Kyōten

I liked the atmosphere and how the place was decorated but I would’ve liked my sushi with soy sauce even though the owner claims we didn’t need it. Overall the sushi was ok and good for sharing with friends.

Yes! This is a place for a great snack or even if you wanted a meal. It’s a very cute area especially on a nice day. The dishes were very fresh and a good sized portion for lunch. If you’re a big eater then definitely get 2. It’s also affordable. We tried the boxed-​style dishes. Recommended place. It is a bit tricky to find, but it’s behind a wooden gate. You can see the truck from the front.

so we went on a Sunday and i think that was a mistake cayuse there was only one guy working. not pointing fingers but he was acting supper slowwwww if ya know what i mean lol
so there was 2 people in front of us and we had to wait 15 minutes to even order. im sure there are usually more than one person working so the service is probably much better but today it was slacking, however the positive is you know its fresh and made to order.
i got the crunchy, creamy, spicy roll, so yummy not amazing but the atmosphere and the experience make it a fun meal. i will definitely go back to try more things on the menu
there is a cute little eating area, if you couldn’t tell from the pictures it is a food truck
so there is no bathrooms fyi
and its BYOB, there is a cute grocery store down the corner so you can run and grab beer and wine while you wait

I’ve been to every sushi place in Austin at least five times, and this place is my favorite. It’s so consistent and delicious.

It was a crisp and windy morning in Austin. My friend asked me «Hey, what do you wanna do for lunch?» and I responded with glee «There’s this cool lookin food truck on East Sixth that sells sushi. You down?» and she said, «Hell yeah.»
That was my experience at this place. A whole lot of «Hell yeah!»
All positive, I have no bad words for this place. The seating area was really cool and peaceful even though it was fall and the colors weren’t really coming in yet so it was mostly grey, the scenery was wonderful. The chef in the truck was very helpful in helping us choose what to get (we ended up getting some of everything).
Warning: he does have some pretty expensive dishes on the menu that we didn’t try because we wanted sushi.
The sushi was pretty top notch, fresh, and cut generously. My friend loved mazu sushi and i was a big fan of the battera as well. This is unique place here in town and I think it’s worth it to come check out. Chef Otto uses sustainable practices and is environmentally conscious. It’s also BYOB so you can come drink a few brews and enjoy a beautiful setting with delicious food.
I kind of didn’t want to leave and just wanted to keep trying more food. I was sad when we left but happy I had found a cool spot to bring other friends and to come for lunch.

Sushi is OK. Chirashi is overpriced. At $ 26, it’s easy to find a decent Japanese restaurant with a bigger and fresher bowl of Chirashi. We came from DC, where we enjoy Chirashi at 20 for lunch in downtown at a 4.5 star restaurant.
This is just a food truck, I have no idea how it can mark such a high price. The fish is not that fresh, vocado not cleaned thoroughly, and a young chef not so experienced.
Overall not a pleasant memory in Austin. We did have a good plate from another kabob food truck last night though.

While the BYOB and idyllic setting of the place is a draw, the sushi certainly does the talking.
Fresh, affordable, sustainable high class rolls. The ocean trout boxed sushi stands out, the ‘real’ crab and tuna roll were very good too. We didn’t try any soup (hot June day) or the rice bowls.
Super date spot, bring your wine, they will give you cups.
Reason I’m dinging a star is that their menu says, no soy sauce recommended and they gave us soy sauce. Also, I’m glad that they decide to pay their people living wages and I’m sure the menu price reflects the adjustment, consequently, they say that you don’t have to tip, but their checks had a place to tip. It could be some standard print out. Hopefully, they call it out.
Look forward to them to start having sashimi.

I’ve been meaning to try Kyoten for about… 2 years. When we were grabbing a bite to eat on east 6^th before an event, it seemed like the perfect time. We had 2 hours to sit and chat and dine and a bottle of wine.
Though the menu is limited, everyone should be able to find something. We found the chirashi bowl and the ocean trout to be the standouts, the sticky/​crunchy roll is good for non-​raw lovers and the avocado roll was boooring. But it’s an avocado roll so to be expected.
What wasn’t expected was the almost 90 minute wait for our food. It was busy but not slammed and given the limited menu, I can’t imagine that anything took a ton of time. In the end, we got our food, harfed it down and bolted for the show.
The environment is lovely and the fish was fresh. If you’ve got a deadline, don’t do it. If you don’t, then do.

