Chow Down Atlanta

Bon Appétit: Top 6 Izakayas in North America
Knife & Fork: Best of 2010
Creative Loafing: Hamburg Bun (100 Dishes To Eat In Atlanta Before You Die)

from Atlanta Magazine, June 2011

Accolades plus my death row meal, the best onigiri, buns, and ramen and you’ve got this amazing, no-longer-unknown izakaya sensation in Inman Park. Miso is definitely one of my most favorite restaurants.

Izakaya. This term has evolved and no longer just encompasses sake houses serving yakitori. These days, Japanese izakayas tend to refer to places that serve great food (small plates and snacks) and great drinks (sake and shochu). They do all that at Miso. Plus more. Incidentally, did you know Miso has the largest selection of shochu in Atlanta? The LARGEST.

Aside from being a chef-driven restaurant, what sets Miso apart from the rest is its use of local and seasonal ingredients. Chef Guy Wong hits a couple of farmer’s markets each morning to acquire the day’s ingredients. A two-man team in the kitchen, he and sous chef Melissa Allen go in early every single day to prep the ingredients and get a head start on braising meats. Every single dish that comes out of the kitchen passes through those two sets of hands. Labor of love. Oh and the staff. They treat you like family (shout out to Dyna, Will, and Hong). They’ve all been there since Miso opened.

I get great pleasure from reading menus the same way people do with books and magazines. Today, Miso unveils its new menu. It’s something I’ve read so many times, imagining the dishes in my head and the flavors in my mouth. With an obscene amount of visits under my belt (I have late classes in grad school next door and its proximity is so convenient for late dinners), it’s no accident that some of those visits happen when Chef Guy Wong is experimenting in his kitchen. My good friends and I — regulars at Miso — have been lucky enough to taste some of those experiments.

The Pork Kimchi Rice. To. Die. For. Before Chef Guy made this mind-blowing dish, I used to take his Pork Kimchi dish and mix it with a side order of steamed rice. I call it Kimchi White Rice and I do this everywhere fried rice isn’t served. Imagine my surprise when one day, a $9 bowl of Pork Kimchi Fried Rice appeared before me. It was the best thing I have ever eaten this year. Phenomenal is an understatement. My sister insisted getting an order to go. And my good friend Thom, lucky enough to taste clone number 3 (with another good friend GT), gushed all over Twitter and Facebook, even adding, “I would pay twice as much as Chef Guy is charging me for this right now.” Think kimchi laced with tasty morsels of pork married into fried rice then topped with a fried egg. It’s a match made in heaven. And crazy good.

Fried Green Tomatoes. You know how frustrating it is to eat this because the breading falls off the tomatoes every single time, in every single bite, at every single place on earth? Well, not here. Chef Guy and Chef Melissa were able to figure out how to glue the coating to the tomatoes. Not only is it ingenious, it is amazing. The tartness of the tomatoes is tempered by the the side of karashi cream (Japanese mustard).

Katsu Curry Japaghetti. I have this ongoing battle for mayorship with my very good friend Troy, who stole the mayorship from me, and whom I’ve had many dinners with at Miso (we have 22 24 combined visits, by the way). During one of those dinners, we were lucky enough to try the Japaghetti. How was it? In Troy’s own words, “This is the BEST *bleep* curry I’ve ever had in my life!!!” But don’t take his word for it. Take mine I’ve noticed that tonkatsu in all places in Atlanta are usually bland; with the dipping sauce acting as the flavoring agent. The MI katsu isn’t like that. The tender, juicy Riverview pork tenderloin cutlet is flavorful on its own and coated in flavorful, crunchy batter. Double flavorful. But wait. It’s the curry that will blow you away. Peppered with fork-tender bites of beef and simmered for over 8 hours, it is thick yet smooth and velvety. The flavor is bold but not offensive. Savory and delicious. The chuka soba noodles provide more textural backdrop to the meat and curry. YUM.

Fried Camembert Cheese. Clothed in thin tempura batter then fried golden. Nothing beats the crunchy exterior and gooey, soft cheese inside. Forget ho-hum mozzarella sticks. This is the wave of the future.

