Chow Down Atlanta

One word: Pork. Three words: Braised Pork Belly. Enough said.

Available during lunch only. Braised for 6 hours and they only make one pot daily. Comes plated with perfectly steamed Jasmine rice and a fried egg. I ate it 3 days in a row two weeks ago. It was greasy, fatty, tender, delicious. It is deadly. And all for $4.99.

Next best thing: Fried Chicken. Double-fried. Crunchy. Tasty.

Third best thing: hot pots. I’ve been waiting for this joint to open.  I even sent Sean when he was home during his winter break to check it out one day but they hadn’t open yet at the time.  The hot pots are just like from her older sister on BuHi. And same owner.  But it’s nicer here.  And bigger. They have lunch meals, not just hot pots.  It gets ridiculously busy during lunch.  Go now!

P.S. Get the spicy broth.

Mini Hot Pot 2
2174 Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 101
Duluth, GA 30096
678-417-8888

Technorati Tags: hot pot, Duluth, soups

I took the pork fat drippings and drizzled it over my rice. OMG.

I eat Korean all the time. There was one week in May last year that I ate it 7 times in a week. Crazy. I’ve been here many times. But the other night was the best Korean dinner I’ve had this year. We demolished everything in front of us. The boneless galbi and pork belly rule here. And the delicate chawanmushi is to-die-for. (What happened to the pictures, FB?)

Oh and I almost forgot… I became a Korean last year. Thanks, Gene.

More here and here.

Open later for dinner on weekdays than weekends. (Does that make sense to you?)

Cafe Todahmgol
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd, Suite 3B,
Duluth, GA 30096
770-813-8202
Mon-Sat: 5PM-2AM
Sunday: 5PM-12Midnight

Thanks to one of my readers, Bill Petrosky, who sent me an email the other day tipping me of this new seafood/po’boy place in Duluth. It is located a few doors down from What The Pho and Cafe Tohdamgol. Opened just two weeks ago by a Vietnamese family, it is really more of a seafood place than an eating place.

As a seafood store, they only have a few basics as of yet: shrimp, fish fillets (tuna, salmon, catfish, tilapia,) scallops, crab legs, mussels, and craw fish. I did not see any fresh oysters in the cases but there are fried ones on the menu.

As a take-out joint, they have lunch specials with fried catfish or tilapia, shrimp, and oysters with two sides that start at $5.99. Po’boys start at $3.99 with a choice of shrimp, catfish, tilapia, oysters, sausage, or calamari. They are sandwiched between a fresh loaf of Vietnamese baguette then dressed with mustard, mayo, and butter, then topped with lettuce and tomatoes.  I love the butter part!

The Fish-N-Shrimp lunch special comes with 2 fish fillets and 7 jumbo shrimp. The fried catfish is delicious — clean taste (not muddy). Shrimp are peeled and de-veined. Both are perfectly dusted with Cajun seasonings, very lightly battered,  then fried golden.

There are two tiny tables and a total of 4 chairs if you care to eat-in. I only came in for a quick stop but I will be back tomorrow to learn more about this place and try the po’boys. I will let you know how that goes.

Insider tip:
Everything is cooked to order so be ready to wait a good 10 minutes for your food.

The scoop:
New Orleans Seafood
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd., Suite 8
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 474-0064

Technorati Tags: Duluth, seafood, grocery, po’boy, cajun

I really wanted to like this place. The inside is just so charming with wall-to-wall Persian rugs, a hookah lounge, and authentic decor complete with what looks like hand-tooled Moroccan dining tables and chairs. Even the dinnerware is authentic. And they have live entertainment on weekend nights. I love how they make you feel like family on your first visit. Everyone is so attentive and hospitable — from the owners to the servers.

The best part of dining here is the tea service. You must, must get the Moroccan mint tea. Tea is poured from a beautiful Moroccan silver teapot served on an equally beautiful tray. A medium serving that equals to about 12 ounces will set you back $5 but it is worth every penny. The tea is steaming hot, minty, and sweetened with honey.

Harira soup: hearty, spicy, but under-salted

Chicken Tagine: flavorless meat but the saffron-based sauce became alive with a great bit of harissa

Beef Brouchette: skewered pieces of bland beef but the couscous and shlada are both decent

lunch buffet

Unfortunately, the food is not all that good. While the ingredients used are all top-notch and portion sizes are big, everything tastes bland. It is really baffling considering Moroccan food is known for bold flavors due to the limitless assortment of spices used in the cuisine. Everything here tastes flat — the soup, the sauces, the tagines, the meat skewers. And no amount of salt or harissa can seem to help improve the flavors. I came back a third time and still the same. They started a lunch buffet this week so I was able to taste a lot more dishes today. Still the same — bland. Sad.

Insider tip:
Weekday lunch buffet.
Sunday breakfast buffet.
Live entertainment including belly dancers on weekend nights.

