THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bistro 88

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Bistro 88 Restaurant Review:

Bistro 88 is off the beaten path in southwest Austin, yet remains top of mind for food lovers citywide. The welcoming bistro specializes in the artsy, Euro-Asian cuisine that you'll find in dozens of West Coast haunts. The décor is also trendy: witness lucky bamboo plants, leather-covered rattan chairs and a jumble of metal sculptures and bird cages adorned with silk butterflies. As far as fusion chefs go, chef-owner Jeff Liu shows restraint. Instead of flinging together haphazard ingredients and cultural influences, he carefully combines elements: clean vegan carrot-jalapeño soup and Thai chili soft shell crab to the flavorful tenderloin with Burgundy mushrooms. We enjoy the lunch portions of Hong Kong-style sea bass steamed in napa cabbage and the standby Bistro trio---beef, chicken and shrimp with mixed vegetables in a spicy garlic sauce. Sushi, sashimi and roll selections are plentiful, a favorite being the multi-textured Vivian roll, featuring eel topped with spicy tuna and tempura flakes. The sizable bar menu offers a solid selection of beer, wine and saké.