Truthfully, this North Austin restaurant is one of the most exciting restaurants of the year, which opened in February. Chef Christopher Krinsky’s food court stall inside of Hana World Market in the Scofield Farms neighborhood offers ramen and tacos in Mexican and Japanese ways. Of the former, the mole tsukemen is a wonder; of the latter, he places grilled meat skewers on corn tortillas. It’s a counter-service restaurant, be patient with ordering and if they run out of food. There are indoor dine-in areas.

Chef Ling Qi Wu, the dumpling master behind Lin Asian Restaurant and other restaurants, opened her intimate 10-seat tasting spot in Wooten in November. The restaurant serves a tasting menu of pan-Asian fare along with wine and beer and is open for indoor dining only.

The highly anticipated pizza spot opened its first location this March in Tarrytown, slinging all sorts of New York-style pies and slices topped with cheese, pepperoni, and more. Pair the pies with glasses of wine from host site Flo’s. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

The Texas barbecue spot with Egyptian influences finally opened a permanent truck on Manor Road in October. Look for lamb bacon ribs, grilled chicken kebabs, pink potato salad, and bowls. Takeout orders can be placed online. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas at the host site Oddwood Brewing.

The Mexican seafood spot from the Suerte team, including lauded chef Fermín Núñez, opened in October in the former home of Eastside Cafe (and yes, the restaurant uses the on-site garden). Dishes include charcoal-cooked oysters, fried fish tacos on corn tortillas, and grilled shrimp. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

Six-time James Beard Award nominee Steve McHugh opened his first Austin restaurant in a new downtown hotel, Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin, in February. The San Antonio chef’s menu includes charcuterie (which he is known for at his restaurant Cured) and seasonal Texas fare. Luminaire is on the ground floor of the hotel with indoor and outdoor seating options, and there’s also a rooftop bar, Las Bis, with cocktails, snacks, an outdoor terrace, and skyline views.

The massive downtown restaurant space is now home to a Latin American-leaning live-fire spot courtesy of hospitality financial startup InKind. The upscale-ish menu spans steaks with salsas, caviar atop sopes, and a fully loaded seafood tower paired with veracruz sauce. There are indoor dine-in areas.

The local pizzeria brought stellar chef Grae Nonas on board for its new location, which means in addition to Neapolitan pizzas, there’s now fresh pasta dishes like tagliatelle bolognese and appetizers like spicy suppli and gooey stracciatella. This location of Bufalina, which opened in November, is indoor dining only.

This Jamaican food truck opened at Buzz Mill Coffee on Riverside in December. Owner and Jamaican immigrant Clay Spence serves up dishes with plantains, jerk chicken, and a vegan jerk mushroom option. Takeout orders can be placed online; there are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

A cafe by day and wine bar by night, Golden Hour opened in November with indoor dining, a patio, and to-go wine. In the mornings and afternoons, the cafe serves breakfast pastries, cheese plates, and cakes, while by night expect raw bar dishes and seafood — plus, low-intervention natural wine and snacks all day.