same chemical make up as lemongrass, so they were demonstrating how these naturally found proteins can be substituted for certain flavors. The “craziest” restaurant I ate at this year would have to be the meal we had with Nathan Myhrvold in his Cooking Lab. It wasn’t “crazy” per se, and it’s not an actual restaurant, but the entire meal was definitely extremely interesting, and the food was pretty much perfect. I was in awe during the entire meal. I am a bit of a nerd, so being around so much sophisticated laboratory equipment while eating an amazing scientifically prepared meal with a genius was pretty intense. Also, since it is not an actual restaurant, the experience felt even more special.

From what I understand you, like Paul, had quite an interesting culinary upbringing.

My mother is a really great cook, and my dad can eat a lot of food. Like a lot of food. It is pretty amazing. We’re Cambodian, so she would cook a lot at home. Cambodian food is very similar to Vietnamese food, but with influences from Thai, Chinese, and French cuisine. My family loves food, so we’re always eating and talking about food. We also have family in France, so we would travel there in the summers when I was growing up and, of course, eat everything.

How have you been involved in the development of Paul’s new restaurants?

I have been sitting in and giving input on the design development meetings for Qui, and I’ll also be handling all of their PR and Marketing. We are working with a tailor to custom some aspects of the server uniforms, and since I graduated with a degree in fashion design, I’m pretty excited to be a part of the design process. I have been working closely with Paul and June Rodil, Qui’s general manager, to develop the look and feel of Qui. For the East Side Kings, I handle their PR, marketing, social media, catering, and events. I also help out in other ways when I can. I stay out of the kitchen, but I am a great taste-tester.

What do you think are some of the nuances or details that make Paul’s restaurants successful?

Besides the food, which is obviously the key element, the nuances or details that make Paul’s restaurants successful is hard to pin down exactly. I think it mainly comes down to personality. Although we are all serious about the food, we still want to have fun and don’t take ourselves too seriously. For example, we’ve incorporated yellow from Peelander-Z to paint a few of our locations, which I love. I feel as though that comes across in the food and the whole East Side King look and feel. Kind of like a pirate ship. For Qui, we’ve got a few surprises that will keep the vibe alive. Another element is the service. For East Side King, although we’re serving from a food trailer, we always try to stress the service aspect as much as we can.  We want to be able to take care of our guests and make sure that they’re happy, while maintaining the East Side King atmosphere.

What are some of your favorite Austin restaurants, eateries, or bars to hit up? Any dish recommendations I should know about?

I’m still a fan of the East Side dive bars, and I could eat Asian food every day. I’ve been taste-testing so much ramen and other East Side King dishes these past few weeks that my brain is foggy for recommendations right now. I do really like going to Ramen Tatsu-Ya, Titaya’s Thai Cuisine, Tam Deli & Cafe, Uchiko, Second Bar + Kitchen, and Hopdoddy’s, to name a few places.

Are there any chefs or restaurateurs that you really admire in Austin?

I think Bryce Gilmore and Jack Gilmore are great. I love the father and son aspect. I love what Aaron Franklin is doing, and what a nice and humble guy he is despite his launch to barbecue fame. Tyson Cole, of course. Paul Qui isn’t bad either.

What are some dishes you like to make at home? Do you have any staple or go-to dishes?

To be honest, I do not do too much home cooking. Since we’ve been traveling so much this year, neither one of us has really cooked too much at home, except for the one time we hosted a dinner party and the time we threw a holiday party. One of my goals for 2013 is to cook more at home.

You have a strong knowledge of fashion. I know you’ve got your hands quite full, but do you ever think of doing a business or concept with that?

I actually just started as the fashion stylist for a new magazine, DAM – Downtown Austin Magazine – and the first issue debuts in January 2013. We just wrapped our first shoot yesterday, the same day that East Side King at Hole in the Wall opened. It was a little hectic juggling both projects, but in the end, I’m extremely proud of what both East Side King and the DAM team accomplished in the same day. I love that I am able to break away from the restaurant scene for a bit when I’m working on styling for the magazine. It’s nice and therapeutic. I would also love to own my own store one day or do something with design, but I don’t have any immediate plans for that yet.

What about a food concept? It only seems appropriate that the East Side Queen would have her own project.

I would love to do something with food as well, particularly baking or desserts, but for right now, I do not plan on opening any restaurants of my own. I am no chef and am much more useful when I stay out of the kitchen. I like cooking and baking, but just as a hobby. Maybe one day!

