Chow Down Atlanta

I’ve been addicted to BB’s bagels lately. My brother regularly sends or brings me H&H Bagels from New York but I’ve found a close substitute here in the ‘burbs. These are boiled bagels, made from scratch daily. They are chewy, dense, and yeasty, with a tiny hint of sour, and a tad bit sweet. Perfection.

But aside from their famous bagels, they serve breakfast and lunch daily until 2pm. Everything is made in house and almost everything is made from scratch. So which one isn’t? The Taylor ham. I love this. It’s a pork roll from New Jersey. Kinda like a bologna. Here, they slice them thin and fry them lightly. I like that it’s not salty at all. Good for breakfast.

You’ve got to visit BB’s. Everyone that comes in is like family. Incidentally, a couple of weeks ago, I discovered Essex bagels which is closer to my house. Rumor has it that they get their dough from BB’s. Well, not exactly. According to Eddie (owner of BB’s), they do roll the dough for Essex but the recipe is slightly different. I agree. BB’s is chewier. Essex is a little on the bland side. BB’s rules.

The scoop:
BB’s Bagels and Diner
770 McFarland Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 475-1818

Technorati Tags: bagels, diner, Alpharetta, boiled bagels, NY bagels

I’ve been hitting the new Assi Plaza Duluth food court for lunch for the last couple of weeks. My newest obsession: hand-pulled noodles. From the Chinese stall. You’d get a kick out of watching Mr. Noodles pull and whack his pasta on a table.

The noodles are just perfect. Noodles are made when you place your order. The black bean paste sauce is savory with a slight hint of sweet. The pork cubes are tender. I just love their Jajang Noodles.

Note: Jajang noodles were created in Korea by Chinese settlers back in the 1800s. This Korean version has a faint hint of sweetness whereas the original mainland Chinese version does not.

China House
1630 Pleasant Hill Rd.
#A8
Duluth, GA 30096
678-638-0822
Inside Assi Plaza Duluth

Technorati Tags: Chinese, hand-pulled noodles, noodles, Duluth

Contrary to what most of you think, I do cook. As much as 2-3 times a week. But sometimes, not at all. I eat all my lunches and some dinners out and I don’t eat leftovers so I have to supplement that with home-cooked meals (mine or my mom’s). I go to either Super H, BHFM, or Assi (Suwanee) every single week (in addition to Whole Foods/Trader Joe’s/Alon’s and almost daily trips to bakeries and bagel shops). Assi Duluth opened about a month ago. It was so chaotic the first week of opening that it wasn’t really worth the hassle to add it to my rotation. But I’ve been back a few more times after that and the frenzy has died down a bit. Yesterday, it was literally empty. Of course, it’s also been raining cats and dogs all day.

To say this place is huge is an understatement. The produce section is expansive. But the meat and seafood section are small, and the aisles are tight. BHFM has 99% of what I need, Super H Mart has 85%, and I would say this place has about 70% of what I need — in terms of produce and dry goods (dry/liquid spices, noodles, snacks, etc). Prices average 20 cents less than the others but the selection here is not as good. Plus, stuff are not as organized as BHFM so you’ll see specific Asian goods scattered all over even though they have a particular aisle for each group. You’ll need to look at all the aisles to find what you’re looking for rather than going to one specific section.

Here is yesterday’s loot. I found some ridiculously fresh snow pea tips, persimmons, inexpensive lemons (remember last year when they were a dollar apiece, well, they’re 5 for 99cents now), great stewing tomatoes, baby bokchoy, okra, watercress, asparagus, some yummy potato bread, black bean soy milk (you’re missing out if you haven’t had this), fat ginger, and a gigantic cabbage.

Verdict: Worth checking out. I’d go for the food court alone. There’s a good selection of cheap eats at the food court with a Mozart bakery that has a private dining area.

Assi Plaza (Duluth)
1630 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 813-1500
A mile east of 85. Just past Bahama Breeze.

