Omnivore Atlanta

There have been conflicting reports of where and when Havana will resurface. Apparently, two restaurants named Havana are slated to open on Buford Highway in the near future. And two different people — Debbie Benedit and William Benedit — claim they are resurrecting the original “Havana.”

Mrs. Benedit (pictured above in the black shirt) has given me her side of the story. However, I have been unable to reach Mr. Benedit for a comment at this time.

Stay tuned as I gather additional facts and get to the bottom of this.

(Photo from Debbie Benedit’s website, www.havanarestaurantatlanta.com)

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GET IN MY BELLY: The pork belly casserole at Wan Lai

My friend Kit Fenton is an admitted snob when it comes to Cantonese food, which he grew up eating in Hong Kong. So, my interest was piqued when I got an exclamation-point-riddled text about his new find, Wan Lai (4897 Buford Highway, Chamblee, 678-530-0633). Kit called the food “real Cantonese” and said it was “some of the best” he’d had in Atlanta. I naturally accepted his invitation when he told me he was organizing a large group for a family-style lunch — is there a better kind of meal?

The lunch was on a Sunday when every table restaurant was packed. I like to think I’m a seasoned eater, but the massive menu left me in a frantic state of indecision. What had I never had before? What “litmus dishes” should I have? “Why don’t you just order for everyone, Kit?” I found myself saying. He looked shocked that I’d actually relinquished control over ordering then rattled off our order to the waiter in a mix of his native tongue and English.

Continue reading “Cheap Eats: Wan Lai”

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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DUCK! Winged bacon at Nak Dong Gang

It’s a rare occasion when a food writer is in a position to introduce someone to his country’s own cuisine. But that is exactly the situation I found myself in the other day when brunching at Nak Dong Gang Restaurant (7130 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-242-0201). One of my companions was Gene Lee, the author of the formidable Atlanta food blog Eat Drink Man … A Food Journal (www.eatdrinkman.blogspot.com). Lee’s pristinely plated dishes, breathtaking photos and steadfast devotion to all things culinary make his site my undisputed favorite in the city. Given his prowess-especially with homespun Korean dishes inspired by his beloved mother’s cooking-I was surprised to learn he’d never eaten Korean-style duck, the specialty at Nak Dong Gang. A visit was in order. So, we bypassed the brunch flapjacks in favor of birds that quack.

Continue reading “Cheap Eats: Nak Dong Gang Restaurant”

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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There is no better evidence of our superior ethnic dining scene than the proliferation of restaurants specializing in sub-cuisines. The newest hotspot is Delicious Kabob (3640 Shallowford Road, 770-457-4948), an off-the-beaten-path restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese and Szechuan dishes. Owner Zhiqiang Zhang hired one of Atlanta’s Chinese superchefs, chef Lu Liu and his partner, chef Beijing Yang to oversee the menu. Chef Liu and chef Yang hail from Northern China as do Zhang and his sister, Shomey, who runs the front of the house. But Liu is an expert at cooking most regional Chinese cuisines and took home the gold in a National Chinese cooking competition.

Northern Chinese fare dominates the menu. The lamb kebabs encrusted with cumin seeds and chili oil delight with a hint of game on the tongue, the crunch of char rife with kiss of the fire and the seductive aroma of toasted cumin. “Tofu skin with pepper” plays on subtlety. Chewy pappardelle-like noodles made from crosshatched tofu skin—the film that forms atop tofu—are stir-fried with slender pieces of juicy pork and slivered green hot peppers. A clay pot filled with “Lamb stew with goji berries and dates” hints at Morocco with the waft of clove and sweetness from the dates and chestnuts. The stew’s broth is slightly thickened with cornstarch (instead of time), but the flavor is there.

The Szechuan menu is small, but strong. Paper-thin pieces of beef in the “Szechuan crispy fried beef spiced with chilis and peppercorns” are lightly breaded and wok-fried to a crisp. The Szechuan peppercorns, dried red chilis, cilantro and green onions perfume the meat and add that quintessential “ma la” heat (numbing and spicy). The chili and green onion laden broth in the “Fish boiled in spicy chili oil” isn’t slick with oil, but just fatty enough to play against the confit-esque pieces of grouper and crunchy Napa cabbage. Comparisons to other Szechuan restaurants are inevitable. But this restaurant’s breadth of warming food and equally warm staff give it more than enough strength to stand on its own.

