My favorites here are the fried spring rolls, the rice plates, and, of course, pho. The only thing about the spring rolls is that you’ll never know when you’ll get freshly fried ones. Most times, they’ve been sitting out under a heating lamp. Why? Because it takes a while to fry them and you’ll get them when you’re half-way done with your main entrees. Also, the place is always packed so they just fry them in batches. When freshly fried, they are crispy with the wrapper becoming flaky and crunchy. So good.

Rice plates are a common Asian meal. You get meat, rice, and a small salad. Get the combo with two grilled pork chops. They are tender, juicy, and so flavorful. Add a side of fried eggs and you’ve just become an Asian yourself!

Pho is so good especially in this cool weather. The broth is bold with a lot of layers of flavors. There are tons of meat with a good amount of noodles, too. Don’t make a mistake of ordering this late at night as they tend to water it down to last through their opening hours (they are open til midnight). During lunch time, however, you’ll taste this good-for-the-body soup that’s guaranteed to comfort.

Open til midnight. Fully packed with a wait during lunch time. Check website for other locations.

Saigon Cafe
3675 Satellite Blvd.
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 232-5070

Technorati Tags: Vietnamese, Duluth, Gwinnett, pho, com

Tonkatsu. Humongous portion on a humongous plate. Two huge pieces. Crispy fried, tender pork. Pretty good tonkatsu sauce. Served with rice, shredded cabbage salad with thousand island dressing.

Dukbokki Noodles. Now I have to admit this one is pretty awesome. You get this tubed-shaped rice cakes (dukbokki or tteokbokki) that are so chewy in a spicy, thick, broth flavored by Korean hot pepper paste and kimchi. But that’s not all. It has homemade ramen-like noodles. And a boiled egg!!! If there’s one thing you can’t miss here, this is it. It’s number 4 on the menu.

Chicken Noodle Soup. This is a little too bland for my taste as the broth is really light and thin. There are tons of shredded chicken, leeks, sea weed strips, ribbons of dropped egg, and get this… homemade noodles. Yes. Homemade. In fact, all the noodles here are homemade. A few dashes of salt can make this very hearty soup delicious.

Spicy Pork Bulgogi. This lunch set is sure to make you full. You get lots of tender pieces of pork stir-fried in a spicy, savory, sweetish sauce. Then you also get kimbap (similar to the Japanese maki or sushi rolls), shredded cabbage salad, curry sauce, and rice.

Banchan. The usual suspects. But. They have sausages in gochujang sauce!

Very friendly service in a very nice, quiet atmostphere. I’d go for the dukbokki noodles alone. Prices hover in the $7.95 range.

Don Quixote Restaurant & Cafe
There are two locations: Duluth and BuHi. The pictures here are from Duluth. Each location is independently owned and operated.
3751 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 584-1129

Technorati Tags: Korean, Duluth, Atlanta, tidal

It’s the season for soups and my current obsession (among other ethnic soups especially ramen) includes yukgaejang. This has always been one of my favorite Korean soups. I love the spicy, savory, beef broth with a hint of tang. Gochugaru gives it this beautiful deep red color that glistens. The smell is intoxicating. It is filled with oodles of goodness: shredded tender beef, soft gosari and taro stems, leeks, and in a few places, homemade clear, fat noodles. I find that Tohdam Tofu makes the best yukgaejang. And the second best is here.

The yukgaejang here has all the requisite players including bean sprouts and lots of stirred in beaten eggs. The broth is bold and tasty. But what sets this place apart is their hand-rolled noodles. For an upcharge of $2, you can have chewy noodles added to your soup. What’s not to like?

Other notables here include the spicy pork bulgogi (tender and spiced just right) and bibimbap. Family-owned and attentive service.

In the Kroger plaza on the corner of PIB and Pleasant Hill.

