Choice Tables: Beyond Brisket and Burritos in Austin, Tex.

Ben Sklar for The New York Times

Clockwise from top left: quail at Barley Swine; a bowl of local vegetables at Qui; steak tartare at Arro; and sashimi with goat cheese and apples at Uchi.

People who say that Austin isn't at all like the rest of Texas should look a little harder. The capital city may swaddle its Lone Star bravado in slacker irony, swap out big hair for cycling musculature and express its rugged individualism with six-strings rather than six-shooters ... but really, we're talking about the same prideful, gabby, strangely infectious psychodynamic. Even for Austin's most rabid Gov. Rick Perry haters, defecting from the state is not an option: they adore being Texans, one and all, and appreciate that the term sets them apart somehow.

I lived in Austin for most of my adult life. If I ever move back, it won't be for the Mexican food and barbecue. Not that I don't suffer, in my current D.C.-marooned state, occasional fever dreams about the salsas at Polvos or the pork ribs at La Barbecue. It's just that Austin today offers a new dining experience — one in which you can go five or six days eating out on the town without being limited to tacos and brisket.

The city's indigenous compulsion to self-invent has at last caught up to its culinary scene. The young chefs there don't feel any more duty-bound to flog the Southwestern leitmotif than its musicians do to riff like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Unsurprisingly, the keep-Austin-weird crowd frets over whether this new celebration of highbrow dining is part of an ominous new trend. A local friend laments that "Austin is so busy congratulating itself that it is losing its soul. ... The fun has been corrupted by money, and it's sad."

A fair point. Can we discuss it over monkeyface eel?

Qui

Forewarned about long waits and (at the time) an irritating no-reservations policy at this new venture of the James Beard regional honoree and "Top Chef" winner Paul Qui, I showed up for dinner on a Wednesday at 10 minutes before 6 and was informed that I had about 45 minutes to cool my heels. The sleek, understated "Japanese farmhouse" restaurant sits on Austin's historically minority-dominated east side. Qui's presence here — along with Contigo, Salty Sow and other appetizing destinations for moneyed hipsters — is yet another reminder of the city's turbulent growth. I elected to linger beside the small, overcrowded bar while other expectant patrons sat with their drinks on the patio. A friend showed up midway into my wait, after which Paul Qui himself graciously showed us to our table.

Ben Sklar for The New York Times

An exterior view of Qui, on Austin's east side.

Mr. Qui, 31, was born in Manila but honed his chops at Austin's first great non-Tex restaurant, Uchi. He is a calm, vigilant presence in the kitchen and out front, the payoff being excellent service. From his eccentric wine list I chose a 2001 Spanish rioja after the sommelier's assurance that "it's not overly coconut." First out was "a gift from the kitchen": homemade crackers with a dollop of Vermont Cheddar squeezed onto it. The cracker crumbled in my hands, but the flavors more than made up for it. A few minutes later, another server presented us with the same "gift." We didn't complain.

Now and then a dish announces its brilliance at the very point of contact. The moment the spoonful of my friend's Marcona almond gazpacho hit my tongue, I knew she had a winner. The chilled soup owed its impossible richness to foie gras, black truffles and honeycomb, and I reluctantly returned the bowl. I felt obliged to order Slayer pork chop (a homage to Mr. Qui's favorite band), which came adorned with a raspberry and peach salsa and was all one could hope for. But it didn't measure up to my friend's superb quail with Thai eggplant served on a purée of Japanese sweet potato. I collared the chef and asked him how he had succeeded in making the quail so succulent.

Shrugging, Mr. Qui replied, "I just sear it a la plancha." Understand: in Texas, one grills, not sears, quail. But clearly one would do well to reconsider.

Qui, 1600 East Sixth Street; quiaustin.com. Dinner for two without drinks or tips, about $90.

Barley Swine

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