In the midst of all the madness of this year, you got engaged. Congratulations! Would you be willing to tell me about the proposal?

Thanks! It’s kind of a long story, but basically, the ring arrived while we were in New York for Paul’s City Grit Pop-up Restaurant. The hotel delivered the FedEx box with the ring in it to me in our hotel room, and I knew something was up. I called my best friend, Betsy Granger, to tell her that I was pretty sure this box had the ring in it, and she pretended not to know that it was actually the ring, although she had been helping Paul with the ring the whole time. When I called Paul to tell him a package had arrived for him at the hotel, he sounded really nervous and told me not to open it. He called me back five minutes later and asked me to bring him the package to the kitchen, saying it was an ingredient he needed. It was all really strange. Later that evening after service, Paul proposed to me in our hotel room. We left for Spain from New York a few days later to celebrate our birthdays, and it was the best trip!

How long did it take you, after you and Paul started dating, to realize that he was gifted? Did you ever envision anything like what you guys have created?

I met Paul nine years ago at Uchi through mutual friends, so I had seen his rise in the ranks at the restaurant. I never really paid much attention to it though and considered him to be “an acquaintance who was a chef from Uchi.” I always knew he was talented, but after we started dating, I realized how driven he was. When they were opening Uchiko, I knew that Paul had crafted some really remarkable dishes. Maybe I was blinded by love, but I really felt like Paul was really on to something, to put it simply. I have always wanted to build something with my significant other, but I never knew that it would be what it is today. I feel really blessed and proud of what we’ve got going on. Of course, there’s still more to do and always things to work on, but I’m pretty happy with what’s going on right now.

What’s next for you guys? What are you looking forward to in 2013?

Up next is Qui Restaurant on East Sixth Street, a fifth East Side King on South Lamar – both in spring 2013 – more work on East Side King at Hole in the Wall, and hopefully more projects that are currently in the idea/discussion phase right now. We also need to maintain and continue to develop the current East Side Kings. Oh, and planning a wedding, possibly in Iceland! I am very excited to see what will happen next. I look forward to being home more so we can get things done, but I also hope we can squeeze a few trips in 2013.

(For more on Qui and Saukum, read today’s TM Daily Post piece about East Side King and the Hole in the Wall.)

Tagged: austin, Bryce Gilmore, Deana Saukam, East Side King, Franklin Barbecue, Jack Gilmore, June Rodil, Paul Qui, Qui, travel, Tyson Cole

Uchi and Uchiko together swept the first annual Austin CultureMap Tastemaker Awards gala on Thursday night at the Driskill Hotel, taking three prizes out of seven. The two sibling restaurants won for best restaurant, best decor and atmosphere, and best pastry chef (Philip Speer). The crowd in attendance at the lively upstairs venue, with music blasting away, was composed of the usual Austin foodies, the restaurant, wine, and bar community, and a young, new, rather dazzled-looking contingent that caused the old-timers to mutter, “Who are these people?”
Other winners were David Bull of Congress for best chef (pictured), June Rodil of Congress for best wine and beverage service, and Chauncy James of East Side Showroom for best mixologist.
The winner of the “new restaurant challenge,” a people’s choice award, was Contigo.
The awards ceremony was preceded by the usual walk-around-and-eat-and-drink-till-you-drop affair, with very impressive food and drinkies presented mainly by the nominees; the Driskill Hotel’s executive chef Jonathan Gelman, befitting his role as host, pulled out all the stops with duck tamales with mole, charred corn, foie crema, and apple relish, tied up in teeny corn husks. Best Chef David Bull’s fabulous short ribs were no slouch either. For dessert, the Driskill passed a series of cordial-filled chocolates, which almost caused a stampede.
The winners were determined by a secret ballot of journalists and writers who cover food and drink in Austin, honorary chairs being chefs Robert Del Grande of RDG in Houston, and Andrew Weissman of Il Sogno and Sandbar in San Antonio. The awards were sponsored by CultureMap web site and will benefit the newly formed Austin Food & Wine Alliance, a new nonprofit organization that gives culinary-related grants. It will sponsor the tremendously popular Live Fire! cooking event featuring award-winning chefs on April 26 at the Salt Lick Pavilion, kicking off the Austin Wine & Food Festival.

