Loro Asian Smokehouse
If you’ve heard of famous Franklin Barbecue, then you have most likely heard of the co-owner of the self-proclaimed, ‘Best Asian Smokehouse on Lamar,’ Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar… Aaron Franklin. Franklin along with Chef Tyson Cole (owner of Uchi and Uchiko here in Austin) are both James Beard Award winners and own this fairly new establishment that has an incredible happy hour and seems to always be buzzing.
‘The Best Asian Smokehouse on Lamar’
I can’t be alone when I say that I’ve never heard of an Asian smokehouse but that didn’t discourage me from wanting to go to a restaurant owned by two of the best chefs (a pitboss is a chef, right?)/restaurateurs in Austin.
Loro opened in April of 2018 and I first visited in June, just a couple of months after opening. Ever since that first visit, we soon learned that eating at the bar if you’ve got 1 - 4 people in your party is the secret to getting the best service. If you don’t sit at the bar, you approach the bar, place your order and they give you a buzzer, which they say has a tracker in it and you go sit down inside or out on the patio (which has fans with misters, so necessary in our Texas summers!). At the bar, you have the bartenders as your servers and don’t have to deal with keeping a tab open or multiple tips that come along with closing tabs.
Mango Sake Slushee :)
Refreshments
Don’t go to Loro expecting a full bar, instead you will find some batch cocktails (Ginger Old Fashioned, Peach Margarita, Lychee Arnold Palmer and more), Boozy Slushees (Frozen Gin & Tonic and Mango Sake Slushee) [$8*], about one brand per spirit, variety of craft and traditional beers and wine. I recommend the Mango Sake Slushee if you like want something refreshing.
If you’re looking for non-alcoholic, you should check out the Cuvee Nitro Cold Brew which is a local to Austin coffee and is delightful and smooth.
Bring On The Grub
Okay… I’m going to change your life in four words:
OAK . GRILLED . SNAP . PEAS .
I will understand your hesitation and maybe your doubt, but trust me on this one. If you’ve never had meat in your life, try these and you can basically claim you’ve had meat. If you have been taught (or bribed) to go vegan or vegetarian, eat these and it will remind you of a meatier time in your life, LOL! I truly cannot explain how incredible these peas are, it’s something you need to experience first hand.
Life Changing Oak Grilled Snap Peas
Additionally, their Wonton Chips & Dips [$5.75*] is an Asian take on the typical TexMex chips and dip experience so often us Texans encounter, except with Wonton wrappers fried to mimic chips alongside of a spice thai green salsa and peanut sambal (chili paste). Loro also offers a bag of Kettle Corn with Brisket Burnt Ends [$3.5*] tossed around to tingle your taste buds with the sweet and savory.
Dinner Time
Hearing Aaron Franklin graces this place, I originally tried the Smoked Beef Brisket [$15.5] and to be honest, I would have to give it a 7 out of 10, my expectations were too high. (Reminder - the brisket is only available after 5pm). The next time I came back for dinner, I wanted to give the brisket another go, but in sandwich form, and I don’t know why that was so much different but it was a game changer. The Oak Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich [$12] is chopped brisket stacked with some type of slaw with chili gastrique and thai herbs to encompass those Asian flavors and very fresh pickle on the side.
Honorable Mentions
The Chicken Karaage (means ‘Tang fry’) [$9.5] is a delicious, crispy, fried chicken dish that is very popular in Japanese bento boxes. Pairing your dish with Coconut Scented Rice [$4*] is great idea because the side is very aromatic with the lemongrass and coconut. The Garlic Rice Noodles [$4.5*] is a delicious side but somewhat small, so keep that in mind. If you like pork ribs, even though Texas is usually known for their beef ribs, definitely check out Loro’s Smoked Baby Back Duroc Pork Ribs, [$12*] which are only available on Sunday and Monday after 5pm. Another incredible Asian dish is the Malaysian Chicken Bo Ssam [$14.5] with a yellow curry-yuzu vinaigrette, thai basil that was so incredibly moist and flavorful.
Happiest of Hours
Last but not least, Loro is known to have an awesome Happy Hour from 2 - 5pm on weekdays with special menu items, half off selected beer and wine plus half off those delicious boozy slushees (meaning they’re only $4!).
Most Recent Happy Hour (June 2019)
FOOD
Loro’s Cheeseburger (red onion-brisket jam, muenster cheese, lettuce) 8.75
Rice Noodle Salad (lemongrass beef, cucumber, rice cracker) 7
Smoked Brisket Tostada (corn tortilla, creme fraiche, shishito salsa verde) 7
Chicken Karaage (chili aioli, szechuan salt, thai herbs) 6.75
Crispy Glazed Chicken Wings (coconut “ranch,” preserved lemon cucumbers) 8
DRINK
Frozen Gin & Tonic 4
Mango Sake Slushees 4
Kirin Ichiban 2.75
Stemmari Pinot Grigio 3.75
Stemmari Rose 3.75
Stemmari Pinot Noir 3.75
Ty Ku Sake 4
SWEET
Salted Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookie 3.25
Whipped Chocolate Mousse (bacon cookie crumble, caramel) 5.25
Make your way down to Loro, enjoy some drinks, some brisket and then you should check out NadaMoo Scoop Shop for dessert down the street.
* Prices as of June 2019
Cheers!
-Bianca D.
Oak Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich