Sabrina B.
Yelp
A great spot for a quick bite or a sit-down event, but an even greater spot for a to-go option.
This Asian spot at the food concept location Playground ATX is a fun place to stop by for wings. The service, especially since it seemed like there was only one FOH worker, was good. No long wait and she explained how everything worked and a hidden flavor of the week that changes on Friday (this time it was butter masala). I came by primarily because I was craving a pandan latte and this seemed to be the only place right now in Austin that had one.
I got the ayam goreng wing combo with tots and Szechuan pickles for about $14. At first when I received my food, I thought "hmm, 3 wings and the pickle side being quite small seems a bit pricey for what you get", but I ended up taking food home and my partner finished his comfortably. The ayam goreng wings had a great texture, wonderfully crispy and a nice umami flavor. I liked that all the wings are inspired by a different Asian country ranging from east to Southeast Asia. The furikake tots were the standout star and honestly needed no dip to taste good. I wish I had a bigger side of pickles, but maybe next time I would try the goi (Vietnamese style chicken salad).
The VFC (Vietnamese caramel-ish style) boneless bites were great. Definitely that signature Vietnamese flavor in a less messy boneless version. The rice was just plain jasmine rice, but if you wanted something heftier, I would choose that as a side. But otherwise, it's just regular rice.
As for the drinks, the pandan latte that I came for was good. I found that the coffee overpowered the pandan so my craving for a pandan latte wasn't satisfied ever since I had an amazing one in Portland, but if you wanted a good coffee that tastes like Cafe du Monde, this is a good one. The melon juice was a refreshing cantaloupe drink that I would probably choose again over the pandan latte. It's a bit addicting, and I feel like I had to stop myself from downing the whole thing before eating food. It's a bit pricey around $5-6 each for those drinks that have a good amount of ice, but nowadays all of Austin's drinks are priced the same.
There's also some specials everyday like $5 off Thursday to-go orders or trivia Tuesdays. Personally, I wouldn't find the food large enough for 2 hours of trivia, but it seems like a great option for to-go food. There's also a brunch option, but unfortunately I did not come early enough on a weekend.
The wings and tots are great and the drinks that Austin is usually lacking but somehow this place offers are good enough to grant this place 5 stars and to keep coming back.
