The wait is over! Sway – a contemporary Thai restaurant on South First Street in Austin – will open its doors on December 9. For those who haven’t followed news about the much-anticipated restaurant, Sway was originally supposed to open this past summer.

For over a year now, the La Condesa team has been releasing tidbits of information about the top secret project. Over the past few months, individuals learned a myriad of details about the restaurant, including the name (Sway, meaning elevated, delicious) and a few of the menu offerings.

Rene Ortiz

The inspiration behind Sway stems from Rene Ortiz’s time of living and working in Sydney, Australia, where he first encountered the modern Thai food movement. Ironically, La Condesa’s owners – Jesse Herman and Delfo Trombetta – also lived in Australia for a time where they too were exposed to the same innovative cuisine.

Back in July, Pat Sharpe and I were invited to try some of the eclectic dishes on Sway’s menu, and even then I believed Sway would become one of the most respected restaurants in the Austin culinary scene – when it finally opened, that is. Here is some of what Pat said about the Sway experience…

“As anyone who’s eaten the interior Mexican cuisine at La Condesa knows, Ortiz takes considerable and tasty liberties with traditional recipes. Sway will be no different. A sampling of six dishes from the fifty-odd on the menu was notable for completely avoiding the sweet, spicy, coconut-milky profile of so many Americanized Thai restaurants…”

Pad Kweitio (cispy pork belly, holy basil, eggplant, wok water) at Sway

Some of the dishes to look forward to on the Sway menus include Jungle Curry (red curry of chicken with eggplant and French beans); Rose Apple Stir-Fry (chicken with shiitake, holy basil, and red chili); Steamed Yuzu Pudding Cake (drunken berry, coconut, Sichuan pepper meringue, and avocado sorbet); Jasmine Tea Panna Cotta (lychee, grape, Thai basil, cilantro, and coconut lychee sorbet); and numerous other Thai-inspired offerings.

Reservations are only accepted for parties of eight or more, the family-style feast, or the signature Moo Sway menu. Visit the restaurant’s website, Twitter, or Facebook for information on menus, hours, etc.

Tagged: austin, Delfo Trombetta, Jesse Herman, Laura Sawicki, Layne Lynch, Rene Ortiz, South First Street, Sway, Thai

Clever puns are to Austinites what baker’s yeast is to bread: an essential ingredient that never fails to get a rise out of the crowd. (For example, the annual O. Henry Pun-Off, in May.) But sometimes, the puns go a little sour. That seems to be the case with two trucks in town: Coat and Thai and Naan Stop. But how did the food compare to the wit at these punning Asian trailers?

At Coat and Thai, I started with the pork dumplings. Served scaldingly hot, they were above average, with tender pork centers and slightly doughy wonton wrappers, served with a dark soy dipping sauce. The red curry was surprisingly rich and a little spicy, its broth thick with coconut milk. I liked the flavorful zucchini, bamboo shoots, and bell pepper, but the chewy shrimp lacked flavor.

The concept of the trailer — a homegrown Asian restaurant owned and operated by Austin musicians — is appealing, and it’s hard to beat a South Congress location with picnic tables. The only real disappointment with my lunch was the overly sweet pad thai. A good pad thai has a complex flavor. The rice noodles are soft and rich, the meat is fall-apart tender, the stir-fried egg is a nice surprise, and the sauce is sweet with a generous kick. Sadly, Coat and Thai’s version was one-dimensional and dry.

Just as a Thai restaurant’s fate lies in its pad thai, an Indian restaurant’s rests in its naan. Naan Stop’s was soft and thick, with a generous dusting of flour. It was missing some fluffiness as well as the crispiness from a tandoori oven, but I saw said oven in the trailer and, given the blazing temperature outside, was impressed.

Based on its downtown Red River location (and the, um, partiers that go with the territory), Naan Stop serves mostly to-go wraps and other handheld foods. The samosas had a nice flavor, although the overall texture was mushy. But dipped in the made-from-scratch cilantro chutney, they were a perfect late-night snack. I also loved the sweet tamarind chutney, made fresh with coriander and cumin. Same for the variety of naan wraps: the spicy (and I mean spicy!) chickpeas (i.e., chana masala) were great, and the shredded chicken wrap had a nice flavor as well. I also liked the chicken tikka masala, with big, tender chunks of chicken in a tomatoey sauce, although the sauce itself lacked the creaminess of a traditional tikka masala.

So what’s the problem? I didn’t order the chicken wrap, but I did ask for a keema naan plate that never arrived, despite repeating my order multiple times. I wish I could say that it was because they were busy, but I was almost the only patron while I was there. To their credit, the husband and wife team just opened Naan Stop less than a month ago and were incredibly friendly and nice. I have faith that the kinks will be worked out in the coming weeks. Confession time: I kind of like the name “Naan Stop,” anyway.

Coat and Thai: SoCo Food Court, 1603 South Congress (512-970-2154). Call for hours.

Naan Stop: Twin Liquors parking lot, 519 E. 7th (512-537-6226). Open Wed–Sat 7:30–3 a.m. Closed Sun–Tue.

Posted by Megan Giller. To read more from Megan Giller, visit her website at www.megangiller.com

Tagged: Coat and Thai, Indian, Naan Stop, Thai, Trailer Thursday

Photo by Sean Dunn

Little Thai Food rocks it old-school. Not in the Old School BBQ & Grill kind of way, with a website, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. Or in the elementary school way, like the Local Yolk, which serves only one type of sustenance, egg sandwiches. No, Little Thai Food’s attitude and yummy grub are closer to the food trucks of yore than the concept trucks of East 6^th.

Sidle up to Little Thai Food’s spot, on South First, and order from their diverse menu of classic dishes. The owners, formerly of CK Thai, in South Austin, whip up curries and stir-fries from scratch. Just remember: Patience is a virtue.

My favorite was the pad ka prow, with big basil leaves, bell peppers, mushrooms, broccoli, tender chicken, and Thai chilis. I ordered it medium-spicy and was pleasantly surprised by the slow burn.  The green curry was a close second: zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, tofu, and a ton of bamboo stewing in a rich coconut milk–based curry sauce. The tofu absorbed the flavor of the sauce but still felt fluffy and light, a nice contrast to the sturdy (but still savory) bamboo pieces.

The only disappointment was the pad see ew. In terms of names, I’ve always thought this particular dish drew the short noodle. Done right, the flavorful meat, faint suggestion of egg, and Chinese broccoli are only a distraction from the light, slightly sweet sauce and the soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside pan-fried flat noodles. Little Thai Food’s version featured plenty of sliced carrots and broccoli, but the flat rice noodles were limp, the sauce bland, and the beef a little tough.

Much better was the chicken satay, big hunks of skewered chicken accompanied by a thick, rich peanut sauce. Traditional and tasty, just like the Thai tea, black tea swirled with condensed milk to create the ultimate sugary treat.

Innovative? No. Gimmicky? Not in the least. Some of the best Thai food in Austin? You’ve got it.

1207 S. 1st (512-567-9299). Open Mon–Sun 10–9.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: Asian, Little Thai Food, Thai, Trailer Thursday