Look out Austin, authentic Chinese dim sum is coming your way. The team behind Swift’s Attic is launching the highly anticipated Chinese restaurant, Wu Chow.
Wu Chow plans to bring authentic, fresh, modern Chinese food to the heart of downtown Austin, offering dishes representative of all eight styles of Chinese cuisine as well as dim sum service on Saturdays and Sundays. Techniques will be traditional and many of the dishes will be classic with regional influences sourced from local purveyors and farmers. Both chefs were born, raised and trained in China and incorporate their experience into the menu. Favorites such as Shanghai Soup Dumplings, Salt & Pepper Squid, Yu Xiang Eggplant and Mapo Tofu all have a place on the menu in addition to seasonal specials. Diners can expect clean, modern and sophisticated space with Asian influences that are subtle, unique and specifically tailored to a worldly palate.
“We saw an opportunity to create a modern yet authentic Chinese restaurant that builds on some of my family’s recipes and incorporates what’s currently happening in progressive Chinese cuisine today,” says C.K. Chin, General Manager and co-owner at Wu Chow, who still has family in China.
Wu Chow is expected to open any week now on the ground floor of the IBC tower at 500 West 5th Street in downtown Austin. The restaurant will be open for dinner seven nights a week, lunch Monday through Friday and Dim Sum on Saturday and Sunday.
I don’t know about you but I’ve completely cut out Asian cuisine in my diet since living in Austin for 6 years now. Why? Because the Asian food here sucks. And there’s no good dim sum spots (I still dream about the dim sum I had in Hong Kong for my 21st birthday). I did tell Eater Austin that my single best meal of 2014 was soup dumplings:
Soup dumplings on the streets of Taipei. Sorry Austin, but you just can’t beat a $1 lunch. – Jane Ko, editor at A Taste of Koko and food photographer
SEE ALSO: Best Cheap Eats in Taipei
To preview Wu Chow, Swift’s Attic and chefs Ji Peng Chen and Ling Qi Wu hosted a dim sum pop-up at the Congress Avenue restaurant today. Missed out? Here’s the deets.
Table of Contents
Xiao Long Bao
Shanghai soup dumplings with hand rolled wrapper with seasoned pork and housemade pork broth. Delicious with the fiery red chili oil.
Radish Cake
Pan seared daikon radish cake. My favorite snack when I was little, loved these!
Chicken & Taro Eggrolls
Chef Ling’s signature delicately thin and crispy eggrolls. Filled with chicken and taro root.
Char Sao Bao
Pillowy soft steamed bun filled with Chef Chen’s barbecue chaisui pork.
Shrimp Fritters
Minced shrimp wrapped in crispy julienned potato.
Egg Tart
Traditional lightly sweetened egg custard in puff pastry tart shell. All handmade by Chef Ling Wu! My favorite of the pop-up meal.
This is what the test kitchen is coming out with today! Fragrant spicy crab
A photo posted by Wu Chow Austin (@wuchowaustin) on
The hedgehogs are delicious! #enterthewuchow #36flavors
A photo posted by Mathew Clouser (@swiftsblade) on