To celebrate a recent birthday, we took the time to drive up to Leander to grab takeout from the gas station restaurant based on the recommendation of a trusted friend. Our entire spread was magnificent. The steamed chicken momos were so plump and nicely spiced (I do love dumplings a lot); the cauliflower in the Gobi 65 was sturdy; and the chicken kadai was the ideal brothy entree. —Nadia Chaudhury

I wanted to try a new-to-me restaurant so we decided to trek up to Twin Panda, north of Jollyville. The Chinese and Chinese-American fare selection is strong — the orange chicken is great, as was the egg drop soup and crab puffs. But I was particularly taken with the spectacular Indonesian section. I ordered the beef kwetiau, a wonderfully flavorful stir-fried noodle dish made with sweet soy sauce and big chunks of scrambled eggs. I loved it so much and I was thankful for the leftovers I ate for lunch the next day. —NC

Yes, it will perhaps be really annoying procuring barbecue from the barbecue restaurant from the team behind the defunct Noble Sandwich Co. restaurant nowadays. You’ll have to wake up early and wait for a while, but really, the food is that good and well worth the lack of sleep. While people have been raving about the brisket and the lovely little peach-glazed pork belly, the turkey is really the best item on the menu. The sliced meat is so tender and flavorful and juicy, all thanks to the fact that it’s been marinated in Live Oak Brewery’s hefeweizen. —NC

Because I was already in what I deemed as far, far, far North Austin, we decided to grab dinner from new-to-me Vietnamese restaurant since I know several trustworthy people who have raved about the menu. They were not wrong. The hu tieu ap chao had wonderfully chewy pan-fried noodles with loads of vegetables; the banh xeo was ginormous, the fried crepe overflowing with bean sprouts; and the red curry was tasty. My absolute favorite item was the little banh knot: perfect rice cakes topped with a great mix of shrimp, mung beans, and a dollop of coconut milk. —NC

It’s been a wonderful week full of birria, consomme, and quesabirria for me. Every single taco I had was a work of delicious art, but of particular note was the quesabirria de chivo taco from North Austin truck Taquito Aviles. The compact corn tortilla taco is full of really luscious goat meat glued together with American cheese (honestly, the perfect choice). The taco itself is perfection, but then dipping said taco into the accompanying goat-based consomme just brought a little extra oomph into the bite. —NC

To celebrate Eid, we ordered a straight-up feast from the North Lamar restaurant. The falafel was soft with a nice spicy kick; the lamb and beef kebabs were juicy and tender and robust; the fried kibbah texturally amazing and hearty; the meat flatbread reminded me of lahmajun I’ve had at home in Queens. The mhalabiyah (milk pudding) was the not-too-sweet way of ending the meal. —NC

In the mood for new-to-me restaurants and the fact that I was sans-car for the time being, I ordered delivery from House of Three Gorges after an endorsement from a friend. The fresh pepper jumping fish filet dish was amazing with tender pieces of white fish drenched in a spicy broth mixed with raw jalapenos. The fried rice paired with Chinese sausage made for a sweeter counterpart. The portions are ginormous and have been lasting me for several days and going (if you know me, you know I love leftovers, and specifically mixing and matching leftovers). —NC

I’m new to the creamy paitan ramen of Sazan Ramen and I was definitely impressed. The combination of warm, rich broth (it’s a mix of chicken and pork, but there’s a vegan version, too), comforting noodles, beautiful egg, and just a bit of peppery arugula was a great find during a long week. The menu is small (though it does include dumplings from neighbor Steamies) but why mess with perfection? —ER

The sandwiches at Bee Cave patisserie Baguette et Chocolat’s are simple and made with really high-quality ingredients, and they’re perhaps some of the best ones I’ve had in a while. The Parisian Brie includes layers of sliced meat, fresh tomatoes/cucumbers/lettuce, and thick brie wedges, placed within a wonderful fluffy yet sturdy baguette (add cornichons for an extra crunch). I regret not ordering dessert (the mille-feuille and Paris-Brest both sound so good) and I’m also eying a quiche for my next visit. —NC