Technorati Tags: Asian market, Ethnic grocery, Korean, Duluth, Pleasant Hill Rd

Yup, you heard it right. Korean burgers. BULGOGI burgers! KIMCHI burgers!

Korean tacos aren’t the new thing anymore. Korean burgers are. Today, I had a succulent burger marinated in bulgogi sauce. It was juicy and tasty. But you know what happens when you marinate ground beef — the consistency of the meat becomes mushy (kinda like a country fried steak but without the batter). Which is what these burgers really are. Don’t get me wrong, though, they’re okay, but not as good as the ‘ol American burger. For $4.99 you get a regular sized burger (about 1/3 pound) in a soft, grocery-type, sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, and some Korean sauce. Add $2 more and you get fries and a drink.

But the best part: the TWISTED POTATO. They take a big, whole potato, skin it, then slice it like a slinky so you still have a whole potato. Then they put the entire thing on a stick (like a kebab), douse it with spices, and deep fry it until golden. This is ridiculously GOOD!!! They have three flavors: barbecue, cheese, and spicy chili. Get the spicy chili. It is soooooooo awesome.

The scoop:
Fusion YoriJori Burger
1630 Pleasant Hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
678-638-0822
Inside Assi Plaza Duluth

Technorati Tags: Korean burgers, Korean, Duluth

I’ve been to this place twice before back when they were still located on Peachtree Parkway. This new location in the heart of downtown Norcross is more upscale in ambiance and is filled with office people.

First up, the requisite chips and dip. The salsa is made with fresh tomatoes and cilantro and had good consistency. It was a little on the bland side but the saltiness of the chips complemented well. While I totally disagree with Foodie Buddha’s assessment, I absolutely loved the chips they use: totopos! These are thicker chips made by grinding corn kernels with water. The resulting dough is then cut and oven baked. I love totopos — the crunch, the corny taste. In Atlanta, you can find El Milagro (a local company) Totopos in the Mexican aisle at the BHFM. These totopos (and Jack’s Special Salsa) are staples in my house.

Zapata is well known for their Sopa Azteca. I’ve really enjoyed it the couple of times I’ve had it. On this visit, however, the flavor was just off. The broth tasted more like canned tomato sauce more than fresh tomatoes which overpowered the chicken broth.

The Crema de Chile Poblano was really good. It was creamy and rich. Like its American cousin, the milk and cream cheese flavors were distinctly there but they made it a Mexican version by including a very pronounced chile poblano taste. Beware, this is a very filling soup.

The Enchiladas de Mole was quite a disappointment. For a non-dessert eater like me, sweet food is a turn-off. This dish was overly sweet that it was uneatable. Worse, the chicken filling was also as sweet. The only saving grace was the rice which wasn’t Mexican rice but more like steamed sticky Jasmine rice which went really well with the refried beans.

The Crepas Cholula was a better choice. Two soft crepes were filled with absolutely delicious picadillo. The picadillo tasted like it was cooked for hours, simmering in a blend of Mexican spices. The mild chipotle cream sauce wasn’t all that bad. I liked that it had a good bit of chipotle taste and was whisked enough to render a frothy consistency. But there was just so much of it that it killed the taste of the picadillo. I’ll get this again but I’ll make sure to have the sauce on the side.

Trying to chase the goodness of the picadillo (ok, fine, I was still hungry), an order of Picadillo Quesadilla was made. This was a total let down as the picadillo was squashed by the greasy, bland cheese it was mixed with. To add insult to injury, they used overripe avocados on the side of guacamole.

This place isn’t off my list yet. I’ve had enjoyable meals here in the past. It has lots of potential and they may have just had an off day on this visit. In fact, I can’t wait to eat their Picadillo Burrito: a lunch special on Thursdays.

Insider tip:
Prices average $7 for lunch.
Street parking available including a private lot a few feet away.

Zapata
15 Jones St NW
Norcross, GA 30071
(770) 248-0052

Technorati Tags: Mexican, Norcross