Chow Down Atlanta

Went here last year with the lovely Blissful Glutton and have been coming back regularly. It’s great that there are two locations in opposite sides of the city. The original spot in Marietta is pretty cool — it’s a grocery, travel agency, jewelry store, deli, butcher shop, and a cafeteria, all in one. While the smaller one in Alpharetta is only a grocery and cafe.

You can get snacks, sandwiches, platters, and desserts. For snacks, there are assorted meat pies, pizza, savory pastries, and such. My absolute favorite is the Pamonha (pa-moan-yah). Unlike its cousin, the Mexican tamale, the dough is made from grated fresh corn. There are two kinds: sweet or savory. I love the plain, sweet kind as it makes for a great dessert (or appetizer). You taste nothing but sweet corn. Mmm. So yummy.

If you’ve been to meat-paradise Fogo, then you’re familiar with those addicting light and airy, chewy, cheese gougieres. The ones in Marietta are a bad imitation but the ones in Alpharetta are quite competitive. They’re a bit denser and thicker, but still good, nonetheless.

I don’t know what this “cupcake” is called. It tastes like pamonha but with grated coconut mixed in. It’s moist, much heavier than cake, but not as sweet. Good dessert.

Platters and sandwiches rule here. I particularly like the platters that come with your choice of meat, rice, salad, beans, and mashed potatoes or fries. It makes for a hearty meal. And for $5.99, it’s an awesome deal. The grilled steak has all the fatty goodness. It’s tender, juicy, and well seasoned. Beans are like the Mexican charos.

The sandwiches, an intimidating sight to behold, is a humongous, beautiful creation. I like the $7.99 X-Coisas do Brasil a lot as it really hits the spot. Yeasty, soft, buttered bread is filled with a hamburger patty, chicken, bacon, fried egg, mozzarella, a slice of ham, sausage, pineapple, tomato, lettuce, corn, and peas. You’ll have to flatten the sandwich a whole lot to fit it in your mouth. This is a delicious sandwich. I like that with all the meat, it’s not salty at all. The veggies cancel out the meat so you’re all good

If you’re feeling a lot less hungry, go for the $5.99 X-Tudo instead. It’s got a hamburger patty, fried egg, mozzarella, ham, tomato slices, lettuce, corn, and peas. It’s a teeny bit smaller but still filling. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Definitely cheap but good eats. Go now.

Note: The platters are not available on weekends in Alpharetta. Available everyday in Marietta.

Coisas do Brasil
2 Locations:
Marietta:
1480 Terrell Mill Road
Marietta, GA
770-541-1117

Alpharetta:
4055 Old Milton Parkway
Alpharetta, GA
678-867-2115

Technorati Tags: Alpharetta, Marietta, Brazilian, tidal

No, really, it’s called New Saigon. And it’s also new… ish. It’s located next door to Super H (Johns Creek) in the same strip mall. It’s so nice inside. Prices are very reasonable. Food is okay, not mind-blowing good, but not bad either.

They use good cuts of meat. The porkchop is thick (for a strip mall standard) and well marinated. The beef is tender and juicy. The combination plates are a good deal because they come with meat, fried eggs, salad and rice. I’m not a big fan of their (or any Vietnamese) crushed (or broken) rice because it’s grittier than regular rice. Broken rice originated from way back in Asia (among those developing nations) when rice became scarce. My uncle taught Agriculture in Saigon in the 70s (he showed them the American way of rice production). At that time he said the good rice was harvested and processed then shipped to fancy French restaurants and to those people who could afford to buy them. The more affordable (read: lower grade) broken rice were bagged for the masses. Me, I just never liked the texture. I like soft, chewy Korean/Japanese or Jasmine rice.

The summer rolls make really great appetizers. You get three in an order. They’re light, refreshing, and filled with plump, fresh shrimp. The thick, soy-peanut sauce is also quite good — it has just the right sweet-salty combination.

I really like the rice vermicelli bowls (bún) here. You can top them with your choice of meat. I like that the noodles are well prepared — they don’t stick to each other. They’re not gooey, gluey, and wet. It’s just like when Italian pasta is boiled the right way. Drizzle it with the accompanying sweet-sour fish sauce and you have a fantastic meal in a bowl.

Last thing. Every meal comes with a free dessert. Ice cream or flan (egg custard). Don’t scoff. The flan is amazing!

