Chow Down Atlanta

A few months ago, I was saddened when my beloved Toh-Dam Tofu House closed. Three months ago, it was resurrected. Same place, same name. But. Brand new expanded menu, brand new owner and staff, and a brand new chef.

The one thing you must not miss here is the yookgaejang, one of my favorite Korean soups. It’s a spicy beef and vegetable soup. The deep red broth has the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and slightly garlicky. It tastes bold and beefy. It includes tons of shredded beef, green onions, gosari (fiddlehead), egg, leeks, and thick cellophane noodles. I like the version here because it doesn’t have bean sprouts and it has large pieces of egg. To say this soup is really good is not only an understatement, but a disservice as well. Did you know? A Korean expert says it’s the best in the city. It’s really, really, really insanely good. Really.

The tofu soups are pretty amazing, too. They use the creamiest, softest, silkiest tofu that melts in your mouth and slides smoothly down your throat. The soup is perfectly spicy without resorting to jalapeños that alter the taste of the soup. Loads of tender meat are included. It’s one hearty version that is now my favorite.

The soondae (Korean blood sausage) is soft and peppery. The firm casing is filled with rice and noodle goodness. It’s not that thick here but the serving portion makes up for the size. It’s a great appetizer or as an accompaniment to the soups. Oh, and don’t forget to dip the slices into the side of salt-pepper mixture to bring out the sweetness of the sausage.

So far, everything I’ve eaten here is good. The galbi is more meaty than fatty and the cut isn’t the cheap, flimsy, thin ones you see in other places. It’s also very well marinated and grilled just right. There’s also this egg custard and sweet-spicy potato banchan that were wonderful.

This is my favorite place of the season and I’m already a regular.

Tohdam Tofu
1291 Old Peachtree Rd NW
Suwanee, GA 30024
678-417-9939

Technorati Tags: Korean, Suwanee, soups, boyangtang

Three words: Korean Black Goat. Possibly the only place serving Korean native goat dishes, Bang Ga Nae sits on PIB between Pleasant Hill and GA-120. This place used to be a Malaysian restaurant years ago. I’m glad they’ve kept the pond with waterfall inside. Rather than tables, they have booths with high backs for privacy. They also have two tatami-style seating arrangement for bigger parties which I would not recommend unless you want to sit cross-legged which is so bad for your knees.

Now if you’ve never had Korean goat before, then you’re in for a treat. I’ve only had black goat in Asia and this is the first place I’ve seen it on the menu. Black goat meat is very tender and not gamey at all. Here at Bang Ga Nae, they serve black goat meat in many different ways: stewed (the most common way of preparation), broiled, and deep fried. I wanted to taste the meat in its purest form so I opted for their Deep Fried variety. Lost in translation, my sweet-and-sour sauce on the side ended up served with the meat. Oh well. In this dish, the goat meat is sliced in thin strips then dipped in cornstarch batter before deep frying. The coating is very light and thin but with a slight chew. The meat? Buttery. Melt-in-your-mouth good and better than lamb, mutton, or veal. I can’t wait to go back for their stew and broiled meat.

Although pricier than most Korean places, they do have combo specials that pair galbi with noodles or soup. They also have bibimbap and soups that start at $5.99. Bang Ga Nae is an absolute delight. And go for the black goat meat if anything else.

Notes: The sweet and sour sauce that they use is totally different from the Chinese kind. It is very light (in taste and color) and they use pineapple juice as a souring agent. It is very good but get it on the side so your meat won’t get soggy. A much better alternative is to dip your deep fried goat meat in Korean chili paste.

The galbi here is quite expensive at $14.99 and the serving is small (about the same as the lunch portion as Book Chang Dong) but the meat is sliced thicker (though fattier). Taste-wise, I’m not a big fan — for some reason, it just didn’t do it for me. Good but not stellar like other places.

Insider tip:
Friendly but excruciatingly slow service.

The scoop:
Bang Ga Nae
3312 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Suite B
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 417-7769

Technorati Tags: Korean cuisine, Duluth, GA, Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Korean goat, black goat