It sounds like The Odd Couple crossed with Chef’s Table: Aaron Franklin is famous for stupendous slabs of smoked fatty brisket at Franklin Barbecue. Tyson Cole is famous for exquisite sushi, sashimi, and Japanese snacks at Uchi and Uchiko (the former has locations in Austin, Houston, and Dallas). Far from being at odds, though, the two Austin chefs—both James Beard Award winners—are fast friends. And now they have joined forces to create the newest restaurant from Hai Hospitality, Loro, a sprawling indoor-outdoor Asian-inspired smokehouse and bar at 2115 South Lamar Boulevard. Loro’s long-awaited opening date—April 4—was announced today.
With its array of casual seating in a long building that looks a little like a Texas dance hall under massive live oak trees, Loro (which means “two” in Javanese) was designed by Austin’s Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in partnership with highly regarded interior designer Craig Stanghetta of Ste. Marie in Vancouver. What’s on the menu? On the food side, you can count on smoked and grilled meats, fish, and sausages as well as a lineup of light, bright sides and salady things. On the drink side, there will be craft beer, sake, and Asian-influenced cocktails on draft, plus sake slushies and frozen gin-and-tonics created in two ever-swirling slushy machines at the bar.
The plan is for Loro to hit the ground running, serving lunch and dinner all day, seven days a week. If you want to get a sneak peek before the hordes descend, Loro is hosting a party on March 29 to benefit No Kid Hungry. Tickets are $100.
Smoked meats are not the only story at Loro. Grilled protein, like this bavette steak, a.k.a. flank steak, are equally important. Aaron Franklin, for one, is excited by the prospect. He told Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn that Loro will give him freedom to explore other flavors, and combine meat with “super bright and acidic flavors,” not just potato salad and slaw.
Photograph by John Davidson
Wanting to branch out, Tyson Cole, now 47, started thinking about a smoked-meat concept some seven years ago. The idea of a partnership came up a year ago when he shared his idea with Aaron Franklin, 40. Franklin turned out to be more than a little interested.
Photograph by John Davidson
All dishes at Loro will be small plates—no standard entrées, no typical barbecue combos, no meat by the pound. In charge of corralling all the flavors will be chef de cuisine James Dumapit.
Photograph by John Davidson
Ain’t nobody don’t like corn fritters. Perkedel Jagung is the name for the delicacy in Indonesia. Sometimes referred to as corn candy, the fried corn patties are expected to fly off the shelf—or out of the fryer—at Loro.
Photograph by John Davidson
The meat will be not be done the old-fashioned way, in closely watched pits, but in two top-of-the-line Oyler and Ole Hickory commercial smokers. The former can hold 32 briskets; the latter will be dedicated to turkeys and cold-smoked meats like salmon. Bram Tripp, who started the Pit Room in Houston (recently featured in Texas Monthly’s list of the state's top 50 barbecue joints), is Loro’s on-site pitmaster.
Photograph by John Davidson
Starting April 4, Loro will open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. except for Fridays and Saturdays, when hours extend to 11 p.m. Sayings on the pegboard wall behind the bar will change periodically.
Photograph by John Davidson
The drink guru is Chris Melton (not shown), who oversees the beverage program at Uchi’s parent company, Hai Hospitality. He says it’s a lot harder than you’d think to coax an alcoholic beverage to stay in a just-frozen state: “You have to keep messing with it, adding tonic, adding sugar, fiddling with the lime juice; otherwise, it ends up soupy.”
Photograph by John Davidson
Char siew, the sweet and spicy roasted pork ubiquitous throughout Asia, will be on the menu. Hai Hospitality corporate chef Jack Yoss, who spent five years in Indonesia, says to expect the unexpected at Loro. “We’ll have Indonesian, Malaysian, and Thai influences for sure, but taken in a Japanese direction—or maybe I should say an Uchi direction.”
Photograph by John Davidson
Dishes will be ordered at five stations along a solid oak bar inside. Customers queue up and pay. They then take an electronic pager to wherever they'd like to sit—inside or out— so that food runners can find them and deliver their order, hopefully not too long after they sit down.
