Roast Duck, BBQ Pork, and Pigs Intestines - Ming's Bar B Que

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Location: Chamblee
Price: $8 - $15 (cash only!!!)
Food Type: Asian

Ming's Bar B Que is a Buford Highway staple and my family has been eating here for as long as I can remember. Whether you are looking for a relatively cheap quality meal or want delicious and fresh bbq pork or roast duck to add to a meal at home, Ming's is the place to go. Patrons know the meat served at Ming's is fresh because it is hanging in the entrance window for all to see upon entering. Step-up to the counter to order to go or go ahead and seat yourself in the small and informal restaurant. However, before you sit down make sure you read the list of specials - hand written and posted on the wall daily.

When looking at the menu be open to trying new things. Ming's serves authentic cuisine ranging from recognizable dishes such as Roast Duck and Beef Chow Mein to more adventurous dishes such as Pig's Blood Rice Congee or Fried Intestine. To get you started, I will let you know a few of my personal favorites.

On a cold winter day there is nothing better than a big heaping bowl of rice congee. For the less adventurous I recommend ordering Thousand Year Egg and Pork Rice Congee (if you don't like it you only lose $3.25 and the eggs are not actually 1,000 years old). For the more adventurous try the Abalone and Chicken Rice Congee. I would also recommend asking for the fried bread sticks to tear off and soak in your congee. The bread has a consistency similar to churros and adds a bit of crunch to the rice soup. Congee does not contain many vegetables so opting to add a side dish of green vegetables that you can toss into your congee is recommended - when doing this ask the waitress for a recommendation instead of ordering off the menu.

If you are not in the mood for congee, try one of their noodle dishes. The Chow Fun with Beef and Singapore Pan Fried Noodle are two of my all time favorites. Another option is to order a bowl of steamed rice and a combination plate of Ming's fresh roast bbq duck and bbq pork (a combination plate will cost you $8.50 and there is enough for two people to share).

Overall Ming's Bar B Que is an excellent and authentic Chinese restaurant. Be sure to swing by it the next time you are on Buford Highway.

Authentic Korean - Han Il Kwan

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Location: Chamblee
Price: $8 - $20
Food Type: Asian - Korean

Han Il Kwan is another treasure hidden along Buford Highway - the keeper of most authentic Asian cuisine. Housed in a traditional-looking Asian building, this Korean restaurant has a much nicer facade than many of its counterparts.

Upon entering the restaurant with a friend, we were quickly seated and served our drinks. There is a variety of tea or traditional Asian beer that can be ordered with your meal, but we opted to focus on the food. After ordering our main courses, we were greeted with a variety of free appetizers. These unique dishes ranged from traditional Kimchee to potatoes in a sweet sauce. 

Spicy Vegetable

 Sweet Potatoes

Lotus Root with a Sweet Sauce

Crunchy Green Vegetable

After munching on our appetizers for a bit, our main dishes arrived. The rice dish I had chosen came out on a sizzling platter while my friend's choice, a tofu hot pot, was served in a clay pot. 

The rice dish had a mixture of flavorful vegetables. The dish is also served with a runny fried egg. This allows the yolk to be broken and soak into the rice, adding flavor to the entire dish.

The hot pot was spicier than the dish I had chosen. It contained a mixture of tofu, vegetables, and meat. If you are looking for more flavor in your meal choice, I would definitely recommend the hot pot instead of the rice dish.

For those who enjoy Korean Barbecue, Han Il Kwan also serves it and while I did not try it myself, it smelled incredible! Barbecue can be ordered for one or for groups of people. It will also be served with an array of appetizers and side dishes.

All-in-all Han Il Kwan is an excellent experience all around. If you love Korean food or are feeling adventurous and want to try a new place this is where you need to go.

