The sweet aroma of freshly baked breads engulfs you when you pass through the doors of Easy Tiger Bake Shop & Beer Garden in downtown Austin. The comforting, warm ambiance invites you to relax and stay while you enjoy the made-from-scratch menu.

The extensive coffee and tea list includes espresso, chai lattes, hot teas, and a variety of water, soda, and juice choices. Don't miss one of Easy Tiger's melt-in-your-mouth pastries, danish, cookies, and croissants. Snacks and sandwiches include beef jerky and pretzels, as well as house-smoked pastrami, turkey breast, and muffulettas. The restaurant also offers a variety of charcuterie boards and house-made sausages.

Easy Tiger has a full bar and the cocktail, beer, and reserves menu is extensive.

Easy Tiger
709 E. Sixth Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 614-4972
www.easytigeraustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/easy-tiger-austin

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/star5112

Sway's Jungle curry is fittingly named, given that it exudes the heat of the jungle. That's thanks to its red chili and peppercorn, which spice up the Texas wagyu beef, eggplant, baby corn, and coconut cream base. This careful balance of spicy tones with other complex flavors results in a dish that has won rave reviews from more than 100 Yelpers. This should come as no surprise to anyone who's ever dined at Sway. The eatery is notorious for recreating classic Thai dishes in a way that delights taste buds.

The Son in Law entree also earns high marks from regulars, and not just for its creative name. This braised pork dish comes with a crispy, farm-fresh egg and soy smothered in a classic Thai sauce known as nahm prik pla. If you prefer beef to pork, try the equally popular Tiger Cry dish instead. It showcases chargrilled hanger steak seasoned with Thai basil, red chili nahm jim, fresno chile, and served with toasted rice and spicy nahm prik pao jam.

Sway
1417 S. 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 326-1999
swayaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/sway-austin

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Maëlick

Ramen Tatsu-Ya co-owner (and half of its namesake) Tatsu Aikawa describes ramen as "the soul food of Japan." He should know, given that he's lived in Japan. He's also lived in L.A.—that's where he cultivated his culinary talents as a chef at a sushi bar—but Tatsu still considers Austin his hometown. He met Takuya Matsumoto, the other half of the Tatsu-Ya equation, when they were both working as DJs in Austin. After each DJ did some soul-searching, they ended up on the same culinary path. So when Tatsu moved back to Austin from Los Angeles, it didn't take long for he and Takuya to debut their ramen restaurant.

The duo is serious about crafting authentic, perfectly presented ramen—that's why they don't allow takeout. In the time it takes you to travel from the restaurant to your home, the noodles could get soggy and the broth could separate. No, it's best to dip your spoon into a piping-hot bowl of noodles within the walls of Ramen Tatsu-Ya. From original pork to soy-based vegan ramen, none of the soups disappoint. However, Yelp reviewers do recommend adding some heat with a Spicy Bomb mix-in (it consists of spicy red pepper paste) and some flavor with fried Brussels sprouts on top.

Ramen Tatsu-Ya
1234 S. Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704
ramen-tatsuya.com
www.yelp.com/biz/ramen-tatsu-ya-austin-2

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr insatiablemunch