Posted by foodiebuddha
on September 02, 2010
Sorry folks, I’ve been absolutely swamped with work and such. Alas, my blogging has been essentially non-existent. However, I promise to get back on the hobby horse momentarily. While you were sleeping, I’ve been out and about and taken a couple of trips to Hugh Acheson’s Empire State South. While y’all wait on that … check out Cliff’s notes! Now on to the sad but true.
Wan Lai (4897 Buford Hwy) is apparently the latest BuHi Chinese hot spot to go tits up. Infused by EatDrinkMan [If you don’t follow him – you are dead to me] and confirmed by DrZachary thru their own website, this place is gone to the Dead Pool. Take it upon Spark Plug to have the goods as well … her photo is the one above.
Let’s all mourn for a restaurant that most every foodie in the city hit up more than once. I’m sure there’s more to the story, but I’m not privy to any of it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, might I suggest that ignorance is bliss. If you have a hankering to find out more about that chicken, check out my first impression.
Posted by foodiebuddha
on August 03, 2010
By now, most every food fanatic in Atlanta knows that in order to sample authentic Chinese fare, one must grab their gas card and head north. Hong Kong House, the newest entrant into this combative cluster fuck, is no exception. You see, while the restaurant’s location might be typical, the food there is anything but.
Save for a few notable exceptions, the trail of ATL non-westernized Chinese restaurants starts in Doraville and drifts up into Gwinnett and beyond. The intersection of Buford Highway and I-285 might serve as this community’s centrifuge, but the lineup extends well beyond. Case in point: Johns Creek is home to Hong Kong House (5710 State Bridge Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30097). Located in a converted Rio Bravo at the intersection of Medlock and State Bridge, you’ll find HKH in the same lot as the big Regal Cinema up yonder.
Walking into the cavernous cave [side note: aren’t all caves cavernous??], you can’t help but a get a little shell shocked. While many a folk are used to more homely establishments like Wan Lai and Ming’s, Hong Kong House is different in that it is both large (spacious) and in charge (kinda nice). Such was the setup for one of the better Chinese meals I’ve had since this journey of ours began.
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Posted by foodiebuddha
on March 23, 2010
Undoubtedly, Bento Café is a culinarian’s delight. At least, that’s what you’ll think if you visit any crowd-sourced review site (Yelp!, UrbanSpoon, CitySearch, etc…) in order to read-up on the ultra-modern Norcross eatery. Add in the multitude of warm and fuzzy thoughts shared by most every blogger/critic to set foot inside, and this Taiwanese street food establishment seems dressed to impress. Unfortunately, a recent trip to Bento left me and my dinning buddy elbowing each other out of the way as we attempted to exit the premises post haste. Given the discrepancy between those that came before me and the bowel moving excuse of a meal we had, this easily scores as the most disappointing meal since I showed up on the blogosphere.
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Posted by foodiebuddha
on August 21, 2009
There is a certain dance that occurs every few months in Atlanta’s Chinese restaurant community. The formula is simple: Well regarded chef shows up; foodies flock to said location; chef up and leaves soon thereafter; foodies follow. Rinse and repeat. It’s happened with Frank Ma, it’s happened with Chef Chang (of Tasty China), and it’s happened with countless others. The latest rendition finds us at Bo Bo Garden up in the Doraville/Chamblee area.
The chef, whose name is still a mystery to me, showed up a few months ago at Wan Lai, a Cantonese job up BuHi. Word spread like hot sauce at a cook out and foodies flocked (myself included). Most loved it, some enjoyed it (that’s me), and a only a few turned their nose up. Then, like a fart in the wind, the head chef, his wife, and a handful of others vanished. Turns out, that group shot up the street and settled in Pinetree Plaza.
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Posted by foodiebuddha
on May 21, 2009
Wan Lai on Buford Highway has hit the ground running. In just a few short months, this Cantonese restaurant has landed on most everyone’s “must visit” list. After missing out on Monday’s opportunity, I made the “obligatory” drive up BuHi earlier this afternoon to check out the buzz. Joined by a good friend from the CDC, we came away with a similar impression. While the meal was good (at times very good), I’m not ready to hand this place the keys to my Cantonese castle just yet.
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Posted by foodiebuddha
on May 01, 2009
Over the years, I have been lucky enough to dine at the home of some friends who are of Cantonese descent. While I have never been to China, I can use those experiences and my past readings to come to the following conclusion. Royal China is one of the more authentic dim sum (wiki) restaurants in (or around) Atlanta.
A self-proclaimed dumpling freak, I took it upon myself to spread the dumpling love. A few days ago, a small group of us took a drive up to Chamblee for some Cantonese style cuisine. What followed was a quick decent into chopstick wars and massive chaos.
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