Nothing but love for Titaya’s

I love Titaya’s. We’ve driven there in what could charitably be called a monsoon, and braved long lines. The food and service are well worth the wait. If you’re dining in, you’ll appreciate that they took over a year to renovate their space and expand the dining room. The ambient lighting, modern décor, and great location add considerably to the experience. 

Titaya’s close to home for me, so we order take out often. While it isn’t the cheapest in Austin, the serving sizes are huge, and the quality of the food can’t be beat. Their menu is long so there is something for everyone: soups, tiny bites, stir fry, fried rice, noodles, etc.
 
If you do nothing else, try the Titaya’s Signature Wings. I’ve never had anything like them and they are single-handedly what keep me coming back. Marinated in garlic and peppercorns and served with fried lemongrass, the wings are sweet, salty, tangy, crispy, and juicy – everything you’d hope a wing would be. The dipping sauce is sweet and spicy – a perfect complement. About $8 gets you 6 wings, and I’m ashamed to admit we’ve done multiple orders in a sitting. They’re just so good.
 
They have wonderful vegetarian options as well; I’d argue that their vegetarian fried rice is the best in town, and you can add tofu as your protein to just about every meal. There are also a lot of seafood dishes, like the shrimp stirfry I ordered on my last visit.

If you like heat and spice, Titaya’s is your kind of place. So many items have one (or for the brave, more than one) pepper to signify heat. All I can say is when they say it is spicy, they mean it. We never wait long, and they have a full bar and a great selection of beverages and desserts.
 
My only critique is that I always forget how much cilantro they use; I can’t tell if they are heavy-handed with it or if my palette just can’t handle the flavor. Either way, I usually end up picking it off.