Chow Down Atlanta

Hungry for a hearty meal? Then you’ll have to try Mi Pilon on Buford Highway for some Latin-Caribbean food. This cafeteria-style joint offers home-cooked meals in a very casual, family-oriented atmosphere. Freshly-cooked entrees are showcased in a glass enclosed-bar and you basically just pick a dish or two (or even three as in my case). All selection comes with rice, beans, and plantains.

Staples such as roast pork (lechon) and roast chicken are solid choices. There’s also the stewed oxtail for those wanting to be more adventurous. The roast pork and chicken were tender and full of flavor. The oxtail was absolutely delicious and had that simmered-for-hours taste. The empanadas (baked flour pastry filled with ground pork) were also wonderful and were already a meal in itself.With daily special combos starting at $7.99, Mi Pilon offers great food at affordable prices.

Insider tip:
Combos come with either one or two dishes but you can request to have a 3rd one added (which is what I usually do).

The scoop:
Mi Pilon
5705 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Norcross, GA 30071
770-797-2924

Technorati Tags: Mi Pilon, Buford Highway, Latin cuisine, Caribbean cuisine, Atlanta, restaurants

I’ve been waiting for this to happen and finally we now have Korean fried chicken in Atlanta. Love Letter Pizza and Chicken is located next door to the Super H Mart in Johns Creek. Now don’t wonder about the restaurant’s name. Korean restaurants usually have humorous American names. Lost in translation, I surmise. The inside looks typical of a pizza joint with booths on both sides of the wall, two tables for parties of 8, and a couple of bar-height tables for 2. There’s a walk-up counter for to-go orders, but basically, eat-in patrons get ushered through to one of the booths or tables and are provided with table service.

True to its name, Love Letter Pizza and Chicken serves Cheogajip (Korean-style fried chicken) and pizza and nothing else. Cheogajip is marinated chicken pieces lightly-battered then deep-fried. It comes in three flavors: fried (plain), sweet and mild, and sweet and hot. You can order any two combination of flavors you like. The chicken also comes in three varieties: chicken pieces, wings, and popcorn style. What’s neat about this place is the plastic gloves they provide so that you don’t get your fingers all orangy and saucy from eating the chicken with your hands. Of course, nobody said you should use the gloves. I actually found them more cumbersome so I used what’s best for chicken: my bare hands.

The chicken were cooked to perfection: crispy on the outside but still tender on the inside. The chicken were marinated enough to have flavor but not too much to overpower the sauce. Although the plain ones came, well, plain, they had enough taste to render them tasty. The sweet and hot flavors were not too sweet yet packed enough punch to add a little heat. By the way, don’t expect huge American pieces here. The chicken are cut up similar to sizes you’d use in stew, making them more manageable to eat.

There are 7 kinds of pizza with Bulgoki Pizza as the must-try. You can request to have your pizza with a different kind on each half. On this visit, we tried half cheese and half Bulgoki. Now let me remind you that this is not your typical Italian pizza. Asian pizza borders on the sweetish side so don’t expect a tangy pizza sauce. That said, the Bulgoki pizza is delicious. Think of it as a Supreme pizza topped with pieces of Korean beef. There’s also Sweet Potato Pizza on the menu which is also sweet-tasting as expected of Korean (or any Asian) pizza.

All orders come with a fresh cabbage-kernel corn salad with mayo and ketchup for dressing. It looked weird at first glance but mix them up good and you have your salad with classic thousand island dressing. A bowl of crunchy, pickled, cubed, fresh daikon (radish) also accompanies all orders. The daikon is a good accompaniment to the chicken.

Insider tip:
Chicken prices range from $13.99 - $15.88 while 10-inch pizza prices are from $9.99 - $12.99.
Local beer priced at $2.99 / Imported at $3.99
Lunch specials start at $2.99 (the best deal at $7.99 — 7 pieces fried wings, 1 slice pizza, salad, and drink but only available during lunch M-F 11am-3pm)

The scoop:
Love Letter Pizza and Chicken
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd, Ste 350
Johns Creek, GA 30097
770-813-8882

Technorati Tags: Korean fried chicken, Korean pizza, Love Letter Pizza and Chicken, Super H Mart, Johns Creek, Abbotts Bridge, restaurant

I heard that The Epicurean recently changed restaurant chefs in the name of Jon Wolf (Ritz Carlton) so CDA headed down to Decatur to see what changes have been made, to sample the new Summer menu, and well, to celebrate a birthday. I was happy to learn that there have been no drastic changes as far as the menu is concerned — the crab cakes are still a mainstay and the recipe (and taste) has remained intact. I’ll also have you know that I like Jon. I like his straight-to-the-point, no-fancy-schmancy-getup take on food: it’s simple yet original and creative; basic yet inspired. Case in point: Lobster Corn Risotto.

