Restaurants / Openings

New Austin Patio Bar From Texas Food Celebrities Creates Major Buzz

Domo Alley-Gato Brings a Little Slice of Tokyo to Sixth Street

BY // 01.08.19

By now, the guys behind Ramen Tatsu-Ya and its offshoots (Kemuri Tatsu-Ya and locations of their namesake, Ramen Tatsu-Ya in Austin and Houston) are culinary celebrities in Texas. Chefs and owners Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya “Tako” Matsumoto continue to churn out hits that Austinites and tourists love, while maintaining an attention to detail that has been noticed by the likes of barbecue king  Aaron Franklin.

Their newest concept, Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-Ya, a patio bar and food truck next door to Ramen Tatsu-Ya’s eastside Austin location at 1600 East Sixth Street, opened last month — and it’s already one of Texas’ hottest restaurants.

The Tatsu-Ya boys continue their mastery of Austin’s late night food scene with the pun-tastic patio bar and food truck. The space draws inspiration from the buzzing nightlife of Japan’s big cities to create an experience of a small, intimate bar in a big city.

“We wanted to create an immersive environment where people can relax, enjoy unique drinks and food, and feel as if they stumbled into the back alleys of Tokyo,” Tatsu Aikawa says.

Menu offerings include their take on a hot dog, named the Ban Ban Dog, served on a brioche roll, with curry chili, teriyaki and honey aioli. The new hotspot also offers two takes on wings, one with a salty sweet peanut casey miso, and spicy hot dog made with habanero.

Don’t sleep on the selection of five Japanese curries, featuring locally made sausage, eggs and cheese.

It wouldn’t be a Tatsu-Ya venture without the signature attention to detail and creativity. Chef/owner Tatsu Aikawa took months to figure out the restaurant’s curry recipe, using 23 spices and 18 ingredients, which simmers for hours. He took inspiration from mole negro by adding chocolate to the curry.

“I like to think my curry tastes like gumbo meets mole meets Japanese curry,” Aikawa says.

While Domo Alley-Gato’s menu items are enticing, this spot is considered a bar first, with a creative cocktail and drink menu. It includes plenty of unique items, such as the frozen beer foam cap boilermakers. An insider’s tip we gleamed, is that the container bar, at the center of the patio, also has a rooftop deck, perfect for people watching amongst the Sixth Street surroundings.

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