Dim Sum and Peking Duck - Royal China

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Location: Chamblee
Hours: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. daily
Price: $10-$20 per person
Food Type: Asian - Cantonese

Royal China is an authentic Chinese restaurant located in Chamblee between Buford Hwy and Peachtree Industrial on Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. The restaurant is frequented by Asians and Americans alike and is known for its Saturday and Sunday Dim Sum (think Tapas but with Asian food or a bunch of small appetizers that you get to order off of carts that come to your table). If you are planning on going to Royal China for Dim Sum, expect to wait up to 30 minutes for a table. To avoid the long lines, show up at 11 a.m. or risk less variety and show up after 1 p.m..

A less known fact about Royal China is that they serve an excellent Peking Duck. Peking Duck is a specialty where an entire duck is taken and turned into four to five dishes. I highly recommend trying it on a special occasion, just make sure you have 4-5 people with you. If you want to order the Peking Duck, do not just show up at the restaurant, instead call them first at 770-216-9933.

The process you will witness is as follows:

The chef shows up with all the ingredients on a cart and prepares your meal at the table. This ensures freshness and lets the customer know they are not being cheated.

The first dish is completed, a sweet doughy pancake wrapped around thinly sliced duck meat and vegetables and finished with a sweet plum sauce:

The next dish is another duck wrap, but this time it comes in a thin pancake:

Next, you will be served a noodle dish that the remainder of the duck meat is cooked into:

Finally, the duck carcass is used as flavor for a soup:

For those who enjoy more vegetables with dinner, I would recommend ordering a side of Bok Choy stir fried with garlic:

Overall, Royal China is an excellent Chinese restaurant. Dim Sum and Peking Duck are just two examples of the more traditional dishes served there. If you are adventurous or love Asian cuisine, this is the place to go in Atlanta!

Spice up your Life! - Spice Market

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Location: Midtown
Hours: Check out their website: http://www.spicemarketatlanta.com/
Price: $20 - $30 per person
Food Type: Upscale Asian Fusion

Located in the W hotel in Midtown, Spice Market is a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary. Diners are greeted by an extremely hospitable and attentive staff as they walk into the dimly lit dining room. I was there for a birthday celebration and after being seated, the entire table was greeted with complimentary champagne (for those under 21, a complimentary dessert is offered instead). An appetizer consisting of baked chips and a savory dipping sauce (see picture below) was also provided on the house.

Before perusing the dinner menu, we decided to order a couple of celebratory drinks from their unique drink menu. We decided on the Pineapple Mojito (left) and the Passion Fruit Wiskey Fizz (right). Both were excellent, but the Pineapple Mojito is definitely a summertime must try!

Spice Market's meals are served family style and sharing is highly recommended by the servers. Something to be aware of when ordering is your level of tolerance for spicy foods. Patrons who are used to eating traditional Indian curries or Wasabe should not change their dish choices if the waiter says the meal will be too hot as Spice Market definitely caters to the average American spice levels.  Our meal began with two appetizers: Black Pepper Shrimp with Sun Dried Pineapple and Citrus Calamari (pictured below). The Black Pepper Shrimp was my favorite dish of the evening and is highly recommend while the calamari had a bit too much batter, but great flavor when paired with the red chilies.

For the main course we ordered Cod with Malaysian Chili Sauce, Spicy Shanghai Noodles with Chilled Silken Tofu, and Red Curried Duck. The Shanghai Noodles took first place in our table's competition for best entree. The Cod came in 2nd as it was extremely well cooked and had an excellent sauce. The Curried Duck took 3rd as it fell apart in your mouth, but unfortunately had a sauce that lacked flavor.

The Cod:

Shanghai Noodles:

Red Curried Duck:

Overall, Spice Market is an excellent restaurant when it comes to service and atmosphere. I would highly recommend it for drinks and appetizers, but find it over priced when it comes to the quality of food served.

Ludacris Style Dining - Straits

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Location: Midtown
Hours: Sun.-Wed. 5 p.m.-10 p.m. & Thurs.-Sat. 5 p.m.-11 p.m.
Price Range: $12 - $24 per dish
Food Type: Asian Fusion (Singaporean)
 

Known to many in Atlanta as Ludacris's restaurant, Straits blends fine dining with family-style cuisine in the form of Asian fusion. Located on the corner of Juniper St. & 5th St. patrons are greeted by an adorable, well decorated patio.

