Chow Down Atlanta

Once in a while, a craving for Szechuan cuisine hits and Sichuan House is the answer. Szechuan cuisine is characterized by very spicy foods with lots of heavy sauces and gravies. Because of the geographic location of the Sichuan province in China, the climate lends a hand in food spoiling very easily. Thus, food preservation is necessary. Pickling, smoking, drying, and salting are techniques that have been perfected in the region. Personally, I like Cantonese food better (having visited Hong Kong yearly while growing up so my taste buds are more accustomed to it); but that’s just me.

Sichuan House boasts of authentic Szechuan cuisine. Their Traditional Choice Menu includes items geared more to the Chinese palate — the Tea Smoked Duck is fantastic, the Stir-fried Beef Tripe is delicious, the Roasted Whole Tilapia with Scallions is a must try, the Cumin Mutton (or beef) is also a must try (very flavorful); however, the Spicy Sichuan Pork (salt and pepper pork with tons of chili peppers) is disappointingly all heat and no flavor.

Other items form the Traditional Choice Menu that I never tire of include the Winter Melon Chicken Soup, Ground Pork with Mustard Greens and the not-on-the-menu Shredded Chicken in Spicy Garlic Sauce. The Winter Melon soup is comforting with big chunks of chicken and slices of sweetish winter melon. It’s a good take on the plain chicken soup. The pork with mustard greens is absolutely delicious with a good bit of bitterness from the greens balanced by the saltyish pork. The chicken in garlic sauce with julienned winter melon, wood ear mushrooms, red and green bell peppers is a spicy, tasty dish. Get past its oiliness from the chili oil and you have a dish that’s truly a winner.

For a truly authentic Szechuan food, Sichuan House offers a piece of China. For the not-so-adventurous, a toned-down American version is available. The place is clean and bright while the staff is helpful but can get absent-minded (especially when they’re busy shucking vegetables in a nearby table. No worries, just flag them down to get service.

Insider tip:
All orders come with house roasted peanuts (roasted at home by one of the servers) and pickles.

The scoop:
Sichuan House
5900 State Bridge Rd
Duluth, GA 30097
Located on the corner of 141/Medlock Bridge/Peachtree Pkwy and State Bridge Rd/Pleasant Hill Rd where Target and Home Depot are.

Technorati Tags: Sichuan House, Duluth, Gwinnett, Atlanta, Szechuan cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, spicy food, Chinese cuisine, Cumin Mutton, Tea Smoked Duck

I’ve passed this place countless times especially when I used to live in Duluth but never got the chance to try it. Until a friend who happens to know the chef over at their Lawrenceville location told me about some new menu items they’ve unveiled. So off I went. Except my navigation kept directing me to an office park. I kept going back and forth on Lawrenceville Highway trying to find it and after doing this for 30 minutes, I gave up. Tired and hungry, I ended up going to the Duluth location instead.

Boudreaux’s has been a popular hangout by locals in Duluth as evident by the customers who are first name basis with everyone during a busy lunch hour. It is located in downtown Duluth, which, I still think, has the best city leaders (they spend their money wisely). But anyway, I came in to what looked like a hole in a wall. Literally. I went up the counter not knowing if there was table service, perused the menu, and settled on an Oyster PoBoy and a cup of seafood gumbo.

The PoBoy was a pleasant surprise. It was huge. With even bigger, lightly-battered, golden brown oysters. Tons of them! Piled high on a toasted hoagie roll with crispy lettuce and tomatoes. The oysters were succulent and tasted like the ocean (read: fresh). The lady boss handed me a few plastic squirt bottles of cajun sauce, mayo, tartar sauce, and cocktail sauce. I tried the cajun sauce, found it to be a little bland for my taste but it was a good relish to my gigantic sandwich. At less than $11 this was a very good, very inexpensive sandwich.

My gumbo was also good. It was chunky — with rice and lots of big pieces of seafood: shrimp, oysters, scallops, crab. The soup was very satisfying with the broth having just the right amount of salt and spices. A few drops of Tabasco and it was kicking!

