NYC: Paul Qui Is Coming To Town. To Cook!

As we've well documented on this here website, Austin chef Paul Qui is having one hell of a year. The Top Chef Season 9 winner also took home the highly coveted Best Chef: Southeast at the James Beard Awards in May for his work at Austin's Uchiko. He also served one of our favorite dishes at last month's Aspen Food and Wine Classic.

Qui has big plans, including a restaurant concept that he is holding tight to the chest. And granted, we know very little about this project. But we can pretty much confirm that it will not be going down in New York City. Meaning, if you live in the Northeast, you have to travel to Texas to sample his cooking — which includes his chicken karaage he serves at one of our favorite food trucks on the planet.

But, wait, word just came in that Qui will be cooking for six nights at downtown "culinary salon" (pop-up) City Grit at the end of the month. Tickets ($95) have just been released for the seven-course tasting menu that promises to "preview his new concept and giving us the skinny on what he's got in the works." OK Paul, new dishes are swell. But could you maybe do that chicken karaage too? Thanks bro.

Here's a video interview with Qui from this year's Austin Food And Wine Festival.