There were tons of tender, tasty lobster bits embedded in creamy risotto laced with crunchy corn then sprinkled with tarragon. It had a lot of different textures from the lobster, corn, and risotto, yet the simplicity of the flavors (salty with sweet, milky and creamy) made this dish scrumptious.

I was expecting a salty appetizer with the Prosciutto Wrapped Shrimp but was pleasantly surprised with the mildness of the prosciutto wrapped in a succulent, plump shrimp atop crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside corn cakes. It was definitely a good, mellow first course to the heavier-tasting risotto.

The Macerated Peaches dessert proved to be another perfect choice and complemented the shrimp and the risotto dishes. Surprisingly light, I was expecting (again) to be confronted with a rich, syrupy, sugary, mushy concoction. Instead, I was faced with an enticing martini glass full of peaches still with enough crunch then topped with homemade peach ice cream dotted with fresh peach bits. It was decadent!

There were other dishes we consumed and each one was as wonderful as the other. If you want great food, great service, great wine selection in a French restaurant minus the snobbish feel, then Epicurean is the place to be. You won’t be disappointed. Guarranteed. (P.S. Tell Andres Chloe sent you!)

Insider tip:
Closed on Sundays and Mondays but will open Sunday, May 13 10:30am-2:30pm for a special Mother’s Day Brunch.
Their wine shop sits next door.
Menu changes monthly. Check their website for details.
Six-course tasting menus available on Friday/Saturday as well as a 3-course Prix-Fixe Tuesday-Thursday.
Service is outstanding.

The scoop:
The Epicurean Restaurant
1361 Clairmont Rd.
Decatur, GA 30033
Telephone: 404.321.0530
Open Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch: 11am to 5pm
Dinner: 5pm to 10pm

Technorati Tags: The Epicurean Restaurant, Chef Peter Golaszewski, Decatur, French bistro, French-Southern Cuisine, wine shop

Just to remind those folks who live and work around Johns Creek/Alpharetta that Super H Mart is now open. It’s a slightly smaller version than the one on Duluth but you probably won’t even notice. Don’t forget to stop by the bakery upstairs by the entrance.

Super H Mart
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd.
Johns Creek, GA 30005
678-317-0240
Open daily 8:00AM - 11:00PM

Technorati Tags: Super H Mart, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Asian Grocery, North Fulton

The newest happening place in midtown, Top Flr wowed CDA with its great atmosphere, inventive food, and mind-blowing desserts. Opened barely three weeks, Top Flr has been attracting a steady clientele: families, GenXers, and your typical Midtown hip crowd. Located on Myrtle off Ponce, it’s right smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. No matter, it fits right in.

The scene

True to its name, we sauntered upstairs to the top floor where the dining area is located (the bar sits appropriately on the main floor). The dining area is cozy with black walls on the far side, white on the other, and this amazing wall paper on another. The tables and chairs are nondescript, as well as the entire decor (which, in my opinion, is good as it’s always better to focus on food), save for one side of the room where comfy, decorative yet functional pillows rest on a long bench.

The food

For starters, I had the Mussels in Coconut Lime Soy Broth. First bite and I literally got swept off my feet. It was heavenly. Think succulent mussels steamed in a Thai broth of coconut milk with a hint of lime and soy. Utterly comforting. I would have loved to have a side of crusty French bread or pomme frites to sop up all the sauce but who cares, it was simply fantastic. My sister had the White Bean Hummus served with grilled flat bread, olives, and chili oil. The olives complemented the hummus’ smoothness which had a well-balanced flavor, devoid of the usual tartiness that comes with most hummus; while the chili oil gave it a nice kick.

There were two kinds of salads on the menu and we both decided to try them: Frisee, Watercress, Asian Pear, Walnut, Gorgonzola salad in Champagne Mint Vinaigrette dressing, and the Mixed Greens, Figs, Chevre, Pistachio in Honey Lavender Dressing. Both salad were superb. The sweetness of the grilled, paper-thin Asian pears on the watercress salad off-set the acidity of the Champagne dressing while the toasted walnuts and gorgonzola added texture. The mixed greens salad with figs and pistachio created an explosion of flavors and textures with the dressing bringing it all together.

