Chow Down Atlanta

Today, just like the way our mom always talks to us (yeah, you should hear it) and in honor of her birthday, I will talk write in bullet points.

• Inside Gwinett Place Mall in the old Macy’s.
• This place is HUGE. You’ll have a difficult time finding anything.
• Why are there a lot of American stuff? Isn’t there a Kroger for that?
• Snacks (chips, candies, etc) are all over the place. I found them in 5 different areas of the grocery.




• There were some snacks/chips that I’ve never seen before. Gasp! I know. And to think I’ve eaten almost all Asian snacks available to mankind. Oh, and I found Ppushu Ppushu!!! There’s this Aji Ichiban store all over HongKong where they sell ramen snacks like Ppushu Ppushu. Used to eat them a lot when we visited when we were young. (P.S. There’s this flavor packet inside that you must sprinkle on the ramen before eating. Don’t forget!)
• Most of the food stalls are take-out only.

• The Japanese stall in the food court has a sushi train!!!

• They have tteokbokki. They have tteokbokki. They have tteokbokki!!! (Stewed rice cake rules.)
• No photography.  I repeat: NO PHOTOGRAPHY.  There’s even a sign by the front entrance.  The ajumma kept following me around. She was really suspicious of me.  But I have a stealth phone so here goes:

Mega Mart
2100 Pleasant hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 495-0345

Technorati Tags: Korean, grocery, food court, Duluth, Pleasant Hill

I love Cantonese food. It’s my favorite type of Chinese cuisine. Unfortunately, we don’t have very many options for authentic Cantonese here in town. Well, we just got another one: Wan Lai. The kitchen with an all Cantonese staff churns out so much good stuff you’ll be hard pressed not to come back again and again and eat through the entire menu. Incidentally, I have.

Everything here is good so you’ll have the confidence of ordering anything on the menu and having the guarantee that you’ll like what you ordered. That is, of course, if you like Cantonese food.

The specialties here are the dumplings and the casseroles. The 3 Dumplings in Soup comes with, yes, you guessed it, three kinds of dumplings in a flavorful broth. It’s one of the best versions in town. I’ve had almost all of the casseroles on the menu and they’re all delicious but two that stand out are the sweet pork and taro casserole and the ribs and taro casserole. You can either get these casseroles with or without rice. The one with rice just means there’s rice in the bottom of the pot. Take note that these take 25 minutes to prepare so get your order in as soon as you get seated and nibble on other dishes while you wait. Believe me when I say they are so worth the wait.

The garlic fried chicken is an absolute favorite of mine. By the way, most (if not all) Chinese restaurants have garlic fried chicken but the Cantonese make the best. The chicken is marinated in soy sauce and other seasonings before being fried crisp then topped with tons of golden fried garlic. It’s my ultimate Chinese comfort food. The chow fun has the requisite grease and smoky flavors and a wonderful accompaniment to fried rice. The assorted types of congee make for a perfect first course. The stir-fried veggies are fantastic, as well as the usual veggies in oyster sauce (get the Chinese broccoli). Great choices are plenty so get here now!

For more on this great find, check out JZ‘s article here.

Insider tip:
All Cantonese staff except for the Mandarin owner.
Inside the plaza where Penang, Mini Hot Pot, and Hoa Binh Supermarket are located.

The scoop:
Wan Lai
4897 Buford Hwy
Suite 104
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 216-8587

Technorati Tags: Cantonese food, Chinese food, Buford Highway

I am amazed at ethnic restaurants. They are able to run smoothly on opening day and operate as if they’ve been open for months — no soft openings and no kinks to work out. Such is the case here at Ming’s. The newest sister to the flagship on Buford Highway, they opened two weeks ago, yet the young waitstaff perform as if they’ve been waiting tables all of their 20 years. The same thing can be said of the kitchen.

The place has a minimalist and more contemporary decor and is at least 5 times bigger than its siblings. While the original spot looks like a dump, er, night market street stall in Hong Kong, this new one is worlds away in ambiance. By the way, back in the 80s, my parents refused to let us kids eat inside Ming’s and always had food to-go because Mr. BBQ Man smoked while chopping his meats. Then, in the 90s, we were so happy when Dekalb passed a No Smoking Bill in its restaurants. It still took a good 5 years before he would finally stop smoking inside.

I was actually at Ming’s BuHi the day before with a friend who loves to eat as much as I do; pictured here are some of my faves: beef chow fun, young chow fried rice, peking duck, congee

I grew up eating at Ming’s and favorites include Peking Duck, chow fun, fried rice, wonton noodle soup, bbq noodle soup, and veggies in oyster sauce, just to name a few. While the food in both places may be similar in most respects, the two things you must, must, must eat here is the Honey Roast Pork and the BBQ Ribs.

