Chow Down Atlanta

Before anything else, today is Chow Down Atlanta’s birthday. You. Each and every one of you made this possible and I’d really like to thank you for all your support. For stopping by, reading, commenting, even hating — well, I think I only “angered” two or three of you so that’s good. You made this past four years so much fun. I’ve met so many good people, made so many new friends, and ate my weight in food (which is what I’ve been doing all my life anyway). I’m still here. And so are you. Thank you.

Did you know? There’s a Chinese tradition of eating noodles on your birthday because noodles symbolize long life. What better way to celebrate my birthday than to have a noodle post. Here’s hoping there will be more years of CDA. Cheers!

I grew up eating noodles of every kind. Noodles when you are a kid are so much fun: slurping noodles from end to end, one noodle at a time, was the ultimate child’s play for us on the dining table. Italian and Asian noodles are both comfort food to me. One particular Asian noodles that I really like is the Chinese Ja Jiang Mein: noodles in brown sauce (or black sauce as I’ve called it). There are many variations of the sauce but basically, ground meat, sweet fermented soy beans, and hoisin are used. When I was 17, I discovered the savory Korean version, Jjajangmyeon, and all I could say then was wow.  This past summer, I had a Jjajangmyeon phase. I went to all the places in the city that had it and ate my weight in Jjajangmyeon. I’m still eating it at least once a week.

Before I tell you where to find the best bowl of jajangmyeon here in Atlanta, here’s a guide to deciphering all the different types of jajangs you’ll find on the menu. The following are the prefixes you’ll see preceding the word Jajangmyeon.

Yuni (유니) – this sauce consists of finely minced meat and finely diced vegetables without starch. Almost always freshly prepared and not offered at all places
Gan (간) – doesn’t have starch, which means the sauce will be thick like gravy. Unlike the regular jajang sauce which sits in a big pot heating away, this one is usually freshly stir fried in the wok to order
Samseon (삼선) – has seafood like squid, shrimp, scallop, sea cucumber or any combination of in the sauce
Jaengban (쟁반) – means the jajang comes premixed on a platter (jaengban means a platter) and the sauce usually consists of starch
Gochu (고추) – has chili peppers in the sauce so it’s a bit spicy

In Atlanta, there are a quite a few places that make their noodles in-house. Some even hand-pull them. Here are the best places I went to over and over again.

The best: Sam Won Gak

1291 Old Peachtree Rd.,
Suite 103
Suwanee, GA 30024
(770) 622-6022

My favorite place.  The best place for Jjajangmyeon in the city, hands down, is Sam Won Gak. I was almost reluctant to feature this restaurant because I wanted to keep it for myself. But I decided to spread the love. I have been here literally countless of times. The beautiful yellow noodles here are homemade. They are chewy, stretchy, and perfectly sticky.  I eat two kinds of jajiang here.  Both are phenomenal. The Yuni Jajiang is what I mostly eat because of its intense, wake-up-your-senses, bold black bean flavor. The black bean sauce is so savory, smoky, thick, and chunky, with lots of minced pork and veggies. The sauce is served separate from the noodles and you’ll have to mix them up yourself. Don’t dump the entire bowl of sauce into the noodles. Add as appropriate so you can control the flavor and saltiness.

The regular jajangmyeon here is fantastic. It is similar in taste to the yuni above but the sauce is starchier, stickier, and thicker.

The jaengban jajaiang is equally delicious. It’s a platter of noodles with the sauce already mixed in. It’s starchy, has a teeny-tiny hint of sweet, and a very smoky flavor. The soybean paste taste is slightly muted here than in the yuni.

If you want the best jjajangmyeon in the city then don’t go anywhere else. This blows away any and all places in town.

The Rest (because the rest just don’t compare to the best):

Ching Mei

3230 Steve Reynolds Boulevard, Ste 116,
Duluth, GA 30096-8833
(678) 205-0898

Although the noodles aren’t homemade, Ching Mei, a Korean-Chinese place inside Nukoa Plaza has good jajangmyeon. Their $5.99 huge bowl of Jajangmyeon has a sauce that’s quite good and thick. A good option if you’re in the area.

The yuni jajangmyeon here is smoky but not as black beany as I want it to be. It’s still good and the sauce is concentrated enough that you can taste the black bean paste.

Kuk Poong

3525 Mall Blvd., # 1A
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 813-8222

The regular jajangmyeon here is actually decent. The noodles are chewy and the sauce has enough flavor and smokiness to it. Avoid the gochu jaengban jajang here at all cost as it is sweet and the black bean taste is almost nonexistent.

