Guest article by Stephen Edward
Located in north Austin, DipDipDip Tatsu-ya, from the minds behind Ramen Tatsu-ya, is a shabu shabu-style restaurant. Shabu shabu is a Japanese hot pot type meal where proteins and vegetables are dipped back and forth in a boiling broth until cooked.
The experience certainly cannot be enveloped in this write-up alone. DipDipDip is beautiful and the staff members are welcoming, knowledgeable, and there to guide you through the motions. Relax and enjoy.
Thank you to DipDipDip Tatsu-ya for hosting me for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.
Approaching DipDipDip Tatsu-ya
I went on a Sunday evening; the reservation was for 5:15. The facade of the building, which sits amid a row of other local establishments, is clad in wood paneling. A neon ‘ORDER HERE’ sign at the entrance signals you’ve arrived.
There is a small bar out front, which shares a sliding glass window with the interior bar. The small bar has a full stock, hand-prepped ingredients, and a dedicated bartender.
I ordered the Melting Pot, a tequila-based, culinarily-inspired cocktail with unaged brandy and Yuzu (Japanese citrus sauce) and the Second Spring, a delicious mix of Youpon gin, Imo Sochu (Japanese rice spirit), and blackberry.
Both drinks were booze-forward, but complemented accordingly with their citrus counterparts. Delicious–I could have had two of each. Oh, and look for self-serve ice cream, street-side, in case you have an evening sweet tooth, but don’t want to sit and dine.
Once in, we realized we were the first to arrive. Greeted by the staff lining the walls, it felt like we had just walked into some antiquated hospitality house.
DipDipDip Tatsu-ya is lit with warm tones. Subtle lighting tucked within draped indigo banners and wood accents joining every surface. It was empty and beautiful, but that wouldn’t last for long. By the time we were seated and looked over our menus, the tables were filling quickly. Make your reservation accordingly.
Immersion
Based on the incredible cocktails we had, it’s easy to assume the rest of the drink list follows suit. But if it’s no booze for you, sip on your water while bathing yourself with the complimentary towels which are placed in front of you as little dry pucks. With a slow pour of hot water from a kettle, which looks as though it could have come from 6th century Japan, the towels unfurl themselves from their dehydrated cocoons and grow into a small towel to be used in a subtle and enjoyable cleansing ceremony.
The menu will be tucked alongside the stool you’re seated in and, in front, a cubby for your personals. Space will be tight once the show arrives and you’ll need all the real estate you can get. As you study the menu, the staff will be acknowledging arriving guests by saying, as if in a firing order,
“Irasshaimase!” Pronounced ira-she-ma-sigh, which means “welcome” in Japanese.
The menu is laid out in an easy-to-read fashion. One glance may be a little disorienting, but trust, it all sinks in. Just order a Kirin and go with it.
Keep reading: Here’s What You Need to Know About the Tatsu-ya Restaurants in Austin
The Presentation
You pick a broth and can go a few directions: Á la carte or choose from a selection of predestined arrangements. My dining companion and I had the House Omakase and Tatsu-Ya Omakase.
House Omakase
- Shabu shabu ozen – we selected the 50-hour Tonkutsu broth
- Truffle sukiyaki dip – 45-minute egg in a truffle sauce…unreal
- Top sirloin from Hereford, Texas
- Kurobuta pork loin – select breed of Berkshire pig bred for finer meat and fat marbling
- Meatballs – choose from chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp
- Pot pockets – raclette and mushroom
- Sui gyoza – shrimp, spicy cheddar grits
Tatsu-Ya Omakase
- Shabu-shabu ozen – we selected a mild broth with kelp, the Konbu Dashi
- Truffle sukiyaki dip
- Texas Wagu beef from Strube Ranch
- Kurobuta pork belly
- Chicken meatballs
- Pot pockets – raclette and mushroom
- Sui gyoza – blue crab, lemon butter
- Sui gyoza – shrimp, spicy cheddar grits
- Gyu maki, which is a roll of Niman Ranch beef stuffed with foie gras and daikon radish
- Noodle of the day
It all comes out with the addition of a veggie box.
Your stove will be set to 190 degrees. The layout of the table is like something out of a Feng Shui magazine. Brilliant colors amid the neutral wood and ceramic dishes.
Your server will explain what everything is, and give you subtle direction and recommendations. It’s all yours now. Order another Kirin before they run off and dig in.
The tables are intimate, with dividers between your space and another. The crew will be working around you with consistent check-ins and offerings–like the cart they roll around between the tables. I can’t tell you what’s on it because that defeats the purpose. But it’s beautiful and the select items, packed on ice, will have you wanting the whole cart to be left with you.
Mid Course
So you’ve tried everything in front of you, in the midst of what to dip in what and in which order. This made the experience for me. Once you let go of the, “What am I supposed to do with all this” sensation, you become an artist. Freeform and abstract with no such thing as a wrong move. All of the dips will have taken on particular characteristics now that you’ve mixed and painted them.
A pro tip from our server, Matt: use the rice bowl to drape your just-cooked items upon. As they cool, the rice will take on a delicious flavor which you will appreciate later on.
By this point, we’re getting down to the few remaining pieces to be cooked. The dips are beginning to show their age. Remnants of the meal and mixed flavors, they are almost asking you to drink them. And there is no shame in that, by the way.
Full and Content at DipDipDip Tatsu-ya
We polish off our drinks and stare at each other silently across the still beautiful, but well-used table. No words. Just full and content. “Another round?” Matt asks. We shake our heads.
“Well, we have one final treat for you.”
It was a Blood Orange Granita with an infused dollop of Crème fraîche to cleanse the palate.
Get out of town. The perfect portion and sweetness. What a desert wants to be. I’ll be back.
7301 Burnet Road Ste. 101 – Website
@theAustinot wants to know:
Have you dined at DipDipDip Tatsu-ya yet?
Stephen Edward travels, rides motorcycles, works on old things, writes when the spirit moves, and otherwise has daily wrestling matches with the eternally elusive paradox of inspiration. Too philosophical for his own good. And apparently thinking he’s philosophical is ironic.
