Multi-Green Kombucha

It looks a bit like New York City sewer water might after the Zombie Apocalypse.  But, after a sip or two it’s oddly addictive and “interesting”.  There’s a seriously sharp, vinegary bite.  And, there’s quite a bit of harsh IN YOUR FACE (and tickle your nose) super-carbonation that [...]]]>

Multi-Green Kombucha

It looks a bit like New York City sewer water might after the Zombie Apocalypse.  But, after a sip or two it’s oddly addictive and “interesting”.  There’s a seriously sharp, vinegary bite.  And, there’s quite a bit of harsh IN YOUR FACE (and tickle your nose) super-carbonation that finishes with a yeasty buzz.

One of us hates it.  The other is a fence-sitter.

Love it or hate it?

Buford Highway Farmers Market
5600 Buford Highway
Doraville, GA 30340
770 455 0770

Crispy Lobsters

Chopped into good-sized pieces, deep fried and topped with crispy garlic and shallots… you wanna talk about finger lickin’ good.  This is it.  We weren’t going to let those delicious droplets of lobster scented oil go to waste.

Tender Chunks Of Tail Meat

Crispy Lobsters

Chopped into good-sized pieces, deep fried and topped with crispy garlic and shallots… you wanna talk about finger lickin’ good.  This is it.  We weren’t going to let those delicious droplets of lobster scented oil go to waste.

Tender Chunks Of Tail Meat

A few pieces of claw meat were a touch overcooked, but, still delicious.

Cold Konjac Noodles In Chili Oil
(Topped With Celery Greens and Sesame Seeds)

Spicy Pickled Vegetables

Both of these spicy nibbles were a great way to cut the richness of those two gorgeous deep fried lobsters.

Sichuan Pepper Chicken

These chunks of chicken are deep fried (but, not breaded).  Then,  they’re tossed with sesame seeds, red chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, crispy garlic and topped with cilantro.  The gorgeous floral evergreen freshness of those sichuan peppercorns and the toasty red chilies are divine paired with that bright green flavor of cilantro.

Chrysanthemum Tea With Sugar Crystals

So lovely, this was a deliciously refreshing end to our meal.

Sichuan House
5900 State Bridge Road
Duluth, GA 30097
678 417 7168

]]> http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/08/12/sichuan-house/feed/ 0 http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/06/16/saffron-rock-candy-tea/ http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2011/06/16/saffron-rock-candy-tea/#comments Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:29:20 +0000 michele http://www.reviewatlanta.com/?p=3012

Saffron Rock Candy & Tea

This will make a lovely accompaniment to this weekend’s morning tea… or coffee.

Earl Grey & Cardamom Sugar Crystals

Many of the teas are “buy one get one free”.  So, we did.  Also, we happily grabbed a bag of cardamom sugar [...]]]>

Saffron Rock Candy & Tea

This will make a lovely accompaniment to this weekend’s morning tea… or coffee.

Earl Grey & Cardamom Sugar Crystals

Many of the teas are “buy one get one free”.  So, we did.  Also, we happily grabbed a bag of cardamom sugar crystals and a version of chocolate hazelnut spread that we’ve never seen before.  Next time we’ll be sure to try one of the many nut blends at Shahrzad… probably one of the spicy ones.

Sadly, we completely forgot about green almonds this year.  But, next year we’ll be frequent visitors of Shahrzad in late April/early May.  Now, we have at least two green almond sources in Atlanta!

Shahrzad International
6435-A Roswell Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
404 257 9045

Banh Tom Co Ngu (Fried Sweet Potato Sticks with Shrimp)

Perfectly crispy, crumbly deep fried nests of sweet potato sticks are topped with shrimp still in the shell.  This is a generously sized appetizer that makes a great lunch.  This is definitely not a healthy everyday sort of lunch, but its [...]]]>

Banh Tom Co Ngu
(Fried Sweet Potato Sticks with Shrimp)

Perfectly crispy, crumbly deep fried nests of sweet potato sticks are topped with shrimp still in the shell.  This is a generously sized appetizer that makes a great lunch.  This is definitely not a healthy everyday sort of lunch, but its an addiction we aren’t willing to kick.  Luckily, we only give in to the need on special occasions.

Speaking of addiction…

It’s hard to pass up the bubble teas, too.  But, it’s only half-bad when you’re sharing.

Saigon Cafe

Fried Dungeness Crab with Crispy Garlic & Pork

This dish was just about perfect.  It was billowing steam as it arrived to the table.  All of the crispy bits were crispy while the crab on the inside remained tender and moist.