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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MING’S BAR B Q: This undisputed king of authentic Chinese staples—including Peking duck—makes some killer rice plates. Any dish using the superb honey roasted BBQ pork is a sure thing. The “Young Chow Fried Rice” is a simple version laced with carrots, peas, pork, shrimp, bean sprouts and just enough oil to coat each grain of rice in a sumptuous slickness. But there are numerous other fried rice plates to suit any craving that strikes you. 5150 Buford Highway, Doraville. 770-451-6985.

PENANG: Buford Highway regulars flock to this ethnic staple for some of the best Malaysian cuisine in Atlanta. However, the Thai dishes—especially the fried rice—deserve some recognition. The “Thai Fried Rice ” appears in a mound of stir-fried rice, chicken, shrimp and vegetables tinted red from a spicy paste made with lemongrass. Another worthy order is the “Pineapple Fried Rice,” which is stuffed with shrimp, fatty cashew nuts, eggs and shrimp paste, and served in a hollowed out pineapple half. 4897 Buford Highway. 770-220-0308. www.penangatlanta.com.

V1 BBQ & CAFÉ: V1’s version of “Yong Chow Fried Rice” has all the usual suspects—roast pork, shrimp, egg, green onions, peas and carrots—but the Chinese sausage takes it to another level. The kitchen’s light hand with the soy sauce allows the ingredients to shine. 3940 Buford Highway, Duluth. 770-623-1136.

(photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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There is something so deliciously primal about tearing a hunk of chicken off the bone with your bare hands, folding it into a warm tortilla with a spoonful of salsa and devouring it. What can I say? This Mexicana loves her chicken, which means I was delighted to discover El Pollo Regio (5499 Buford Highway, Doraville. 770-458-9663; 10471 Alpharetta Street, Roswell. 770-552-5466. www.elpolloregio.com).

Naturally, the “Pollos asados al carbon” (char-grilled chicken) is the thing to order. This bird soars high above the other chicken spots lining the highway because of its lip-smacking marinade. The most information I could get is that they use Achiote paste, an earthy and thick red paste made from ground annatto seeds that is normally mixed with an acid like citrus or vinegar. The juiciness of the chicken and flavor imparted by the flames charring the marinade make for, as my friend put it, “some badass chicken.”

An order of the whole chicken ($12.99) comes with a container of rice flavored with tomato broth, a bowl of smoky “Charro” pinto beans, a piquant salsa verde creamy with avocado, large chunks of sticky sweet charred onions, a fresh salsa roja, a couple of limes and a stack of locally made and all-natural El Milagro tortillas. If you don’t have the time to sit down and contend with a bone-in chicken meal, the “Taco Regio” ($4.00) is a great choice. The oversized tortilla is coated with oil and grilled to make it pliable, then filled with an abundance of finely minced grilled chicken, a layer of crema Mexicana (Mexican sour cream) and guacamole. Add a charred jalapeno, some salsa and a squirt of lime and you’ve got a one-handed meal guaranteed to satisfy.

(photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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TAQUERIA EL REY DEL TACO: Skilled matrons of the kitchen knock out fresh tortillas while gossiping and laughing. And those fresh tortillas and the exceptional salsas—both smoky roja and creamy verde—are the reason to visit. Tacos filled with chivo (goat) or cabeza (beef cheeks) are exceptional. And no table is complete without a massive goblet of vibrant red seafood cocktail studded with chopped onions and cilantro. 5288 Buford Highway. 770-986-0095.

LA OAXAQUENA TAQUERIA: The main draw for most at this perennial favorite is the large tlayuda—think Mexican-style “pizza” made on an enormous tortilla from the Oaxaca region of Mexico. Tacos—like the tender cabeza—arrive atop a large, fresh tortilla finished with a charred baby onion and lime wedge for a perfect contrast against the fatty beef. The salsa bar (Atlanta’s best) is pristine and offers a wide variety of freshly made toppings. The restaurant is expanding to a new location across the street any day now—call ahead. 6738 Tara Boulevard, Jonesboro. 770-960-3010.

GORDITA’S LA RANCHERITA: Every corn-based item is made by hand with fresh masa. Impossibly fluffy (and large) tortillas come with taco fillings such as fatty crumbled chorizo or the shredded pieces of goat barbacoa in an earthy red sauce. The gorditas are the best I’ve encountered outside of Mexico. Each is crisp on the outside for structure but has that essential layer of soft masa that tells you it’s fresh. Tip: the bakery next door sells a killer flan that is sliced to order. 2055 Beaver Ruin Road, Norcross. 678-206-0107.

