Fed Man's Ramen City at East Side King and Musashino; La Barbecue The Best in Austin?

Austin food bloggers posted a number of write-ups this week, including two for Fed Man Walking's Ramen City series: East Side King and Musashino. At East Side King, standouts include the Hiyashi Thai Chuka whose "whole bowl glows" and the Sapporo beer broth ramen that "spreads out with beer's bitter-but-not-resentful dryness." Less successful is the the chicken tortilla ramen. "The chimeric melding of Mexican and Japanese forms diminished both." Meanwhile, the cold black sesame ramen is a delicious "zoo."

Musashino's ramen, sadly, is all disappointment. The Texas Ramen falls flat, with the fried okra losing out in the "tempura vs. broth" contest, and the BBQ brisket merely "Barbecue In Name Only." The more traditional ramen does not fare much better, the broth "a half-salted schlitterbahn," and the pork belly "closer to barbecue than the brisket will ever be." Sutter mourns the Musashino of "of the mid-'90s," which has faded "with a tired exhale."

Speaking of lost glory, Rob Patterson of the Austin Post declares Matt's El Rancho "overrated," his rosy 1978 memories notwithstanding. Forks Up found Barley Swine holds up, singling out the wagyu beef and scrambled eggs with shitake dumplings. Finally, Gouramanda recounts a semi-recent BBQ taste-off between Franklin, John Mueller Meat Co., and la Barbecue, and declares la Barbecue the winner.

· Ramen City: East Side King [Fed Man Walking]
· Ramen City: Musashino [Fed Man Walking]
· Overrated: Matt's El Rancho [Austin Post]
· A Taste of Austin: BBQ Taste-Off [Gouramanda]
[Photo: Patrick Michels/EATX]