We had an hour wait at salty sow and to kill time we decided to take the 5 minute drive to grab a quick bite to help our empty stomach. We ordered the Mazu Sushi and Spicy Creamy Crunchy Roll. I think we made the right choices! I wish I took pictures but we were too starving to do so lol. We came around 8pm but the zen garden still offered a beautiful ambience, however be sure to take advantage of the off spray that they offer, because I got bit up quite a bit!
The only thing I felt weird about is eating sushi outside, in my opinion it makes the fish warm.

Pro’s; The best California rolls I have ever had, I don’t ever order then because they are bland and «Not real sushi» But these were great. (My friend ordered them) Don’t think about it being from a food truck, Some of the best food in Austin is out of a truck!
Con’s; The menu is very limited only about 6 things to choose from. Hard to fined best to park, on 6^th and Waller, and walk to look for it next to a Clay pottery shop. The «Zen» garden was ok, nothing special, but better than the street. (Not the photos we saw before we went) We were the only ones there at lunch which was nice.

Kyōten displays extremely high quality sushi and all out of a food truck on a plot of land that they made feel like a zen garden. They specialize in box sushi which is unlike anything else you can find in town as it has been pressed instead of rolled like traditional sushi.
I highly recommend the mochi cherry dessert, like everything they do it’s very unique to Austin and delicious.
Tip: Kyōten is BYOB so don’t hesitate bringing you favorite wine and they will provide the glass/​cup.

You might find yourself thinking «should I trust sushi out of a trailer?» The answer is absolutely. I can’t speak for other sushi trailers but Kyoten is some of the best sushi I’ve had in Austin.
Bring a six pack and get the Chirashi Bowl. You will not be disappointed.

The chef and staff rock here!
I came on a Saturday night a couple weeks ago literally just as it started pouring rain. They opened the trailer up and let everyone outside in for cover. While waiting they gave us a Philly roll (ocean trout, avocado, and cream cheese) to munch on while waiting for the rain to clear up. How cool is that?! I also got the Negihama roll which was great. It contained amberjack, scallion and real wasabi. I need to come back here and try more of their menu.
Chef Otto has got a great thing going here and I hear rumblings of a brick and mortar opening possibly next year.

Kyoten is tucked in east downtown austin with the rest of the food truck gang. Spacious area with plenty of bench space to sit.
The sushi here is on point, delicious and delicately made. I had the Saba battera and cucumber maki = nom. So glad i came here to satisfy my sushi craving today!
The downside of this place: don’t expect for a huge selection of menu items and also the sushi is considerably expensive. Still worth a try tho!

Good place to grab simple, fresh Sushi and you can’t beat BYOB
I came with my girlfriend and they were our of the rice bowls so I ordered one of each of the boxed roll (there are only two as the menu is a bit limited). My girlfriend ordered the vegan sushi options. Honestly, I don’t think this place should offer those items as they are just rice wrapped around cucumber or avocado. I think you should either be more creative or not offer vegan items to check the box.
My sushi was extremely fresh and simple. When they say no soy sauce needed they mean it. I hate having to drench tasteless spicy tuna rolls in soy sauce and Wasabi.
This place could be 5 stars but it’s not quite there for me for a few reasons: 1) the vegan sushi issue I mentioned above 2) the seating is a bit unfomfortable, it would make sense to have real chairs and tables so you can relax and enjoy your sake, wine or beer 3) the urinals were locked when we went there so there was no bathroom to use which is a problem when you’re drinking wine!
I am open to raising this review to 5-​stars but it is not quite there for me yet. I will definitely be back for sushi again because the prices are reasonable, the sushi fresh, and BYOB

Most people would probably think you’re crazy if you told them that you could get fresh, delicious sushi out of truck. Now that I’ve been to Kyoten, I can tell you it’s possible. Austin’s endless food truck selection never ceases to amaze me. Kyoten not only offers high quality food, but they offer a unique ambiance with picnic tables, lights, and candles to set the casual, but intimate mood. Best of all– It’s BYOB!
We ordered the Masu-​Zushi and Sakana Mushi with the soft boiled egg (onsen tamago). This was perfect for us to split, but if you’re hungry I’d order another roll. I would highly recommend both and would urge you to order the soft boiled egg with the Donburi (it’s really not an option to NOT order it). Bring a bottle of wine, order some fresh sushi and the Donburi bowl, and enjoy a wonderful dinner outside.

