Chow Down Atlanta

One of my favorite special occasions places is Restaurant Eugene. There’s just something about it’s cozy, elegant space, excellent service, and exemplary food that makes celebrating a special moment more memorable. This past Saturday was no exception. The Junior League of Atlanta honored 34 members of its 1916 Society with a special luncheon prepared by renowned chef Linton Hopkins.

The backdrop was picture perfect: single-stemmed pink tulips and orchids in simple glass vases, tables topped with white linen then flanked by dark leather chairs, and 34 of the most impressive, most empowering women in Atlanta. 34. All under one roof.

The celebration started out with glasses of crisp Prosecco and passed hors d’oeuvres. Contrasting textures seems to be the theme for these very tasty appetizers. The Pimiento Cheese Fritters were flavor bombs in the mouth — crispy on the outside and gooey, cheesy on the inside, with the red pepper jelly lending sweet heat. The Citrus-cured Trout Tartare was a very mild-tasting fish whose soft meat danced with the crunchy bene wafer.

While I was never a fan of creamy soups, I became a convert with the best one I have ever tasted: Purée of Cauliflower. This wasn’t the cloyingly thick soup that has always been a turn-off for me. Instead, it was light yet creamy, smooth, and delicious. But it didn’t stop there. Sunchokes chips, toasted pecans, and a tiny dollop of black truffle ghee elevated this already amazing soup to the stratosphere of flavors and textures. This soup is something you can definitely eat all year round.

A salad is a salad is a salad, right? Wrong. Not at Restaurant Eugene. A mundane lettuce salad is transformed by Chef Linton into a fine dining creation that included winter lettuces, shaved apples, radish, Idiazabal Spanish cheese, and roasted peanuts with a clod of creamy mustard vinaigrette.

For the main course, pretty slices of tender and juicy free-range Chicken Ballotine garnished with red turnips and greens were a delight in all the senses. The garlic puree and chicken au jus provided additional tastes to an already delicious entree. Light yet filling, with a balance of flavors reminiscent of Restaurant Eugene.

Orange and cardamom crème brûlée ended the meal. It was so good I could’ve eaten a few more bowls. And this, coming from a non-dessert person like me. I loved the consistency of the brûlée — it wasn’t firm, but it wasn’t super soft either. The very thin layer of caramelized crust was a good departure from the common thick, crunchy kind you see everywhere else. Remember, this was no ordinary crème brûlée. This was Restaurant Eugene crème brûlée.

Can I just say this meal was fantastic in all levels. Not only was the meal unbelievably good, I met the most amazing women who will be life-long friends.

All I can say is THANK YOU from the very bottom of my heart. I know I haven’t been posting as much but I will try to change that on this 5th year of Chow Down Atlanta. You are all my friends. I will not be here if not for all of you. I am humbled by all of your support.

THANK YOU.

~Chloe

So guess what? I found Chef Danny Ting!!! The slippery-as-Peter-Cheng chef came full circle and ended up where he started from: Wan Lai. I’m guessing his stint at BoBo was aimed at having a better opportunity; and his briefer stint at Golden House was all about fame and success. After all the politics have died down, he’s back to his roots and will start what he set out to do from the very beginning: cook. Where is he now? Coco’s Chinese.

The original Coco’s replaced Wan Lai after it closed. Opened on October of 2010, it stayed afloat for one year closing in exactly one year on October 2011. It reopened on January 20, 2012 and the savvy owners kept the name and the sign, I’m thinking, to save money. While the old Coco’s specialized in Fuzhou cuisine, the new Coco’s under the helm of Chef Danny, specializes in what he does best — Cantonese food. The menu is the exact replica of Wan Lai, BoBo Garden, and Golden House, except tinier. A lot tinier. The dishes are also a lot cheaper. I’m not gonna go through great lengths about the food. The food is as fantastic as ever. And, tastes just like when he was at the other three places.

Beef Tripe and Tendon: fork-tender meat and amazing savory sauce with a just a hint of five-spice powder

Spicy Pork in Garlic Sauce: this Cantonese style dish differs from its Sichuan cousin in that it is a tad sweeter and the sauce is thicker

No one does Salted Crispy Shrimp better than Chef Danny. No one.

There’s one tip I want to share, however. Go at lunch. Lunch combos cost $5.50 and comes with soup, egg roll, and rice. And while this deal sounds just like at any other Chinese places, the difference is that the portions you get are almost as big as the dinner ones. The pictures above are lunch portions. So… get two or three combos like I do so you can sample a bunch in one sitting.

I am so happy that Chef Danny finally came to his senses and decided to lay low and start cooking again. I hope he stays here longer than anywhere he’s ever been. Now don’t complain when he finally leaves again and you never had a chance because you were always meaning to go one day. There is no excuse. Go NOW.

Pictures of the menu are on my Flickr.

Coco’s Chinese Restaurant
4897 Buford Highway, Suite 104
Chamblee, GA 30341
(404) 555-1212

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