Chow Down Atlanta

This one’s for my good friend B who loves boba as much as I do.

If you’re like me who scouts streets looking for new places to try then I’m sure you’ve noticed this plaza across from Walmart on Pleasant Hill Road. There was a sketchy restaurant in there that had dark tinted windows called Folk House that only opened late at night. It looked like a scary place catering to men only so I never ventured in there. Late in September, a new bubble tea joint opened in its place. It’s a super cute space where you can hang out, snack, and get your fill on bubble teas.

There aren’t as many flavors of bubble teas as other places but they have the staples. I like that the flavors taste real. And the boba? Sweet and chewy.

Taiwanese snacks cost a mere $2.99 per order. Taiwanese nuggets, chicken wings and sweet potato fries are good options.

Daily specials include sandwiches and rice plates.

They also have Chinese pastries including Wife cakes and buns with savory and sweet fillings. Wife cake, you ask? They’re flat, thin pastries with flaky crust. The inside resembles chewy, dense, firm, mashed potatoes. It’s a traditional cake in Hongkong and mainland China and comes with an assortment of fillings. I have always loved the wintermelon or pork fillings which you can find in Chinese bakeries in town. Here, at Boba Mocha, they usually have pineapple flavor.

It’s a mish-mash of a place that serves Korean pastries supplied by White Windmill, cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory, ice-cream, and other desserts. If nothing else, it’s a nice and quiet place to sit down.

(Be sure to check-in on foursquare to get 50% off your entire bill.)

Boba Mocha
2628 Pleasant Hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 367-3757

Technorati Tags: bubble tea, boba, Duluth, Taiwanese, Korean

Kimchi Jigae

This is one of those places that is so under the radar that even though they’ve been open for a year, no one seems to know this place exist. Except for me, of course. I’ve been here six times in the last month alone. Korean places specialize in one or two things only. You won’t find an all-around place that has everything good on the menu. It’s just the way it is. This one specializes in soups — soondubu, kimchi jigae, even shabu shabu.

Soondubu

Kimchi Jigae with pork

Everyone’s Korean momma makes the best soup. I don’t have one. Momma Moon is the closest I’ll have to one. Out of the 58 places I’ve been to in the city so far, she is the queen of soups. The jigaes are fantastic and the best anywhere else. The broth is reduced quite a bit so expect to get hit with that concentrated spicy chili and kimchi taste. The soondubu (tofu soup) has the softest, silkiest, unformed tofu, a bright red broth, and lots of big pieces of tender meats. The kimchi jigae (kimchi stew but really a soup in consistency) doesn’t have that strong fermented smell nor taste but still packs in the flavors just the same. The shabu shabu (hot pot) which is good for two has a presentation (and a fantastic broth) that will blow you away.

On of my most favorite Korean soups is yukgaejang. It’s shredded beef with noodles, gosari, leeks and stirred-in eggs in a spicy chili broth. Unfortunately, Momma Moon does not make it. Instead, she has this short rib soup that’s just as good. I don’t know what it’s called. When I asked for yukgaejang, she said “I’ll give you same.” Well, it’s not the same but it’s as good. Deep chili taste, soft radish, bean sprouts, and lots of beef short ribs. Happy food.

Go see Momma Moon who walks around tickled pink at yankees who eat her food. You’d love her and you’d love her soups.

Mun Family
3473 Old Norcross Rd.,
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 622-7780

Technorati Tags: Korean, Duluth

A week ago, I had a meeting in the Sugarloaf Parkway area. Tired of chain dining, a few of us decided to pop in quickly at The Fairgrounds and pay the hefty $5 entrance fee so we can gorge ourselves on overpriced, totally-bad-for-you food. Here are the highlights of that very short field trip… in pictures.

North Carolina style BBQ

This brisket sandwich was actually pretty good.

Too bad there wasn’t any time to check her out. Maybe next year…

That is beef on a stick. Breaded. Fried.

More pictures here.

Gwinnett County Fair 2012
The Fairgrounds in Gwinnett County

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

I’m not really a big fan of this place but I have a best friend who is and eats here at least twice a week. Once in a while, I get dragged along. Don’t get me wrong. The food, on the average, is better than decent and some dishes are really good. So. Here’s what my friend eats every single time he goes here…

Tonkatsu. Humongous portion on a humongous plate. Two huge pieces. Crispy fried, tender pork. Pretty good tonkatsu sauce. Served with rice, shredded cabbage salad with thousand island dressing.

Dukbokki Noodles. Now I have to admit this one is pretty awesome. You get this tubed-shaped rice cakes (dukbokki or tteokbokki) that are so chewy in a spicy, thick, broth flavored by Korean hot pepper paste and kimchi. But that’s not all. It has homemade ramen-like noodles. And a boiled egg!!! If there’s one thing you can’t miss here, this is it. It’s number 4 on the menu.

Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a little too bland for my taste as the broth is really light and thin. There are tons of shredded chicken, leeks, sea weed strips, ribbons of dropped egg, and get this… homemade noodles. Yes. Homemade. In fact, all the noodles here are homemade. A few dashes of salt can make this very hearty soup delicious.

Spicy Pork Bulgogi. This lunch set is sure to make you full. You get lots of tender pieces of pork stir-fried in a spicy, savory, sweetish sauce. Then you also get kimbap (similar to the Japanese maki or sushi rolls), shredded cabbage salad, curry sauce, and rice.

Banchan. The usual suspects. But. They have sausages in gochujang sauce!

Very friendly service in a very nice, quiet atmostphere. I’d go for the dukbokki noodles alone. Prices hover in the $7.95 range.

Don Quixote Restaurant & Cafe
There are two locations: Duluth and BuHi. The pictures here are from Duluth. Each location is independently owned and operated.
3751 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 584-1129

Technorati Tags: Korean, Duluth, Atlanta, tidal