Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/461140
photography by knoxy knox photography; hair by ricky hodge and SpenSer o'Shaw of ricky hodge Salon; Styling by Sunroom; makeup by chriStie griffin of ricky hodge Salon Paul Qui a nd Dea na Sauka m a re accustomed to life in t he fast la ne. Including East Side K ing, Qui's cha in of Asia n st reet food-inspired t r ucks, a nd his epony mous f ine- dining est abl ish ment , t he t wo Aust i n ites have opened f ive eater ies i n just t h ree yea rs, a nd t hei r popu la r Aust i n empi re is st i l l g row i ng. Upcom i ng pla ns i nclude a br ick- a nd-mor t a r Ea st Side K i ng T ha i Ku n at T he Doma i n, a new rest au ra nt con- cept at Sout h Cong ress Hotel, a nd pop -up rest au ra nt s a rou nd t he world, i nclud i ng a n Ea st Side K i ng i n Si ngapore open i ng t h is Apr i l. As they continue to expand, the media devour their every move. Qui—who is a Top Chef champion, James Beard Award winner, and Esquire's 2014 Chef of the Year —has done much to put Austin on the culinary map. But if there is a single person who has helped him do so, it's Saukam. Currently serving as the restaurant group's PR, media, and events director, she has been with Qui since his days in the kitchen at Uchi, and has provided a delicate balance of love and professional suppor t for t he bet ter pa r t of a decade. We followed the duo through a typical frenzied day on the town, the results of which were a gastronomic marathon—26 courses in all—spanning three food trucks. [First stop: the modest Las Trancas food truck, where tacos start at $1.50 each.] Paul Qui: This whole part of East Austin is blowing up. We started coming here because it was on the way home from Qui and still open at midnight. No one used to come here, and now look at this lunch rush. [The window attendant calls Qui over to the truck to pick up their order: eight kinds of tacos—carne asada to lengua—the Hawaiiana torta, and a quesadilla trepas cooked extra crispy.] Deana Saukam: What are you doing this afternoon? PQ: I'm doing t his t hing for Matt Duckor at Epicur ious. It's a stor y about what chefs w ill spend t heir $50 on at a rest au- ra nt-supply place, so I'm going to Ace Ma r t to buy $50 wor t h of stuff. DS: Sounds good; just don't forget to do your Aust in Food & Wine Fest iva l t hing for me. I need to k now by today which t wo recipes you wa nt to demo. I'm going to head to Qui for a meet ing a nd t hen jump on a couple of ca lls to f ig ure t hings out for our t r ips to Da lla s t his weekend a nd New York next week. [A few hours later, Saukam and Qui merge at East Side King Thai Kun. The food truck—a collaboration between Qui, Thai Changthong, and Motoyasu Utsunomiya–relocated in early 2015 to East Austin cocktail haven Whisler's. The duo orders one of everything on the menu.] from above: Paul Qui and Deana Saukam meet for lunch at Las Trancas, a humble East Austin food truck they've been going to regularly since they opened Qui; for dinner the two head to Patrizi's, a food truck that displays the work of local artists and where nearly every dish is made from scratch daily. Qui to the City Foodies PAUL QUI ANd DEANA SAUKAM tAke A whirlwiNd tour oF their selectioNs oF the best Food trucks iN towN. By JANE KELLOGG MURRAy 74 AUSTINWAY.com taste On the town