Ni-Haowdy Austin
Asian Fusion with a Family Flair
Words by Nicky Baylor Photos by Joshua Ng
Chicken katsu, dragon’s beard candy, and Ni-Haowdy Fries. Dragonbeard Kitchen encompasses a beautiful balance between good for the body and good for the soul, combining healthy components with indulgent ones for a “healthy-ish” dining experience.
What makes Dragonbeard Kitchen so remarkable is their menu simplicity and their rare Dragonbeard Candy. With only a one-page menu and counter ordering, the service is quick, but the food has never tasted fresher. Even more incredible than the simple and straightforward menu, guests can experience the rarity that is Dragonbeard Candy. In this delicacy, sugar, peanuts, coconut, and sesame seeds come together in harmony for a unique and fun dessert experience, and it is so laborious and time/temperature sensitive that it must be requested at least two days prior to one’s visit.
Husband and wife team, Paul Mai and Tova Ng, began their venture and opened their brick and mortar with one objective: to create street food with an influence of places they loved—Asia, Hawaii, and Austin. They first met through their love affair with food, back in 2003, creating and building each other up ever since, stating “we were compelled to because we wanted to contribute and share the cuisines that inspired us in life to Austin’s ever-growing melting pot. We both come from big families who always made food an important lesson in our lives.”
A diner favorite, Ni-Haowdy Fries, is a culmination of China-meets-Austin flavors and their coordinating phrases for “hello there” of Ni-hao and howdy. A heap of French fries is topped with sensational BBQ pork, bacon, onions, peppers, and smothered in chili aioli.
Dragonbeard Candy, however, is very special to Tova and her childhood. She would go to market as a child with her mother and grandmother where she witnessed the making of this art form and would get some as a reward if she behaved. She recalls, “It became my favorite treat growing up.” Eventually the candy maker stopped coming to the market, but that special memory stuck with her. Never finding a place that could quite duplicate it the same, Tova decided she would master this delicate candy herself. “It’s the perfect marriage of unique and whimsical, like Austin. We wanted to preserve its long lost art form and share its magical taste with the city we live in.”
Thus, the namesake of their brick and mortar was born. Tova smiles as she describes her passion behind Dragonbeard: “It represents many key elements we strive to accomplish—unique fusion of culture, flavor, and culinary art.” Paul and Tova hope to keep the tradition of Dragonbeard Kitchen alive and have multiple locations in the future.
Contact:
(512)551-9261
8201 Cross Park Drive
http://www.dragonbeardkitchen.com/
