Chow Down Atlanta

I’m an avid Peking Duck eater. I’ve had it almost everywhere (name it and chances are, I’ve had it there). I love the Vietnamese version here at Wong Kee — the duck is so lean, there’s hardly any fat between the meat and the skin. Oh, and the skin– crispy, glossy, crispy. I love that there isn’t that Cantonese taste of five-spice powder (my mom and sister would so appreciate this). The meat is tender and has just the right amount of salt and spices. Pancakes (actually crepes) are the more traditional accompaniment but many places (including here) also use soft buns which I prefer. This is my current favorite. I could eat this everyday.

But no, it doesn’t stop there. The House fried rice is amazing. It’s garlicky and smoky, with lots of stir-fried roast pork and clumps of egg. Delicious. Seriously. Go. Now.

Wong Kee BBQ & Peking Duck Restaurant
5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd.,
Norcross, GA 30093
678.205.0105

Technorati Tags: Peking Duck, Chinese, Vietnamese, Norcross

This is not the place if you’re looking for authentic pho. Rather, the pho and much of the other dishes served here are Korean-inspired. I guess it’s what’s to be expected from a Korean-owned and operated joint. But don’t let that disappoint you. It’s not all that bad.

The broth doesn’t come close to the original thing: it lacks the necessary depth of flavor and it’s quite thin and watered down. There are no undertones of cinnamon and star anise. However, the broth is clean and tastes more like plain beef stock. It’s a pretty good soup, but then again, it’s not pho. Each bowl comes with cold slices of onions and steamed bean sprouts, plus the usual limes, basil leaves, and jalapeno garnishes. A side of kimchi, available upon request, is fresh and spicy as it should be.

If there is one soup you must get here, it’s the Oxtail Pho. I don’t remember seeing it on the menu so just ask your server for it. The broth of this soup is quite fantastic: very flavorful and has the unique taste of oxtail. While you may be used to seeing oxtail with bones and meat, they’ve cleverly removed the bones and shredded the meat for you. Makes for easy eating. The order also comes in two bowls. The bigger bowl includes their regular pho broth and the smaller one has the flaked meat and oxtail broth. You need to mix them up together to get the full effect. Add the usual garnishes and what you get is a bold, hearty soup that is perfect for our current cooler weather.

Rice dishes also have a noticeable Korean flare. Instead of Jasmin, they use short grain Korean rice. You really can’t tell much difference but since I’m a rice expert, I can tell. They do cook it a little firmer so, really, the difference is negligible. Toppings include grilled meats and the grilled pork is a bestseller. Their nuoc cham dipping sauce version is amazingly spot on. It is not as sweet and with the perfect balance of flavors and lots of fresh minced garlic to boot.

Perhaps the word Pho in their name is actually a misnomer. No matter, they do have pretty decent pho-like noodle soups. The place is spotless and servers are attentive. For a better and more authentic alternative, head on over to What The Pho.

Side note: Do be sure to buy from the “Farmer’s Market On Wheels” when you’re in the area. Old Korean women touting freshly-picked vegetables from their home garden roam around peddling from the back of their vans and every single vegetable is so fresh. My last acquisition: Korean sweet potatoes (great when boiled and slathered with butter), small cucumbers, apples, tomatoes, and peppers. You’ll see them in the parking lot of Super H and other Korean strip malls.

Insider tip:
You can get the bean sprouts either steamed or raw. Remember the scare of salmonella on raw bean sprouts not too long ago? I prefer the steamed.

The scoop:
LA Pho
2645 N Berkeley Lake Rd, #129
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 417-9220

Technorati Tags: pho, Korean, Vietnamese, Duluth

There are only a handful of good Vietnamese places in the city. Two of my go-to places when the craving hits are Phoenix Noodle and here which has been a favorite haunt of mine for 3 years now. Vietnamese restaurants are only as good as their pho. Here, the pho is strong, very well seasoned, and boiled for hours. It’s a must-eat at every visit.

But there are other equally good items on the menu. The Cha Gio (fried spring rolls) are crunchy and bursting with flavor and fillings. They make for great appetizers.

The Bun dishes here are excellent and comes in a bowl of cold vermicelli noodles on a bed of shredded lettuce, cucumbers, bean sprouts then topped with your choice of grilled meats. It’s a fantastic, filling dish.

The crispy fried noodles with assorted meat toppings is not only a beautiful dish but a fantastic one at that. Simply put, it is delicious.

