New York Times Best Restaurants includes Austin gas station eatery, Mexican seafood spot
The New York Times has fallen for a new Austin restaurant for the third consecutive year. Actually, two Austin restaurants. And one name might be a surprise to those diners not dedicated to finding hidden gems.
The publication Tuesday named Wee's Cozy Kitchen, a Malaysian counter-service food stall in a Shell gas station in West Campus, as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America. Wee Fong Ehlers serves homemade dishes like beef rendang and curry laska from her modest spot at 24th and Rio Grande streets.
NYT's Priya Krishna, who blurbed all four Texas eateries that made the list, writes that Ehlers, who started her business serving Chinese food and hamburgers, makes everything by hand, even chopping lemongrass to order, adding that, "Wee's provides all the warmth of home, but from a gas station."
If you have yet to savor the fragrant Malaysian dishes from Wee's, you can expect your first visit to now come with a bit of a wait. This is not the first time Ehlers has earned national attention. Bon Appetit highlighted her establishment earlier this year.
Wee's Cozy Kitchen is joined on the list by Sam Hellman-Mass and executive chef Fermín Nuñez's Mexican seafood restaurant Este, which is riding a hot national streak, landing on Bon Appetit's and Food & Wine's lists of best restaurants in the country.
Statesman review: Este's bold flavors make it one of Austin's best seafood and Mexican restaurants
Houston restaurants El Hidalguense, a 29-year-old Central Mexican establishment specializing in goat, and Gatlin's Fins & Feathers, the chicken and Gulf seafood restaurant from the family that owns Gatlin's BBQ, also made the list.
The NYT began this ambitious national restaurant project in 2021, a year in which East Austin restaurant Birdie's made the list, and followed it up last year, which saw fellow East Austin establishment Canje land one of the 50 coveted spots.
2022 Dining Guide: The best restaurants in Austin
The New York Times list comes a week after Austin restaurants Nixta Taqueria, Birdie's, Este, KG BBQ and several barbecue joints received honors from Food & Wine, Bon Appetit and Southern Living.
Austin restaurants in the national spotlight
Este: Bon Appetit names Austin eatery one of country's best new restaurants
KG BBQ: Bon Appetit names dessert from an Austin barbecue trailer one of nation's best
BBQ: Texas dominates Southern Living's list of Top 50 Barbecue Joints in the South
Nixta Taqueria: Chef Edgar Rico earns spot on Food & Wine's list of Best New Chefs in America
Birdie's: Food & Wine names East Austin spot the country's Restaurant of the Year
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: New York Times names Austin gas station eatery a Best Restaurant