New Saigon Vietnamese Bistro
10820 Abbotts Bridge Rd., Ste 110
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 495-8828

Technorati Tags: Vietnamese, Alpharetta, Johns Creek

So you already know by now. The best bagels in Atlanta are not in Atlanta. They’re in Alpharetta. All of them.  These elusive bagels — because if you live in the city, you must fight traffic, make the 45-minute trek up north and make sure you get there before 2PM OR have a good friend named Chloe aka the bagel fairy who makes deliveries to in town friends — are made the traditional, old-fashioned, New York City way. Hand rolled and kettle boiled.  The result is a shiny, chewy bagel that’s dense and firm yet airy and spongy. These unique bagels (the size of a small child’s head) are hand-rolled (and hand-formed), boiled in a kettle, then baked. The boiling process creates a distinct, moist, sweetish crust absent on mass-produced versions. Not only is the process unique, the appearance is, too. Most have completely no holes!

What used to be Bitchin’ is now Bronx. More family-friendly name, I guess. These bagels were started by a couple, the Siinos, who moved here from New York. Their main baker started his craft at New York City Deli & Bagels which was also in Alpharetta. Many years after, in what would be the ultimate homage to their craft, the Siinos took over the NYC Deli location and transformed it into their second BB’s location which just opened recently.

A few miles down the road, another hand-roller/kettle-boiler joint entered the scene about two years ago: Essex Bagels. There has been a lot of denying on Essex’s part but I was told by BB’s baker himself that he makes the dough and hand-rolls them for Essex. I spend a lot of time equally on both places.   Although the appearance and texture are identical, the recipe isn’t exactly the same. BB’s are slightly sweeter.  I like them both.

Every single flavor is fantastic. Chocolate chip and French toast are good enough for dessert. Sun-dried tomato and Veggie both taste like they have tomatoes and veggies in them. The blueberry? Yes, it tastes like blueberries. Salt, Garlic, Pumpernickel, and Everything? Get ready for a sensation of flavors (and scents). Of course, the Plain, Wheat, and Egg are amazing. Their homemade cream cheeses are delicious. Try the scallion, lox, and chocolate chip.

But wait. These bagels on steroids aren’t the only thing good at these places. Breakfasts are, too. Grits are made from scratch, omelets are fluffy, corned beef hash is chunky and tasty, biscuits are flaky. Oh, and let’s not forget about the Taylor ham. A great contender to the Canadian bacon, this pork roll is sliced thin then grilled. Yummy. By the way, try the bagel pizza at Essex. Available only upon request.

Don’t take my word for it. Go for the bagels. And breakfast. Just go.

BB’s Bagels & Diner
Open daily from 6AM – 2PM
2 Locations:
Main:
770 McFarland Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 475-1818

New:
10995 State Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022
Ph. 770-754-9595

Essex Bagels
11030 Medlock Bridge Rd Ste 160
Johns Creek, GA 30097
(770) 476-8214

Technorati Tags: Alpharetta, bagels, BB’s, Scoutmob, Local Scout

Three of my most favorite barbecue places in town comes from a grandson, a bird, and some brothers. But since I am an Equal Opportunity Eater, I also go to all the other hundred (bbq) places in town. You know how servers ask if it’s the first time you’ve been to a place? Like, so what if I have or haven’t? What can you possibly tell me if I haven’t? I’ve been here a couple of times and sure enough, I get asked that million dollar question. So I put it to the test and answered, No. I waited for a good comeback. Because I never get one. And… this girl no older than 18, actually had a good one. She proceeds to tell me a brief history of the place, how the menu is laid out, what some of the items were, what the portions are like, and gave a few suggestions. I was actually impressed.

On this visit, we got a combo plate and some ribs. I have never been blown away by their KC- style barbecue. They use this sweet glaze on the meat that I’m not a big fan of. It’s cloyingly sweet and reminded me of those fake-looking chicken entrees from chain restaurants. An option is to get the Memphis-style dry-rub instead.  The meats here are fork-tender and flavorful and the portions are huge.

What’s really amazing here are the sides. They are all made in-house from scratch. Two words: Corn Pudding. It’s savory with a slight sweet, lots of corn flavor, lots of fresh corn. It’s a cross between a quiche and a pie. It’s buttery, milky, eggy, and just plain delicious.

Other notable sides include the creamy cheese grits, the leafy collard greens, the macaroni & cheese, and the Vidalia onion rings. I’d go for the corn pudding alone.

