Sway Austin Review - One of the 50 Best New Restaurants in USA

By Taylor Owens

Sway Austin Review -Award Winning Modern Thai Restaurant

“Sway is an award-winning modern Thai restaurant, named one of the ’50 Best New Restaurants in America’ by Bon Appétit Magazine.” (Swayaustin.com)

The atmosphere at Sway Austin is a chill, mellow vibe. The table seating is like a hibachi minus the hibachi and all plates are meant to be shared. You can see into their kitchen and they also offer bar seating that looks into the kitchen. They have a nice bar area with high top tables as well. The outdoor patio is filled with incense and has a very calming atmosphere.

To start off our night, we ordered traditional sake and a traditional Japanese beer. This was my first sake experience. People always tell me to compare it to warm wine. It tasted like warm apple juice and went down so smooth… almost like a hot cider. The beer complemented the sake so well. It was extremely cold and very light.

Kirin Ichiban (16oz) – Japan Draught $6

Gekkeikan Traditional – Hot Sake $9

Our first course was the Prawn Miange. The betel leaf was the base to use as the “wrap.” The explosion of the lime and grapefruit flavors balanced the dish while getting a kick of heat from the Fresno Chile sauce. The crunch of the cashew and coconuts with the dried mini shrimp evened out the tender prawn. It reminded me of a combination between a lettuce wrap and spring roll.

Prawn Miange (gf) $10
Betel leaf, toasted coconut, toasted cashews, lime, Fresno Chile, grapefruit

Our second course was the Blue Crab Fried Rice. We asked our waiter what he recommended and he said this was a winner. But he also told us the dish wasn’t as flavorful as some of the others but it was one of their top sellers. So we gave it a go. When I took my first bite, I knew exactly what he meant when he said it wasn’t as flavorful. The dish was light and simple. One of the biggest things I noticed was, the rice was not brown like normal fried rice. They do not soak it in soy sauce. It is flavored with lemongrass, ginger, scallions, peas, and Thai basil. Lets not forget about the blue crab. They give you a generous amount throughout the fried rice. The Thai basil adds a beautiful flavor to the dish. It’s refreshing with a little kick but not overpowering.

Blue Crab (gf) – Fried Rice $18

Egg, lemongrass, ginger, peas, scallion, Thai basil

Our last course was the Son In Law. A traditional Thai dish that covers all the flavors your taste buds desire. It gives you sweet, sour, salty, and spicy all in one dish without overpowering any flavors. Sway Austin makes it even better by adding a poached egg that is lightly breaded and flash fried. It is Heaven!!! Its crunchy on the outside while the tender white and silky yoke on the inside is perfectly cooked. They serve this little piece of Heaven with insanely delicious braised pork shoulder. The pork shoulder is sweet and caramelized on the outside, but so tender on the inside that it just shreds apart, the bottom of the bowl is filled with rice and they garnish it with a spicy sauce and Thai basil.

Son In Law – Grilled & Crispy $18

Crispy farm egg, braised pork shoulder, thick soy, nahm prik pla

As being a new member of the Austin community, Sway Austin was a unique dining experience. I love restaurants that take fresh ingredients above and beyond their basic potential. Sway Austin definitely goes one step further. They are not only worried about their flavors, but presentation is vital as well. When your food is served, a server presents it to you, while describing what is in the dish. I like how all dishes are sharable so everyone can have a little taste of heaven. It’s a great date night place or with a group of friends. The more people the more dishes to share!