We rarely eat out in Austin, especially. Restaurant food prices are too damn up. We have far more urgent payables to contend with and our discretionary play-money is nearly zero, and has been, for decades. This has made me very selective when I do spend money going out; plus I used to work in a lot of high end restaurants, where I have long been trained to taste the quality of the fare.
That said, we don’t eat meat, drink alcohol, or require slick surroundings or luxe atmosphere, so as long as the food is authentic and delicious, we’re cheap to feed.
99 Ranch Market feels to me very cleaned-up and gringo-ized for mass appeal, though I do see plenty of fellow Asians shopping when I’m there. It’s fine. It’s ok. It gets the job done. It’s safe. It’s aimed at upmarket shoppers. It doesn’t smell strongly of fish. It’s not located in a complicated part of Austin where the crime rate is a bit higher.
Going to MT is a pilgrimage. It’s over 60 miles for me, roundtrip. It’s always worth it. I go twice a year, max. The people watching at Chinatown Center (where MT is a retail anchor tenant) is pretty decent.