(Photo by Jennifer Zyman)

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My friend Rose D’Agostino and I headed out Buford Highway last Saturday to scout for new restaurants and have lunch. We ended up at the always popular Pung Mie, one of the city’s original Chinese-Korean restaurants.

We ordered steamed dumplings, green beans with pork and hot braised chicken (actually fried chicken).

The chicken has long been one of my favorite dishes in the city. It has a nice sauce, but you need to pour some rice vinegar over the chicken and scatter some of the mild chili powder over it. Both condiments are on the table.

Before lunch, we stopped at the White Windmill, a Korean bakery and cafe. Although its bakery (left) featured a lot of delicious-looking pastries, its sandwich menu was quite pedestrian. (Thus our leaving for Pung Mie.)

I remember that this space was originally a full-service restaurant where the manager once complimented my “very intelligent jacket” when I entered. It was not until I’d eaten half my meal that I realized she meant “very smart jacket.”

(Photos by Cliff Bostock)

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While searching for a totally different restaurant today, I stumbled upon this brand new Szechuan place on Buford Highway near Pleasant Hill Road. The sign says Taitpei, but that’s a mistake (the manager said it will soon be corrected). The small room is barely adorned, and they’ve only been open a week, but I’d say get there as soon as possible — the food is complex, balanced, and wholly delicious.

The friendly manager was hugely pleased to have adventurous American diners, and immediately directed us to some of the weirdest and spiciest dishes they had (the heat was pretty tame compared to some other Szechuan places). If you go, be sure to ask his opinion on what to eat — he’ll be thrilled. I tried a fantastic dish of delicate, spicy pork kidney, and a fluffy egg omelet with shrimp and a sweet spicy garlic sauce.

There’ll be more on Taipei in the upcoming weeks in the food section, but don’t wait for the formal review — go now. It’s located at 3940 Buford Highway NW (up in Duluth), and the phone number is 678-584-5651.

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(Photo by Eamon Siggins)

My friends Aubrey and Thomas came into town this weekend to visit from North Carolina. Thomas is a sommelier who lived in Korea for a couple of years, and we get along well because we share a passion for French white wines and Korean barbecue (not together — in fact, often the latter as a cure for having indulged in too much of the former the night before). Having read Cliff’s article last week on Hanil Kwan, we decided to take a trip to Buford to try the barbecue that Cliff foolishly passed up in favor of a lunch special.

As you can see from this photo, Thomas takes his Korean feasts seriously. We ate a lot of food, and Thomas schooled us all on “the rules” of soju, the distilled, clear liquor native to Korea. “The rules” consist of never letting anyone’s glass go empty, and pouring and receiving using two hands.

Hanil Kwan serves some of the best Korean barbecue I’ve had in town, and service is helpful and friendly. I particularly liked the piles of salad — Thomas described it as fresh kimchi — that consisted of super fresh greens dressed in chili, vinegar and sesame oil.

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Nelu wrote the following after a visit to El Veneno, which I reviewed briefly here Oct. 8.

I took my family yesterday at El Veneno to try the new Mexican place you wrote about. It is truly very good. hope that they will succeed with it.

However it puzzles me that their menu is exclusively in Spanish. I often dine-in at ethnic restaurants and am all for authenticity. But, at least for me, the dishes were not easily recognizable besides a couple such as ceviche, tacos, etc. Many of them looked interesting but I could not tell what they were. This leads to confusion, and it turned out to be costly for us especially since the staff knows so little English.

My wife wanted some grilled fish and the waitress mentioned that she can make one similar to a fried fish dish priced at about $12-13. Turned out that the grilled one was in fact quite different, priced at market price, which was $30!

Leaving this small inconvenience aside, the food was indeed great. But how can they make money when most dishes are over $10 and some over $20, and they have only a Spanish menu? They seem to be leaving out a good segment of potential customers who can afford their dishes. This seems naive to me. My wife was adamant that she won’t return, and now I will have to convince her to try it again. Will it be so bad to have an English version of the menu?

I eat in a lot of Mexican restaurants, and I think El Veneno is a rarity in that it doesn’t have an English menu translation. I speak pretty good Spanish, but I had difficulty with the menu myself and then had to interview two servers to get clear about what was what.

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