As a no-frills joint, expect no fanciness anywhere. Soups are served on styro bowls and eaten with a plastic spoon. Sandwiches are on red plastic baskets and sauces are communal from plastic squirt bottles. They have a large selection of soda including my favorite rootbeer. Just grab one from the chiller case along the wall. Now plop down on one of the comfy chairs and listen to the blaring television.

Insider tip:

Grab some fresh seafood on your way out. Daily specials listed on the board. Table service is offered. Spices and marinades available for purchase.

The scoop:

Boudreaux’s Cajun

3067-A Main Street,
Duluth, GA 30096
770-814-8388

860 Highway 120,
Suite 450
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
770-236-8585

Open Daily from 10am

Technorati Tags: Boudreaux’s Cajun, fresh live seafood, poboys, gumbo, seafood, Duluth

There’s a new kid on the block that I predict promise will take Duluth by storm (if it hasn’t already). It opened 3 weeks ago. I learned about it from my mom’s Chinese good friend who literally walked me over to the restaurant and introduced me to the owners and staff as her “other daughter”. Even at just being open for 2 days, they have everything spot on: food and service.

Located in a brand new huge Asian shopping plaza with only a handful of businesses open, this Korean barbecue house was packed on the lunch day I came in (and they’ve only been open 2 days!) with a mostly Korean clientèle. The shopping plaza is on North Berkeley Lake Road which cuts through PIB, Buford Hway, and Pleasant Hill. It’s closer to the Pleasant Hill side and if you keep going, Super H Mart Duluth will be on your right past the Pleasant Hill traffic light (where Walmart is). [Side note: Incidentally, a new Super H Mart-type super grocery is going to open here soon. The new place has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Super H because they want to name the new place something like The H Mart. Clever. They were supposed to open 3 months ago. Name has been settled and I heard they’ll be open in a few weeks.]

Anyway, I was impressed with the food, both quality and quantity-wise. And the prices — well, it puts Super H Mart to shame. At cheaper than it’s supermarket counterpart, this place offers superior taste that’s world’s away. They offer quite a good list of Lunch Specials that, at $6.99, is the best deal in town (and cheaper and way more flavorful than the fast food at Super H). The food is fresh, with good quality ingredients, and very, very tasty. You get 12 banchan dishes per order (too much for one person, if you ask me). Not to mention its serene ambiance that, well, the supermarket will never have. And you’ll love the huge tables. So why go to Super H at all? It’s 200 yards away!

I had Kimchi Rice topped with Egg. Since very little English is spoken here, my Beef Kimchi Rice order got lost in translation. No matter, it was spicy and delicious. The banchan (12 total) was all good, too, especially the bowl of hot broth with taro.

A friend came a little while later and ordered a Beef Bibimbap in a stone hot pot on a slab of wood. Awesome presentation. Plus the fact that the stone pot was so hot, so you really needed the slab of wood. And I like that the rice and sauce is served separate so you can adjust the heat to your liking.

Definitely a must-try. Go now. The lines during lunch are already piling up out the door.

Insider tip:

Go early and beat the lunch crowd of Korean business people. Banchan available for purchase.

The signage outside is in Korean and the only English words are Catering House. So I’m naming this place Korean Catering House. Go through the plaza entrance and it’ll be a little to your left as you go all the way in.

The scoop:

Korean Catering House
2645 North Berkeley Lake Rd.,
Duluth, GA 30096

Technorati Tags: Korean Catering House, Duluth, North Berkeley Lake Rd, Korean food, bibimbap, Korean Barbeque, Kimchi Rice

This is another one of those places I waited to open. It sits in the middle of a Korean plaza sticking out like a sore thumb. So I came in opening day and was impressed. Very impressed. It was bright, airy, and spotless. Food wise, the prices are cheap and everything taste delicious. It actually reminds me of Las Tortas, only cleaner.

It’s not your usual Mexican place. It’s actually more artsy with contemporary colors and fixtures. Did I say it was spotless? It was so clean you can eat off of the floors.

I’ve tried mostly everything they offer. The burritos are hefty and jam-packed with meat, veggies, and rice. It’s quite a filling and delicious meal. As with most Mexican places these days, they offer a salsa bar and the roasted jalapenos are always a great addition to any meal.

The Carne Asada taco is my favorite. You get two corn tortillas topped with meat, onions, and cilantro. Add salsa from the bar and you’d think you’ve gone to Taco heaven. Don’t be surprised with the size of these tacos — although they are small, they are cheap so plan on eating two (or three).

