{"id":235282,"date":"2026-04-04T20:34:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T20:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/235282\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T20:34:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T20:34:08","slug":"find-balance-at-cafe-creme-and-ramen-tatsu-ya","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/235282\/","title":{"rendered":"Find balance at Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me and Ramen Tatsu-ya"},"content":{"rendered":"

In between the struggle of memorizing endless definitions and racing against the clock in a test, stress has become my companion. Good food, however, is a proven remedy. Because of this, I have sought two spots in Austin, one where studying comes easy and the other where my body feels warm and my mind at ease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The inside of the Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me Downtown Austin location. Part of the French-inspired caf\u00e9\u2019s mission is to help their customers create \u201cmemorable experiences\u201d in their \u201cwelcoming spaces.\u201d (Carlota D\u00e1vila \/ Hilltop Views)<\/p>\n

When the deadlines pile up, I go to Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me, located inside the Austin Central Library. Although finding a coffee shop in Austin is probably easier than finding a convenience store, they often fall under the same category: modern, expensive and completely unsatisfying. I feared the same when I walked into the polished modern space at Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me, but instead I was greeted with a vibrant atmosphere made up of focused college students.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I settled in at a corner table for the next couple of hours. The music was loud enough to blur the conversations around me, yet subtle so that nobody would sing along. The menu consisted of an assortment of sweet and savory crepes, sandwiches and breakfast tacos, complimented by their coffee, tea and smoothies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their Lox everything bagel is a must, with its buttery smoked salmon, tomato, generous smear of cream cheese, crisp red onion and capers. It was simple but well constructed, offering the perfect savory balance of creamy and acidic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me\u2019s Cr\u00eape Madame (back) and their Lox Bagel, served with the side of chips, are among the many different fresh cr\u00eapes and bagel options that their menu offers. (Carlota D\u00e1vila \/ Hilltop Views)<\/p>\n

The Cr\u00eape Madame was a light, yet enjoyable, combination of egg, ham, cheese and honey mustard served with a side of salad. It made for a solid meal, but I would definitely consider trying another one on my next visit and substituting the forgettable salad for chips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The star of the evening was the iced chai latte. Its layers of spices were impossible to go unnoticed, balanced by creamy oat milk and the right amount of sweetness. It is the kind of drink that forces loyalty to a restaurant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What makes Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me an ideal place to study, other than its food, is its environment tailored to efficiency. The seating is comfortable and the large windows overlooking downtown prevent any feelings of confinement. With good Wi-Fi and friendly staff that leave you uninterrupted, it is easy to maintain focus. If it gets too noisy or crowded, you conveniently have access to their outdoor patio or one of the many nooks of the Austin Central Library.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When the need for productivity is over, I take shelter in Japanese soul-food, specifically the Ramen Tatsu-ya located on South Lamar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tatsu-ya is straightforward. You order as soon as you walk in, sit at a wooden table stocked with enough utensils for the next twenty diners and wait. About six minutes later, a steaming bowl of ramen shows up in front of you, the smell itself is enough to provide reassurance. The entrees and sides usually take longer, but the warm bowl of glory prevents you from even noticing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The menu features eight different ramen options and I\u2019m proud to say that I have eaten every last spoonful of the four I have tried. The bowls are all very similar, with only slight variations in the broth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Along with the eight-ramen main menu, Ramen Tatsu-ya also offers appetizers, which they call \u201cMunchies,\u201d and extra topping options. In this visit, we tried the Mi-so-hot Tonkotsu (back) and their Sho-yu Tonkotsu, a twist to their classic The OG. We also savored the Chili Oil Gyoza (left), the Negi Rice Bowl and the Katsu Slider. (Carlota D\u00e1vila \/ Hilltop Views)<\/p>\n

On this visit I tried their Sho-yu tonkotsu. The broth is made from 60-hour simmered pork bones and a soy sauce blend, it is perfectly rich and infuses the noodles with more flavor than they could ever achieve in another cuisine. It is topped with a slice of grilled pork, which provides a momentary sweetness amidst the savory flavors. The vegetables provide a crunchy texture and freshness.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their Mi-so-hot tonkotsu was as good as ever, which starts with the same rich pork bone broth as the Sho-yu, but trades the soy sauce for a miso spicy blend. The addition of ground pork in the dish makes it even heartier. It is any spice lover\u2019s dream, even if that means drinking several glasses of water by the end.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tatsu-ya has the type of dishes that require self control, with each bite daring you to slow down, but you simply don\u2019t want to. After eating a lot more than you probably should, having a nap or good night\u2019s sleep is mandatory, naturally guiding the body towards recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Austin is a city known for its college and slow-paced life, take advantage of both and feed your mind and soul in Caf\u00e9 Cr\u00e8me and Ramen Tatsu-ya.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In between the struggle of memorizing endless definitions and racing against the clock in a test, stress has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":235283,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133,90763,90764,90765,39363,53943],"class_list":{"0":"post-235282","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-austin","8":"tag-austin","9":"tag-austin-headlines","10":"tag-austin-news","11":"tag-austin-recommendations","12":"tag-cafe-creme","13":"tag-eat-pray-love","14":"tag-ramen-tatsu-ya","15":"tag-study-spots"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=235282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235282\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/235283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=235282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=235282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=235282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}