Crab Noodle. If you love crabs like I do then you would love this dish. Fresh blue crabs from that morning’s farmer’s market find are steamed, flaked, then stir-fried with eggs. Think fried rice except with soba. The crabs and egg stick to the noodles. Served on a bed of crisp lettuce and topped with a few sprigs of cilantro. Squeeze a few drops of lime, stir, eat. The taste of crab is evident but not overpowering. Unbelievable. So delicious.

I’ve had practically everything on the old menu. Everything here is fantastic. Most of my favorites are making a repeat appearance on the new menu so be sure to try them all: buns, onigiri, gyoza, shoyu tomago… And you can thank me later

Miso Izakaya
619 Edgewood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(678) 701-0128
Closed on Sundays
Dinner every night from 5:30pm
Late night dining: Every night except Mondays from 10PM-Midnight

Technorati Tags: izakaya, ramen, onigiri, Atlanta, Inman Park, Japanese, Guy Wong

I’ve been going to Miso a lot. No, really, a lot. You see, I have a class on Thursdays that ends late: 9:30PM. I’m super hungry at that time and Miso has ramen and small plates that are perfect for late dinners. And it’s so close to school! So, yeah, I’m there every week. Last night, they opened on a normally closed day and had a special menu that was collaborated with Dynamic Dish’s David Sweeney. Remember his veggie dishes? If you weren’t there then you missed out on these…

This Gindara (miso cod) is part of my death row meal

Best part: nothing was over $9. Every single thing was delicious. My sister and I ate the entire menu. Our absolute favorite: the lemon quinoa with English peas topped with mint buttercream. It was an OMG moment. I ate veggies — proud of me? Complete menu here.

Miso Izakaya
619 Edgewood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(678) 701-0128
Late night dining: Every night except Mondays from 10PM-Midnight (Closed Sundays)

Technorati Tags: Japanese, ramen, izakaya, Inman Park, Guy Wong, David Sweeney

When I was in San Francisco earlier in March, I went on a quest for good ramen. I went to 7 different places: in San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, Oakland, Sacramento. I found that the broth has one theme — clean taste and better toppings. I call it hippie ramen. It wasn’t the same as the ones we have here in Atlanta. Regional differences, I suppose.  Last night, Chef Guy Wong unveiled his 5-star ramen. I’ve had it twice before because I happened to be at Miso Izakaya when he was experimenting.

Miso Izakaya’s tonkotsu ramen is reminiscent of the ramen in the bay area. The broth is clean tasting — no heavy condiments or flavorings are added. You get the true taste of the broth from the tons of pork (and chicken) bones that were boiled for 27+hours. It is delicious. The hippie toppings are top-notch. You have these amazing morsels of corn that are garlicky (let it soak to flavor the broth), a big nori sheet, mushrooms, tender, braised pork belly, a soft-boiled egg. But what’s different about this ramen is that the broth has so much depth — it tastes bolder (and better) as the toppings soak: the stir-fried corn adds that garlicky tinge and the braised pork adds additional meat notes. It’s definitely different than the other awesome ramen in Atlanta. Available every night (except Monday) after 10pm. Intowners, you no longer have to complain about the drive to Smyrna or Duluth. You now have your own ramen place. It’s fantastic. Go!

Oh, before I forget… get these yumminess with your ramen:

Miso Izakaya
619 Edgewood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
(678) 701-0128
Late night dining: Every night except Mondays from 10PM-Midnight

Technorati Tags: ramen, izakaya, Inman Park

Well. Technically, it was earlier this month. In any case…

You all know by now how much of a ramen freak I am. If not, you’ve been hiding under a rock Anyway, (my sister and) I always, always eat ramen with onigiri. It’s a ball of rice filled with yummy things — pickled plums, fish roe, etc. — and most often wrapped in a sheet of nori. Some izakayas grill them and those are the best. Earlier this month, I ate the best onigiri. At Miso Izakaya. It was beyond heavenly: grilled, with a few patches of toasty, crunchy bits, and filled with the most amazing crispy salmon. It was superb!!! An oh-my-gosh-give-me-a-moment-of-silence moment. I was totally blown away.