Smokejack Southern Grill and BBQ
2 Locations:
29 S Main St
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 410-7611

5063 Post Rd.
Suite 105
Cumming, GA 30040
770-781-8474

Technorati Tags: bbq, Alpharetta, Cumming

Verdict: RUN, don’t walk. And. Get. There. NOW!!!

Chinese Elvis. Better than the King himself. He provides live entertainment nightly.

Family friends invited us to the grand opening on July 3rd. But I was in Sanibel at the time. Talks of real, authentic Cantonese cooking circulated and wouldn’t die down — with the chef coming from the Guangdong province and apparently a brilliant one to boot, including lengthy stints in Hong Kong under his belt. But then I got a hold of the menu. And felt deflated. Disappointed. With the location being right-smack in the middle of suburbia, I kind of expected it could not sustain a menu worthy of Buford Highway clientele. And the menu was testament to that: all Americanized dishes. Yeah, I’m talking Panda Express Americanized.  The only thing I hoped for was that there was a good chance they had a Chinese menu. You know, the one reserved for the lucky Chinese people.  Written in Chinese. Well, what do you know… they don’t.

Can you read (computerized) Chinese? These are part of what we ordered.

But we still gave it a chance, banking on familiarity with Cantonese cuisine; we knew we can make the chef make dishes we liked to eat in Hong Kong. And boy, did he surprise us. Forget Bo Bo Garden and Wan Lai. This is real Cantonese food. Exceptional is even an understatement. Every single thing we ate was just beyond perfection. Do note, however, that there are no names to these dishes. We basically asked what is fresh that visit, what they had in the kitchen, and gave very loose guidelines as to how they should be prepared.

The Pig’s Ears cold dish is a great appetizer. The ears are sliced thinly but big enough to constitute two bites. Tender yet still gelatinous with the requisite chew. The cucumber slices and cilantro provide texture and added background flavor with the soy sauce and sesame seed oil serving as the main yet subtle tastes in the foreground.

Quite possibly the best dish of the night. And my favorite: Giant Clam. Served in its shell. The meat was sliced into tender pieces then stir-fried in XO Sauce. I wouldn’t be surprised if the chef made his sauce from scratch. I’ll remember to ask next time. The Chinese chives provide a tiny hint of sweet that offsets the savory flavor of the sauce. Brilliant. (Tip: mix the accompanying cilantro with the dish for added oomph.)’

Soft slices of taro are underneath the duck.

The Duck+Taro was another stellar dish. First, the duck is steamed and then braised. The result is tender pieces of duck with bones crunchy enough to eat. The sauce is infused in every bite. Delicious.

The Steamed Flounder is just absolutely divine. The fish was so fresh, buttery, and just melted in the mouth. The ginger-scallion sauce was amazing. In Chinese restaurants, always opt for salt-water fish. They go better with Chinese cooking. For future reference. That’s all.

Other items that were attacked either before I could take pictures or pictures that weren’t as good because it was unbelievably dark in there include a “two-way fish” — a deep-fried Tilapia dish (freshly fished from a tank). The head is used for tofu soup and served along side the crispy fish. It will blow you away. A delicious black bean sauce is used to top the fish. Seriously delicious.

The stir-fried Sea Cucumbers were so tender yet still have a slight chew. Bite-sized pieces are laid on top of steamed baby bok choy. The sauce is light and thin. I like this version a lot because this is what I was used to eating.

Fresh Manila Clams in dry XO sauce is an excellent finger food. The clams are salty-sweet. You can taste the ocean!

The Dry-fried Beef Chow Fun has that addicting smokiness.

The Chinese Fried Chicken is crispier and doesn’t have that cloying five-spice after-taste. The stir-fried Shrimp with Oyster Mushrooms is refreshingly light. The Seafood Hot Pot puts all hot pots to shame. And the Yeung Chow fried rice (a staple in every Cantonese meal) uses sweet barbecue pork. Everything. Is. Fantastic.

Additional notes:The chef has been with the family for decades and used to cook in their old joint in Buford Highway.

Located on the corner of State Bridge Road and 141/Peachtree Pkwy/Medlock Bridge. Inside the plaza where Regal Medlock cinema is. In a free-standing building that used to be a Greek diner that used to be a Mexican place.

All servers speak English. Use this post as your guide as dishes have no names and are not on the menu.

Hong Kong House
5710 State Bridge Rd.,
Johns Creek, GA
30022
678-584-5855
Sunday-Thursday: 11AM-10PMFriday-Saturday: 11AM-11:30PM

More pictures here.

Technorati Tags: Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Cantonese, Chinese