Juan In A Million

When my friends from out of town visit me, they always want to go to Kerbey Lane for breakfast. Why? I love the place, but other than the Cowboy Queso and Hibiscus Fizz, it isn’t that impressive.

Where do I go for breakfast at least once a month? That would be Juan In A Million, where I can get a kick-butt breakfast for $3.80.

Juan In A Million is “Juan” of Austin’s signature restaurants. It’s a big deal. It was even featured on an episode of Man vs. Food!

In case you aren’t familiar with Juan In A Million, let me fill you in.

The place is famous for the Don Juan, a giant breakfast taco…if you can even call it that. You can’t even attempt to wrap a tortilla around the mound of eggs, bacon, potatoes and cheese.

When you order a Don Juan the first question that the server will ask you is how many tortillas you want with it. Does this give you an idea of how giant these things are? (I order mine with an extra tortilla and a side of pico de gallo.)

so. good.

But we all know that size isn’t everything. The Don Juan is as delicious as it is huge. Soooo tasty. (Put bacon and cheese on anything and I get pretty excited.)

Just on the Eastside, Juan In A Million is full of character. With simple (and I mean simple) décor, it’s a neighborhood joint that is no-nonsense and provides you with good food and a solid handshake.

(Yes, if you are ever lucky enough to shake owner Juan Meza’s hand. Please do, it will teach you what a real handshake should be like.)

Titaya's Thai Cuisine

         
This week on my food adventure I decided to follow my craving for Thai food. (My choice was also influenced by the fact that both my dear friend Sara has never had it. FOR SHAME!)

        
So, I decided to venture out to try a different Thai restaurant and ended up at Titaya’s Thai Cuisine on North Lamar.

        
For those of you who have never tried Thai food, please do. And Titaya’s would not be a bad place to start.

         
First of all, I have been to many Thai restaurants that serve delicious food, but look like a total dump. Titaya’s is actually pleasant to sit in, you don’t worry about a ceiling tile falling down and you aren’t hesitant to use the bathrooms.

        
The décor is simple and not tacky.

See? Tasteful

I ordered a Thai iced tea as soon as I sat down. I love Thai tea. It’s strongly brewed black tea with sugar and condensed milk. Titaya’s was a bit on the sweet side, but the smoky aftertaste was so good.

Sara had chicken Pad Thai. I stole a bite, and it tasted so fresh compared to other Pat Thais I’ve had in the past. It also looked fresher. The noodles weren't gooey, and the presentation was kind of pretty.

Isn't that the prettiest Pad Thai you've ever seen?

One of my favorite things about Thai food is the use of coconut milk. So I ordered the Gang Mosmun curry (musmun mild curry in coconut milk, potatoes, carrots, peanuts and onions). Like Sara’s Pad Thai, my food tasted very fresh. The carrots and peanuts were crisp and not soggy. There was just enough spice. But the potatoes were undercooked which was rather disappointing.

Boo uncooked potatoes! Yay everything else!

My roommate ordered Pad Kei Mao (flat rice noodle stir-fried with onions, mushrooms, fresh basils, tomatoes, bell peppers and fresh Thai chili), and it was an excellent choice. It was flavorful and not too spicy at all (I don’t really know how it got two peppers on the one to three spicy scale).

This is what I'm ordering next time.

Overall a very enjoyable meal! I look forward to munching on the leaftovers.