Chow Down Atlanta

There’s a lot of debate as to which sushi place is the best in Atlanta; and I must admit, there are only a handful. The top two are: Haru Ichiban and Sushi Yoko. I’ll post something about those later on and explain everything. I’ve lived in Asia and travel there twice a year all my life usually staying over 4 weeks at a time so I can call myself quite knowledgeable when it comes to sushi. For now, let me talk about Sushi Zutto. I am never a fan of all-you-can-eat sushi. First, because the quality of the sushi used is much to be desired; second, the selection is just awful; third, the serving sizes are microscopic; and fourth (which irks me to no end), most are made by inexperienced non-Japanese sushi chefs. But not at Sushi Zutto.

Opened a little over a year ago, Sushi Zutto continues to impress with the use of fresh, high-grade sushi, and a more than ample selection to choose from. Its all-you-can-eat concept is uncommom — instead of the usual buffet style where the sushi can be sitting out for goodness knows how long, you indicate your choices from a piece of paper listing all the available sushi for consumption. The sushi is then made-to-order. At $16.95 per person (no sharing and no left-overs please), choices include good-sized rolls, nigiris, makis, and gigantic temakis (hand rolls). Soup and salad are included.

You’ll be amazed at the freshness of sushi at Sushi Zutto. But do pace yourself as there are so many to taste and choose from. If you’re not feeling that ravenous, you can order off the menu where rolls start at $5 and combination lunches/dinner go for no more than $12. Still, the best deal is the all-you-can-eat.

Insider tip:
Pick up discount coupons good on your next dinner on your way out. Avoid the 12-1:30pm lunch crowd or you’ll be waiting for your sushi for a while.

The scoop:
Zutto Japanese Restaurant
4000 N Point Pkwy
Alpharetta, GA 30022
(678) 624-7555
Open daily from 11am-3pm 5pm-10pm

Technorati Tags: Sushi Zutto, sushi, all-you-can-eat sushi, Alpharetta restaurants, Japanese cuisine

Back in 2003, Minado opened its first southern location in Sandy Springs and became an instant hit. A year later, the Korean owners wanted to expand but their franchise wouldn’t allow them to do so. Long story short, they had to buy out their franchise and re-name the restaurant to Badayori. Not long after, they opened branches in downtown (Peachtree Center) and in Duluth (Pleasant Hill Rd). The Duluth location closed a few months ago.

My parents have been friends with the owners since their restaurant opened in Atlanta. They even had talks about partnering together but with the Duluth location’s closing, the idea died down. My mom just called me a few hours ago to tell me that our family friend, the owner, died suddenly of a heart attack. He was 56 years old. He was a very personable man. And a great businessman. He leaves a wife (who manages the Sandy Springs location) and a teenaged daughter. We would like to express our deepest condolences to his family.

Technorati Tags: Badayori, Sandy Springs, Downtown Atlanta, Japanese cuisine, sushi buffet

Opened just two months ago, Aroy-D is already attracting a lunch crowd. And with the humongous space they have, any lunch crowd can be accommodated. For a strip mall restaurant, I was really surprised to see how big the place is — with a good-sized beverage bar and a separate large sushi bar. Speaking of big, the portions are ginormous!

The menu consists of Thai staples and sushi items/combos. I settled for my favorite Gai Pad Gra Pow (minced chicken sauteed with basil leaves) which is the first thing I look for in any Thai restaurant. Here at Aroy-D, they have a funny name for it: Chicken Ka Proud. I give them major points for serving it with a fried egg automatically. None ever do. Saved me time from ordering. The dish was superb, tasty, with just the right amount of seasoning. I would’ve loved it more to be on the spicy side, but hey, you can always adjust that by asking for the condiment set (dry peppers, chili sauce, jalapeno slices in vinegar). I also give them points for using minced meat as most Thai places have gone to using slices of chicken instead.

Another favorite is the Thai barbeque chicken. Aroy-D gives you half a chicken that tastes more Americanized than I wanted it to be. The sauce tastes like, well, ordinary barbeque sauce with no hint of Asian flavoring whatsoever. A little addition of tamarind to the sauce would have elevated this dish to great heights. It came with shrimp fried rice which was flavorful. Read the rest of this entry »