Yeng Jing

5302 Buford Highway, #A6
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 454-6688

This Korean-Chinese place claims to use handmade noodles. The yuni jajangmyeon here is a little on the sweet side, thanks to the dash of hoisin they use on the sauce. It’s good but not as flavorful as the other places in town. And I can’t get past the sweetish taste. The version here is more Chinese than Korean so if you prefer that then this is your place.

Their jaengban jajang uses the same sauce but it just comes premixed. Overall not my favorite place for jajangmyeon.

Man Chung Hong

5953 Buford Highway Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30340-1375
(770) 454-5640

Man Chun Hong uses homemade “well-being” noodles, which have herbs mixed in the noodles to give it a dark green color. Although their noodles are made in house and hand-pulled, the sauce has little taste and the presence of the black beans is surely missed. The jajiang sauce is okay but coupled with the forgettable noodles, it just doesn’t do it for me.

So there. If you’ve never had jajangmyeon then you must really try it. Beats the regular ho-hum Chinese and Thai noodles we’re so accustomed to. Go now!

Technorati Tags: Korean, noodles, jajangmyeon, Atlanta, Duluth, Buford Hwy, Suwanee

If you’ve never had Korean food before or are just apprehensive in trying it because you don’t know what to order and/or how to behave, then I’ve got just the thing for you. Korean Barbecue. This is a fun way to introduce yourself and your friends to the awesome cuisine that it is. There are many, many types of Korean food (and restaurants): soups, stews, noodles, fried chicken, pizza, rice bowls, grilled meats, even sushi (well, maki, that is). The list goes on. We’ll take baby steps and concentrate on barbecue. Because it’s so much fun. You’ll love it. I promise.

First things first. This is a group activity. The more people the better, the merrier. Besides, if you live ITP, you’ll need friends to talk to on the long drive over. Because, unfortunately, (almost) all Korean BBQ joints are in Duluth, Suwanee, and Buford Highway. But it will be worth the drive. Trust me. Ready?

In a nutshell… Korean barbecue joints use either coal, gas, a combination of both coal and gas, or propane gas canisters for grilling. Tables are outfitted with a hole in the middle — the barbecue pit — and topped with a steel grill to cook the meats on. Other places use table-top domes, heavy cast-iron trays or griddles which are set on an angle so that the grease from meats can drip onto a bowl. When you sit down, you will be given an assortment of banchan — appetizers or accompaniments to your meal. These consist of assorted pickled veggies (kimchi) in small plates, sauces to dip your meat in, and, rice wrappers (large squares of pasta sheets made with rice flour), sheets of radish, and romaine lettuce leaves to wrap your meats in. Your server will then start grilling your meat of choice and some kimchi. Use your chopsticks to take cooked meat from the grill and transfer them to your plate. Dip the meat in the sauces and either eat them as is or wrapped with or without the grilled kimchi. Half-way through your meal, your server will give you a steaming bowl of soup. Dish it out and pass it around. Other places give you a bowl of steamed egg custard soup that’s just absolutely heavenly. At the end of your meal (if you’re in a place that does not use coal), the server will cook fried rice on the grill. Believe me, nothing tastes better than rice cooked in meat drippings.

Almost all of these places have all-you-can-eat meal deals and I highly recommend getting those over anything else especially on your first visit. You’ll get thinly sliced beef brisket and delicious pork belly but there are a la carte cuts that are also available such as short ribs and ribeye. Now that you know what to expect and what to do, let’s go on a field trip. Here are my favorite Korean BBQ places in our city, in no particular order.

Honey Pig
3473 Old Norcross Road
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 476-9292

Popular among tourists, Honey Pig has a fantastic ambiance and is the only place in town that uses cast-iron domes for their barbecue. I recommend getting the all-you-can-eat meat for $21.99, which is an awesome deal. They use not only good cuts of meat but also good quality in general.

Iron Age
2131 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 334-5242

Catering to a younger, hip crowd, Iron Age offers a $14.99 all-you-can-eat deal. Young, good looking male servers dressed in military-style uniforms mill about ready to serve (sorry, no pun intended) patrons who linger around watching music videos of boy and girl bands on the big projector screen while downing bottles upon bottles of Makkoli, a popular Korean milky rice wine. The pork belly here (uncured thick slabs of bacon) come in several flavors: plain, garlic, spicy, and miso. Try them all as they’re all good. One tip, reservations are highly recommended especially for big groups as waits of more than an hour on the weekends are not uncommon.

