"The ever-changing Lamar Union welcomes a new restaurant today with the opening of Asian spot Mandala Kitchen & Bar today, Friday, March 9 at 5 p.m. The address places it in the heart of South by Southwest traffic from the Alamo Drafthouse, which serves as a major theater hub for the film portion of the conference. Chef/owner Kieu Pham will focus on Vietnamese and Thai specialties. Dishes will include crispy rice pies topped with shredded pork, dehydrated shrimp, and white truffle oil; seafood noodle salad, and the Viet-Cajun tribute with crawfish." - Nadia Chaudhury