Playground ATX

Restaurant · North Loop

Playground ATX

Restaurant · North Loop

5001 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751

Highlights

At East Meets Wings, savor a thrilling blend of Asian flavors with standout dishes like tamarind-glazed wings and delightful sides, all served in a vibrant space.

5001 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751 Get directions

playground-atx.com

@playgroundatx

@eater

"While Filipino Vietnamese food truck Fil N’ Viet is closed, its chicken wings live on at its new pop-up spot in this North Loop space. East Meets Wings’s menu is all about pan-Asian chicken wings in flavors like the Indian butter masala, the Indonesian ayam goreng, and yes, its iconic Filipino sinigang and the Vietnamese VFC. There are boneless iterations and vegetarian crispy rice cake takes too. Takeout and delivery orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury

Where to Dig Into Great Chicken Wings — Saucy to Crispy to Spicy — in Austin

View Postcard for Playground ATX

@eater

"The North Loop restaurant incubator is currently home to pan-Asian spot East Meets West (from the Fil N’ Viet team) and added weekend brunch to its lineup as of late December 2023. This means soft egg-topped furikake tater tots and chicken, beignets, pandan lattes, and mimosas with lychee-lemon and pear. Brunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in services." - Nadia Chaudhury, Erin Russell

The 7 Hottest New Brunches in Austin Right Now

View Postcard for Playground ATX

@eater

"The new North Loop pop-up restaurant space is throwing a New Year’s Day pajama brunch with dishes like beignets, furikake tater tots, boneless chicken, and more. It runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with indoor and outdoor dine-in areas." - Nadia Chaudhury

Where to Eat New Year’s Day Brunch in Austin in 2024

View Postcard for Playground ATX

@eater

"Behind Playground ATX is the newly formed hospitality company Tykhe Group, led by co-owners and sisters Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky and Katie Kim. The idea behind Playground is that it’ll host guest chefs and restaurants for half-year stints, as a way to work on ideas and implementations for fuller restaurants on their own. Tykhe Group will work as the executive-level managers for the pop-up restaurants in Playground, helping them with management, branding, etc. Outside of the rotating restaurants, Playground will host food and drink events, other pop-ups, dinners, and fundraisers. There are also plans to offer vegan holiday takeout meals." - Nadia Chaudhury

New Austin Asian Chicken Wings Restaurant East Meets Wings Opens in North Loop - Eater Austin

View Postcard for Playground ATX

Monica Guerra

Google

This place blew me away with everything! From the food, to the service all the way down to the business model! The food was delicious! East Meets West has the most delicious tamarind glazed wings, the chicken sandwich was super crispy, the house made pickles were spicy and sweet & the soft serve was the best finish. The hostess was really helpful, sweet & attentive. They basically help other businesses get started by allowing restaurants at the smallest level exposure, experience & facilities. I wish them much success and I am truly excited to keep visiting this establishment.

John Choi

Google

We have been here two times already since they opened and it’s amazing!! First visit we had the boneless sweet and sour, kids smashed it and licking the sauce off their fingers it was so good! The side order or rice made it a complete meal for the kids! My favorite so far is the Mala sauce, little kick and bold flavors make it so addicting! What was super surprising way the vegetarian option. I’m not a vegetarian at all but thought I’d give the option a try. Honestly, the vegetarian option in Mala was so good I think it was even better than the meat version!! Do yourself a favor and try the vegetarian option and you may enjoy it more than the meat option!! Over all great staff, food is awesome!! Can’t wait to go back and get my chicken fix!

Greg Boggus

Google

Flight Fridays! You get a flight of wings, one of each flavor so you can try them all out. I've only had the flight twice but 5 out of the 6 flavors I would order any time! The atmosphere is pleasant and the service is excellent. They are so polite and explained the concept. Definitely some of the best wings in Austin. The drinks are also phenomenal. I got the melon juice! I will definitely be bringing more friends here!

