Chow Down Atlanta

Happy New Year! Happy New Year! That’s a double greeting. One for 2013 and one for the Year of the Snake. I hope all of you had wonderful celebrations for either one.

CDA will be 6 years old in a couple of weeks. While it has been fun all in all, it has become tedious sometimes. Life just gets in the way of writing. Most times, the motivation to write just isn’t there anymore. Don’t get me wrong — the restaurant scene in metro Atlanta continue to keep me excited and there are many, many places worth writing about. I applaud businesses that open and stay open despite our economic climate. But hobbies are supposed to be fun. Not feel like work. So please excuse the silence when I’m trying to psyche myself out and write a coherent post.

For those of you who keep coming back to check for new posts, thank you. For my loyal readers who have been part of my eating world, thank you. For everyone who gave me a chance to be a part of your eating world, thank you. I cannot thank all of you enough. I am here, I keep writing, because of all of you.

It’s another year. A new year. Here’s to more good food and good times with food!

~Chloe

Not all Korean restaurants are eater-friendly. Some do not have English menus, English-speaking wait staff, or mainstream food. This is one of those places. It’s not for those unfamiliar with traditional Korean cuisine or want to eat popular mainstream Korean food. But. If you want everyday food that Koreans eat at home then this is the place to go to.

Soups rule in Korean cuisine so this place has a lot of them. The counterpart to our chicken soup, their Samgyetang or “well-being” soup hits the spot. Boiling hot milky broth is infused with fall-off-the-bone chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, and Chinese dates. The result is the perfect soup for that cold weather. Not to mention, it would also cure you of that nagging cold you might have. Order either half or the whole chicken, season with sea salt and cracked pepper served along side the banchan, and you’re good to go.

Other notables here include the soft tofu soup (soondubu), the kimchi stew (kichi jigae), and the rice cake/dumpling soup. There’s a hand-cut noodle soup with seafood that I’m dying to try next.

Definitely a good place to try if you’re in the area or needing a soup intro to your second lunch.

Tang Roo
Inside the Nukoa Plaza
3230 Steve Reynolds Blvd.
#11
Duluth, GA 30096
770-232-5204

[tags]Korean, Duluth{/tags]

If you’re one of the lucky 70 people who snagged a seat on the dinner to end all dinners on December 21st then here’s some of the goodies that are in store for you:

It’s not a complete list and, of course, subject to change, but you get a glimpse of how epic this meal is going to be. So, are you one of the lucky ones?

**Courses above are arranged by order of appearance and starts with Chef Guy Wong. The wait list is very, very long.

This place has been around for a while, in fact, I’ve already written about it three years ago. But I was in the area this past weekend and decided to grab a quick lunch and take a friend who loves Indian/Pakistani food. Well, I was surprised at what I saw inside: they had a face lift!!! Seriously, this place used to be… um, for lack of a better term, a dump. The floors were sticky, the Asian cafeteria-style ambiance matched the cheap tables and pink vinyl-cushioned chairs, and the decor was non-existent.

See now? Fancy!!!

Everything else remains the same. You order from the counter, wait exactly 20 minutes for your food to be ready (longer if there are more people), grab your plastic utensils and drinks from the station around the corner, eat, then pay when you’re finished. This place still has the best tandoori chicken in the entire state. Best. So awesome. So delicious. So tender. Tasty to the bone.

Butter Chicken and Beef Curry

Beef Curry and Chicken Curry

Naan

Definitely still the best Indian/Pakistani food anywhere. Now if they’d only serve on real plates and silverware…

Haven’t been? Such a shame. Go, go, go. Now!

Tandoor Restaurant
279 Powers Ferry Road
Marietta, GA 30067
(678) 560-2038

Technorati Tags: Marietta, Indian, Pakistani

Just when you thought we have enough Korean restaurants in these parts already, another one gets born. The Duluth area of Johns Creek is surprisingly void of any Korean restaurants despite having Super H nearby, save for a fried chicken joint next door. So imagine how excited I’ve been waiting for this place to open.

Located directly across from Super H, Tofu Kitchen opened a week ago with no fanfare yet it’s already crazy busy during lunch time. The menu is small and very easy to navigate. They have the usual tofu soups, combo meals, grilled meats, and other popular menu items such as bibimbap and tonkatsu.

The soondubu here are okay. Although thin and a tad watery, they are hearty nonetheless: loads of silky, soft tofu and lots of meat. Get the medium or spicy kind to kick up the flavor just a notch.

The grilled meats are phenomenal. I love the marinade they use — perfect combination of sweet and savory. The meats are good quality, too, with just the right amount of fat. You won’t go wrong with either the galbi or bulgogi.

Definitely the perfect place to relax and eat comforting food after crazy shopping days at the supermarket across the street. I seriously think this is going to be a trend: Johns Creek/Duluth will be the next area where Korean businesses will be expanding tremendously. Mark my word.

Tofu Kitchen
10900 Medlock Bridge Rd.
#402
Duluth, GA 30097
(770) 814-7747

Technorati Tags: Korean, Johns Creek, Duluth, soondubu