Archive for September, 2008

Cafe 101

I’m going to hurt all Cafe 101 fans by saying this place is so overrated.  I have spent most of of my life eating authentic Chinese food in China and Asia.  I grew up eating real Chinese food — spending summers and extended vacations in their part of the world.  Therefore, my standard definitely isn’t the Americanized version (read: dumbed-down).  Having said that, I wouldn’t go out of my way just to eat here and get food that is, at best, 2 notches above Panda Express.  Don’t get me wrong, though, most people are okay with westernized Chinese food — it’s suited for their palates and it’s what they are used to. Nothing wrong with that.

Cafe 101

When it first opened, I really liked their Dan Dan Noodles — thick, chewy noodles doused with a hoisin-peanut sauce and topped with steamed watercress.  It was fantastic. Was, being an operative word here.  These days, Dan Dan Noodles have evolved to a super salty sticky mess.  Four times in a row (and all within 2 months), I’ve had to leave the noodles untouched, or worse, throw them in the trash when I got it to-go.

Cafe 101

The shredded beef and Chinese celery is pretty decent in the Panda Express-kind of way which is nothing out of the ordinary. The celery outnumbered the beef 12-to-1 so all you taste is celery. The beef, however, was tender. For lunch, you get a cup of hot and sour soup and their version is on the watery/bland side. The Salt and Pepper Pork Chops is a decent choice. You get strips of deep-fried pork laced with jalapeño peppers. Last complaint, they really need to do something with their steamed rice. I know the price of rice has tripled in the last couple of months but it’s still no reason to serve 3rd-class brownish rice.

Bottom line, the decor is better than the food. If you want authentic Szechuan cuisine, don’t waste your time here, head on over to Sichuan House instead.

More pictures here.

Insider tip:
Located in the round building (that used to be Tofu House) along Buford Highway just inside 285.
The pickled radish is fantastic.

The scoop:
Cafe 101
5412 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 458-8883

Café 101 on Urbanspoon

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The weekend that was!

The Feed Store, Duluth Fall Festival, and JapanFest

Whew!  I’ve had a busy weekend.  Too many events going on that it was impossible to go to all of them.  Friday, I went to The Feed Store’s farm-to-table dinner.  Chef Peter did an excellent job creating a menu showcasing Sweet Grass Dairy. I cannot rave enough about this place. It is simply fantastic. And no, I am in no way affiliated with this restaurant. I just really love Chef Peter’s food.

The Feed Store

I’ll condense my review. More pictures can be viewed here. Overall, another superb meal. Oh, and we all got to take home a whole Green Hill cheese!

Amuse Bouche (”Mediterranean Feta” – Cerignola Olive Petal Confit, “Heat” Green Tomato Pico de Gallo – Tortilla Chip): loved the mild cheeses on this one. The pico de gallo provided a slight hint which was a nice touch. The tortilla chips, I could have eaten a whole bag.

Appetizer (Pan Seared Foie Gras, “Lumiere” Stuffed French Toast, Ellijay Apple Sauce): the melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly-cooked foie gras was heavenly and sat atop a cheese-stuffed soft French toast with a very mild apple sauce. Chef Peter gave new meaning to apple sauce with its mild taste and smooth texture. This isn’t baby food anymore.

Soup (Georgia Shrimp, “Thomasville Tomme” Bisque, Berkshire Pork Lardon Toast): this was THE best tomato bisque I have ever had. It had the perfect balance of shrimp and tomato tastes. So comforting. And very flavorful.

Salad (Baby Arugula, Sous Vide Candied Beet, Fried “Green Hill”, Black Pepper Vinaigrette): the slightly-bitter, crisp baby arugula was tempered by the beets that provided lots of texture. The chopped beets had this interesting crunch that you wouldn’t't think it could come from beets. Again, very nice touch. The light drizzle of the vinaigrette tied everything in. The fried Green Hill added bonus. A winning salad, indeed.

Entrée (Churrasco Beef Tenderloin, Grilled Sweet Onions, Black Eyed Pea, Collard Green, and “Sevenwood” Casserole): the tenderloin was another clear winner. Perfectly grilled (churrasco style), served medium-rare, it was fork tender and was very tasty. The accompanying black-eyed peas and collard greens provided a Southern flare and the onions toned down the strong flavor of the greens. The casserole wasn’t cheesy at all but provided just hint of flavor. Excellent dish.

Dessert (“Fresh Chevre” Ice Cream, Scuppernong Syrup, Mint): a perfect exclamation point to a magnificent meal. The goat cheese ice cream was so good, held its frozen temperature up to the last bite, and was sitting on a tiny pool of delicious scuppernog syrup.