Prices start at a measly $2.50 to $5. Everything is made fresh to order. You can’ beat this place for quick, inexpensive, yet delicious meals. Mexican friends swear this is a good place. They’ve even brought their moms who also gave their seal of approval.

Insider tip:
This is not your typical Americanized Mexican restaurant. Having said that, don’t expect them to have cheese dip. They don’t. insist and they’ll make you happy by giving you liquid milk-cheese.

Located inside a Korean plaza across from the old Sports Authority and Bally Fitness. Next to the car delearships near Gwinnett Place Mall.

The scoop:
King Taco Mexican Grill
3473 Old Norcross Rd Nw, Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 623-0990

Technorati Tags: King Taco, tacos, burritos, sopes, Duluth, Mexican cuisine

There are some days I just crave for hibachi food. I know, our American version is not real Japanese compared to the teppanyaki we’re used to eating in Japan, but, sometimes you just feel like you want to eat some. My introduction with American hibachi started decades ago. My mom has been good friends with Morimuto since the early 80s. He was Rocky Aoki’s star chef at Benihana on Peachtree Rd. (hand-picked by Aoki himself). Mr. Muto appeared in all Benihana tv ads back then. I remember visiting him at his home when we were kids and was always fascinated by his most extensive, lavish bonsai collection (over 300 grand in today’s money).

Anyway, we used to be regularly invited to Benihana where he would cook for us. During the late 80s and sick tired of American hibachi food, my mom decided she was boycotting hibachi. She hasn’t eaten it again ever since save for the real teppanyaki version outside the country.

I was never a fan of Benihana in general. For less than half the price yet the same service and flair, Shogun is a favorite haunt. Tucked inside a dieing plaza on Pleasant Hill, it’s been around since the early 90s. This Korean-owned restaurant has several hibachi and regular tables. They have $1 sushi also but hey, for that price, would you really want to eat it?
So I stick to the hibachi. Huge shrimp. Decent taste. Great value.

(Postscript: Mr. Muto [highest-paid chef ever] left Benihana in the late 90s and opened the most amazing sushi bar in Snellville. He sold the business and retired, years before hitting retirement age, to the serenity of his bonsai collection a couple of years ago.)

Insider tip:
Located in the corner of Sattelite and Pleasant Hill

The scoop:
Shogun Japanese Restaurant
2300 Pleasanthill Rd.
Building B-3
Duluth, Ga. 30096
Tel. 770-623-6611

Technorati Tags: Shogun, Japanese cuisine, hibachi, Duluth

This is not your typical Buford Highway joint. First of all, it has ambiance. The place is ‘zen-fully’ decorated with contemporary design. Due to this ambiance, the client�le is also different as most everyone is garbed in their Sunday best. The restaurant is huge, comprising of two floors each with its own hostess stand, cash register, kitchen, and servers.

Myung Ga Won sits in a brand new plaza off Venture Dr. in Duluth and opened about two months ago. It serves cold noodles, soups (tang), and traditional Korean barbecue (gi). Although prices are a bit more and portions are generally small, the pay-off is in the quality and taste.

The bancha (appetizers) included items not common to most Korean restaurants in town. Most notable were the mashed potatoes topped with a sweetish yellow gravy, paper-thin slices of fresh radish, sliced onions in sauce, wasabi potato pancakes, and chunks of radish kimchi.

Thick pieces of meat are used for the bulgogi and each order comes with a basket of fresh romaine lettuce leaves, chili paste, slices of fresh garlic and jalapenos. For those not familiar with what to do with these sides, what you do is take a piece of lettuce leaf, spread some chili paste, add garlic and jalapenos, add the barbecued meat, roll like a burrito, and eat. Most traditional Korean barbecue places serve such sides with their barbecued meats. Anyway, MGW’s bulgogi was superb — there’s a perfect blend of sweet-salty taste to the flavorful marinated meat. It is also grilled perfectly: slightly browned on the outside and pinkish in the center. I loved that the grilled meats came with a few slices of grilled zucchini, mushrooms, and squash.

