Lucky Robot Restaurant
Japanese restaurant · South River City ·
Sustainably sourced sushi & Nikkei plates with dry-aged fish
Sustainably sourced sushi & Nikkei plates with dry-aged fish
"Lucky Robot on South Congress is a lot of things. It’s Japanese-Peruvian Nikkei plates, it’s a sushi restaurant serving sustainable, dry-aged nigiri, and, perhaps most surprisingly, it’s also incredibly vegetarian-friendly. In addition to a handful of vegan nigiri—that come topped with ingredients like kimchi mustard greens, zucchini, and HiFi Mycology mushrooms—there are also rolls, dumplings, and even a spicy cashew-and-miso tantanmen ramen. Show up during happy hour, and you can get it all with half-priced bottles of wine and sake." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"Chef Jay Huang focuses on sustainable and responsible sourcing at this South Congress Japanese restaurant. It’s popular for happy hour, where diners can snack on beef hot rock and sample dry-aged maki in the cherry blossom-adorned dining room or on the outside patio. There’s also online takeout for when pants are just not happening." - Darcie Duttweiler
"The Deal: Half off select food items, $45 5-course chef’s tasting, $10 and under select hot tastings, $9 and under select cocktails, $15 and under select sashimi, select sake deals It’s worth pretending you have a “dentist appointment” to hit up Lucky Robot’s happy hour, where you can get a five-course chef’s tasting for just $45, plus some great drink deals to go with it. Going to the dentist never tasted so good." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"About half of Lucky Robot’s menu is made up of Nikkei cuisine, but our favorite way to visit is for a sushi stop during a long day out shopping on South Congress. Unlike other spots that like to pride themselves on how recently their fish were still swimming, Lucky Robot instead dry ages most of their fish, which packs it full of intense, savory flavors and excellent texture. While most of the nigiri leans into more traditional flavors, there are a few that incorporate their Japanese-Peruvian influence, like a piece topped with 48-hour short rib, Nikkei chimichurri, and shallots." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"Lucky Robot might be best known for their classic nigiri and their inventive menu of Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) small plates—both of which they do very well—but scroll through the lonh menu for long enough, and you’ll see a tiny section of broth-based dishes. That’s where you’ll find the Robot Ramen, a bowl made with a light-ish pork shoyu broth, topped with a perfectly marinated egg, green onions, bean sprouts, and pork belly. If you’re used to the milky-white broth more common around Austin, this will be a welcome change of pace for you." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion