"A Northern California Chinese mini-chain restaurant opened its first Texas location this year. Si Jie Special Noodle opened its new Austin restaurant at 13729 Research Boulevard in the far northwest area on January 4. Si Jie Special Noodle’s menu features an array of Chinese and pan-Asian dishes. Yes, there’s a lot of noodles, where the dish is cooked in the stone pot-style — which makes use of stones in the pot to maintain a hot temperature. There are options like beef, lamb, fish, and crawfish. Non-noodle items include dumplings and bao (soup dumplings too), meat kebabs, vegetables like eggplants and corn, tofu, and other entrees like barbecued seafood/meat, wok-fried dishes, and much more. The Austin Si Jie Special Noodle is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Takeout orders can be placed online or in person; there are indoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury