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East Side King Thai Kun Closed Up Steampunk Saloon Truck

Now there is one truck and one brick and mortar

East Side King Thai Kun's former home at Steampunk Saloon
East Side King Thai Kun's former home at Steampunk Saloon
Nicholas M./Yelp
Nadia Chaudhury is the editor of Eater Austin covering food and pop culture, as well as a photographer, writer, and frequent panel moderator and podcast guest.

East Side King Thai Kun closed down its truck at Steampunk Saloon, as pointed out by a tipster. Visits to both the West 6th bar and Thai Kun’s location at Whisler’s confirmed the shutter. There are no plans to relocate the truck as of this point, according to an ESK staffer. A rep stated that the Thai Kun team is "focus[ing] on its other projects."

The seemingly science fiction industrial bar welcomed the truck back in December. Thai Kun opened the brick and mortar up in the Domain’s Rock Rose district last February.

ESK’s trucks have gone through several Austin switcheroos and shutters through the years. The ramen-focused location at Hole in the Wall closed last winter and was replaced by Michi Ramen’s new concept Yatai this March. Other previous homes included Wonderland, Shangri-La, Grackle.

ESK owner Paul Qui was arrested last month for assault and said in a statement that he would check himself into a treatment facility. He also oversees sushi counter Otoko and Qui, his namesake flagship restaurant. East Side King and Thai Kun are also run by chefs Thai Changthong and Moto Utsunomiya.

Currently, the only Thai Kun truck resides at Whisler’s on East 6th Street. Then, there are East Side Kings at Liberty, Four HorsemenSpace 24 Twenty, and on South Lamar.

Steampunk Saloon

700 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 474-7865

East Side King Thai-kun

1104 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702 (512) 407-8166