Star Daepo
Near Mega Mart
3525 Mall Blvd., Ste 3
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 418-9810

The newest of the BBQ bunch, Star Daepo has funky furniture. The tables inside are regular Korean BBQ tables. But they’ve got a quirky patio that has been covered and converted into a dining room. Here, they have these cute table bases made of steel trash cans geared for parties of two to four. Beware of the back-less, tiny stools. Do not, I repeat, do not make a mistake of leaning back. I witnessed an older man keel over right in front of me and landed on my feet. But I digress. The cuts of pork here are thicker and the tofu soup that comes with your meal is amazing: really flavorful broth.

Hae Woon Dae
5805 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 451-7957

Hae Woon Dae is one of Atlanta’s oldest Korean restaurants. My earliest memory of eating at this restaurant was in the mid 90s. There were three of them fierce competitors within a one-mile radius: the now closed Seoul Garden originally located on BuHi, and another favorite place also already closed but whose name escapes me at the moment. In any case, charcoal is used here. The kimchi is pretty stellar. The pork belly has that chewy fat that I love. And, more than anything else, the service rocks.

Han Il Kwan
5458 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 457-3217
Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m

Han Il Kwan is one of the few places that uses charcoal for grilling. There’s just something about the taste and smell of charcoal on grilled meats. To use the charcoal grills, your party must order two types of meat from the barbeque part of the menu. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the few places that do not offer all-you-can-eat deals but the meats here have thicker cut and of really good quality. I highly recommend getting the galbi (shortribs) and ribeye. The gyoza, kimchi fried rice, rice cake soup, and short rib soup (all a la carte) are fantastic here.

Seodulnyuk
2790 Lawrenceville Suwanee Rd., Suite 165
Suwanee, GA 30024
(678) 394-5190

If you want a quieter, more subdued, more family-oriented atmosphere, then head on over to Seodulnyuk. They have meat combo meals starting at $40 that are sure to fit any one’s palate (and budget). These meals are good enough for two to three people. What I like about this place is the big pieces of brisket that they serve. No matter which meats you choose, you will not be disappointed.

So there. Grab a bunch of friends and go! You can thank me later

Technorati Tags: Korean, Korean bbq, Atlanta, Buford Highway, Duluth, Suwanee, Scoutmob, Local Scout

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

Go. Go. Shabu. Shabu. (Asians have a way of repeating words and I love it.) Now if you’re enjoying the cooler weather we’re having as much as I do, then you know it’s time for soups. I’ve waited all year for this: so I can eat (Korean) soups again. Go Go Shabu Shabu opened before the summer and I’ve been meaning to try it out. First thing I noticed about this place is the color of the walls. It’s a migraine-inducing, obnoxious lime. It’s catchy. It’s different. But trust me, take that Maxalt before hand.

So what to eat at this place? Well, shabu shabu, of course! Cooked table-side, a big pot of broth good enough for two is served with an assortment of veggies (yes, I ate them), and paper-thin slices of beef brisket. You let the soup boil and add veggies and the meat to it. Mmmm.

One thing about this place, though, is that I found their broth to be lacking in flavor. You’ll have to doctor it like we did. A splash of this, a shake of that, a spoon of this, and voila– good, hearty soup. $29.99 for two. In the Assi Plaza Suwanee.

Go Go Shabu Shabu
1290 Old Peachtree Rd NW
Suwanee, GA 30024
(770) 814-8989

[tags]Korean, Suwanee, shabu-shabu]/tags]

It’s still hot as heck in Atlanta. What better way to cool off? Naengmyeon. Chewy, homemade Korean noodles in flavorful, icy broth served in large stainless steel bowls. Two ways.

Mul Naengmyeon. My absolute favorite. The clear broth is so refreshing. The slices of radish and sweet pears balance the savory beef slices. The hard-boiled egg is icing on the cake. Yum.

Bibim Naengmyeon. The spicy gochujang dressing gives just the right kick and heat. Slices of tender beef and cucumbers make it a hearty dish. More yum.

Doo Reh Myun Ok
1291 Old Peachtree Rd NW #401 (inside the Assi Plaza – Suwanee)
Suwanee, GA 30024
(770) 476-0480

Technorati Tags: Korean, naengmyeon, Suwanee