Tagged: Chauncy James, Congress, Contigo, CultureMap, David Bull, East Side Show Room, June Rodil, Philip Speer, Tastemaker Awards, uchi, uchiko

There’s nothing like a bandwagon. No sooner did Food & Wine and Bon Appétit fall all over themselves to give Austin a whole lotta love than StarChefs.com (an online magazine for chefs and culinary insiders) decided to hold one of its four national awards ceremonies in Austin this year.  Their editorial board scoured the landscape for the top talent in Texas’ capital city (and in San Antonio, too) and recently announced more than a dozen winners in nine categories.

As a result, in February, a gaggle of the hottest chefs in Austin and San Antonio are going to be in one place at one time, offering samples of their best bites. And there will be some choice wine and cocktail sips too.

Here’s what you need to know: The tasting will be held on Tuesday, February 21, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Driskill Hotel. Tickets are $85 for regular admission, $125 for VIP, and can be purchased online at starchefs.com/tickets or by calling 212-966-7575.

So, is StarChefs.com on the mark as far as their choices go? In my humble opinion, absolutely. They considered around 60 candidates (which they found through talking to local media and doing their own research, followed up by in-person tastings and interviews).

OK, it’s time to cut to the chase. Who won?

In the chefs category, it’s David Bull, Congress; Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic; Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue; Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine; Rene Ortiz, La Condesa; Paul Qui, Uchiko; Quealy Watson, The Monterey, in San Antonio; Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo.

In the pastry chefs category, it’s Plinio Sandalio, Carillon; Philip Speer, Uchiko. In the sustainability chef category, it’s Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn, in San Antonio. In the hotel chef category, it’s Josh Watkins, Carillon. In the artisan category, it’s John Bates and Brandon Martinez, Noble Pig. In the restaurateurs category, Tyson Cole, the Uchi group; Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, all in San Antonio. In the sommelier category, it’s June Rodil, Congress. In the mixologist category, it’s Jeret Peña, The Esquire, in San Antonio.

The host chef is  Jonathan Gelman, Driskill Grill. (By the way, the photograph is from a StarChefs.com  gala held in New York last year.)

Tagged: Aaron Franklin, Andrew Wiseheart, austin, Barley Swine, Bin 555, Bon Appetit, Brandon Martinez, Bryce Gilmore, Carillon, Congress, Contigo, David Bull, driskill grill, Food & Wine, Foreign & Domestic, Franklin Barbecue, Jason Dady, Jeret Pena, John Bates, Johnathan Gelman, Josh Watkins, June Rodil, la condesa, Michael Sohocki, Ned Elliott, Noble Pig, Paul Qui, Philip Speer, Plinio Sandalio, Quealy Watson, Rene Ortiz, Restaurant Gwendolyn, san antonio, StarChefs.com, the Monterey, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, Tyson Cole, uchi, uchiko

From Left to Right: Ron Yates, June Rodil, Dan Gatlin, Mark Hyman, Dr. Richard Becker, Ed Auler, Kim McPherson. Photo by Callie Richmond

As part of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, the pioneers of the Texas wine industry convened on Saturday, April 2nd at Austin’s Hyatt Regency to share a taste of their top wines paired with a six-course lunch by Executive Chef Kevin Dee.

Among this assembly were Kim McPherson of McPherson Cellars, Ron Yates of Spicewood Vineyards , Mark Hyman of Llano Estacado, Ed Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards, Dan Gatlin of Inwood Estates Vineyards, and Russell Smith of Becker Vineyards. June Rodil, beverage director of Congress restaurant and one of the state’s top sommeliers, led each course pairing and moderated an engaging discussion on the current state of Lone Star Wine.

Below are the pairings:

Baby spinach salad with roasted chiogga and white beets, local strawberries and champagne vinaigrette – McPherson Cellars Syrah Rosé 2009 (~$10)

Quail Confit over baby arugula and butternut squash Risotto with toasted pumpkin seeds – Spicewood Vineyards Semillon Reserve 2007 (~$18)

Chicken scallopine over roasted sweet potatoes and watercress citrus salad with Meyer lemon caper sauce – Llano Estacado Viviana 2009 (~$23)

Strube Ranch shortribs, Pure Luck polenta, braised chard – Fall Creek Vineyards Meritus 2006 (~$40)

Bleu cheese selection – Inwood Estates Vineyards “Cornelious” Tempranillo 2007 (~$40)

Local Strawberries with chocolate torte – Becker Vineyards Vintage Port 2009

Of the courses, our favorites included the chicken scallopine, which presented bright, citrusy flavors that balanced perfectly with the acidity and mild sweetness of Llano Estacado’s Viviana white blend.

