Kemuri Tatsu-Ya
Japanese restaurant · Holly ·
Japanese-Texas izakaya with meat-centric shareable plates & cocktails
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22294741/125530155_3479130312167616_3948778321870674411_o.jpg "Kemuri Tatsu-Ya by Kemuri Tatsu-ya/Facebook")
Japanese-Texas izakaya with meat-centric shareable plates & cocktails
"A Japanese Texan izakaya and Eater Award–winning restaurant on the Bib Gourmand list." - H. Drew Blackburn
"Blending Texas barbecue with Japanese izakaya influences, I found Kemuri Tatsu-Ya in Austin to be a playful, big-flavored project from Tokyo-born chef Tatsu Aikawa: think brisket dipping ramen (noodles served in a separate bowl and dunked in broth) brightened with yuzu zest, smoked jalapeño, and chili oil; smoked brisket with serrano-miso barbecue sauce; pork ribs glazed with a carrot-ginger finish; and matcha-spiked banana pudding. The menu also leans whimsical, from fish-shaped taiyaki cornbread to smoked meat (or eggplant) offered as build-your-own hand rolls, and behind the showmanship he stays faithful to technique—preparing Texas-style dashi with smoked spiced snapper instead of standard bonito flakes—so, as Aikawa puts it, the flavors are all big and fun." - Naomi Tomky
"Part Japanese izakaya and part Central Texas smokehouse, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya is a place where you can get chili cheese takoyaki, smoked eel bento boxes, and yakitori skewers under one roof. And it all happens in a dining room that looks like a Texas hunting lodge that picked up its decor from a vintage store in Tokyo (there are also lots of robots). Japanese-inspired tiki drinks keep the energy going when you start to slow down after a second serving of taiyaki cornbread with sesame butter, and if you need even more energy, head into the bathroom for a simulated thunderstorm over the lights and speakers while you wash your hands. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs
"Standing somewhere at the crossroads of Japanese izakayas and Central Texas smokehouses, Kemuri Tatsu-Ya is a place where you can get chili cheese takoyaki, grilled skewers, and smoked brisket bento boxes that are kind of a DIY handroll situation made for the whole table to share. And it all happens in an eclectic dining room that feels like a Texas hunting lodge that picked up its decor from a vintage store in Tokyo (there are lots of robots). A restaurant like this couldn’t exist anywhere in the world other than right here in Austin. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, raphael brion
"Kemuri Tatsu-Ya brought with it a whole new food category: Japanese izakaya-meets-Texan smokehouse, involving things like “guaca-poke” and chili cheese takoyaki. There’s also a big focus on barbecue, where you can get things like brisket burnt ends in a bento box, complete with rice, pickles, and sheets of nori to make your own DIY brisket handrolls. All the while, you’ll be sipping from an extensive menu of sake, shochu, Japanese whiskey, and playful riffs on classic cocktails (try the matcha painkiller). Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - nicolai mccrary, adele hazan, raphael brion
