Chow Down Atlanta

I’ve always known those steamed, wide, rice noodles filled with shrimp found in dim sum as chang fen. It’s actually a bastardized (read: Americanized or pinyin) way of saying the real Cantonese term which is cheong fun (similar to chow fun). In any case, if you’ve had dim sum then I’m sure you’ve seen them. Chang fen houses are very common in Hongkong — a wide a variety of chang fen is eaten for breakfast, snack, and of course, dim sum.

I have never really liked any of the chang fen in the US as I find them thicker and stiffer than they ought to be. Real, authentic chang fen (my preference) should be smooth, silky, not sticky, and paper thin. Almost like ribbons of rice sheets. They should slide very easily when picked up with chopsticks and impossible to eat with a spoon. A month ago, a Chinese family friend told us about a chang fen house that opened in Duluth: EeRecipe on North Berkeley Lake in the same plaza as Well Bean Tofu.

Family-owned by Malaysian-Cantonese, EeRecipe puts out the best chang fen I’ve tasted outside of Hongkong. They make the authentic flat, ultra-wide, super thin noodles fresh, by hand, everyday. There are 9 kinds on the menu including the traditional shrimp, Chinese sausage/cilantro, BBQ pork, to name a few. My favorite is the EEeRecipe Rolls which come filled with savory, assorted dried meat and veggies. The filling is pressed onto the noodles instead of loosely inserted in the middle so you get a taste of the minced meat and veggies on every single bite. Topped with fried, crunchy onions and garlic and served with a soy-sesame seed oil sauce and a side of shrimp paste and pickled long green peppers, this is the best on the menu. And the best in the city. At $3.77, it’s also the best for your money. While all the chang fen here are really very good, if there’s one thing you MUST try here, it’s the EeRecipe Rolls.

With three visits under my belt, I’ve eaten the entire menu. Another must try here are the soups. The Rice Crepes Chicken Soup will knock your socks off. The clear chicken broth is absolutely fantastic with its boiled-for-hours taste. A big metal bowl filled with strips of rolled chang fen, fish balls, a large amount of coarsely chopped chicken, bean sprouts, and crispy-fried minced garlic is comfort food at its best. Delicious is an understatement.

Other notables here are the Fried Dumplings (fried to perfection with very flavorful filling of minced pork and veggies), Chicken Wings (flavorful all the way to the bones), and the Fried House Special Rice Crepes (char kway teow) which is a dish of stir-fried chang fen, eggs, tofu, scallions, and bean sprouts.

Oh, and if you must have something sweet after a meal, both of the rolls in their Sweetie Rolls section of the menu are worth a try. Chang fen is either filled with syrupy yet not cloyingly sweet fillings such as banana/corn and peanut/sesame. Both are good.

So head on out make the trek if you want to know what authentic chang fen tastes like. The 30-minute drive from ITP is far quicker and shorter than the 18-hour flight you have to endure to get to Hongkong.

EERecipe Rice Crepes House
2645 N. Berkeley Lake Rd. Suite 129
Duluth, GA 30096
770-497-3393
Closed on Mondays
Open Tuesday-Sunday from 11AM-9:00PM

Technorati Tags: Cantonese, Malaysian, chang fen, cheong fun, Duluth, Atlanta

I’ve been going here for many years. It’s a solid place for Americanized Thai and Malaysian food. Don’t get me wrong, though, as the food here is quite delicious — but milder in taste than its Southeast Asian counterparts. Still, food is consistently tasty.

A must try here is the Roti Canai. The crepe is flaky and chewy. The curry chicken dipping sauce is thick and has just a hint of spiciness.

The spring rolls are crunchy fried and filled with noodles and veggies. The complimentary side of pickled vegetables are very appetizing. It has a hint of curry, as well as a mixture of sweet and sour tastes.

Everything here is good. Like I said, the dishes are made in a way such that no one particular flavor overpowers anything else. Mild, but tasty, if there ever is such a thing. I highly recommend the Pad Thai, Lad Na, Pad See U, and Mee Hon for noodles. You can’t go wrong with any of the curry dishes and the Beef Rendang, Ikan Bakar, and the Sambal Eggplant. Whichever dish you choose, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Insider tip:
Lunch is the worst time to go as wait times average 20 minutes.
Portions are huge.

The scoop:
Satay House
281 S Main St
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 663-8666
LUNCH :: Monday-Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
DINNER :: Sunday-Thursday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm;
Friday & Saturday :: 5:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Technorati Tags: Thai, Alpharetta, Malaysian

I am very sad. This place has closed as of May 22, 2011.

I’ve been to V1 BBQ more than six times since it opened in August including a Saturday night when there was a 20-minute wait for a table. Although no one beats Hongkong BBQ when it comes to roast meats, V1 is a great contender and a much cleaner place. I actually went to Hongkong BBQ for a late lunch today and further realized no one can trump their roast pork. But I love V1 and have become friends with the staff who give warm and friendly service.

Hainanese Chicken is my favorite Cantonese chicken dish. It’s the national dish of Singapore which they have adopted from the Chinese. I’ve had Hainanese chicken in hundreds of places; all over Singapore, Hongkong, and China. I’ve had it in Chinatowns in NYC, Toronto, San Francisco, and here. V1 has the best Hainanese Chicken outside of Asia. Simply put, their Hainanese chicken is superb — it’s clean: the chicken doesn’t smell fishy, it is steamed perfectly (cooked all the way through), it is not fatty, and there are no traces of dried blood inside. It is seasoned all the way to the bone so each bite is as fantastic as the last. It is so flavorful, succulent, tender, and juicy. I love it.

The roast pork, roast pig, and roast duck are all also good but, like I said, Hongkong BBQ still has the best. Not even Ming’s BBQ can come close to Hongkong BBQ. The roast pork here at V1 just doesn’t have the requisite texture and crunch. Theirs is a little on the soft side.

Possibly the best Malaysian dish on the menu, the Homemade Noodle soup is fantastic and definitely a must-try. It’s a soup made with tasty chicken broth added with fat, chewy house-made noodles, pieces of Chinese broccoli, ground beef, then topped with crispy fried small fish. It is comforting and plain delicious. This is one of my favorites here.

I recommend sticking with V1′s Cantonese dishes. Their Malaysian dishes seem novice. These dishes are usually bland and the sauces are thin. Despite that, I do think they make great roti canai pancake. The pancake is flaky yet so chewy inside. But curry dipping sauce just doesn’t have that simmered-for-hours taste and is on the thin side. The bubble teas aren’t as good as other places either and they don’t put as much tapioca.

V1 is a must-try for their Cantonese dishes and competitive roast meats. The place is spotless and doesn’t give off a cheap Asian fast-food joint.

Insider tip:
Rice plates with two or three roast meats are a great sampler.

The scoop:
3940 Buford Hwy NW
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 623-1896

Technorati Tags: V1 BBQ, roast pork, roast duck, roast pig, roti canai, Cantonese cuisine, Malaysian cuisine, bubble tea, Duluth