Homemade noodles, and Xiao Long Bag - I hit the jackpot!

I found an amazing new restaurant near my home today.  It is primarily a noodle shop (the noodles are made in-house), though there are other options too, including homemade Xiao long bao.  I had to try it all!

I highly recommend this restaurant! It is called Xiao's Way Noodle House.  Check it out!

Korea - it is good to be back!

After too long, I've returned to Korea (Seoul to be exact), and am delighted to be here.  I have a favorite optical shop in Seoul (in the Itaewon neighborhood) that I always visit when I'm here, and today, during the 2 hours it took to get 2 new pairs of glasses made, I tried a new coffee shop, and revisited my favorite dumpling spot.

For a little break (and really to cool off, a typhoon came through Korea yesterday, and the humidity and heat today are fierce), I went to Hollys Coffee and ordered based on pictures and Korean text that I am not capable of reading (so really, I ordered by picture).  I wasn't quite sure what I was getting.  But it was delicious!  As it turned out, it was iced coffee, with boba, and a little hot fudge drizzled in. Delicious!

After my coffee break, I walked around Itaewon a bit, and then headed to my old standby, Jonny Dumpling.  No matter how much Itaewon gentrifies and changes, there is something comforting about this little dive restaurant with handmade dumplings remaining exactly the same.

For about $10, I had more lunch than I could possibly eat (by a lot!) - I ordered shrimp/pork dumplings which were half-way pan fried, and half-way steamed.  They were delicious!

And as I was packing up my extra dumplings to snack on a little bit later, I got a text that my glasses were ready for pick-up, so that was the end of my time in Itaewon.  Until next time...

Yes, please...

Dan dan noodles.

9292 Shabu

In my earlier post, I recommended a shabu shabu restaurant, because, well, I thought it was good.  And it was.  But tonight, my husband and I found a place that blows the first one out of the water.  It was clean and modern, more reasonably priced than the first one, and with many more options.

9292 Shabu

Like the first restaurant, 9292 Shabu is a mini hotpot place, which means everyone gets their own hotpot.  I prefer that so that broth preferences (spicy, not spicy, vegetable broth, fish broth, beef broth, etc.) and allergy sensitivities can be individualized.

You pay a flat fee for dinner, which includes all-you-can-eat of their vegetable buffet.  But that buffet is way more than just vegetables (more on that in a moment).  And you can pay an upcharge for a protein of your choice: beef, chicken, shrimp, etc.

Here is the menu:

The buffet itself had all kinds of noodles, root vegetables (I was so excited to see taro root, and lotus root!), various potatoes, mushrooms (4 kinds!), and also some surprises like imitation crab meat, dumplings, pasta with cream sauce, and even hot dogs (I assume for kids).

I snuck some photos of the buffet after I stuffed myself...

In short, I'm a fan!

Metro Atlanta Eats Adventure

I was asked this evening if I had a list of local (to Atlanta) restaurants I would recommend.  That never occurred to me before, but it is true that I am often recommending restaurants to friends, and I have quite a list of favorites.  So this is my attempt to compile a list, and I will do my best to curate and update it (please note that this blog was dead for the past 2 years, so an attempt is not a promise ;)). My list follows.  What would you add?

Bangladeshi food:
Purnima

Chinese food:
Masterpiece (the website says Cantonese, but this is Szechuan food)
Canton House (amazing dim sum)
Gu's Dumplings (I would try anything the Gu family prepared, seriously, but my favorite is the lotus root!)
Gu's Kitchen (OK - full disclosure, I haven't tried it yet, but I loved their now-defunct restaurant and am confident this will be amazing)

Cuban:
Mojitos (family owned, and has 2 locations; the Peachtree Corners location has a stage for live music, and a good mix of performers. Unsurprisingly for a restaurant called Mojitos, the mojitos are good)

Ethiopian:
Bahel (yelp link provided - no website.  There are other better known Ethiopian restaurants, but this one provides more bang for the buck, is family owned and operated, and is just as delicious (probably more so) and less crowded than the others.  I'd choose this one every time.)

Indian:
Zyka (delicious, and the meat is Halal, if that is of interest - get the Chicken 65, and Manchurian Gobi)
Bukharaa

Japanese:
Sushi Osawa (all you can eat, and made to order!)
Wagaya (sushi, and more)

Korean:
Breakers (Korean BBQ)
Woo Nam Jeong (Yelp link provided - no website - great traditional Korean with dim sum cooked by Grandma)
Tasty 21 (mini hot pot in Shabu Shabu style)
Hello Chicken (Korean fried chicken and beer)

Mexican:
Taqueria del Sol (cheap, delicious tacos; queso and salsas are amazing)

New Orleans Style:
The Po' Boy Shop (news article provided - no website - great sandwiches, with authentic bread brought in from NO - get the fries, and plan to share!)

Salad:
Chopt (I know, this category doesn't fit; but after everything else I've listed, I felt compelled to round out my suggestions - great made to order salads with an amazing array of options for what goes in them).

Southern:
Fox Bros. BBQ (amazing, but your clothes WILL smell like BBQ smoke when you leave - you've been warned)
Mary Mac's Tea Room (touristy, but there is a reason this is a classic.  It is good!)

Dessert treats:
Sweet Hut (Korean-style bakery with bubble tea)
Suno Dessert (shaved ice dessert)
Jeni's Ice Cream (so good, this lactose intolerant girl will still eat it - and they have dairy-free options too).

Seafood soup from Pao Pao

A great new Asian restaurant (really kind of pan-Asian, not true to any one country of origin) opened up near my office, and I was dying to try it.  Here is my seafood soup - it was spicy, full of fresh vegetables, and fresh seafood.  My kids were impressed (is impressed the right word?) with the baby octopus, and I thought it was all fantastic, if a bit spicy.

Yum.  Interested in trying it, and near Atlanta?  You can check out the restaurant HERE.  I'm looking forward to going back in the near future.