I am not even really a doughnut person, but the creations from Lola’s Donuts are basically irresistible. My favorite was the rich, cakey, indulgent coffee Oreo donut that was quite satisfactory for dessert, although I also appreciated the giant glitter fritter — a kiwi/mango batter with a coconut rum glaze. The flower-covered shop front is adorable, and this is one of the few times a restaurant is both perfect for Instagram and excellently crafted. —ER

I hadn’t been to Dai Due in a minute, and I’m pleased to report that it’s even better than I remembered. The restaurant uses ingredients exclusively from Texas — down to the wine and beer list — which suits the somewhat rustic-chic atmosphere of the restaurant. Choosing dishes on the menu was a truly monumental task because everything looked so good (quail with grits? wild boar confit?). I happened in on fish and chips night, and the crispy, tender black drum with remoulade, slaw, and perfectly seasoned fries was truly a meal to remember. I also had a glass of the house Blanc du Bois from Lewis Wines, whose light, crisp effervescence paired well with my meal. I can’t wait to return to try, well, everything else on the menu. —ER

I’ve been venturing into the dine-in service world slowly, and one of my recent favorites is a simple one. Nothing beats the combination of a breezy day, tinned fish and saltines, and orange wine, all of which can be found at LoLo. A full glass of the orange wine — Poderi Cellario E’Orange — was easy with a slight welcomed tang (I regret not buying a bottle right now). I opted for the tuna packed in oil, which paired wonderfully with the buttery saltines. It was perfect. —NC

Former Pitchfork Pretty chef Max Snyder’s vegan-friendly trailer Rogue Radish has been on my list to try for an embarrassingly long time, and now that I finally made it over, I regret all the time I could have spent eating there. I got the goat on rice bowl and the tender fish sauce and maple syrup-marinated goat was one of my favorite bites this year. It so many great things in one bowl — purple sticky rice, black beans, pickled vegetables, and super-fresh salad. Sad desk lunch, begone. —ER

I’ve been exploring more of Austin’s vegan scene thanks to social distanced hangs with a new friend. A recent weekend brought us to vegan dim sum truck Plow Bao, parked at Buzz Mill Coffee. The pan-fried “pork” dumplings were rich and packed and the special of beautifully ginormous scallion pancake wraps — essentially scallion pancakes filled with breakfasty ingredients from vegan eggs to siracha “mayonnaise” — much like giant tacos. The pancakes were doughy yet sturdy enough to contain all of the ingredients. —NC

The seafood menu over at South Austin food truck Da Boot Po-Boys is magnificent. The crawfish platter comes with delightful fried mudbugs paired with really soft bread; the fried okra balls were beautifully fresh; the fries were spiced; and the star of my meal was the whole deep-fried soft-shell crab that was, well, soft and meaty. —NC

I had been eyeing the barbacado at barbecue truck LeRoy & Lewis for a while. And I finally got to check that box during a first-time-in-real-life-co-working-session with a friend at Cosmic Coffee. It’s the perfect lunchtime meal: a flawless halved avocado stuffed with tender barbacoa topped with cilantro, diced white onions, and salsa. The avocado skin worked as a compostable bowl and I found myself scraping for every bit of the fruit. —NC

A trusted friend highly recommended new-to-me food truck Shirley’s Trini Cuisine so I finally went to check it out recently. The doubles are amazing: fried bread that is stuffed with chickpeas (which I’ve come to realize is one of my favorite foods) and topped with chutneys and more chickpeas. The spicy goat curry is rich with tender meat, the roti flaky, and the side of potatoes and chickpeas made everything better. I need to go back to try the bake-and-shark (made with fish), the stew chicken, plantains, and macaroni pie. —NC