SXSW had a little food truck roundup called "SouthBites", and one of the most famous food trucks in Austin was in attendance.

East Side Kings dubs its menu Japanese street food with a touch of Austin soul.

On this day, they had a few tasty options - but the frontrunner for me was "Thai Chicken Kara-age" which is deep-fried chicken thighs in a sweet chili sauce with fresh onion, jalapeno and herbs.

East Side King offers globally influenced Japanese street food. Created by Paul Qui and Moto Utsunomiya during their time at Uchi/Uchiko, East Side King provided a space for creative freedom and fun with food. East Side King has grown from a food truck behind the Liberty Bar to include a brick and mortar on South Lamar, a catering department, and talent like Thai Changthong, Executive Chef of Thai-Kun. 

East Side King is inspired by Asian cultures, rock bands, art and Austin's laid-back, fun-loving vibe. We use quality ingredients like certified awesome Tender Belly Pork, 100% vegetarian-fed pigs raised without antibiotics, hormones, or crates of any kind.

Wow, was this good! Bold, fresh flavors. The cuisine in this town is just so much different than what I'm used to. It was light, but filling and satisfying. Even giant fresh onion and jalapeno just tasted refreshing. That sauce was so flavorful. Just, man, I'm missing this right now.

As a side note - Avocados from Mexico sponsored the event, so they were giving out free guac! You could customize it, so I got cranberries and cojito cheese on it. Win.





Grade: A