Chow Down Atlanta

This place has been around since 2005 and it’s been my go-to place for solid Vietnamese fare since its doors opened. Last year alone, my sister and I met there for lunch at least twice a week! Com, which means rice in Vietnamese, offers mostly grilled meats — served over rice, salad, or noodles. It is the unpretentious sister of the Dunwoody branch. The one tucked inside a nondescript Buford Highway plaza where, if you blink, you’ll miss it.

I like unpretentious places. You’re just sure that what they lack in ambiance and decor, they make it up on food — taste, quality, and price. Com is one such place. It’s always packed at lunch times and weekend nights where wait times of up to 30 minutes isn’t uncommon.

My favorite appetizer here is their signature Grape Leaves Rolls. You get a choice of grilled beef, lamb, duck, salmon, or tofu wrapped in grape leaves then served on a bed of salad made with shredded lettuce and, green mango, and green papaya, topped with thinly-sliced, sweet fried onion and chunks of roasted peanuts, then drizzled with spicy-sweetish fish sauce. For those not familiar, fish sauce is the Southeast Asian’s version of salt. It is made from fermented fish, and comes in this aromatic golden liquid color. It is the magic of all Southeast Asian cuisine. These Grape Leaves Rolls are fantastic. It’s totally different from Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) of Turkish cuisine where the leaves are slimy. These leaves have more texture. The salad is crunchy and the green papaya adds a nice contrast to the bland lettuce. The sauce is perfect: slightly spicy, a little sweet, with just enough saltiness. No vinaigrette compares.

My sister’s favorite appetizer which is equally good is the Fresh Spring Rolls. Their version has mint and basil and fried onion which give the rolls more character and taste.

Com’s entrees are all good. Sometimes it’s difficult to choose just one. Their vermicelli or Bun bowls are a cut above the rest with shredded green mango and green papaya plus mint and basil. Each adding flavor to the entire dish without overpowering any other. The Fragrance Rice plate with grilled meat is also a great choice. It comes with Jasmine rice, shredded salad, and sliced tomatoes. The curry is also an excellent choice which can be served over noodles or with a side of French bread. The Tilapia fillet plate tastes fresh and tasty. And the whole fried fish (pricey at $39.95) is a must try (my mom’s favorite). Whatever you order, you won’t be disappointed.

Insider tip:

Service can be slow during peak times. Servers are gracious to inform diners if a selection isn’t fresh or up to par that day.
Located inside Buford Plaza close to Clairmont Rd where Chevron gas station is located.

The scoop:

Com Vietnamese Grill
4005-E Buford Hwy.
Atlanta, GA 30345
404-320-0405

Open from 11am

Technorati Tags: Com Vietnamese Grill, Com, Buford Plaza, Vietnamese cuisine, Bun, grape leaves rolls

I am so excited to go to this one. Imagine the backdrop: the Georgia Aquarium! Back in January, I was lucky enough to attend an event that was held in the ballroom. It had something to do with the Today Show’s telecast inside the Aquarium. I got to go on this private viewing of the Belugas up in the ballroom who just love to show off. I even got to go where it’s off limits to the public and I got to see the whale sharks feed at the top of the water. I just love the Georgia Aquarium and I have been a yearly member since it opened. And now this. Good food, wine, music, and the Georgia Aquarium. Repeat. Food. Wine. Music. Georgia Aquarium. It can’t get better than this.

There will be over 500 wines available for tasting and the list of participating restaurants includes the best of the best: Seasons 52, Repast, City Grill, Canoe, Woodfire Grill, and many more.

This is the first year it’s going to be held in our beautiful city. Really, I can’t wait. Will I see you there?

More information available through their website.

*The VIP Tasting is a private pre-event tasting of reserve and estate wines. Includes a complimentary Wine Enthusiast Wine Master 2008 pocket electronic wine buying guide, tasting glass, tasting notes booklet and admission to Grand Tasting.

Atlanta Toast of the Town
Thursday • April 17, 2008
VIP Tasting* 5pm $185
Grand Tasting 7-10pm $95
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker Street
Atlanta, GA 30313
Directions

Technorati Tags: Toast of the Town, Atlanta, food event, wine event, Georgia Aquarium, April 17

Note: This place has closed for good as of November 2008 (it closed, re-opened, then closed again.)

This is so long overdue. And to think I’ve been waiting for this place to open. So it finally did one rainy day the first week of February. Vite Lavie is not your usual tea house. First of all, they don’t have dress-up tea parties. And they don’t have afternoon tea. But what they do offer is a comfy hang-out while you enjoy a cup of freshly brewed tea.

Concocted by (handsome) college buddies from Ohio, the pair did a study and chose Atlanta for their new venture. After graduation, they packed their bags and moved here. Another study and they landed in Alpharetta.