Richard Butler

Google

East Meets Wings is a delightful journey through Asia. They call their concept Asian fusion. I call it an exciting explosion of Asian spices that made me want to come back for more. While you are devouring the various flavors of " whole wings" Get a side of Crispy Brussels Sprouts and the Vietnamese Rice Cakes.

lauren burns

Google

Had the best time at East Meets Wings today. There were many delicious flavors to choose from. Truly unique concept, great vibes and amazing service. Will definitely be coming back and bringing friends 🤗

David Pham

Google

Nut Allergy warning: The Thai Basil comes standard with sprinkled peanuts. I experienced a slight itchiness having my goi, despite assurance that there were no nuts and marking my allergen. I was fine at the end but would be cautious of cross contamination with a severe allergy. East Meets Wings is Playground ATX's current concept. I knew I was in for a treat when I learned that the food was the successor to Fil'N'Viet. Order at the counter and food is brought to your table. Water is also brought in a carafe. Service here is very fast. We got our food less than 12 minutes after ordering. Note that they are cashless. I got the Mala Whole Wings with Tater Tots and Goi, with calamansi mayo and a Filipino barbecue skewer. Highly recommend the calamansi mayo - a lime, tangy mayo that's perfect for dipping. The Mala Whole Wings were a great level of spice. I wasn't as big of a fan of the goi (used to more fish sauce and more carrots) but it was okay. The tater tots were excellent, perfectly crispy. I got to try my friend's sinigang wings and thought they were decent, but I liked the Mala flavor better. Finished the meal with Ube soft serve - 5/5 would highly recommend.

Fer

Google

Delicious food all-around! Every dish we ordered had so much flavor, fresh ingredients and creative presentation. Nice-modern and vibrant concept, and the melon drink was so tasty and refreshing too.

Nicholas Lynch

Google

Had east meets wings. The Thai wings and butter masala rice cakes were my favorite. The only feedback would be to say it's rice cake pieces. I thought it would have been 1 big piece but was pleasantly surprised it was bites that are easy to share

Mark A.

Yelp

Apparently this is a rotating food concept restaurant where eventually East Meets Wings will be replaced by another restaurant in the same space. Chicken and wings all ways, this place brings big flavors onto big wings, with delicious sides and desserts. It's sort of half service where you order at the front and they bring/bus your food/trays. It's a simple but nice interior with a little bit of outdoor bar seating as well, definitely better if it's warmer out. We got three different styles of wings and a couple of sides to see what they offered. I liked the VFC and AG the best as they had nice flavor and weren't too salty. The tamarind was a bit too salty for me, but with the brussels, pickles, and slaw, there was some much needed acidity to balance things. I think the pricing is a bit high on the wings for how much you get but it's a fun concept and we need more Asian food in Austin. Hopefully they'll stick around and open a food truck somewhere in town.

David P.

Yelp

Briana N.

Yelp

Came here for East meets Wings on a Sunday afternoon and our party of 12 was able to get seated immediately! The wings were all good (juicy and decently tender), but for the price, it was a little disappointing that it only came with three pieces. The sinigang was my personal favorite as it was very flavorful and so crispy. Mala came in second. But tamarind thai basil was third because despite the sauce being yummy, it created a different type of texture on the wings. If you're looking for something more filling, I would definitely go for the chicken sandwich.

Cathy L.

Yelp

Their first concept, East Meets Wings, is the same owners as the Fil N Viet Truck that served skewers and chicken wings. This is their new project that is just focused on wings. They have brought over 2 of their flavors, VFC Viet and Singang, both are the exact same incredible quality and taste as they were at the trucks, but they have added a couple more flavors. I tried the mala and butter masala wings, but they also have Ayam Goreng and thai basil. I really liked both mala and butter masala (both are so on point!), and will have to come back to try the other two. Their chicken is incredibly high quality as it comes from a Freebird chicken farm where they leave "stress-free lives", which is fantastic. Their beverages are incredible as well. I tried the cantaloupe milk and thought it was so unique and could see myself coming back just for a drink, but I don't think I could resist their wings to be honest. The restaurant itself is under a hospitality company that rotates the food vendors every 6 months. The management has a very collaborative relationship with the pop-ups they host and seem to work together on the menu. I had a lovely chat with the general manager who was giving us advice on what to order. The service and attention was unbeatable. Not only would I come back for East Meets Wings, but I'm excited to see what Playground will offer next.