The scoop:
Imane Moroccan Restaurant
3455 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(404) 429-4882
Hours:
Mon - Thurs:
11:30 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Fri - Sat:
11:30 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 3:00 am
Sun:
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
5:30 pm - 11:00 pm

Technorati Tags: Morrocan, lunch, buffet, hookah, Duluth, GA

Have you noticed I haven’t been posting anything Korean lately?  I just want to mix it up a bit, that’s all.  There are tons of Korean restaurants that have sprouted like mushrooms lately and there are actually two spots I haven’t written about and a few more I am planning to visit. But back to the Korean programming… I had dinner with my homies a few weeks ago at Song Do. This place used to be a shabu-shabu joint. I had not visited since they turned into a dinner-only BBQ joint so I suggested that we eat here.

Eating with guys is just wonderful because, one, they can match my appetite (at least most of them), and, two, I do not get embarrassed ordering 12 different entrees and 6 appetizers for two people. Jimmy (aka as Mr. Half Iron Man) is so awesome because, not only does he not have a single ounce of body fat, he is also probably the only person who can eat as much as me. They say skinny people can eat a lot because there is no fat in the gut that gets in the way. The first time we met, we tried to out-eat each other. Thirteen pizza slices was the record. Chloe: 1, Jimmy: 0. (Okay, for the record, he ate 12 so it’s not really a blowout. And only because someone beat him to the last slice.) FoodieBuddha eats like a normal guy so I really do not know what is going on with that. Sean is the nicest guy I know (especially because we both love durian) and he’s showing promise and could possibly out-eat me pretty soon. Get this though, this dude can cook!

Song Do was the chosen place for us because of their Korean charcoal barbecue (and because Sean needs a quick getaway to school). There is just something about the smoky flavor imparted by charcoal in meats.  The best part, though, is their all-you-can-eat program. For $21.95 per person, you get to eat all the kinds of meat they have. Which is just what we did. The banchan here is buffet-style. While the items are all fresh, I personally think the taste is just pedestrian.

The meats, however, are the main reason to come. They are well marinated and sliced on the thicker side than most places. The boneless galbi and pork belly are my favorites and the best in the house.

Our server was quite attentive and checked on us regularly. They are only open for dinner. Check them out, you will not be disappointed.

Read other reviews here and here.

Insider tip:
A few steps down from Haru Ichiban.

The scoop:
Song Do Korean BBQ
3616 Satellite Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 497-9799

Technorati Tags: Korean, barbecue, Duluth

This is gonna be a quick and short post. I am literally pooped from trying to keep up with my hyper mother who does not seem to know the word sleep (or slow down). Hanging out with her (and my sister) is more tiring than having two full time jobs!

Anyway, I have been hitting up Well Bean regularly for a few months now. A popular chain in Korea, I was surprised that their soondubu actually taste homemade (rather than chain-made).  They have a pretty big tofu soup menu including uncommon types such as dumpling, ham and cheese, and crap (sic) meat. Their broth is always consistently good:  hearty, never thin/watery with a deep red color, and with the perfect flavor consistency.  The tofu chunks are creamy and have just the right amount of form so as not turn to mush after a few stirs. Best of all, their spice level is spot on.

The banchan items are all freshly made and each one has the right amount of sweetness, spiciness, and/or sourness.  They do not skimp either and will generously give 10-11 items even for a solo diner.

Their galbi is quite delicious and can easily go neck-and-neck with So Kong Dong. The meat is tender and marinated well.  Finger lickin’ good.

Verdict: an excellent place for Korean food. Avoid the busy lunch hour when not a single table will be available and service will be nonexistent.

Insider tip:
Soups start at $4.99. Combination meals (soup + galbi) are $13.99.  More expensive meals such as the Bossam or Kimchijeon will set you back $29.99.

The scoop:
Well Bean Tofu
2645 North Berkeley Lake Rd.
Suite 136
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 584-0057

Technorati Tags: Korean, soondubu, Duluth

Two words: Mexican Soup. The beef or chicken soup is fantastic. The broth is very flavorful with lots of tender meat, chunks of potatoes, carrots, corn, rice, and cilantro. I prefer the beef soup with huge cubes of fork-tender meat. Spicy. Tangy. Tasty. It’s the epitome of comfort food.

The flame-grilled chicken isn’t all that bad either, although, I prefer the ones from El Norteño. The chicken pieces are smallish but packed with flavor. You can’t beat a 2-piece grilled chicken meal with rice, two sides (corn on cob, beans, green beans), and corn tortillas all for $5.99. Cheap and good eats.

Insider tip:
Located inside the Assi Plaza Duluth food court.

The scoop:
1630 Pleasant Hill Rd. #A-2
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 514-2196

Technorati Tags: Mexican, fast food, Mexican chicken, Duluth

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