Vite Lavie offers a great selection of loose tea leaves including those from China, Japan, India, and elsewhere. They have my favorite Silver Needle and the usual, green, black, Earl Grey, and English Breakfast to name a few, plus a handful of other exotic ones. Once you make your selection, the tea barista (aka owner guy) will brew you a perfect (big) cup of tea using the right temperature and the correct implements. The cup is monstrous and I would say, it’s all of 20 ounces.

If tea isn’t your thing, they do offer smoothies that are also tea-based. Sorry, but no sodas here. If you’re feeling a little famished and need something to go with your tea, then check-out the pastry case for goodies from Joli Kobe bakery. Plans for serving sandwiches are on its way and I can’t wait. Nightly live music is also on the horizon.

For now, Vite Lavie is a great hangout. The atmosphere is serene, while the comfy couches are so inviting. With wifi available and just about anything you need (see owner guys), people are not gonna want to leave.

Insider tip:
Teas average $4. Ask the owner guys for anything you need, chances are, they can get it for you.

The scoop:
Vite Lavie
9945 Jones Bridge Rd
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Phone: 770-442-5011

Technorati Tags: Vite Lavie, tea, loose tea, tea house, Alpharetta

I’ve passed this place countless times especially when I used to live in Duluth but never got the chance to try it. Until a friend who happens to know the chef over at their Lawrenceville location told me about some new menu items they’ve unveiled. So off I went. Except my navigation kept directing me to an office park. I kept going back and forth on Lawrenceville Highway trying to find it and after doing this for 30 minutes, I gave up. Tired and hungry, I ended up going to the Duluth location instead.

Boudreaux’s has been a popular hangout by locals in Duluth as evident by the customers who are first name basis with everyone during a busy lunch hour. It is located in downtown Duluth, which, I still think, has the best city leaders (they spend their money wisely). But anyway, I came in to what looked like a hole in a wall. Literally. I went up the counter not knowing if there was table service, perused the menu, and settled on an Oyster PoBoy and a cup of seafood gumbo.

The PoBoy was a pleasant surprise. It was huge. With even bigger, lightly-battered, golden brown oysters. Tons of them! Piled high on a toasted hoagie roll with crispy lettuce and tomatoes. The oysters were succulent and tasted like the ocean (read: fresh). The lady boss handed me a few plastic squirt bottles of cajun sauce, mayo, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce. I tried the cajun sauce, found it to be a little bland for my taste but it was a good relish to my gigantic sandwich. At less than $11 this was a very good, very inexpensive sandwich.

My gumbo was also good. It was chunky — with rice and lots of big pieces of seafood: shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab. The soup was very satisfying with the broth having just the right amount of salt and spices. A few drops of Tabasco and it was kicking!

As a no-frills joint, expect no fanciness anywhere. Soups are served on styro bowls and eaten with a plastic spoon. Sandwiches are on red plastic baskets and sauces are communal from plastic squirt bottles. They have a large selection of soda including my favorite rootbeer. Just grab one from the chiller case along the wall. Now plop down on one of the comfy chairs and listen to the blaring television.

Insider tip:

Grab some fresh seafood on your way out. Daily specials listed on the board. Table service is offered. Spices and marinades available for purchase.

The scoop:

Boudreaux’s Cajun

3067-A Main Street,
Duluth, GA 30096
770-814-8388

860 Highway 120,
Suite 450
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
770-236-8585

Open Daily from 10am

Technorati Tags: Boudreaux’s Cajun, fresh live seafood, poboys, gumbo, seafood, Duluth

After reading NYT’s Fat Pack article, I’m inclined to post something more on the healthy side. I’ve never worried about my weight and I feel sad that a lot of people here do. Call it good genes, but I attribute it to eating wise. I eat what I want when I’m hungry and I never snack on junk. Growing up, a snack was a sandwich, never chips. And a meal was eaten family-style with everyone at the table present. I’m also not big on sweets and I’m known to forgo dessert all together for a warm, yeasty, fresh-from-the oven bread instead. I went to Harry’s Whole Foods yesterday and before I could even get to the register, I’ve finished half (ok, more than half) of their freshly baked baguette. That was snack. No butter. No chips. No soda. I’m also big on Asian food. Okay, make that huge. The notion that there are hardly fat Asian people is actually quite true. And that’s because burgers and fries are not on their daily diet. But as a foodie, I eat all kinds of food. Burgers and fries are always included. But remember, I eat wisely. If I have that yummy 5Guys burger and fries for lunch, I’ll eat Korean for dinner. If I have that Tuesday Lasagna at Verra Zanno for dinner, it means I’ve had sashimi for lunch. Basically, it’s all about balance. I don’t think it’s right for anyone to restrict themselves when it comes to food. That would be sad. Really sad. Limit is more appropriate. Not restrict. Portion control and balance are key. If you really love those greasy tater chips while planted on the couch, then by all means go ahead and indulge. But don’t eat the whole bag. And skip dessert on the next meal. Now, let’s eat!