The barbecue plates are just as good. They are served with fresh steamed jasmine rice and a side salad of sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. I get mine with a fried egg to kick it up a notch. The meats are flavorful, with good portions, and they are cooked well.

You can’t go wrong with anything here. Go and try it.

Insider tip:
On Pleasant Hill Rd. next to Super H Mart.

The scoop:
What The Pho
2442 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 814-9396

Technorati Tags: What The Pho, Vietnamese cuisine, pho, Duluth, Pleasant Hill Rd, Gwinett

I went to Pho Mimi once when it just opened a couple of years ago and haven’t been back since. It’s just that there are better alternatives on the block. They’re on the same plaza as Super H Mart in Duluth. The place is immaculate, big, and bright.

I judge a Vietnamese restaurant’s credibility by their pho. Pho Mimi’s is just okay. It could use a little more kick — make it bolder and more flavorful. It’s nothing fantastic but good enough to satisfy a (small) craving. They have this wonton and seafood pho that I haven’t seen in many places.

They have the usual com or rice plates. Pho Mimi’s version comes with a crunchy fried shrimp cake. A nice touch, actually. I had the porkchop rice plate among other things and I found the porkchop odd-tasting. Too sweet, perhaps.

Pho Mimi has an extensive bubble tea selection. My absolute favorite is their warm taro milk tea. It’s so good and comforting with just the right amount of sweetness and lots of taro taste. For those not in the know, taro is similar to a purple potato but starchier. It is used in many Asian dishes such as soups, savory pies, and desserts among other things.

Verdict: I went to Pho Mimi because they just newly opened. I haven’t been back. I wasn’t impressed with their pho. And their prices are $2 more than everywhere else. For great Vietnamese food, I would go to What The Pho up the street (2 blocks) or Phoenix Noodle. Better yet, for convenience, the one inside Super H Mart makes good pho.

Insider tip:
Closed on Mondays.

The scoop:
Pho Mimi
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 622-9693

Technorati Tags: Pho Mimi, Super H Mart Plaza, Duluth, Pleasant Hill Rd., Vietnamese cuisine, bubble tea, pho, com

This place has been around since 2005 and it’s been my go-to place for solid Vietnamese fare since its doors opened. Last year alone, my sister and I met there for lunch at least twice a week! Com, which means rice in Vietnamese, offers mostly grilled meats — served over rice, salad, or noodles. It is the unpretentious sister of the Dunwoody branch. The one tucked inside a nondescript Buford Highway plaza where, if you blink, you’ll miss it.

I like unpretentious places. You’re just sure that what they lack in ambiance and decor, they make it up on food — taste, quality, and price. Com is one such place. It’s always packed at lunch times and weekend nights where wait times of up to 30 minutes isn’t uncommon.

My favorite appetizer here is their signature Grape Leaves Rolls. You get a choice of grilled beef, lamb, duck, salmon, or tofu wrapped in grape leaves then served on a bed of salad made with shredded lettuce and, green mango, and green papaya, topped with thinly-sliced, sweet fried onion and chunks of roasted peanuts, then drizzled with spicy-sweetish fish sauce. For those not familiar, fish sauce is the Southeast Asian’s version of salt. It is made from fermented fish, and comes in this aromatic golden liquid color. It is the magic of all Southeast Asian cuisine. These Grape Leaves Rolls are fantastic. It’s totally different from Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) of Turkish cuisine where the leaves are slimy. These leaves have more texture. The salad is crunchy and the green papaya adds a nice contrast to the bland lettuce. The sauce is perfect: slightly spicy, a little sweet, with just enough saltiness. No vinaigrette compares.

My sister’s favorite appetizer which is equally good is the Fresh Spring Rolls. Their version has mint and basil and fried onion which give the rolls more character and taste.

Com’s entrees are all good. Sometimes it’s difficult to choose just one. Their vermicelli or Bun bowls are a cut above the rest with shredded green mango and green papaya plus mint and basil. Each adding flavor to the entire dish without overpowering any other. The Fragrance Rice plate with grilled meat is also a great choice. It comes with Jasmine rice, shredded salad, and sliced tomatoes. The curry is also an excellent choice which can be served over noodles or with a side of French bread. The Tilapia fillet plate tastes fresh and tasty. And the whole fried fish (pricey at $39.95) is a must try (my mom’s favorite). Whatever you order, you won’t be disappointed.

Insider tip:

Service can be slow during peak times. Servers are gracious to inform diners if a selection isn’t fresh or up to par that day.
Located inside Buford Plaza close to Clairmont Rd where Chevron gas station is located.

