Asian Restaurant Recommendations, Tips
- There are a plethora of great restaurant reviewers, critics and food bloggers in Atlanta who do this full-time professionally or as an enthusiastic gastronomical hobby. I'm not one of them. I'm less a food critic and much more a food fan! Remember, I'm a Raccoon Foodie who enjoys everything from Waffle House to the Biltmore House! My all-time favorite, memorable meals, however, are home-cooked with friends, family or at potlucks! My mom's kitchen remains at the top!
- I get asked the question "where do you like to eat?" or "what restaurants do you recommend for X" often so here are a few places I enjoy for Asian food. The rest of the time, you'll find me scarfing Mexican tacos, Cuban/Spanish paella, plantains, Italian pastas, Southern comfort food....
- Canton House for traditional Cantonese dim sum and Chinese dishes, it's popular with Chinese groups and parties. Fun with a table-full of friends--pork buns, sesame balls, sticky rice and glutinous rice filled with sweet red bean paste or pork and preserved radish, plus more from the "pushcarts." I like the congee (rice porridge)--comfort food.
- Tasty China in Marietta - great for spicy Szechuan dishes, tongue-numbing peppercorns e.g. hot boiled fish/beef, ma po tofu, dried fried eggplant, dan dan noodles. Chinese folks don't get restaurant or supermarket name confusion or mix-up's like we do because the Chinese names are often completely different from the translated English names. Sometimes a restaurant changes hands and the new owner changes the Chinese name but keeps the old American name signage. For example, the name of this restaurant in Mandarin is Szechuan Baby!
- Northern China Eatery for leek pies, dumplings, pot stickers and Chinese cold dishes. Hey, we discovered this little hole in the wall way ahead of Anthony Bourdain! :) Chef Liu's Restaurant is another popular spot especially for soup dumplings. Only a few tables, casual, sometimes only one server running around. http://www.yelp.com/biz/chef-liu-atlanta.
- Fung Mie in Duluth for classic steamed dumplings and Shandong fresh Asian greens, soupy and stir fried noodles, and tongue-numbing Szechuan dishes.
- Pho Dai Loi II (also locations in Riverdale and N. Druid Hills) and Nam Phuong on Buford Hwy for great Vietnamese classics like pho noodle soup, broken rice with pork chops and rice vermicelli. Viet Tofu for the hot tofu bar, takeout sandwiches, flower tofu dessert. C'om Grill is a popular Vietnamese and American-friendly restaurant (English menu, servers)
- There are several upscale, first rate sushi restaurants around Atlanta, like Sushi House Hayakawa on Buford Highway. A mainstream, affordable option is I Love Sushi Japanese Restaurant, Smyrna (was Umezono) Management and decor changed but menu is virtually the same with affordable lunch and dinner combo specials. The grilled whole pike fish is a family favorite. Check out the gem next door, Tomato, a cute little Japanese grocery store.
