Cory J.
Yelp
Do you know the rule of 3.5 star Chinese restaurants? A dude named Freddie Wong broke down his rule for 3.5 star Chinese restaurants and it's spot-on. According to him, Chinese restaurants with higher than an average of 3.5 stars indicate that "too many white people like it", the "service is too good" and the food is "not as good as it could be." But he says at a 3.5-star restaurant, "the waiters are not going to pay attention to you. They're going to be rude. But it's going to taste better." This 100% applies to Hunan Bistro. It's just how Chinese restaurants with legit food operate - there are different expectations for service in Asia.
Anyway, this is one of the best places to get Hunan/Sichuan cuisine in the Austin metro area (Bamboo House being the other). I had to laugh at the 2-star reviewer who compared this food to the food from some local Asian fusion/dim sum restaurants (read: not Hunan/Sichuan cuisine). My buddy and I go here at least once a month. It literally makes me so happy whenever I eat it, and to have it fairly close by to top it off.
We typically get the lamb and fish stew, toothpick lamb, sliced beef oxtripe in chili oil, peppers with preserved egg, dry sauteed green beans, sliced potatoes in sour sauce, and the spicy boneless chicken. When they have it, the 空心菜 (kongxincai, or water spinach - please note that they only have the Chinese characters in the online menu) is my favorite vegetable dish. The sliced beef in chili oil is not bad but I prefer Bamboo House's, whereas I prefer Hunan Bistro's lamb and fish stew.
If you like spicy, real Chinese food and don't care too much about service, this is the place for you. A true gem of Austin.