Doc Green’s has what I call guiltless food. I discovered this place when I was at the Ponce’s Atlanta City Hall a lot. They have fresh-made salads and amazing paninis. What impressed me the most was the roasted turkey breast carved on premises. You’re not getting those laden-with-nitrates-and-salt processed meats here. This is fresh roasted turkey. The real thing!

They have great salads, too. A favorite is the fried chicken salad. It’s this mountain of greens topped with crispy fried chicken cubes. It makes for a hearty lunch. And the hot entrees are worth trying as well (they have steak, salmon, turkey, ham, chicken). Two sides is the norm and they have a great selection. My favorite is the corn casserole made with real corn. And it’s not too sweet either. The mashed potatoes with real gravy is very good. Meals top at $12 so not only do they offer healthy food, they’re very affordable.

Insider tip:

No table service. Order, pay, then sit and wait for your food. By the way, the peach ice tea is amazing.

The scoop:

Doc Green’s

Locations by clicking here.

Technorati Tags: Doc Green’s, salads, soups, paninis, carved turkey, corn casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy

There’s a new kid on the block that I predict promise will take Duluth by storm (if it hasn’t already). It opened 3 weeks ago. I learned about it from my mom’s Chinese good friend who literally walked me over to the restaurant and introduced me to the owners and staff as her “other daughter”. Even at just being open for 2 days, they have everything spot on: food and service.

Located in a brand new huge Asian shopping plaza with only a handful of businesses open, this Korean barbecue house was packed on the lunch day I came in (and they’ve only been open 2 days!) with a mostly Korean clientèle. The shopping plaza is on North Berkeley Lake Road which cuts through PIB, Buford Hway, and Pleasant Hill. It’s closer to the Pleasant Hill side and if you keep going, Super H Mart Duluth will be on your right past the Pleasant Hill traffic light (where Walmart is). [Side note: Incidentally, a new Super H Mart-type super grocery is going to open here soon. The new place has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Super H because they want to name the new place something like The H Mart. Clever. They were supposed to open 3 months ago. Name has been settled and I heard they’ll be open in a few weeks.]

Anyway, I was impressed with the food, both quality and quantity-wise. And the prices — well, it puts Super H Mart to shame. At cheaper than it’s supermarket counterpart, this place offers superior taste that’s world’s away. They offer quite a good list of Lunch Specials that, at $6.99, is the best deal in town (and cheaper and way more flavorful than the fast food at Super H). The food is fresh, with good quality ingredients, and very, very tasty. You get 12 banchan dishes per order (too much for one person, if you ask me). Not to mention its serene ambiance that, well, the supermarket will never have. And you’ll love the huge tables. So why go to Super H at all? It’s 200 yards away!

I had Kimchi Rice topped with Egg. Since very little English is spoken here, my Beef Kimchi Rice order got lost in translation. No matter, it was spicy and delicious. The banchan (12 total) was all good, too, especially the bowl of hot broth with taro.

A friend came a little while later and ordered a Beef Bibimbap in a stone hot pot on a slab of wood. Awesome presentation. Plus the fact that the stone pot was so hot, so you really needed the slab of wood. And I like that the rice and sauce is served separate so you can adjust the heat to your liking.

Definitely a must-try. Go now. The lines during lunch are already piling up out the door.

Insider tip:

Go early and beat the lunch crowd of Korean business people. Banchan available for purchase.

The signage outside is in Korean and the only English words are Catering House. So I’m naming this place Korean Catering House. Go through the plaza entrance and it’ll be a little to your left as you go all the way in.

The scoop:

Korean Catering House
2645 North Berkeley Lake Rd.,
Duluth, GA 30096

Technorati Tags: Korean Catering House, Duluth, North Berkeley Lake Rd, Korean food, bibimbap, Korean Barbeque, Kimchi Rice

Hi folks! I’m back in Atlanta after an amazing 12-day stay in Europe. I got to visit family in Mannheim, Germany for a few days then headed east to Prague for a week where I fell absolutely in love with the city. Incidentally, I’m one of the lucky ones (okay, two if you count my sister) who never suffers from jet lag. But I get a major case of eating lag. You know, getting hungry at odd times of the day. I haven’t uploaded my (thousands) of pictures yet but as soon as I get out of this lazy mood, I’ll give you guys the link. In the meantime, here’s a couple (contraband stuff I brought back from the trip):

For very special friends:

For me and my sister: 75 screaming pounds from Germany of pure chocolate heaven! Had to buy another luggage just for these!

Be back in a couple of days after my hunger pangs subside…