Finally! Paul Qui To Open "Asian-esque" Spot In SoLa

The moment we've all been waiting for is here: Paul Qui has officially said he'll open his very own restaurant on South Lamar (Update! at 2310 South Lamar), serving an "Asian-esque" menu in two rooms with one kitchen. The main dining room will seat 50, while a separate 12-seat bar will be reserved for a tasting menu, Qui tells Serious Eats NY, "Sort of like a kaiseki? But not really like that."

The Top Chef winner and Uchiko chef tells Serious Eats NY—Qui is previewing some of his dishes at a CityGrit dinner this week—that "plates will be a little bigger than sushi bites," and he was inspired by a recent trip to ... Copenhagen. At CityGrit, Qui served "lots of clean broths and summer vegetables, precisely cooked proteins with clear, focused flavors."

With today's Sway announcement from the La Condesa team, the opening of Elizabeth Street Cafe last year and Uchi's continued reign, it sure looks like the south side is destined to be the epicenter of upscale Asian cuisine in Austin.

· Paul Qui: Dinner At City Grit (And Details On His New Restaurant) [SeriousEats]
· All Paul Qui Coverage on Eater Austin [-EATX-]

Paul Qui at the Austin Food & Wine Festival. [Photo: Eric McGregor/EATX]