The beef soup (Sulung tang) was terrific and comforting — it was slightly milky and wonderfully seasoned. It had slices of lean meat as well as chunks of fork-tender beef. As authenticity dictates, it was served with a side of sliced green onions to add as much to the broth as one pleases. There were other items that were ordered during this visit including the tasty Seafood Pancake that was thicker than in other restaurants, and Bibimbap that came with chunks of meat. Both were equally delicious.

While prices are generally higher and portions are smaller, all in all, I was impressed with the taste, quality, and authenticity of the food. It’s definitely a new favorite place of mine. We came in at 5pm on a Sunday and the place was packed. Not a single table was empty. Half an hour later, there was already a wait. Good news travel fast. By the way, this place is open 24 hours.

Insider tip:
The upstairs dining area requires climbing two flights of stairs.
Located in a brand new plaza next door to the plaza where Venture Cinema and Santa Fe Mall is located.

The scoop:
Myung Ga Won
also goes by Korean House
1960 Day Dr, Duluth, GA 30096
770-622-1300

Technorati Tags: Venture Dr, Duluth, Korean cuisine, open 24 Hours, Korean barbecue

Well, what can I say, it’s cheap eats so don’t expect much. That being said, Korean-owned Bob’s offers all you can eat southern food for less than 7 bucks and that already includes a bottomless drink! Think greasy, overcooked, bland food and canned veggies. But if your budget is tight and you’re in a hurry then this is the place for you.

Main entrees include fried chicken, roasted chicken, country steak with gravy, fried gizzards and chicken livers. Veggies include steamed cabbage, green beans, corn, fried okra, yams, carrots, and collard greens. There’s a small salad and dessert bar as well as chicken noodle soup, fried rolls and corn bread. All that for a little over $6 with drinks included. Now that’s cheap eats!

Insider tip:
Specials added daily. Located inside the Kroger plaza on the corner of Pleasant Hill and Peachtree Industrial Blvd

The scoop:
Bob’s Home Cooking
3455 Peachtree Industrial, Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 497-9677

Technorati Tags: Bob’s Home Cooking, buffet, Southern cuisine, country cooking, fried chicken, Duluth, Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Pleasant Hill, restaurants, Atlanta

I’ve been going to BCD since its opening day in January 2005. I was literally one among the very first customers and have been a regular ever since. My mom, also a big fan, describes it as “like eating at someone’s home.” And I definitely agree. It’s home-cooked meals at best.

I eat at BCD almost twice a week (sometimes more). I like the fact that the food consistently stays the same: quality and taste wise. The menu has stayed the same until early this year with the addition of two new soups: Galbi-tang (beef soup made with short ribs), and Chicken soup. Galbi-tang is my absolute favorite Korean food and I was jumping with joy when they finally added this to their menu. In Atlanta, BCD has the best Galbi-tang — it is pure beef broth (no milk), seasoned perfectly (the ones with milk are not seasoned at all and you’ll know this by the bowls of salt that are served with it), and has fall-off-the-bone beef ribs and tender radish and mushrooms. (Side story: they used to call this soup Well-Being Soup and they even had small posters on the wall advertising this new soup. I asked one of the ladies there if it was Galbi-tang and when she said yes, I told her the correct translation was Beef Ribs Soup. They’ve since changed the posters.)

Everything on the menu is good. I guarantee it. The Galbi-gi (grilled short ribs) are tender and flavorful; and the tofu soup is tasty with chunks of silky tofu. The cold noodle dishes are refreshing and perfect for the hot summer-like days we’ve been having. The seafood pancake is full of seafood chunks; and the Bulgo-gi (grilled sliced beef) is a good choice as well.

White steamed rice comes in its own individual servers (hot stone pot in a wooden box) and you must spoon it into the provided metal bowl to eat it. After a while, a crusty bottom will form in the stone pot and the servers will pour hot bori-cha (barley tea) over it. Leave it to soak for a minute or two before you spoon the rice directly into your mouth. The result is soft, wet rice in a nutty soup. Delicious. Personally, my rice of choice at BCD (and only because BCD has the best) is the red bean rice. It’s only available by request.

Insider tip:
There is a special going on wherein you’ll get 5% of your total food bill back in a form of a ticket which is redeemable on your next visit.

