Fodor's Expert Review Sway

Based on a distinctive Australian-style Thai cuisine, Sway has provided Austin with an injection of modern Thai fusion in a chic, sexy setting. The South Austin hotspot, which opened in 2012, has received high acclaim from luminaries like Bon Appetit, who ranked it as one of the “50 Best New Restaurants in America” in 2013. The alluring menu offers tasty starters like prawn miange, followed by options including stir fry, curry, wok noodle, and grilled and fried rice preparations. We recommend the Jungle Curry, with wagyu beef, eggplant, and red chilis, or the lemongrass-perfumed tom kha gai soup. Reservations are required for the twice-nightly Moo Sway dinners, featuring off-menu specialties like whole roasted pork shoulder, all served family-style. To drink there's wine, sake, and beer, plus custom kombuchas and drinking vinegars (with flavors like tamarind and apple), mixed with Topo Chico and served over crushed ice. Seating is mainly communal and quickly fills up on weekends. Take-out orders are now accepted online, making the elevated cuisine more accessible.