Around 6 p.m. on a Saturday evening, the restaurant is relatively empty and my party of 6 was quickly seated, but reservations are recommended on weekends for large parties.

Begin your dining experience at Straits by looking at their extensive and unique drink menu. Their cocktails are around $10 a piece and feature exotic items such as a Lychee-tini or a Blueberry Red Bull.  These drinks can be accompanied by some exciting appetizers! I highly recommend their Samosas and the Starfruit and Mango Salad. Samosas, a flaky pastry filled with a vegetarian curry, are served four on a plate, but can easily be split in half if your party is larger. In contrast, the Starfruit and Papaya Salad brings a more mild and sweet flavor to the table adding a light and refreshing twist to the meal.

Moving into the main course it is best to remember that although Straits is fine-dining, the food is meant to be shared! Order two to three dishes depending on your party size. One of my favorite entrees is the Half Chicken and Vegetables. Shown in the picture below, this succulent dish pleases most pallets. Consisting of crispy skin lightly covered in a sweet sauce on the outside, and meat that falls apart with the smallest pull on the inside,  this chicken dish will quickly be devoured by all carnivores at the table.

Last, but not least, the final course, dessert, is a requirement. Choose from Sweet Potato Creme Brulee, The French Kiss, Peach Cobbler, Pineapple Bread Pudding, or Sorbet. My personal favorite is the Pineapple Bread Pudding, featured below followed by the Creme Brulee.

Penang Restaurant

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Location: Chamblee

Hours: Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Price Range: $8 - 15 per dish

Food Type: Asian (Malaysian & Thai)

Penang is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in Atlanta and I have yet to introduce the restaurant to a friend who does not fall in love with it! Located on Buford Hwy., the road known in Atlanta for its authentic and international cuisine, Penang offers customers excellent Malaysian and Thai dishes that please most pallets. 

Begin your dining experience with one of their flavorful appetizers. For those who find themselves dousing their mouths with water when it comes to spice, there are the non-burning dishes such as Satay (Chicken or Beef grilled on stick with a peanut dipping sauce) or Penang Popia (a non-fried vegetable spring roll also served with a peanut dipping sauce). For the more adventurous there is the Roti Cani (a light fried bread that is dipped in curry sauce) or the Satay Tofu (Tofu stuffed with cucumber and a spicy peanut sauce). 

Moving into the main course, the choices are more difficult to make. As a dinner guest you must decide if you want to enjoy a couple of noodle dishes or if you want to settle on rice for the evening with a few plates to share. When it comes to noodles, the Penang Char Kway Teow is a must try, but beware of its spiciness! For those who prefer a more mild noodle I would recommend the Hokkien Char Mee. If you decide to order rice and have a family style meal I would recommend the following dishes:

• Sarang Burong - nicknamed the bird's nest because it looks like one this dish is made of friend taro shaped like a nest and filled with chicken, shrimp, and vegetables.
• Kari Sayu - a vegetable curry with lots of flavor and great for soaking into rice.
• Lamb Rendang - a spicy lamb dish that melts in your mouth.
• Volcano Spare Ribs - these tasty sweet and sour ribs will show up at your table still on fire!
• Mango Chicken - mango and chicken cooked together in a sweet and sour sauce and served in the mango peels.

Last, but not least, you must try dessert. Penang offers two Malaysian specialties: Peanut Pancake and Ice Kacang. The first is a sweet peanut sauce wrapped in a thin, crispy pancake. It can easily be shared amongst the whole table. The second is the Malaysian version of a snow cone, but instead of flavored food coloring you get red beans, corn, palm seeds, and Chinese jelly topped with a sweet syrupy sauce. 

Now you have the scoop on one of the finest Malaysian/Thai restaurants in town. Let me know what you think of it!