The scoop:
Book Chang Dong
Located inside the Super H Mart Plaza on Pleasant Hill Rd.
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd., Duluth
(770) 814-2299
Open daily from 11am

Technorati Tags: Book Chang Dong, Korean food, Korean cuisine, Pleasant Hill Rd., Duluth, Super H Mart plaza

Trinidadian family owned and operated, this island fare restaurant opened late 2004 and has created a permanent imprint in the Atlanta dining scene. Borne out of frustration for lack of (decent) Caribbean restaurants in Atlanta, the Lawrence family decided to take matters into their own hands and opened a charming restaurant on Medlock Bridge Rd inside the Regal Cinema plaza. The result is a labor of love. Mom (as I have fondly called her) prepares authentic homemade dishes from scratch using fresh ingredients both found locally and from Trinidad and beyond; while son Dale (with brother Deion whom I’ve both known forever being a few years ahead of me at GSU) manages the operations.

While every single item on the menu is absolutely delicious, the most popular ones tend to be the pelau and roti. Pelau is probably the one dish that epitomizes Trinidadian cuisine and described as flavorful rice blended with meats and vegetables. Soca’s pelau is just that — fork-lickin’ good, hearty, and full of flavor. The rice is cooked perfectly, moist and savory; while the accompanying caramel chicken was, oh so fork tender, with the most amazing blend of spices. Mom told me to get the plantains for my side as she knows exactly what goes well with any dish. The sweet plantains had just the right amount of bite, not mush and soggy, though ripe enough.

The Caribbean roti (pronounced row-tea) which resembles a burrito is a huge flour pancake enveloping different fillings such as curry chicken with potatoes. The curry chicken is the best curry you’ll ever taste — melt-in-your-mouth chunks of chicken simmered for hours in perfectly-seasoned curry sauce — a real comfort food. Teamed with the not-your-usual baked mac ‘n cheese, it makes for a filling lunch.

A perfect period to any meal, the homemade (by a close friend) mango pie is to die for. In fact, I’m no longer allowed to attend any parties without bringing a whole pie (or two). It is not overly sweet, with the right amount of tartness and a consistency between cheesecake and mousse. Add to that the special crust and you have the most delectable dessert.

For the more authentic tastes, I highly recommend the ox tail stew available on Fridays only (they ran out within a few hours of opening), the Callalloo soup (spinach-okra puree), and the curried goat.

Insider tip:
Kids menu available. Menu items include dishes for the hard-core and for the less adventurous as well. Whole Mango pies available for purchase.

The scoop:
Soca Caribbean Cafe
website: http://www.socacafe.com/index.html
9700 Medlock Bridge Road
Duluth GA 30097
Telephone: 770.476.0042

Technorati Tags: Soca Caribbean Cafe, Caribbean cuisine, pelau, roti, mango pie, oxtail stew, goat curry, callalloo, Medlock Bridge Rd., Regal Cinema plaza, chicken curry, Duluth

Opened just two months ago, Aroy-D is already attracting a lunch crowd. And with the humongous space they have, any lunch crowd can be accommodated. For a strip mall restaurant, I was really surprised to see how big the place is — with a good-sized beverage bar and a separate large sushi bar. Speaking of big, the portions are ginormous!

The menu consists of Thai staples and sushi items/combos. I settled for my favorite Gai Pad Gra Pow (minced chicken sauteed with basil leaves) which is the first thing I look for in any Thai restaurant. Here at Aroy-D, they have a funny name for it: Chicken Ka Proud. I give them major points for serving it with a fried egg automatically. None ever do. Saved me time from ordering. The dish was superb, tasty, with just the right amount of seasoning. I would’ve loved it more to be on the spicy side, but hey, you can always adjust that by asking for the condiment set (dry peppers, chili sauce, jalapeno slices in vinegar). I also give them points for using minced meat as most Thai places have gone to using slices of chicken instead.

Another favorite is the Thai barbeque chicken. Aroy-D gives you half a chicken that tastes more Americanized than I wanted it to be. The sauce tastes like, well, ordinary barbeque sauce with no hint of Asian flavoring whatsoever. A little addition of tamarind to the sauce would have elevated this dish to great heights. It came with shrimp fried rice which was flavorful. Read the rest of this entry »