Chow Down Atlanta

You know, when you go enough to Asian places, you get wind of what’s hot, what’s not, who’s new, and who isn’t. On my weekly trip to Assi Plaza, I learned of a new ramen place just up the street. I’ve been back twice since it’s July 21 opening. Korean owned, this Japanese ramen house makes fresh noodles on site. You seriously need to watch how they make them especially the part where they cut them.

Just like any true ramen houses, Umaido offers only three kinds of ramen soups: regular, miso, and spicy. Soups are made in huge stainless vats and kept at boiling temperatures. Each bowl is topped with tender, flavorful slices of roasted pork, “hot-off-the-press” noodles, fresh bean sprouts, seaweed, black sesame oil, and a soft boiled egg. While the broth is a little under-salted to my liking on both visits, something a few shakes of salt easily cures, the overall effect is much like the ones they have everywhere in Japan. It is simply comforting. All three choices are excellent.

The Chasyu Rice Bowl is a great accompaniment to the soups and if you’re a big eater like me, you’ll find the soup-rice combo as quite satisfying. Served in a bowl no bigger than a regular rice bowl, the serving is small. Rice is topped with slices of the same pork used in the soups with a few dashes of mayo. I’m not into mayo at all so I just skip it.

On my first visit, the gyoza were over fried. They’ve since perfected this slight kink and they now come perfectly cooked. Incidentally, for a limited time, two soup orders come with a free order of gyoza. Eight pieces of steamed then fried pork gyozas are served with chili oil which you must mix with soy sauce to get the full effect. Pretty tasty.

I really like this place. I love the straight, uncurled ramen noodles they make. I like the contemporary space and über-cool bar tables. Best of all, I love the yelling when they greet you as you come in.

Insider tip:
Just like any good Korean places, cold barley tea is served instead of water which is available upon request.
Service is impeccable.

The scoop:
Umaido
2790 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd
Suwanee, GA 30024
(678) 318-8568

Technorati Tags: ramen, Suwanee, Japanese ramen

This restaurant offers a more traditional menu and mainly soups but they do have a few items that are not: fried rice, bulgogi, pork bulgogi, and maybe two stir-fry dishes. My choice of dish here is the Galbi Tang (beef rib soup) which I get every time I visit. The broth is very flavorful. The ribs are tender but could have used another 20 minutes in the pot to make them fork tender and fall-of-the-bone. Although the amount of ribs was substantial, they use different cuts of beef making them look like scraps from other dishes. No matter, the soup is very comforting.

The banchan has a good selection and they give you 8 which is standard. I like the soy beans and peanuts, as well as the steamed broccoli doused with kimchi sauce.

One of my quirks when visiting hole-in-a-wall Korean places is that their bulgogi tastes soapy. It’s not the case here. Their version is very flavorful with tender pieces of meat. A great accompaniment to the kimchi fried rice.

The very simple kimchi fried rice is so not worth it for $6.99 because it’s nothing but rice and no meat but the taste is quite okay with a very distinctive eggy taste to it. I don’t recommend eating this by itself (it’s not filling) — you have order the bulgogi with it. For the best Kimchi Fried Rice, you must, must go to Tofu 88.

Definitely a great place for cheap but okay eats.

Inside scoop:
Not a lot of English spoken here. Be ready to point at what you want on the menu or tell them the Korean name of the dish you want.
Sorry, no galbi here.

The scoop:
Jin Mi Garden
2863 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.,
Duluth, GA 30097
(770) 418-9579

Technorati Tags: Korean food, PIB, soups. Duluth, cheap eats

I have an obsession with bread and bakeries. Some people smoke; I eat bread. I spend at least $50 on bread (specifically bread loaves, baguettes, and croissants) every single week. My favorite bakeries are Star Provisions, H & F Bread Co., and the numerous Vietnamese and Korean bakeries peppering our city. Last weekend, I’ve discovered a new bakery to add to my weekly haunt.

Swiss Alpine Bakery is a true French bakery and cafe. It is owned and operated by a French couple — grandma tends the front of the house, and grandpa bakes in the back. They have an array of freshly baked pastries, croissants, baguettes, tarts, eclairs, tiramisu, cakes, and petit fours. The chocolate croissants are fabulous — buttery and flaky. The baguettes are just perfect.

They offer homemade sandwiches, salads, and soups for lunch. I had the chicken salad on baguette and the French onion soup. The chicken salad had chunks of chicken and apples to give a sweet crunch. It was really a good sandwich with the freshest lettuce and tomato slices.

The French onion soup was neither spectacular nor ho-hum. It had lots of onion slices and the broth was very flavorful. It just lacked the oomph I was looking for. Nevertheless, it was still good.

Pastries range from $3-4, croissants are about $2, baguettes are $2.10 apiece, tarts are $3.75 and $4, the sandwiches are $6.95, soups are $4.95, and salads are also $6.95.