Feed Store on Urbanspoon

Festival Weekend

Duluth Fall Festival '08
Loot from the Duluth Fall Festival: 9 loaves of bread and kettle corn

Duluth Fall Festival '08
Duluth Fall Festival

JapanFest '08
JapanFest

There were too many festivals going on but I only went to Duluth, where I’ve been going since I was young and also because I have to stock up on bread. This year was their biggest so far. It is the most organized festival. Sunday, I went to JapanFest where I’ve also been going for years. It’s also a little bigger this year but I’m losing interest on this one. First of all, I can get better food at the participating restaurants themselves. Second, it’s too chaotic. I’ll definitely skip this one next year and go to the Pig Roast in Cabbagetown AND the Chili Cook-Off in Stone Mountain instead.

Pictures from the Duluth Fall Festival are here and from the JapanFest here.

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Lotta Frutta

Lottafrutta

Lottafrutta is this cool sandwich place a few blocks from Georgia State in Auburn Avenue. It’s been one of our favorite places for a quick bite to eat whenever I’m on this side of town (which is about twice a week). A couple of years ago, you wouldn’t want to walk around Auburn Avenue. But they’ve really cleaned the place up. It’s beautiful here now with lots of quaint houses and quirky townhomes.

Lottafrutta

Lottafrutta

Lottafrutta serves grilled sandwiches on Latin bread. They’re wonderful. The sweet bread is soft, grilled panini-style, and filled with ham, turkey, or veggies. Or get it the way I do: Just Veggin’ with Turkey — creamy havarti with avocados, tomatoes, cucumbers, and sprouts with a slices of oven-roasted turkey. It is just so delicious. Each sandwich comes with a tiny tub of chulpe (grilled corn, Ecuadorian style). It’s crunchy and very appetizing.

Lottafrutta

Then they have these fruit cups that are just equally amazing. My two favorites are the Limonatta and the Cremolatta. If you have a taste for tart stuff, then Limonatta is for you. It has slices of cantaloupe, coconut, cucumber, watermelon, pineapple, mango, and papaya with fresh lime juice then sprinkled with spicy chile guajillo. You get this sweet-tangy tastes with a hint of spice. No worries, it is not spicy at all, with the heat more akin to paprika. On the other hand, if you want all sweetness, then go for the Cremolatta with slices of grapes, watermelon, strawberry, papaya, and cantaloupe then topped with a generous amount of homemade cream. Both delicious and both great accompaniments to the sandwiches. The fruit juices and the ice pops are also irresistible.

Lottafrutta is one sandwich place you must, must try. Grilled sandwiches are only $6.25 (they are good-sized), fruit cups start at $4.75.

Insider tip:

Open during the week at 7am for breakfast. Try the Cuban coffee — awesome!

The scoop:
Lottafrutta
590 Auburn Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 588-0857
M-F: 7am-5pm
Sat/Sun: 9am-5pm

Lottafrutta on Urbanspoon

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Urban Flats Lindbergh

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Last night was Urban Flats’ friends and family dinner at their Lindbergh location. It is UF’s second and newest location in Atlanta. I’m so glad they finally have one in-town.

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Urban Flats Brookhaven

I love the lofty atmosphere here with the high ceilings and concrete floors. There’s a curved bar and their cool cruvinet system. As of this writing, they don’t have their liquor license yet but should have it by Friday, Sepember 19, which is their official opening day. There are booths on opposite sides of the bar where you can have a cozy and leisurely meal. Photographs of Atlanta city scene from a local photographer add warmth and color to the otherwise cold and intimidating feel.

<Urban Flats

Food is exactly the same as the Lawrenceville location. The Baked Cheese and Tomato is a wonderful starter. You get this creamy tomato bisque with a ball of warm goat cheese in the middle. The bisque is delicious just by itself. But the goat cheese gives it character. Not on last night’s offering, the Tuna Poki (a personal favorite) is a must try.

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Salads are equally good. I really liked their Park Salad that came with fresh baby spinach, pears, caramelized onions, waltnuts, bleu cheese the drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. The Urban Salad is a good mess of greens, raisins, sunflower seeds and goat cheese all blended together with a honey and white balsamic vinaigrette.

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Urban Flats Brookhaven

Urban Flats Brookhaven

The flatbreads take center stage at Urban Flats although the not-so-small plates of Mahi Mahi with Garlic Caper Butter and French Dip are contenders. Flatbreads are 75% whole wheat and are baked fresh in their stone-hearth oven. My all time favorite, the Fig and Prosciutto is made with fresh fig jam, prosciutto, bleu cheese and mozzarella cheese. The sweetness and chewiness of the figs are a perfect contrast to the salty prosciutto. Trust me when I say this is the best flatbread in the house.