Jade P.

Yelp

I love the concept where they will rotate different restaurants every 6 months or so if I mm remembering correctly! Currently it's east meets wing (same owners of fil n viet) and the wings are so delicious. They have all different flavors to fit everyone's palettes. I really love that they serve the whole wing, but they also have boneless if that's what people prefer. They also have a wing flight on Fridays? only. I also ordered the crispy rice cakes and I loved the texture of the crispy outside and chewy inside. The mala flavor was so good and the perfect amount of spice. They also have some great drinks. My favorite is the Vietnamese iced coffee since it has a darker roast flavor and not super sweet. Very casual feel and you order at the counter and they'll bring the food out to you. Love the current decor too. Highly recommend checking them out!

Sarah M.

Yelp

East Meets Wings is currently here and it is so good! I had this on my list and I really wanted to try it. We were a pretty big group (I think 10 ppl) and went around 11:40ish. We were seated right away and the staff were super accommodating. My friends and I each ordered some wings. This is the order of my favorite wings Singang - this wing was so crispy and I loved it! The dry seasoning was delicious and I loved the crispiness and juiciness of the wing. It was my favorite because the flavor was yummy and the crispiness was amazing. Mala - this had a slight kick to it but was not too spicy to me. This wing was juicy too but not as crispy as the singang one. Tamarind Thai Basil - this one was yummy but not really crispy because of the sauce. It was good but not my favorite. Brussel sprouts- these were yummy but nothing too special for me. Sauce wasn't too overpowering. I really want to try the chicken sandwich! It looked really good and filling. One of my friends ordered the furikake bites and told me it was a little saltier than he would have liked. Overall this place was great and I definitely wanna come back.

Cat N.

Yelp

First time here and thought it was pretty good. I got tamarind Thai basil and masala wings with goi (Viet salad). The wings were good and I like that they give you the whole wings. It's huge and comes in 3 or 5 an order. The goi I would pass on, it was more like American Cole slaw in fish sauce. Drinks were good. Vietnamese coffee was more Thai to me.

Shirlyn S.

Yelp

Found out that this really cute space hosts different pop ups at different times, allowing you to try different foods (I love it). Currently, it houses east meets wings, which is a wing concept by the couple who ran Fil and Viet. And I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Fil and Viet so I had to try this place! The couple was lovely and welcoming as usual, and the food did not disappoint! The wings were fried crispy but did not feel greasy and the flavors were really delicious (we got the Sinigang and ayam goreng$, except it's a tad salty for me, but still good. We also tried their okonomiyaki tater tots which was interesting! Definitely check this place out!

Eugenia L.

Yelp

Currently East Meets Wings is located here and expect a new restaurant concept there next spring. EMW's best item are their fried chicken wings. They're kept whole (tip, flat, and drumette) aren't breaded or battered like southern style chicken. It's done of my favorite types of fried chicken really. The skin forms a thin, crispy crust and is the perfect vehicle for EMW's wide selection of flavors. So far I've tried the Mala, Sinigang, and Butter Masala flavors and enjoyed all of them. Their take on pan-Asian flavors are spot on and addicting. The only thing I wasn't a fan of were the boneless "wings." They're battered thigh pieces and when they're in a wet sauce like the masala, it becomes gluey or mushy in texture.

Ananya M.

Yelp

This place was great! The wings are super unique and the flavors are great. My one critic is that the chicken is a bit dry and I think it's bc they use the whole wing instead of breaking it down. I also think that all the flavors could be spicier but that's just preference. The service was decent and the decor was nice and cheery. Overall would recommend trying it out.

Genevieve M.

Yelp

Really enjoyed trying out East Meets West at PlaygroundATX! Make sure to try them out soon because a new restaurant will take its place every 6 months. My personal favorite were the VFC wings! Super crunchy and a nice flavor with sauce that didn't make the wings soggy. My friends tried the other flavors and their favorite was the Mala flavor. I also enjoyed the tater tots with the garlic dip! So yummy! Also the Halo Halo was tooooo good! Highly recommend trying them out.

Steven X.

