Chow Down Atlanta

One of the things that is very common among Korean restaurants is how they reincarnate. When they go out of business, the space doesn’t get abandoned. Instead, they get bought out by new owners and they stay the same way — the same concept, the same restaurant name, the same decor, the same menu (most times). There may be different management/owners and a different chef but sometimes even the chef stays behind. That’s what happened with Cafe Toh Dam in Suwannee, Myung Ga Won, Nam San Gol, Well Bean, and Kal Guk Si in Duluth, just to name a few. It’s also exactly what’s happened here. This place used to be called Seoul Restaurant. It’s now Seoul Shinjung. New name, new owners, new management, new chef, new menu, same location, same decor.

One thing that’s noticeable here is the improvement in service. Asian restaurants aren’t really well known for service. You just have to accept it and get used to it. Flagging down a server for anything you need is a way of life. The menu has also been whittled down considerably. I wasn’t shown an English menu so I’m not sure if there even exists one. The good thing is that the servers speak more than a bit of English and will tell you what’s on the menu. The bad thing is that they’ll tell you the names of the dishes in Korean. Asking them to describe what those are, well, that’s almost impossible.

Did you know? The number one reason I love Duluth is because there exists a myriad of Korean restaurants that offer good and cheap eats. Combo lunches at Seoul Shinjung from 11AM until 3PM will only set you back $7.49. That includes 7-8 types of banchan, a huge bowl of soup, and a meat dish. On this visit, I got yukgaejang (spicy beef soup) and pork bulgogi. The soup broth is so much better than before. There are huge chunks of beef and even a piece or two of beef tripe! It may not be the best version in the city but it’s decent enough to eat on multiple visits. The pork bulgogi has lots of tender and flavorful meat. What’s not to like?

So, if you ever find yourself in this parts of north Peachtree Industrial Blvd, a trek for everyone, you have to stop by. You won’t be sorry.

Seoul Shinjung
3585 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 584-1103

Technorati Tags: Korean, Duluth, Atlanta

Just a quick post about this new addition to our Korean dining scene. This one opened a few months ago right before winter and sits next door to Cafe Mozart. It used to be First China restaurant. The menu is extensive and includes almost all mainstream Korean dishes.

I’ve been here a few times. Banchan is good: tasty, fresh, good selection. Dumplings are your regular frozen then fried variety. But at $4.95 per order of five huge ones, it’s a great deal. The soy-sesame dipping sauce is wonderful, however.

Soups are okay. They’re a little on the thin side but will do in a pinch. They do come in bigger-than-usual and bigger-than-everywhere bowls. The bbq meats are pretty solid. Rice dishes are decent.

I’m grateful we have another place to add to our pool of Korean restaurants to choose from. Prices are on the cheaper side, too, so you can hit it several times a week.

Korea Garden
5295 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 558-2282

Technorati Tags: Korean, Buford Highway, Doraville, epicurious, tidal

At last, the long-awaited food court finally opened earlier this year. I had high hopes, thinking it would be as awesome as the one in Your Dekalb Farmers Market or Great Wall in Duluth or Assi Plaza in both Duluth and Suwannee or even Super H. But, alas, such is not the case here.

The food court is in its early stages. I see considerable space for expansion where other stalls can be rented out. For now, there are only three spots to eat from. The main one is the cafeteria-style food stall. They have Eastern European dishes as well as Korean, Southern, Indian, and Hispanic. The food is ok. They’re not as delicious as YDFM where every single item is amazing. It’s just passable here.

One of the stalls is the Delimanjoo joint. It’s those yummy creme-filled tiny doughnuts baked in the premises. It was a mainstay from the snack bar that was around since the market opened. These has been my favorite for many, many years. (Sorry, no photo.)

The other stall is a Creperie. They’re exactly like the ones on the streets in Europe. They have both sweet and savory flavors.

Everything here is take-out only. There’s a huge eating area right outside the cashier stand if you want to eat before you leave. The cafeteria food is sold by weight. The other stalls sell per item. Be careful with the amount of your selection. My tiny lunch, crepe, and a bottle of soda came to close to $20. That’s highway robbery! You could go to a nice sit-down meal at a nice restaurant for less than that. Consider yourselves warned.

Food Court at Buford Highway Farmers Market (BHFM)
5600 Buford Highway NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 455-0770

Technorati Tags: BHFM, Farmers Market, food court, Buford Highway, Korean, Hispanic, Russian, Indian, Epicurious

Not all Korean restaurants are eater-friendly. Some do not have English menus, English-speaking wait staff, or mainstream food. This is one of those places. It’s not for those unfamiliar with traditional Korean cuisine or want to eat popular mainstream Korean food. But. If you want everyday food that Koreans eat at home then this is the place to go to.

Soups rule in Korean cuisine so this place has a lot of them. The counterpart to our chicken soup, their Samgyetang or “well-being” soup hits the spot. Boiling hot milky broth is infused with fall-off-the-bone chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, and Chinese dates. The result is the perfect soup for that cold weather. Not to mention, it would also cure you of that nagging cold you might have. Order either half or the whole chicken, season with sea salt and cracked pepper served along side the banchan, and you’re good to go.

Other notables here include the soft tofu soup (soondubu), the kimchi stew (kichi jigae), and the rice cake/dumpling soup. There’s a hand-cut noodle soup with seafood that I’m dying to try next.

Definitely a good place to try if you’re in the area or needing a soup intro to your second lunch.

Tang Roo
Inside the Nukoa Plaza
3230 Steve Reynolds Blvd.
#11
Duluth, GA 30096
770-232-5204

[tags]Korean, Duluth{/tags]

Just when you thought we have enough Korean restaurants in these parts already, another one gets born. The Duluth area of Johns Creek is surprisingly void of any Korean restaurants despite having Super H nearby, save for a fried chicken joint next door. So imagine how excited I’ve been waiting for this place to open.

Located directly across from Super H, Tofu Kitchen opened a week ago with no fanfare yet it’s already crazy busy during lunch time. The menu is small and very easy to navigate. They have the usual tofu soups, combo meals, grilled meats, and other popular menu items such as bibimbap and tonkatsu.

The soondubu here are okay. Although thin and a tad watery, they are hearty nonetheless: loads of silky, soft tofu and lots of meat. Get the medium or spicy kind to kick up the flavor just a notch.

The grilled meats are phenomenal. I love the marinade they use — perfect combination of sweet and savory. The meats are good quality, too, with just the right amount of fat. You won’t go wrong with either the galbi or bulgogi.

Definitely the perfect place to relax and eat comforting food after crazy shopping days at the supermarket across the street. I seriously think this is going to be a trend: Johns Creek/Duluth will be the next area where Korean businesses will be expanding tremendously. Mark my word.

Tofu Kitchen
10900 Medlock Bridge Rd.
#402
Duluth, GA 30097
(770) 814-7747

Technorati Tags: Korean, Johns Creek, Duluth, soondubu