Chow Down Atlanta

A couple of years ago, I went to the new location of Boudreaux’s Cajun in Lawrenceville. It was the sister eatery of the famous one in downtown Duluth. There, a Rico Cunnington was managing the place, and occasionally dabbled in the kitchen where he learned how to cook everything on the menu. While the stint was short-lived, as was the restaurant, he opened his own place right after to do what he loves to do: cook. With a big influence from him mom, Nette, a Filipino who cooked for 20 years at the old Lanier Inn, Rico aims to serve an international-flavored cuisine. You’ll see mostly cajun dishes on the menu with hints of southern and Filipino influences here and there.

I practically ate off the entire menu on my first visit and I could honestly say everything here is good. First, the famous Nette’s Lumpia, a Filipino-style fried egg rolls is a must try. Rico’s version is laced with cilantro and celery, a nice touch and a deviation from the original version. Still, the requisite filling of minced pork, carrots, and spices are all there, fried to a golden crisp, and served with a side of sweet and tangy sauce for dipping.

The winner among the appetizers, however, is the Fried Eggplant. Slices of tender, Asian eggplant are dipped in a light cornmeal batter, fried golden, then sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. It is quite light, with a good play on crunch and squishy.

The Fried Green Tomatoes is an exact replica of the eggplant and while good, just not as great as the fried eggplant. Still a good choice for an appetizer, however.

The soup of the day was Gumbo. It was delicious. There were chunks of fresh okra, tomatoes, huge pieces of chicken, Andouille sausage, and tiger prawns, then topped with freshly steamed Jasmine rice. The broth was bold with the perfect balance of spices. A big bowl is good enough for sharing, although I have no problems finishing this on my own.

I requested for a Mojo Pork Cuban Sandwich, and while not on the menu, was readily available upon request. The marinated, slow roasted pork was just delectable. Tender and tasty. It came with house-made potato chips and mojo dipping sauce. Absolutely wonderful.

My friend, who didn’t want to eat anything heavy, opted for the Fish Salad. Fish salad, you may ask? This one’s simply fantastic. Fresh white fish and crab are minced into a salad (think tuna salad but a hundred times better) then served on half an avocado, with field greens, fresh blueberries, cashews, and drizzled with Rico’s own syrupy balsamic vinaigrette. The combination of flavors were just amazing.

Stuffed after eating everything in front of us, Ms. Nette insisted we try her cakes, baked from scratch daily. Without any chance to say no, she placed a slice of carrot cake in front of us. This may very well be, the best carrot cake I have ever had. The cake is so incredibly moist with lots of fresh carrot bits. The cream cheese icing is light and not too sweet. Even a non-dessert person like me loved it. I can just imagine how the other cakes tasted. There was Red Velvet, Lemon, and Hummingbird at the time.

This no-frills eatery serves the most refreshing dishes made in the premises from scratch and with love. Do be sure to call ahead as the place have erratic hours, and, most times close for catering.

Note: Our total bill came to $40 before tip which included 2 sodas and the carrot cake. A bit much for lunch but we wanted to try as many items as we (or in this case, my stomach) could handle.

Insider tip:
Located on the corner of Woodward Crossing and Mall of Georgia Blvd in the Ivy Creek Plaza.
Patio dining available.

The scoop:
Rico’s World Kitchen
2720 Mall Of Georgia Blvd
Buford, GA 30519
(770) 831-7484

Technorati Tags: Creole, Filipino, Southern, Cajun, Buford, Mall of Georgia, lumpia

I got wind of this place late last year when they were newly opened via my site’s contact form. I promised myself I was gonna go the first chance I got but kept putting it off because it’s about 22 miles from where I live. But I will travel for food so I cleared my schedule and went. Now I’m kicking myself silly for not coming in sooner.

I came in during lunch time and the place was packed. Not a single table was available and I was just lucky enough to secure the last tiny one by the bar with a good view of the kitchen’s pass-through bar. I could see all the food coming out and was salivating at the beauty (and portion sizes) of each dish.  The chef is Cuban and worked in Florida for 12 years as a chef before coming to Havana South.  His food is comparable to the upscale places in Buckhead and Midtown:  innovative, yet authentic.

Since no visit to a Cuban restaurant is complete without the requisite order of Cuban sandwich, I went for the Media Noche. It’s a Cuban sandwich except they use a sweeter type of bread, similar to what Lotta Frutta uses.  This is by far, the best Cuban sandwich in Georgia. The bread has that toasty crunch on the outside yet a soft chewy inside. It is filled with thick slices of ham and the tastiest roast pork. The pickles were not meant to overpower, instead, it gave a distinctive crunch to every bite and a slight acidity that was very appetizing.

The Lechon Asado platter is also the best I’ve had outside of Florida. The slices of pork were tender, juicy, and has that cooked-for-hours taste. It comes with white rice and black beans. I’m not really into black beans because most that I’ve tasted are nothing but dumbed-down boiled versions.  But here, they are fantastic.  The beans are stir-fried before being simmered in liquid, thus, producing more depth in flavor.

The Arroz con Pollo (yellow rice with chicken) comes with flavorful rice and two big pieces of tender chicken stewed in Cuban spices.  This is another huge platter and good enough for two.

The Chicharron de Pollo (fried chicken chunks) is notches better than its Latin American counterparts.  The chicken chunks are well marinated before being fried crispy. These are not your usual dry, teeth-shattering, hard-to-chew variety.

A must-try at Cuban restaurants is the Cuban coffee.  The Cortadito Cafe con Leche here is brewed individually and freshly made to order.  It is strong and sweet and just so good.  Beware, this is addicting.

I can’t reiterate enough how good and authentic the food is here.  What more can you ask for — quality, portion, and taste are all top-notch.  My take?  RUN, don’t walk and head on up north for some mind-blowing Cuban goodness.

Insider tip:
Located where Satellite Blvd dead-ends on Buford Dr.
Lunch specials daily.
Open everyday from 11am.

The scoop:
Havana South Cuban Restaurant & Bar
4060 Buford Dr
Buford, GA 30518
(678) 546-2252

Technorati Tags: Buford, Cuban food, Cuban restaurants