Aaron Franklin and Tyson Cole’s Asian Smokehouse Sets Opening Date

Loro, the casual Asian smokehouse from Uchi’s Tyson Cole and pitmaster Aaron Franklin, is opening on Wednesday, April 4 on 2115 South Lamar Boulevard in South Austin.

Loro’s day-long menu meshes what the two chefs know well, along with chef de cuisine James Dumapit: smoked meats and Asian flavors. A lot of these dishes were previewed at a South by Southwest party last week. This means candied kettle corn paired with burnt brisket ends, sandwiches with Thai green curry pork sausage, rice bowls with Sichuan tofu and coconut rice, black pepper-rubbed smoked turkey breast with Korean chili and apricot gastrique, and more. There is one dinner-only dish: the smoked brisket paired with nuoc mam, Thai gastrique, and chili oil

For drinks, beverage director Chris Melton focused on quick and easy cocktails. This means batch cocktails, sake slushies, tapped wine and sake, and some bottled/draft beers.

Logan Crable

Logan Crable

The restaurant is meant to be casual: people will place their orders at the large bar and take their own seats in the space meant to resemble a Texas dance hall or outside on the big patio. The restaurant will also offer to-go orders with a dedicated pick-up area.

The restaurant is hosting a preview party on Thursday, March 29, benefitting No Kid Hungry. Tickets are $100. Loro is part of the Hai Hospitality group, which oversees Uchi’s four locations (Austin, Houston, Dallas, forthcoming in Denver), Uchiko, and Uchiba in Dallas.

Loro’s hours will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Logan Crable

Loro’s Menu

Snacks
Candied Kettle Corn – togarashi, sea salt, brisket burnt ends
Oak-grilled Snap Peas – sriracha powder, kimchi emulsion

Starters
Vietnamese Kale Salad – hazelnut and yuzu vinaigrette, cabbage, Asian pear
Crunchy Sweet Corn Fritters – Thai herbs, celery, nam jim jaew, galangal powder, Thai chili, lime juice, fish sauce
Kale & Asian Pear Salad – hazelnut, cabbage, dashi, mint
Chicken Karaage – sweet Thai chili gastrique, Szechuan peppercorns, herbs, jalapeno aioli

Sandwiches
All with papaya salad, Thai Herbs, jalapeno aioli
Thai Green Curry Pork Sausage
Smoked and Grilled Brisket

Rice Bowls
All with coconut rice, seasonal pickles, and Thai herbs
Crispy Szechuan Tofu
Grilled Malaysian Chicken
Char Siew Pork Shoulder

Plates
Smoked Beef Brisket marinated with Vietnamese nuoc mam and Thai chili gastrique, finished with herbs and chili oil [available only for dinner]
Malaysian Chicken Mo Ssam – lettuce wraps, curry dipping sauce
Turkey Breast smoked with Korean chili, sugar and salt rub served with apricot gastrique
Thai Green Curry Sausage – green papaya, Thai chili sauce
Char Siu Pork Shoulder roasted and grilled in a marinade of soy Hoisin oyster sauce and fermented bean curd, topped with red onion and pickled cucumber with house-made Hoisin
Smoked Prime Bavette – shishito salsa verde
Oak Smoked Salmon with cardamom simple syrup and topped with parsley, served on a bed of cucumbers in cucumber broth
Garlic Rice Noodles – pineapple, mint, cashews topped with garlic oil, fish sauce and lime juice
Texas Sweet Corn – miso beurre blanc finished with shiso and edamame
Green Papaya Salad – cabbage, nam jim jaew
Coconut Scented Rice – lime leaves, lemongrass

Cocktail Menu
Batch cocktails
TyKu Sake Slushy
Frozen Gin & Tonic
Ginger Old Fashioned
Peach Margarita
Lemongrass Daiquiri
Negroni

• Tyson Cole and Aaron Franklin Give SXSWers a Peek Into Their New Restaurant Loro [EATX]
• All Coverage of Loro [EATX]