For the main course, I had the Grilled Hangar Steak and my sister had the Roasted Ginger Crusted Tofu. Both were exceptional. My steak was substantial, maybe 8 ounces, in a bold-tasting shallot demi-glaze. The tofu was perfectly crunchy on the outside yet warm and soft on the inside. The pomegranate-miso dressing neutralized the steamed spinach but intensified the tofu. For the sides, the Jasmine Rice was to-die-for. Resembling risotto, it was steamed in a creamy coconut milk-base and peppered with edamame. The house-made gnocchi was equally good — with cherry tomatoes and greens then topped with grated cheese. The Beets, Chevre, and Arugula side was extraordinary: delicious and inventive. I loved the sweetness of the beets with the saltiness of the cheese, while the arugula provided crunch and punch. (Side note: with all the items we ordered — yes, we can eat our weight in food — there was a bit of confusion as the servers trying to deliver our food were looking for a table of four and was surprised to see little ‘ol us!)

With all the food we’ve eaten so far (unsurprisingly, we finished everything), one would think there would be no room for dessert. But, aah, the dessert was what we really came for — Chef de Patisserie Taria is nothing but a genius. Her chocolate creations are out-of-this-world: all organic and no sugar. Top Flr’s two-part dessert menu includes a listing of imaginative truffles and creative concoctions. All chocolate. Among the $3-apiece truffles we tried were the El Rey Milk Chocolate Caramel topped with Hawaiian black lava salt and the Callebaut Milk Chocolate infused with Genmaicha rolled in candied brown rice with Matcha green tea. Both were delectable; blended with well-thought of ingredients.As if the truffles were not enough to send you to pure chocolate ecstasy, Chef Taria does more by offering her Late Night Chocolate features. The Valrhona White Chocolate and Basil Pots de Creme served in a demitasse cup and topped with a sugared basil was so magnificent that the only thing keeping me from licking the cup clean was the watchful eye of our attentive server. My sister’s Raspberry Mud Cake with Bittersweet Sorbet and Peppered Strawberries was so unbelievably delectable with the cake so moist, the sorbet so light yet chocolaty, and with the peppered strawberries adding contrast.

The verdict

Service was still a little spotty at times though I foresee an improvement as soon as the nervousness dies down. Top Flr is not just another trendy hangout. It offers an innovative menu and skillfully-executed and delicious food at exceptional prices. This is one of my fave spots in Atlanta.

Insider tip
- **No longer open for lunch as of August 25. See new hours below.
- Plenty of street parking.
- Wine by the glass comes close to 9 ounces.
- Also, be warned as food portions are huge.
- Price average: appetizers $8, salads $8, sides $5, and mains $11

The scoop:
Top Flr
674 Myrtle St., Atlanta, GA 30345
Telephone: 404-685-3110
Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday 4:30pm-1:30 am (kitchen closes at 1)
Friday-Sat 4:30pm-2:30 am (kitchen closes at 2)
Sun 4:30 pm-12:30 am (kitchen closes at 12)

Technorati Tags: Top Flr, Midtown, Asian cuisine, Bar, Dinner, Lunch, Chocolate Dessert

Now that I’m back in good, ‘ol Atlanta, all I can think of are all the glorious food I ate in Asia every single day. Funny, I didn’t gain a single pound. Why? Food in Asia is not “hormonized” unlike in the western world. Which is why Asians are skinny.

Yeah, I invented the word. Hormonized. Use it. I’m hoping it’ll get into the dictionary one day.

Now allow me to whet your appetite with these photos…

More pictures here… Asia: Food

Technorati Tags: Asia, food, travel, food pictures

Chopstix for Charity is an annual fundraising event that connects the corporate sector to the Asian Atlanta community. Representing collective efforts from various Asian organizations, Chopstix for Charity strives to raise corporate and general community awareness about needs of Asian-American non-profit human services organizations in metro Atlanta.

Chopstix For Charity 2007

Date:	Saturday, August 18th, 2007
Time:	Doors open from 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM Dinner served from 6:30-8:00
Location:	Suntrust Atrium Suntrust Plaza 303 Peachtree Center Ave., NE Atlanta, GA 30303
Cost:	$45 advance purchase (through 08/11/2007) $50 at the door

Dinner provided by famous Asian restaurants around Atlanta including Phoenix Noodle, Canton Cooks, and more. Don’t miss this fun event. Tickets available online at Chopstix For Charity website or click here.

Technorati Tags: Chopstix For Charity, events, Atlanta