Fried Salt [...]]]>

Fried Dungeness Crab with Crispy Garlic & Pork

This dish was just about perfect.  It was billowing steam as it arrived to the table.  All of the crispy bits were crispy while the crab on the inside remained tender and moist.

Fried Salt & Pepper Shrimp

These shrimp were huge.  In the past we’ve seen much smaller shrimp used in this dish.  But, it’s not all about size.  This was another dish served piping hot, crispy on the outside and moist & tender on the inside.  And, the shrimp had an incredibly rich flavor.  We loved them.

Phoenix Eyes (Or Shrimp & Shark Fin Dumplings)

These were lovely.  The shrimp were tender and full of flavor.  And, the glass noodles had an interesting bite that added texture.

Siu Mai or Shao Mai

Normally, the richness of the pork and dense texture add an air of heaviness to these dumplings.  But, here, the delicate texture of the pork added lightness.  The pork was so tender it nearly melted in our mouths.

Lotus Leaf Rice (or Lo Mai Gai)

Inside the lotus leaf, glutinous rice surrounds a filling of Chinese sausage, mushrooms, water chestnuts and other meaty bits.  We love the fragrance that escapes when you unwrap the package of rice.

Chao Tom

Mild shrimp paste is mounded on one end of a sugar cane stick.  It’s breaded… then deep fried.  Somehow, this is never a favorite of ours.  But, it’s fun to dip into both spicy and sweet sauces.

Gau Choi Gow

These dumplings of shrimp and chives are delicately pan fried… always a favorite.

Gai Mei Bau

Flaky sheets of pastry are wrapped around lightly sweetened coconut filling.  These are a great way to end the meal.  The feathery light layers of pastry melt away to almost nothing as you bite into them.

Haam Sui Gok (or Ham Sui Gok… AKA “The Footballs”)

Someone had to order one more thing…

Even though we were stuffed well beyond capacity.  He loved them.  It’s hard not to love deep fried mochi filled with bites of seasoned pork.  The mildly sweet mochi complements the savory salty porky filling.  ( I was too stuffed to try another bite.)

East Pearl Seafood Restaurant
1810 Liddell Lane
Duluth, GA  30098
678 380 0899

Sweet pumpkin shines.  It’s rare that pumpkin is showcased without the assortment of sweet spices that accompany it in one form or another.  It’s refreshing to savor the simplicity of sweet pumpkin and nothing more.

Panko crusted fried dough filled with meat, potato and veggies

Like a pierogi… [...]]]>
Pumpkin Manju

Sweet pumpkin shines.  It’s rare that pumpkin is showcased without the assortment of sweet spices that accompany it in one form or another.  It’s refreshing to savor the simplicity of sweet pumpkin and nothing more.

Panko crusted fried dough filled with meat, potato and veggies

Like a pierogi… but, better.  The fried dough is surprisingly light and airy.  This provides an interesting contrast to the rich filling.

Sweet bean filled pastries, nut tarts, cream filled breads, cookies, muffins, and little cakes… Mozart Bakery has something for everyone.  And, like White Windmill Bakery, I love the way most of the little treats are individually wrapped.  White Windmill offers a larger selection and might be more than a little bit prettier.  But, Mozart offers a few unique nibbles.

Cafe Mozart Bakery
5301 Buford Highway NE
Atlanta, GA 30340
770 936 8726

Buckhead Bread Company and Alon’s are our go-to spots for bread.  But, we were happily surprised by this French style loaf from White Windmill Bakery.  The crust was still crisp when we arrived home.  But, by dinner time it lost its crunch.  Luckily, we were using this loaf as the bread [...]]]>

Buckhead Bread Company and Alon’s are our go-to spots for bread.  But, we were happily surprised by this French style loaf from White Windmill Bakery.  The crust was still crisp when we arrived home.  But, by dinner time it lost its crunch.  Luckily, we were using this loaf as the bread for our grilled hamburgers.  Toasted on the grill, this loaf was great.  The smoke added amazing flavor, while the high heat gave the thin crust the perfect crunch.  The outermost layer of the crust flaked off in thin, delicate sheets with every bite.  We might just use this bread every time we make burgers on the grill.

These were the best home-made burgers of the year. ( …so far)

White Windmill Bakery
5881 Buford Highway
Doraville, Ga 30340
678 887 5200

Rose Green Tea

Both of these gorgeous teas were purchased at Buford Highway Farmers Market for approximately $10 each.  Given the quantity and quality, that’s an incredible bargain.

Buford Highway Farmers Market 5600 Buford Highway Doraville, GA 30340 770 455 0770