The Honey Roast Pork is pure heaven — the teeny, tiny hint of honey provides just the right amount of caramelized coating and color. The result is a fantastic salty-sweet flavor that’s perfect with rice or noodles. The ribs aren’t your regular Southern version. They are roasted crispy yet a tiny layer of chewy, tender meat/fat is left intact. Absolutely delicious.

I’m so lucky to live within 20 minutes of both Ming’s. If going to Buford Highway still seems like a scary thought to some of you, then this is your spot. Same owners, same good food, same great prices, but with English-speaking staff, and a much nicer ambiance.

Insider tip:
Most lunch prices start at $5.85. The half Peking Duck is $3 more here. Americanized Lunch menu also available.
Located in the same plaza where Sidney’s Buffet is located. Next to HH Gregg.

The scoop:
Ming’s Bar B Q Restaurant
2131 Pleasant Hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 623-9996

Technorati Tags: Chinese food, Cantonese food, Chinese BBQ, Duluth, Pleasant Hill Rd

Do you have eating phases? I do. Last week, I ate Korean seven times, three for dinner and four for lunch. I’m over that now and I’m currently into my Cuban phase. This may be the last Korean post for a couple of weeks. Unless, of course, I find another new Korean joint (which is always the case in Gwinnett).

Big House opened 6 or 7 months ago. It is the lone occupant in a teeny tiny plaza on PIB right before you hit Abbots Bridge (GA 120) if you are heading north. The place serves a more traditional Korean fare and caters to the more upscale, more authentic Korean clientele brought about by the golf course nearby. The decor is very Asian — lots of lacquered wood with booths partitioned in wooden slats. Every booth is equipped with a small flat screen tv which is neat.

Each table has two earthen jars of house made kimchi (cabbage and radish). The kimchi is very fresh and crunchy. The taste and quality is also a lot better than most places. The server will give you small plates, tongs, and scissors for you to be able to dish them out and cut them into manageable bites. An assortment of 7 banchan is served additionally and these aren’t the common ones either: rice cakes, chap jae (stir-fried noodles), soy beans, and egg-battered fried vegetables. This is one of the very few places where fruits are part of the banchan. I like that. Fruits help cut down the fatty taste in your mouth.

I opted for a more traditional soup: cabbage, jellied ox blood cubes, shaved beef, tripe, and vegetables in a spicy kimchi-beef broth. It was delicious and hearty but definitely not for the novice. There were also a lot of mustard leaves and some stringy weeds that made this soup quite filling.

The Bulgogi soup is just fantastic. It tastes very similar to Japanese sukiyaki. The broth is salty-sweet with lots of bulgogi. Enoki mushrooms complete this comforting soup.

There are bento boxes that offer complete lunches which include your choice of meat (bulgogi or galbi), as well as bibimbap, pancakes, and tofu soups. Definitely a great place for authentic soups with nice ambiance to boot.

Insider tip:
A smaller portion of seafood pancake is available during lunch for $4.99.

The scoop:
Big House Korean Restaurant
3305 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 417-7330

Technorati Tags: Korean, soups, Duluth, bulgogi, galbi, Korean food

I eat at the food court inside the Hong Kong Supermarket on Jimmy Carter just about every week. My new favorite is the bakery on the left side of the market (on the opposite side of the food court). This Vietnamese bakery makes the best croissants — huge flaky, buttery creations that are just irresistible. At $1 apiece, it’s difficult to buy just one. I buy a dozen chocolate ones every week. They’re great for breakfast and as a quick snack. Incidentally, they also have other flavors — plain, almond, ham, ham&cheese.

While they no longer have the roast pork banh mi, the cold cuts is a great alternative. They don’t skimp on the filling here — the deli meat slices are thick and there are ample veggies to complete a great sandwich. The $3 price tag isn’t bad either.

I found the best Cháo lòng heo in Atlanta here. No Chinese or Vietnamese place can even come close. For $6.50, I had a huge bowl of boiled-for-hours rice soup filled with lots and lots of meaty goodness: pork slices, a big slice of pork sausage made with pork innards, and pork blood cubes. This is the best congee I’ve ever had outside of Asia. The soup is just so flavorful. Each order comes with a plate of fried baguette slices, fresh bean sprouts, cilantro, lime, hot sauce, and a cup of hot chrysanthemum tea. It’s comfort food at its best.

This is a wonderful place for cheap but delicious eats. Don’t miss it.

Insider tip:
The Vietnamese got their baking from the French. Need I say more?
There are two other types of congee: duck and chicken feet.
They only make a dozen croissants of each flavor. Call the day before and place an order.

The scoop:
No. 1 Hong Kong Bakery
5494 Jimmy Carter Blvd
Norcross, GA 30093
(770) 837-0270

Technorati Tags: congee, chao, Cháo lòng heo, croissants, Vietnamese, bakery, bahn mi, Norcross, Jimmy Carter