Sazan Ramen In Austin: A Detailed Restaurant Review
On July 7th, I had the privilege of attending the Sazan Star Festival and Grand Opening at Sazan Ramen. This event hosted by Sazan commemorated both the Japanese Star Festival as well as the first anniversary of the restaurant.
The Experience
During my experience at Sazan, I was treated to some lip-smacking bites and mouth-watering bowls of ramen. The hospitality at Sazan was second to none as the staff took great care of me and led me on a journey of flavors and textures that was unlike any other I have been on.
Starting off with Cocktails
The first thing I did once seated in Sazan was to browse the craft cocktails that they had to offer. After a chat with the amicable bartender, I ordered the Shun-Sational Old Fashioned as well as a lemon-based Michelada which was the perfect drink for washing down bites of chicken wings and dumplings.
The Old Fashioned was meticulously handcrafted with plum wine syrup and orange peel which complemented one another beautifully. The notes of citrus from the orange and the sweetness from the plum wine syrup perfectly countered the Angostura bitters and Wild Turkey to make a delightful Old Fashioned.
Main Course – Chicken Wings
As I began to dissect both of my drinks for what made them so special, hot and fresh chicken wings made their way to my table. The wings were not only perfectly crispy all around, but dry rubbed in Sazan’s special house curry rub.
Wings at a Ramen House? Better Than You Expect
As someone who is used to wings doused in sauce, I was beyond pleasantly surprised by the curry wings. These wings may have permanently converted me to a dry rub fan as the wings maintained their crunch from the deep fryer while leaving me licking my fingers and drooling over the curry rub.
The chicken wings were complemented wonderfully by the lemon michelada which was the ideal drink for washing down the dry-rubbed wings.
Steamies Dumplings
Following the delectable wings, I tried the Steamies dumplings which are handcrafted, locally made dumplings from Sazan’s neighboring restaurant Steamies.
The scratch-made dumplings made only with locally sourced ingredients were little pockets of heaven. The juicy pork and cabbage filling was truly delicious. Each bite was crispy on the bottom and bursting with juice and flavors. Both of the drinks and starters got the evening started with a bang, leaving me gleefully anticipating the bowls of ramen that were headed my way.
Oh, My Glitter Ramen
The ramen from Sazan was absolutely to die for. I tried the Glitter Ramen, a festival special made with clam and duck broth, along with the Spicy Paitan Ramen. The Glitter Ramen was an incredibly unique experience as the flavors of the clam and the duck came together to make a light and fragrant bowl of ramen.
My favorite of the two, the Spicy Paitan Ramen was creamy, fatty, and spicy – everything I wanted and more. Each perfectly cooked noodle grabbed onto the broth and fat as it left the bowl, making for a delectable spoonful every bite. The noodles, broth, and Chashu came together to form a bowl that left me wanting more and more.
Mochi Madness
To conclude my meal at Sazan, I enjoyed some sweet and unique mochi in three different flavors. I had passion fruit, black sesame, and turmeric mochi. The passion fruit was light and tart which juxtaposed the decadent ramen beautifully. The black sesame mochi was mild and sweet with notes of a toasted black sesame seed.
Finally, the turmeric mochi was sweet and citrusy with notes of oranges throughout. Some sticky, cold, and sweet mochi was just what I needed to conclude my meal and incredible experience at Sazan. All in all, my time at Sazan was fantastic. I’m looking forward to re-visiting this ramen restaurant with friends and family to experience unique drinks, scrumptious starters, and incredible bowls of ramen.