Other notable flatbreads that are equally delicious are the Fire Roasted Chicken made with sun-dried tomato pesto sauce and the Black and Blue with sliced steak, spinach, bell peppers, bleu/mozarella cheeses, tomatoes, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. This flatbread is so hearty it’s like eating a one-dish meal.

The verdict

Urban Flats gives Atlantans another choice for casual yet hip gathering place to meet friends for a drink or have an informal yet delicious meal made with fresh ingredients. With regular live music and weekly beer tasting, this might just be the place to be this side of town.


Insider tip
:
Valet parking available. Located next to Longhorn Steakhouse.

The scoop:
2450 Piedmont Rd NE Ste 100
Atlanta, GA 30324
(678) 344-2022
Mon-Thurs: 11am-Midnight
Fri-Sat: 11am-1am
Sunday: 11am-10pm

Urban Flats Flatbread Co. on Urbanspoon

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Time for “fall-is-in-the-air” Events

I am totally loving our cooler weather. Which means Fall events are aplenty.  Here are my favorite events that I regularly go to and highly recommend:

  •  Duluth Fall Festival (September 27 and 28 in Downtown Duluth from 9am to 5pm)   –  this is their 26th year and I’ve been going for the last 10 or so.  Admission is free.
  • Japan Festival (September 27 and 28 from 10am-5pm  at the Convention Center at Gwinnett Center)  –  I’ve also been going for the last 15 years and if anything else, you get to try yummy Japanese food.  Tickets are $8 each.
  • Caribbean Cook-off (October 4 from 12-8pm at the Exchange Park in Decatur –  contestants will offer three dishes each and we, the public, gets to taste them.  Tickets are $5 per adult.
  • Taste of Atlanta 2008 (October 11 and 12 from 11am-6pm on the streets of Atlantic Station)  –  the mother of all food events; this is one food fest you should never, ever miss (I never do).  This year, they’re going to have Richard Blais, Ted Allen (who also came last year), Peter Golaszewski of The Feed Store, Trisha Yearwood, and many more.
  • Eggstoberfest (October 17th & 18th from 9am-3pm at the Big Green Egg headquarters in Tucker)  –  I’ve been tagging along with my parents to this event for years and they really, really feed you well (steaks, chops, etc).  Tickets are $40 each or $55 per couple.  Really, this fest has the best food hands down.
  • Chopstix for Charity (October 18 from 6pm at the Epps Aviation at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport)  –  a charity event for the Asian Atlanta community.  I went last year and it was so much fun.  Tickets are $35 until September 30, $45 pre-event and $55 at the door.
  • Also, just to remind you that The Feed Store’s Farm-2-Table dinner with Sweet Grass Dairy is this Friday.  This is one of the rare times that SGD is doing an F2T dinner with a restaurant in Atlanta so do be sure to check it out.  Tickets are $55 each for a 5-course meal.

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Dunkin’ Donuts

So I’m not the only one who has tried DD’s new breakfast sandwich.  It’s part of their DDSmart line of healthier breakfast fare which is the newest trend these days.  There’s this new DD on Pleasant Hill (close to 141) that just opened maybe 3 weeks ago.  They have this new contemporary decor that makes it look more like a cozy coffee shop than a regular DD.  They are the only location that makes humongous donuts.  I got a dozen chocolate-glazed and they wouldn’t fit the box!  I’m so used to getting donuts from other locations and they make these puny ones.  Theirs were huge and fluffy.  Anyway, back to the sandwich…

Dunkin Donuts

Okay, so the eggs and filling are pre-made but they get delivered daily so there’s a freshness factor there at least. They pop them into their ovens and they get toasted nicely. The result: a decent-tasting breakfast that you can eat on the go. Like when you’re driving (which I always do, I mean, the eating and driving part). I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of this “healthier breakfast trend” now.

The scoop:
Dunkin’ Donuts at
5980 State Bridge Rd
Duluth, GA 30097
678-957-8507

Dunkin' Donuts on Urbanspoon

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FaceBook and Breakfast

Okay, so yesterday, Chef Peter from The Feed Store, Adam Murphy of Channel 46, and I got invited to judge an architectural firm’s annual breakfast contest.  To say it was such a fun event is an understatement — they were so hilariously crazy!  I mean, they go all out on these events.  One group, The Superheroes, were all dressed as, well, super heroes!  Not your average super heroes, but the unique kind!  Then there’s this group that simulated an airline flight.  There was a projection screen playing safety features, we were sitting on airline seats complete with hot towels, meal trays, the works!  They even had flight attendants and a pilot!  I had so much fun. It was so refreshing to see a company with such amazing morale among its employees.