Finally made it here on a non rainy day! The rock garden patio is gorgeous for a leisure hangout with friends and pets.
— We were in luck this time getting to try the donburi with crispy trout skin (to die for).
— Friends commented on the quality of the miso soup, tofu was fresh
— Battera and masu-​zushi were a nice and light snack.
— If you order any of the rice bowls make sure you go for the extra onsen tamago (poached egg).
We were all just so throughly impressed with the consistency of the food served from a food stand. Quite honestly, everything on the menu could stand in an upscale restaurant on its own. The service as usual was out of this world and the chef has an impeccable hand at attention to detail.

You’d be hard pressed to find a food truck with better ambiance than this one. The enclosed and shaded zen garden really transports you to another place elevating a sushi truck experience to a level you would not expect.
I liked that their menu was simple and direct. Its not a menu that you will agonize over, and I truly appreciate that. Since I don’t understand a lot of the sushi food ling I let them pick for me and I was not disappointed. My favorite was the pressed mackreel, the battera. Never had that before and was pleasantly surprised.
It’s BYOB, which I wish I knew beforehand (shame on me not doing my Unilocalsearch before hand). So if you’re reading this, then good for you, bring some Sapporo.
All in all, a delicious experience.
(thank you joe. for sending me all the edits i needed to make. cack sacker)

Super fun and focused sushi.
Excellent fresh ingredients, very tasty fish. I love the attention to detail. This concept of the sushi lunch truck needs to take off in other parts of the country.
Note this is real-​deal sushi, not gross mayo-​covered inside-​out rolls.
I opted for the sashimi lunch and Vietnamese roll. I’m on a low-​carb kick so wanted to avoid rice today.
The sashimi was very fresh and expertly cut. I was shocked to be honest. I had albacore, kampachi, saba, ocean trout (highlight) and ikura. No tamago onsen because this is traditionally served with warm plates — I received a boatload more ikura instead. It’s served with real wasabi which was a pleasant surprise. They marinate most of their fish (very traditional), so no need for dipping soy sauces.
I also had the Vietnamese roll sans peanuts. This was very fresh and satisfying. The kampachi gave it some heft, the rice paper was high quality and the greens were super interesting.
The setting is a tranquil zen garden, which I bet is stellar at night. I went for lunch so it was a little hot but there are lots of shaded tables. The porta-​potty bathrooms were a turnoff so certainly use the restroom beforehand.
All in all, I’m grading this on a curve, as obviously, the service and restroom amenities are not what one would expect from a high-​end restaurant. After all, it is a lunch truck in an outdoor setting, however, it’s one serving some very fine sushi. In fact some of the sashimi I found tastier than Uchi’s.

I was re-​reading Amber D’s ROTD of Kyoten, and wondered why I haven’t been back. It is a great space, my trout roll was good, and the guys working there were friendly & enjoy what they do. Cool. I think what bothers me here is sushi is the one culinary endeavor where I’m looking for a one-​on-​one connection with the artist crafting bite-​sized pieces of nature on a plate for me, and that’s not going to happen with rolls from a trailer. It’s a little different with BBQ and tacos. Yeah, yeah, I live in my own special world, but Kyoten picked the playing field here, and I’m just applying my rules. To each his own.
Let me rephrase this: If you’re on East 6^th and in the mood for sushi rolls and don’t mind the elements or usual trailer accoutrements, then here you go. It’s good stuff, and I think you’ll enjoy it. I’ll bump a star for these guys just for having sushi rolls available for casual trailer hopping. So if you want to come to Kyoten, I’ll be happy to join you. But then next time, let me take you to one or two sushi places I know.