Yelp

Really cool concept. Loved east meets wings. The chicken sandwich is good but honestly the wings are where it's at. The mala chili was so bomb and The wings are so crispy. We also got the rice cake thing which was super cool. Usually these are too dry and crispy for me but these specific ones had a nice crispy outside layer but then a super soft inside. The halo halo was also amazing

Alejandro D.

Yelp

I love this concept. It's a restaurant incubator that rotates different concepts every 6 months. My only concern is: what if I miss the old place! The current one with Asian wings is delicious and the service was very attentive. You can tell they want you to love it.

Steven L.

Yelp

I love the concept of Playground ATX, a culinary incubator that change every 6 months. This time it was East Meets Wings, a Phil-Viet Asian Fusion restaurant focused on wings. Sinigang Wings - I thought these were good overall. They were real crispy, slightly salty, but mine weren't as flavorful as I hoped. Luckily I did get some sauce and the scallion salad with it. Scallion Salad - Honestly, I loved the scallion salad and actually thought it made an excellent garnish for the wings, adding a bit of acidity to them. I would say it's a bit overpriced for a "salad" but really goes well with other dishes. I would like to see it as an add-on for other dishes. Furikake Rice Cake - I loved these! I was going to leave half of it to eat for another meal, but I ended up just going back and picking at it until I was done with them all. Went excellently with the wasabi mayo dip. Be sure to squeeze the lemon generously to them, I think it really made the flavors pop!

Jen B.

Yelp

Had the scallion pancakes and ayem goreng wings. Both were tasty The scallion pancakes were crispy and came with a nice soy based sauce. The ayem goreng wings were really good. Super flavorful. Service was great. You order at the counter and they bring your food. It was not very busy on a sat afternoon.

Charles Y.

Yelp

Came and tried East meets Wings. Luckily we came before a small crowd came in. Between the wife and the kids we were able to try quite a few items which were all enjoyable. My son being a huge chicken sandwich fan liked the sandwich but wished there was a spicy option. My daughters each tried the boneless options and both enjoyed them. Wife and i split 3 flavors of the wings, the vietnamese, the sinagong (filipino), and the butter masala. They were all very good, the butter masala was right at about my tolerance for spice and a bit messy, but they were still very good. I always prefer a dry wing so the sinagong was my favorite with my wife liking the vietnamese the best. If you are a chicken wing fan you definitely have to give this place a try. My only concern is since this is basically a pop up, hopefully once they leave playground they will either move to a permanent spot or at least operate a food truck.

Wes L.

Yelp

Food was good. Came for the chicken sandwich and it did not disappoint. I had a pear sweet tea to drink and it was great. Service was great. Very friendly staff. It was our first time and we got a quick run down of the menu and what to expect. Food delivered to your table with a smile. Ambiance was nice. We enjoyed a seat on the front patio on a beautiful spring day.

Eina D.

Yelp

From the Fil-N-Viet team, Playground ATX's first rotational restaurant is East Meets Wings and they specialize in, you guessed it, wings. I came on a Friday to try their wing flight (it's only offered on Fridays!). Each wing was flavorful and had its own unique taste. Some of my standouts were the Vietnamese wing for the salty fish sauce flavor with fried garlic and the tamarind Thai basil with its crispy basil pieces, although it wasn't spicy despite its three chili rating. While the wings are the star of the show, the chicken sandwich was a step above. I thought the sinigang wings were too strong in its salt and vinegar flavor, but in a sandwich, it blended so nicely with the Vietnamese coleslaw, calamansi mayo, bread and butter pickles, and buttered Texas toast. Would easily order this again! I washed this all down with the cantaloupe juice, although I would've preferred just the juice by itself without the addition of the evaporated milk.

lea c.

Yelp

The food was absolutely delicious. I loved all of the seasonings and choice of balloons that they used on a simple chicken wing. I got the hottest on the menu and it was actually full of flavor. The service was even better than the food. They were very attentive to our needs and think this many times for coming. The ambience is cool as well. Will definitely go back.

Michael S.