Anyway, view the photos on my Facebook account. Or by using this link: 
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=6038&l=2e83e&id=1312783509.

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Taka Sushi Cafe

I must admit Taka is not one of my go-to places for sushi. Don’t get me wrong, though, as I am a fan of Taka’s food. It’s just that, being an OTPer, it’s a trek for me to go there on a regular basis. I usually go to three other places that are closer to me and, thus, I can just get up and go anytime without having to fight traffic or make a big production of it. Those three places are (in no particular order, and which, I promise to write about soon): Sushi Yoko, Haru Ichiban, and Blue Fin (for ramen). The last two are favorite haunts of Taka himself, and, where I also bump into a star sushi chef always. What I love most about Takao Moriuchi is his passion for his art. He really makes a big deal of everything he creates at Taka. Hours of preparation go into each creation days before he even serves them. Yes, he takes it personally.

Taka Sushi Cafe

I usually go for the omakase whenever I do get to visit. But for other times when I can only handle a light dinner or lunch, sashimi is what I do. Every single fish that is served here is fresh. Fresh is the single, most important ingredient to sushi/sashimi. Still, ask what the chef recommends on a particular visit. This goes for any sushi place you go to.

Taka Sushi Cafe

Taka Sushi Cafe

Taka Sushi Cafe

Anyway, there’s this oxtail soup that Chef Taka makes that will totally blow you away (it’s my absolute favorite and you can only get it here). They also have an assortment of tofu dishes and pot stickers that are wonderful appetizers. One time, they had real wagyu beef that was pure heaven. And cooked fish roe which I love. And he always has something special everyday. Just ask.

Though you won’t find as many Japanese eating here, mainly, because of the location, Taka serves authentic Japanese cuisine. Everything here is good.

Insider tip:
Call ahead for omakase so Chef Taka can prepare a great experience for you.

The scoop:
Taka Sushi Cafe
385 Pharr Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305
(404) 869-2802

Taka Sushi Cafe on Urbanspoon

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Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki

I went to the bakery next door so I decided to try Maldives. Another place for cheap eats, Maldives targets mostly students in the area. They serve grilled dishes that start at $6.99 and come with rice, and whatever sides they have available that day (it was an eggroll, boiled corn, and soup when I visited).

Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki

Like the name implies, their grilled dishes are either marinated in teriyaki sauce or doused with it. As such, they taste like teriyaki instead of Korean. I got thrown for a loop because my grilled Korean shortribs, although cooked perfectly, do not really have that Korean taste to it; and, well, the extremely nice and friendly husband-and-wife owners are Koreans so I naturally just assumed they would have Korean barbeque. My dish was $8.99 and for that price, I would rather go to Super H. Of course, they have a better ambiance and a 100 score on the health report card, but taste-wise, I’d go for Super H anytime.

Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki

Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki

The Clear Vermicelli Noodles with Shrimp (Chap Jae) was actually quite good — flavorful and fresh, with huge pieces of shrimp. The Chicken BBQ plate is actually a winner. The chicken was good-sized, tender, and tasty and tastes better than the ribs.

Maldives offers lunch discounts to Emory students. They also do a lot of catering at Emory. This is a nice, clean place where you can get more-than-mediocre-tasting food at cheaper prices.

Insider tip:
Free softdrinks and free Wi-Fi.

The scoop:
Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki
2899 North Druid Hills Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 321-1605
Mon-Sat: 10:30AM-10PM
Sunday: 12:30PM-9PM

Maldives BBQ & Teriyaki on Urbanspoon

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Fuddruckers

Fuddruckers and Five Guys are two burger joints I hit when I don’t want to go to a fancy place for a hamburger.  You know, a place where you can go to alone and in your rattiest short shorts and flipflops.

Fuddruckers

Fuddruckers

Here, I almost always get the Ribeye Sandwich (of course, burger is the other choice). It is grilled to your liking and is tender, juicy, and flavorful. Add to it your choice of fresh toppings from the bar and you have one great meal. I top mine with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños. It comes with a side of fries or onion rings. The perfect accompaniment — the Chocolate Milkshake!

Fuddruckers

The scoop:

Fuddruckers
Several locations. Check website for addresses.

Fuddruckers on Urbanspoon

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