We also liked the rich braised shortribs rounded out with the full-bodied, dark cherry notes of the Fall Creek Meritus. (Although the big dark fruits in the Inwood Estates Tempranillo also worked well with this dish.)

Our favorites out of the wines?… all of them. Each of them could hold their own against similar varietals world wide.

In the past year, each of these wineries have had at least one of their wines featured as a Texas Monthly Wine of the Month—half of which were paired with this lunch. And with good reason. Not only have these wineries figured out the key to making good wines, they’ve figured out the key to making good Texas wines, which as the past 15-20 years have shown, has been a long and painstaking process in finding the grapes that work best in the state as well as enduring the unpredictable Texas weather patterns.

And while some of the larger wineries have found consistency and high volume sales with wines such as the Becker Vineyards Viognier, the Fall Creek Chenin Blanc, or the Llano Estacado Chardonnay—all of which sell for around $15 or less—all of the wineries have a selection of wines that reflect a more “hand-crafted,” artisan style that have brought each of these winemakers high esteem through the state including Inwood’s “Cornelious” Tempranillo and Fall Creek’s Meritus.(Both of these have smaller production and fly off the shelves for $30-$40.)

But as Fall Creek’s Ed Auler revealed, “Wines across the state have gotten to a point where the quality and value are balancing out,” meaning you can rely on the merit of the wine you’re buying whether it’s a $10 or $30 bottle… Just one more thing to make Texans proud.

Tagged: Becker Vineyards, Congress restaurant, Fall Creek Vineyards, Inwood Estates Vineyards, Jessica Dupuy, June Rodil, llano estacado winery, McPherson Cellars, Spicewood Winery, Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, texas wine

When most people think of the High Plains of Texas, they think of tumbleweeds, cotton fields, oil wells, and Texas Tech University football. But few people are aware that the High Plains is the second largest grape growing region of Texas (and the third largest in the nation) with more than 3,500 acres under vine.

Located at 3,400 feet above sea level on flat terrain, the High Plains experience long, hot, dry summers with cool, dry evenings. Its natural sandy loam soil and average annual rainfall of eighteen inches make the perfect climate for grapevines to produce good fruit with excellent sugar and acid levels for winemaking.

In fact, the region has produced numerous wines that have garnered awards and medals in national and international competitions. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that this month’s “Wine of the Month” hails from the High Plains.

Selected with the help of sommelier June Rodil of Austin’s esteemed sushi den, Uchi, this month’s wine of the month is the 2005 “Viviano” from Llano Estacado winery. This Cabernet Sauvignon-Sangiovese blend is Rodil’s top pick for its artisanal quality that stands up well with a big Texas steak.

“I recently did a blind tasting of this bottling with other Italian-inspired Texas wines for the Sommelier Journal in the presence of the Texas Agricultural Department and it rated highest in it’s flight—even against an internationally recognized Italian wine, Coltibuono Chianti Classico,” says Rodil. “My tasting notes for this wine read: ‘pencil, graphite, black cherry, and ripe blackberries with sweet oak notes and warm chocolate. Definitely a lusher and richer style of fruit, but complete and in harmony.’”

Indeed, the Viviano is a nice big wine that lands on the higher end of Texas wines with a hefty price tag at around $35. And while it certainly pleases as a great food wine, Rodil points out that “The Viviano, though impressive, is priced at $34.99 for purchase at Llano’s website while the Coltibuono is approximately $16 retail. With Texas’s agriculture screaming for growth and quality, we simply need more vines under land and more revenue to decrease our prices. It’s great to see, however, that we seem to be on our way in quality.”

Though relatively smooth and balanced to drink, this wine does have a little tannin on the palate, meaning you’ll likely get a little bit of that “kitten tongue” feel on your first few sips. But the balance this wine has is what makes it great with food. As mentioned above, the Viviano is a natural pairing for a nice big steak, but the rich, sweeter fruit in it makes it a great pick for game dishes like lamb, venison, or buffalo.

Winery: Llano Estacado Winery

Retail Price:  $35-$37

Availability: Specialty wine and liquor retailers such as Twin Liquors and Spec’s

Tagged: June Rodil, llano estacado winery, Texas Monthly WIne of the Month, uchi, Viviano