Insider tip:
Located in the Ellard Village shopping plaza on the corner of Holcomb Bridge and Barnwell.

The scoop:
Swiss Alpine Bakery
8400 Holcomb Bridge Rd
Alpharetta, GA 30022
(770) 643-1100

Technorati Tags: bakeries, French baker, French bakery, sandwich, soups, salads, Alpharetta

Gasp — I spent close to $100 at Souper Jenny today. That’s for 2 lunches at $14 each (my sister loves this place), 2 tubs of soups to-go, a peach bread, and a personally-signed Jenny cookbook that set me back another $22. It’s to add to my ever-growing collection of never-opened, mostly autographed cookbooks.

My sister’s lunch

My plate

There were free cupcakes today (we ate 2 each) and a book signing for Jenny’s new cookbook. Lots of people. As always. And if you don’t already know, they have amazing soups, sandwiches, and salads. All freshly made each morning. With the best and freshest ingredients. You get two items with soda/water/ice tea for $12. Good deal.

The scoop:
Souper Jenny
56 E Andrews Dr NW
Atlanta, GA
30305-1316
Phone: (404) 239-9023

Technorati Tags: Souper Jenny, lunch, lunch deals, brunch, fresh daily, Buckhead, sandwiches, soup

I opened the door, stepped in, and heard angels singing. The smell of yeast and fresh-baked bread enveloped my entire body. I’m in bread heaven.

I. Love. Bread. I can live off of bread alone. That and chocolate. Seriously, I would rather eat bread than dessert. And I’m known to eat bread for dessert. Star Provisions is my favorite bakery. They have the best baguettes in Atlanta, chocolate croissants, and the no-longer-available chocolate cupcakes. But now, I’ve found another favorite.

H&F Bread Company supplies bread to big brothers Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House which are both next door. Its popularity started at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market where they would sell out in an hour or two. Back then, it was the only way to get a hold of their baked goods. Until now.

H&F Bread Company reminds me of the bakeries in Europe where you can get fresh-baked artisan breads and pastries, as well as cheeses, house-made spreads, and homemade jams and preserves. It is literally bread heaven.

Chef Robert’s lunch menu offers sandwiches and soups that change daily. My $14 lunch consisted of turkey and brie on a croissant with apple butter and a bowl of crab bisque. The sandwich was very good and very filling. I love the slight sweetness that the apple butter provided to the shaved turkey breast and soft brie cheese. The croissant is just perfect — it is buttery and had just enough flakiness yet it also had a soft, doughy inside. The crab bisque was smooth and velvety and delicious. It is a pricey lunch but the servings were huge and it was worth every penny.

I wanted to bring a piece of this heaven with me so Joshua, the resident bread keeper, told me to just have a go and pick everything I want. I did. $46 dollars worth of bread. And a tub of house-made pimiento cheese, a small bottle of fig jam, and a small bottle of peach preserves. These should last me a week (*wink*).

Insider tip:
I can’t bake to save my life so this tip is all new to me: Joshua told me that to re-invigorate an old baguette, simply wet your hands, touch the baguette all over, and reheat at 325F for 10-15 minutes. Cool!

The scoop:
H&F Bread Company
2255 Peachtree Rd. NE
Suite H
Atlanta, GA 30309
404-350-8877

Technorati Tags: Holeman & Finch, bakery, Restaurant Eugene, Buckhead, Peachtree Rd.

Boasting of a healthier alternative to the same old Korean food, Min Sok Chon delivers its aim through soups. If you’re in the mood for soup, this is the place to be. Now I’m a self-confessed Galbi-tang (beef rib soup) fanatic and would always order it if it’s on the menu.

There two versions of galbi-tang: seasoned beef broth and unseasoned milky broth (which is actually called sulung-tang). Min Sok Chon’s version is of the milky variety (sulung). Which means you have to add salt as it’s devoid of any taste. I’m not crazy about this version and much prefer the flavorful alternative. Still, it’s galbi-tang.

There are many other types of soups available with varying ingredients ranging from the tame (chicken), middle-of-the-road (fish), and not-for-the-meek (oxtail). The oxtail soup is actually very, very good. And it’s nice that each item on the menu has a corresponding picture on the wall so you know exactly what you’re getting. Other notables include the Bulgogi and Seafood Pancake.

Insider tip:
This restaurant used to be a Korean Chicken Wing place until the owners decided to change concepts in January ‘06. Located inside the Super H Mart plaza in Duluth.

The scoop:
Min Sok Chon
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd #204
Duluth, GA 30096
Phone: 770-232-0001

Technorati Tags: Min Sok Chon, Duluth, Korean, soup, Pleasant Hill Rd, Korean soup, Korean cuisine, Bulgogi, Galbi-tang, Sulung-tang, Korean Seafood Pancake