Statesman Digs New Chinese Restaurant Old Thousand

Amidst SXSW, Statesman critic Matthew Odam drops his take on newcomer East Side Chinese restaurant and takeout spot Old Thousand. He pushed aside questions of authenticity, instead relishing in comforting dishes from Uchi alumni chefs James Dumapit and David Baek.

Odam was taken with the warming nai nai chicken and rice congee, fierier dishes like the kung pao cauliflower, and the unexpected flavors of the pineapple beef:

It’s easy to balk when you see a dish like pineapple beef ($16), the mind retreating to visions of gloopy sauces packed with corn-syrupy sweetness. But the flank steak here, zipped with a pineapple chili sauce and dotted with caramelized chunks of fresh fruit, speaks to thoughtful execution.

He also appreciated noted the menu’s Texas nods: the candied pecans and honey curd of the honey prawn and fried rice mixed with bits of Micklethwait Craft Meats’ brisket. He wasn’t a fan of the noodles (noting that it’s not housemade) and a soft mapo eggplant. He did delight in the quail eggs, though.

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