Jang Choong Dong
3455 Peachtree Industrial Blvd.,
Suite 960E
Duluth, GA 30096
678-417-6644

Technorati Tags: soups, Korean, Duluth, Gwinnett

Pedestrian, run-of-the-mill Korean fried chicken. Small pieces. Okay batter. Get the plain ones. The spicy kind isn’t spicy at all and I really can’t get past the thick, gooey, cloyingly sweet sauce the chicken pieces are covered with.

The wings have potential, however. Crispy. Spicy. Juicy. Tiny.

Did you know what’s good, though? The chicken livers. The cornstarch batter is thin and crispy. The livers are fresh and tasty. Yum.

There’s no rice at this place. Yet. But plans are underway. Maybe next week, I was told by the motherly owner/chef/mom. So you’ll have to eat your chicken with fries. Frozen crinkly ones that are crispy fried. Surprisingly good.

For a limited time: chicken + pizza = $27.99. I’d rather spend my money next door.

Kko Kko Chicken and Pizza
3230 Steve Reynolds Blvd
Ste 108
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 502-7226

Technorati Tags: Korean fried chicken, Duluth

Because I love chocolate. And I love the fish shape. A marriage between pancake and chocolate. Enough said.

My translator calls them Boonguhppang. They also make them with red beans inside. I prefer chocolates, of course. Get it from Super H Mart. 5 for $2.50 (2005) $3.00 (2007) $3.50 (2009) $4.00 (October 2010). Mr. Pancake Man is hard of hearing. Make sure he knows what you like before he makes them. And time it as he also gets sidetracked. A lot. 3 minutes is my magic number.

Super H Mart
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd. Bldg. 300
Duluth, GA 30096
678-543-4000

Technorati Tags: Korean, snacks, Super H, Duluth

Haru’s tonkotsu ramen has been consistently amazing these past few weeks. Want to jazz up your soup like I do? Add a soft-poached egg for $1.00 extra. You can thank me later.

Haru Ichiban
3646 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 622-4060

Technorati Tags: sushi, Japanese, Duluth, Pleasant Hill, Gwinnett

Introducing… the Beef Bowl. $4.99. Happiness in a bowl. Perfectly steamed white Korean rice, loads of tender bulgogi in its own flavorful sauce. You can’t get happier than this. My happy food.

Book Chang Dong Tofu House
2550 Pleasant Hill Rd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 814-2299

Technorati Tags: Korean, Duluth

The menu boasts of the usual fare including a combination lunch where you get to choose two items and the blink-and-they’re-gone daily specials which sell out within the hour. But the one thing they really are well known for is the ramen. A ginormous bowl of hot broth is mixed with perfectly cooked egg noodles and slices of delicious, housemade roasted pork. There are four flavors of broth to choose from, plus an assortment toppings that you can pick.

The Shio flavor, my absolute favorite, is seasoned with natural sea salt. Although it uses chicken broth, it doesn’t really taste like chicken soup. The pork slices play a major part in the overall flavor and the result is a savory, tasty soup. Believe me when I say this is comfort food at its best.

My other favorite is the Tonkotsu broth which should not be confused with tonkatsu (which is fried pork cutlet). Tonkotsu is a pork-based broth made by boiling pigs’ bones for several hours. The result is a creamy broth that is so fantastic.

The Soy flavor is chicken broth seasoned with soy sauce. Be warned, this broth is on the salty side. I stopped getting this because I got tired of diluting it with my hot tea just so it can be eatable. However, if you like your food salty, then this is perfect for you. The Miso flavor is a salt-based broth infused with soy bean paste. This isn’t your regular miso soup, instead, the broth is sweetish with a nutty undertone.

Haru Ichiban has the best Shio Ramen in town hands down. I recommend you stick with the roast pork topping for your first visit as this is how it is normally served in Japan. It will also allow you to taste the basic flavors the way they’re intended to be.

Note: I am compiling a side-by-side comparison of Japanese ramen from the three best places in town so stay tuned for that.

Insider tip:
Lunch menu also available on Saturdays.

The scoop:
Haru Ichiban
3646 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(770) 622-4060

Technorati Tags: sushi, Japanese, Duluth, Pleasant Hill, Gwinnett