Did you know? I’ve had onigiris at most places in Atlanta: Taka, Sushi Mito (grilled), Haru Ichiban, Blue Fin (Duluth), Yakitori Jinbei, Umaido (grilled and filled with chashu), Sushi House Hayakawa, Sushi Yoko. They’re all good and they all have different versions. But Chef Guy’s onigiri is THE BEST.

Speaking of the best. Have you had their Pork Buns? To. Die. For. Duck Buns? To. Die. For. Don’t take my word for it. GO.

Oh, one last thing… I swung by one lunch time and Chef Guy just happened to make a couple of bowls of ramen that day. So I begged to have a taste. Guess what — it’s 5-star ramen!!! It was delicious!!! And the toppings were unbelievable. He’s still tweaking it but rumor has it he’ll have it out in full-force in April. Oh, I also heard the well-guarded recipe came from his sensei in Japan. I know, I can’t wait!!!

Miso Izakaya
619 Edgewood Ave SE.
Atlanta, GA 30312
(678) 701-0128

Technorati Tags: Japanese, Inman Park, Guy Wong

I know of four good izakaya places in the city. This is one of them. Before their bar food incarnation, I’ve had a couple of not-so-satisfactory meals here. But gone are those days and for those of you who had the same past experience as I did, it’s definitely time for a revisit. I took my NYC-based brother here a couple of weeks ago and had the most enjoyable meal.

The izakaya menu here is extensive– yakitori, kushiyaki, stews, grilled fish, pickled items, sushi, sashimi, soups; you get the idea. Prices here border on the cheap and as competitive as the other places. Get an item from each category and prepare to have a leisurely meal. Oh, did I mention, your first 12oz draft beer is only 99cents? Until September at least.

One of my favorites here is the Spicy Geso. I like their version of these deep-fried squid legs. The batter is so thin, almost non-existent, and each piece is laced with a spicy powder. You get chewy, crispy, and spicy. Love it.

I love Gindara Misozuke. Or ginadara for that matter. The portion here is a lot smaller but it is also $3 cheaper than its counterparts. It is perfectly grilled and melts in your mouth. There is a tiny hint of miso paste flavor and butter. Swoon.

I am such a sucker when it comes to Chawan Mushi. And I love all versions — Korean, Chinese, Japanese. The delicious chicken stock they use here is flavored with dashi and mirin and provides a great backdrop for the soft egg custard. Mmmm.

I wasn’t so impressed with their tonkotsu ramen. At $9.25, it didn’t even come with pork. The broth was a cross between shio and shoyu (salt and soy) and I couldn’t really taste the creamy tonkotsu. Serves me right for asking for something that’s not on the menu. They do have udon and soba soups that are far better. Get those instead.

No trip to an izakaya is complete without grilled squid. The Ika Butteryaki here is so tender and the butter-teriyaki sauce will blow you away. It isn’t your normal Americanized teriyaki sauce. Their concoction has butter, grated ginger, and a sweet soy sauce. Fantastic.

Skewers of pork belly and chicken balls rule here. The pork belly slices are thick, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The chicken balls are made of soft, minced meat. Get them both with salt. So good.

There’s this Eggplant Miso that I have to warn you about. It’s a thick slice of American eggplant that is marinated in miso paste then steamed. The middle part is hollowed and filled with eggplant meat and annatto. It’s good. But it is way too rich that you’d feel so full if you eat it first. So eat it last.

The sushi and sashimi here have improved in quality as well. So do be sure to get a few rolls and slices on your visit. What are you waiting for? Go now.

Insider tip:
Check website for new menu items monthly and dinner specials.
First order of 12oz draft beer for $0.99 available during dinner only all throughout August.
Selected wine and sake are 50% off on Sundays and Mondays.

Sushi Mito
6470 Spalding Dr
Norcross, GA 30092
(770) 734-0398

Technorati Tags: Japanese, izakaya, Norcross