Chow Down Atlanta

While cities around metro Atlanta boast of weekly Farmers markets, the Asian side of metro Atlanta pride themselves with street and sidewalk markets. Grandmas hawking fresh, organic fruits and veggies, seafood, sauces, and many more.

Right outside Quoc Hong, mostly on weekends, Grandma sells the sweetest oranges on earth. Softball-sized variety is $10 per a 10-pound bag. Huge, freshly-caught, Gulf Tiger shrimp as long as 8 inches (stretched out) go for $5 a pound (6-8 count). A steal considering they go for $15 and upwards a pound at supermarkets.

But what you shouldn’t miss is her organic veggies. Potato leaves work just as well as spinach. And the water spinach? It’s the only place you’ll see them. Also known in English as straw vegetables (there’s a hole inside like a straw), the USDA has classified this plant as a noxious weed in 2010. That means you won’t find this plant in any Asian store. But you’ll find it in our own Buford Highway! $5 a bunch gets you freshly-harvested ong choy (Chinese) or rau mong (Vietnamese), or kankung (Malaysian), or pak boong (Thai). Stir-fried with soy sauce or steamed with oyster sauce and you have a fantastic veggie dish.

Over in Duluth, Grandma sells her goods out of a mini van, in the parking lots of Korean restaurants. She makes her own kimchi (both red and white), doenjang (miso paste), and gochugaru (chili powder). She sells organic fruits and veggies from her garden: sweet potatoes, persimmons, green Korean pepper, napa cabbage, peanuts, and dried red chili peppers. Her sweet potatoes are so sweet. Boil or roast them then slather lots of butter for a great snack.

She makes amazing kimchi. This big bottle of special kimchi goes for $20. It includes fat, organic green onions. There are other grades of kimchi — $10 for the not so special (no special green onions), and $30 for the huge jar of white kimchi.

While Chinese grandma stays put inside Asian Square, Korean grandma is more of a gypsy. You’ll find her mini van all throughout the week in Duluth and as late as 8PM — in the Super H parking lot, Point Berkeley International Village, Market Square — all within 5 miles of each other on Pleasant Hill.

As always, merchandise vary. Check often. Also, these grandmas barely speak English. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to communicate. I do. And of course, cash only please.

I’m not really a big fan of this chain but one of my best buddies is. Besides, not all chains are created equal and out of all the locations (I’ve tried them all), this one in Duluth puts out the best tasting food. So it’s been a regular lunch and late night option for us lately.

My favorites here are the fried spring rolls, the rice plates, and, of course, pho. The only thing about the spring rolls is that you’ll never know when you’ll get freshly fried ones. Most times, they’ve been sitting out under a heating lamp. Why? Because it takes a while to fry them and you’ll get them when you’re half-way done with your main entrees. Also, the place is always packed so they just fry them in batches. When freshly fried, they are crispy with the wrapper becoming flaky and crunchy. So good.

Rice plates are a common Asian meal. You get meat, rice, and a small salad. Get the combo with two grilled pork chops. They are tender, juicy, and so flavorful. Add a side of fried eggs and you’ve just become an Asian yourself!

Pho is so good especially in this cool weather. The broth is bold with a lot of layers of flavors. There are tons of meat with a good amount of noodles, too. Don’t make a mistake of ordering this late at night as they tend to water it down to last through their opening hours (they are open til midnight). During lunch time, however, you’ll taste this good-for-the-body soup that’s guaranteed to comfort.

Open til midnight. Fully packed with a wait during lunch time. Check website for other locations.

Saigon Cafe
3675 Satellite Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 232-5070

Technorati Tags: Vietnamese, Duluth, Gwinnett, pho, com

Do you know what Omurice is? It’s a very thin omelet filled with fried rice then drizzled on top with ketchup. Growing up, going to Japanese restaurants were filled with the anticipation of eating this fun dish. It’s a very common item on the kid’s menu. In fact, I’ve never really noticed any grown-up eating it. Basically, it’s kid food. When I got older, I would get this as a side to my Japanese grown-up meal.

In Atlanta, you’ll find more omurice in Korean restaurants than anywhere else. I love the Korean version — rice, stir-fried in ketchup with beef, eggs, peas, and carrots. The picture above was a $7.95 platter that came with a huge omurice, a big piece of tonkatsu, and cabbage salad. Banchan and hot soup all complete the meal. Yum.

Find this meal and similar others at Don Quixote in Duluth and Buford Highway.

Technorati Tags: omurice, Korean, Japanese

A quickie post as I’m afraid this Chinese-Korean place is on its way to my “Death Watch” (if I ever had one). Death Watch is a term coined I first heard from my good friend Eli Zandman of Tomorrow’s News Today. It’s a list of businesses that, according to him, are “good as dead or should quit while they’re ahead.” Seems it was originally from Eater.com. Now I love Fung Mei. The food and service are both exemplary. The ambiance and decor are both top notch — you ought to see the huge aquariums that double as dividers. However, with the opening of Golden House nearby, I’m sure the clientele will shift to the new Cantonese place.

Jajangmyeon. Homemade noodles with a side of fermented soy bean sauce has always been my favorite. The version here is good. A little less smoky and a bit more sweetish than what I prefer, but tasty nonetheless.

Did you know? This smoked pork is amazing. There’s no other word to describe it. The thin slices of pork belly are smoked then stir-fried with leeks. There is no other place that makes it better in this part of town. Get it.

The menu is extensive so there’s something for everyone. Food is really good. Go before it’s too late.

Fung Mei
1605 Pleasant Hill Rd Map
Duluth, GA 30096
770-935-8888

Technorati Tags: Chinese, Korean, Duluth

The illustrious chef, Mr. BoBo, (as I fondly call him) also known as Chef Danny Ting, has moved again. First Wan Lai. Then Bo Bo Garden. Now, Golden House. Mr. BoBo is a star chef among the Chinese. He’s like the Linton Hopkins of Cantonese cuisine and the talented version of Peter Chang minus the “wide-eyed” groupies and the New York Times. I was told he’s been around since the early 80s, starting at the very first Chinese restaurant in Atlanta. His new venture — yes, he has a financial stake — Golden House, is aimed to be the best Cantonese restaurant in the south.

Mr. BoBo went all out in creating his restaurant. Not only is the place humongous, it is grandiose. It is an exact replica of a fancy Chinese hotel restaurant, complete with the 95% Chinese clientele, 5% tourists, an army of servers, bowed chair covers, round linen-topped tables, huge chandeliers, red carpet, and fountains everywhere. As my eating buddy said, “Wow, it feels like we’re in China!” Its grand opening was held on September 10th. A momentous date. It coincides with the Chinese Mooncake Festival. It was also a Chinese public holiday.

my favorite mooncake (served during grand opening): with salted duck egg in the middle

The menu — and the food — is an exact replica of Wan Lai and Bo Bo Garden with one exception: dimsum on weekends in the coming weeks ahead. I have visited twice since its grand opening and Mr. BoBo’s food is as exceptional as ever. You can read more about his food here and here.

Go now and taste real Cantonese cooking from a highly-experienced, brilliant chef. Trust me, it’s worth the drive.

P.S. FnS was also there during opening day. You can read his impression here.

Golden House
1600 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 921-2228

Technorati Tags: Cantonese, Chinese, Duluth, Pleasant Hill, tidal