Hayashi … can you call something in Cedar Park a hotspot?

Plop this baby in the middle of 4th, 5th, or 6th and you’d have THE happening place in Austin (similar to upcoming LaCondesa/Malverde set?), but unfortunately, this Cedar Park strip-mall restaurant is in, well, Cedar Park.

So the girls and I trekked up to Cedar Park for a Year of the Ox Chinese New Year sake pairing dinner (yes, that’s a mouthful) at Hayashi, which manages to keep winning awards despite its soccer-mom-locale. Bartender Justin, a friendly, eager-to-please man made rose tequila, chocolate liqueur, and cayenne pepper into the most delicious eat-dessert-first cocktail I’ve ever had–and the Iron Bartedner judges agree, as that drink won last week’s Iron Bartender competition. Well, that and four others–Justin swept the competition.

The food at Hayashi is outstanding. I got my first nibble at an event, but the five-course taster we had gave me a nice sample of many of the dishes. The T-140 roll was easily one of the best rolls I’ve EVER had. It was a perfect marriage of allowing the fresh fish to shine but infusing some unique flavoring. Many of the flavors Chef uses are citrus-based, which is a nice compliment for the seafood. The Sea Bass and scallops were both delicious, but didn’t stand out as bests like the roll did. A cucumber-wrapped roll lacked enough jalapeno for this Texan, but the tempura mushrooms were amazingly airy and delicious.

I say Hayashi would be a complete success downtown because it has two totally different vibes: you walk into the bar and main dining area, all sleek and white with dim lighting–perfect pick-up spot, right? But go back to the dinner lounge and you’re relaxing in a more traditional environment, low-slung bamboo benches, curtains, and cozy corners for two. It’s a hard balance to strike, but a place that meshes the two atmospheres this seamlessly is bound to be a success–and if one already exists downtown somewhere, let me know, because I can’t think of one!

Bottom line: bring Hayashi downtown! If you’re up in Cedar Park, this is the place to be. And if you’re not, it’s worth a trip–on 1431 just off the toll-road, it’s not even as far as you think.