Yelp

Im gonna say I'm 50/50 on this place. Looks good online but the menu isn't the same and was a little disappointed since what I wanted wasn't available. Of the two type of wings I ordered, I only liked the whole wings. They had a nice crisp. Not a lot of flavor though. The Super Bowl wings were my least favorite. The wings seemed boiled not fried. The rice cakes were more like mochi to me.

Jesse L.

Yelp

Best wings in town! Highly recommend the Sinigang, VFC and, Tamarind Thai Basil sauce! Must try Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Thai street corn! Last but not least, the Ube soft serve for only $2 to end the meal on a high note! So good! Great foods and excellent service! Will definitely come back!

Quan D.

Yelp

Bleh?!? My pictures weren't the best. Apologize for that... Where do I start...the wings were so good! We had pretty much gotta all the wings except the traditional viet style fish sauce wings. But we had the sinigang, Thai basil, masala and Mala. The spice level were on point. Our favorite I believe was the mala paired with their garlic ranch omg out of this world...perfect marriage. The heat from the mala really shines through but once dipped in that garlic ranch the heat gets cut in half keeping you wanting more and more. Their Brussels sprouts were really good as well. The only thing I can suggest is maybe lighten up on the fish sauce and not have them drown in that cause it tends to over soak and soften. One thing we thought was ok was the chicken sandwich. It was dry as a bone and not as flavorful and juicy as the wings were. In terms of price, I think it's a bit steep for 3 wings ($13) vs 5 wings($19-20). Overall would definitely come back for more.

Boris B.

Yelp

Well.. the negative review is only for the price, but not the quality and service. Ordered whole wings 3pcs - priced $11.99. Literally 3 small wings with sauce... nothing else on the plate. I could understand if it was some upscale restaurant, but it's not. More like hipsters place. With this pricing and food portion you not gonna get repeat customers. Just advice for the owner(s).

Judy M.

Yelp

I loved this place! We had the Friday special which featured one of each type of wing. We loved them all and ordered a few more of our favorites. The boneless chicken was crispy and delicious too. I really loved the Asian slaw and the brussel sprouts too. The service was friendly and helpful. We will be back.

Tont W.

Yelp

Got the Sichuan Mala wings and they were some of the best wings I've ever had. The seasonings and little toppings were so flavorful! The halo halo sundae was great too

Sarah G.

Yelp

Innovative concept to bring great tasting food, experience and new restaurants to Austin. Love seeing East Meets Wings as the first concept, and can't wait to try everything on the menu!

Kessiah W.

Yelp

The food was all around delicious! From the size of the wings to the flavor and crispness, however the dry rubs they offer lack that burst of flavor. Also enjoyed the cantaloupe tea and the plum fruit halo halo. Will definitely be back and cant go without saying the price is perfect for the amount of food you receive and service was great as well!

@eater

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Monica Guerra

Google

John Choi

Google

Greg Boggus

Google

Richard Butler

Google

lauren burns

Google

David Pham

Google

Fer

Google

Delicious food all-around! Every dish we ordered had so much flavor, fresh ingredients and creative presentation. Nice-modern and vibrant concept, and the melon drink was so tasty and refreshing too.

Nicholas Lynch

Google

Mark A.

Yelp

David P.

Yelp

Briana N.

Yelp

Cathy L.

Yelp

Jade P.

Yelp

Sarah M.

Yelp

Cat N.

Yelp

Shirlyn S.

Yelp

Eugenia L.

Yelp

Ananya M.

Yelp

Genevieve M.

Yelp

Steven X.

Yelp

Alejandro D.

Yelp

Steven L.

Yelp

Jen B.

Yelp

Charles Y.

Yelp

Wes L.

Yelp

Eina D.

Yelp

lea c.

Yelp

Michael S.

Yelp

Jesse L.

Yelp

Quan D.

Yelp

Boris B.

Yelp

Judy M.

Yelp

Tont W.

Yelp

Got the Sichuan Mala wings and they were some of the best wings I've ever had. The seasonings and little toppings were so flavorful! The halo halo sundae was great too

Sarah G.

Yelp

Innovative concept to bring great tasting food, experience and new restaurants to Austin. Love seeing East Meets Wings as the first concept, and can't wait to try everything on the menu!

Kessiah W.

Yelp

Playground ATX

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