Opting for special occasion hot pot may sound a little odd, but DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is definitely an experience. At beautiful, intimate tables, diners can choose high-quality cuts of meat like A5 wagyu ribeye from Japan and browse the daily cart offerings for noodles and more. Or, pick an omakase to sit back and enjoy. Don’t miss the Keep Austin Dipping sauce — a take on queso.

Of chef Bryce Gilmore’s three restaurants, it is the Brentwood restaurant that offers up more experimental seasonal dishes, like the duck breast paired with pickled peached or the chamomile buttermilk pie. Get a little bit of everything through the multi-course chef’s tasting menu at $105.

Planning ahead is essential at this tiny restaurant at the Commodore Perry Estate. Verdant Lutie’s, from lauded Austin chef couple Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, has dishes like chickpea and green corn salad, whole roasted black seabass, and kouign amann ice cream.

The downtown restaurant serves up Mexican fare with playful modern takes while paying homage to the country’s roots, all found in a sleek, stylish, and very unique space in downtown Austin. Masa is the main start of the menu from tortillas to chochoyotes to tamals. Plus there are decadently rich bone marrows served with tortillas, tostadas topped with charred beets or a rich array of seafood, as well as intricate desserts.

Named after the Greek goddess of the hearth, the downtown restaurant centers around live-fire cooking. That means dishes like a scallop with beef tallow, dry-aged steaks, and lion’s mane mushroom with blackened koji and charcoal. Hestia comes from the much-lauded team of Kevin Fink and Tavel Bristol-Joseph, whose creative desserts are absolutely not to be missed.

Uchi’s modern take on Japanese cuisine has rightly earned it national acclaim. While you can’t go wrong with the exquisite a la carte menu, choose the adventurous omakase menu to truly experience the chefs' expertise with fresh cuts of fish chock-full of flavorful adornments to one-of-a-kind desserts. Takeout orders are available.

This intimate Holly omakase is a great way to go all-out on dinner. Many pieces come with small, creative touches like fresh-grated wasabi, fresno chili, or sea salt from Bali. The drink and sake pairings are also excellent.

Shrouded in exclusivity, the 12-seat Japanese restaurant located at the South Congress Hotel offers a 22-course omakase-style ticketed dinner, which incorporate influences from Kyoto's kaiseki and Tokyo’s sushi traditions. At $175 per person, the unforgettable multi-course journey from chef Yoshi Okai is one of Austin's most expensive dinners — but it's a steal when compared to similar experiences in other cities.

James Beard Award semifinalist chef Iliana de la Vega serves dishes from Oaxaca, with dishes like duck breast served in mole negro, tlayuda oaxaquena, and ensalada a la jamaica. Most all dishes in the restaurant are gluten-free. Takeout orders are available.