The scoop:

Com Vietnamese Grill
4005-E Buford Hwy.
Atlanta, GA 30345
404-320-0405

Open from 11am

Technorati Tags: Com Vietnamese Grill, Com, Buford Plaza, Vietnamese cuisine, Bun, grape leaves rolls

This is Atlanta’s best kept secret — it’s the best Vietnamese restaurant in town. Hands down. Aside from consistently scoring a Health Code rating between 99 to 100 since opening day almost three years ago, they have the best service, the best food, and the best bubble tea. The best. I know, I’m a Phoenix Noodle groupie — eating there at least twice a week since opening day and on first-name basis with the entire staff.

A little background story… the famous Canton House (best overpriced dimsum) on Buford Highway was owned mainly by two Vietnamese brothers. Early 2004, one of the brothers who was also the main chef, got out of the partnership and opened Phoenix Noodle on Peachtree Industrial Blvd across from The Forum Shops. A family-run business, the ex-partner/dad is the head chef, the mom is the hostess/cashier, the dad’s sister is manager/server, and all four Georgia Tech/Georgia State-graduate sons are part-time servers.

Pho is what Vietnamese cuisine is known for over here. It’s a soup that is actually a breakfast food in Vietnam, commonly sold on the streets. It is made with beef broth with rice noodles and topped with thin slices of steak, beef tripe, and beef tendon to which you add fresh basil leaves, fresh bean sprouts, lime juice, and jalapeno slices. When we were young, my mom had a very close Vietnamese friend who we’d visit on weekends. Most times, we’d get invited to stay for dinner. She made the best home-made pho. The best. And so her pho was my standard. It has been a life-long mission to find pho as good as hers.

In the 90s there was a Vietnamese restaurant inside the Burlington Coat Factory plaza on Buford Highway called Pho Ca Dao. The chef was a little old Vietnamese lady who spoke no English. She made great the best pho. As good as my mom’s friend’s pho. Never mind the dingy atmosphere — it was frequented by a lot of Vietnamese and came highly-recommended by my Vietnamese friends. Sadly, the place closed down a few years ago. I’ve been to almost all Vietnamese restaurants in Atlanta and none has ever come close to my mom’s friend’s pho or even Pho Ca Dao’s. Until now.

Phoenix Noodle’s pho is not only comfort food. It is delicious: tasty and full-bodied with that simmered-for-hours taste. Everything on the menu is good. Every item. From the fried and fresh spring/basil rolls to all the grilled meat/shrimp plates (best value for the money), to the vermicelli noodle bowls, to the entrees. There is nothing you could order wrong. The tender spicy salt and pepper squid which is very lightly battered then fried served with a sweet-salty sauce is enough to lure you to come. Best of all, the bubble tea — tea-based cold drinks (or smoothie) which come in assorted flavors that you can mix and match with tapioca pearls (balls) or cubes of fruit jelly. Highly recommended flavors are honeydew, fresh avocado, coffee, taro (potato-like), lychee, watermelon, mango, and rainy day (assorted berries).

Insider tip:

• Some bubble tea flavors are made with real fruit depending on availability. This week they have cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberry, and avocado.
• Lunch menu entrees come with soup.
• There’s a separate kid’s menu that includes noodle dishes and grilled chicken.
• The pho rice noodles can be substituted with low-carb Japanese clear noodles for $2 more. (They had to search and go to great lengths to find a low-carb noodle-substitute but personally, I found it altered the taste of the pho.)
• They chef is very willing and so versatile that he can accommodate special orders — this week we requested him to cook a Malaysian noodle dish.
• You can request a bowl of plain pho broth for $2 and a side of fried egg is $1.
• By default, you will be served with a sweet-salty sauce (for eggrolls and fried entrees) but you can ask for the equally-delicious Thai-style sweet-and-sour sauce.

The scoop:
Phoenix Noodle Cafe
http://www.phoenixnoodlecafe.com/
5450 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 2E
Norcross, Georgia 30092
Sun - Thur: 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Fri - Sat: 10:30 AM - 11:00 PM

Technorati Tags: Phoenix Noodle Cafe, Vietnamese cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, pho, fresh basil roll, spring roll, lunch, dinner, bubble tea, tapioca pearls, fruit jelly, pho, spicy squid, vermicelli bowl, grilled plates, Peachtree Industrial Blvd, The Forum Shops, kids menu, Atlanta