Hankook Taqueria - West Midtown Atlanta

You can find Hankook Taqueria at 1341 Collier Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. I think someone told me that technically the area is called Underwood Hills, but most recently anything west of Midtown, since Atlantic Station has been developed, usually gets referenced as West Midtown (makes sense, right?). The restaurant is in a standalone building next to a railroad overpass. There's limited parking out front and to the sides but I believe you can safely park on the side street. Nearby is the very good Piece of Cake main facility (also worth visiting for a slice or cupcake, so save some room).

I'm not quite sure how I first came aware of Hankook - I think someone said "Have you had a Korean Burrito?" and I was like "Where?!" and that's what it took. I believe Hankook was the first Korean-Mexican fusion restaurant in Atlanta, or at least the first I can remember. The two styles blend together so well, more like marriage made in heaven. Sweet Korean BBQ with a bit of gochugang (Korean hot sauce) in a taco? I'm there! This restaurant spawned the local Takorea chain which is still owned by the came people I believe. One reason you come here is because of some of the unique dishes and specials that are on the menu not found at Takorea. The other reason is that you've spent the day at one of the nearby breweries and need to eat something (nearby you have Atlanta Brewing, Second Self, Scofflaw and Monday Night).

The menu is pretty simple - Choose 1-n number of Tacos, a Burrito or Bowl and choose a protein: Beef, Chicken, Pork, Tofu, Veggie, Fish or from the Premium List: Shrimp, Calamari, Tong Dak or one of the Daily Specials. This will have a mixed-garninsh: Lettuce/green cabbage mix, green/white onions, cilantro and sesame soy vinaigrette. Of course all the meats are done Korean style so combinations of sweet/spicy Korean BBQ sauce. The burrito is served with Kimchi rice (which you can also order as a side). Next, add one of the Street Snacks like the Bulgogi Kimchi Fries or Man-Doo dumplings to the order. Can't be simpler and the prices are very affordable - eat a little or a lot.

Things I've had here:
* I'll skip the Tacos and Burritos as you get the idea and they're all good - use one or multiples of those as the base of your meal.
* Sesame Fries - Crispy Fries with Chipotle Ketchup - quite good - crisp twice fried (they seem to have a light tempura? coating).
* Bulgogi Kimchi Fries - Queso, roasted kimchi, fried egg with gochujang - love these, more like totchos and good for sharing
* KoKuma - Tempura Fried Asian Sweet Potatoes wth Sweet Chili Aioli - sweet, slightly crunchy with mild spice from the creamy sauce
* Man-Doo - fried dumplings with pork, ginger, scallions and ponzu (I grew up with something similar so always get an order of these) - quite good
*Quesadilla - Bulgogi Beef with cheese and spicy sauce or cheese only
*Chips  Queso - chips with melted cheese - personally I'd skip these and get the Kimchi Fries
Nachos - Bulgogi Beef on chips, queso, salad mix, jalapeno and sour cream (as above)
* BiBimBop - rice, bulgogi beef, bean sprouts, spinach, mushrooms, zucchini and a fried egg, topped with gochujang - good but I've had much better (super cheap here at $8)
* Smoked Wings - think these were on the specials menu, you get a pile of chicken wings, chipotle-smoked in my case with a spicy BBQ sauce - I recommend these highly if they're being offered.

The place is a bit of a hole in the wall and is more cafeteria-like than fast-casual. You order at a counter and walk along the front edge to pay - once you pay they bring the food to your table. Drinks are along one wall on the left with options for fountain soda, tea and water. It's super simple. The interior is a bit dive-ish - more like something you would find in Little Five Points or East Atlanta Village.

Service is good but very limited - the place gets packed during lunch, best time to go is early afternoon.

(also posted to Yelp)

Mamak Malaysian Cuisine - Doraville Atlanta Georgia

You can find Mamak Malaysian Cuisine at 5150 Buford Hwy, Ste A-170, Doraville, GA 30340 in the Asian Square shopping center anchored by the Asian Supermarket. Mamak is on the right-side when viewing the Supermarket from the street, just a few doors down from the Doraville Sweet Hut location on the right-side corner. There's plenty of parking in the main market lot or if you're lucky you'll be able to park out front of the restaurant.

 

I've now eaten at Mamak on several occasions for both lunch and dinner and like the food here quite a bit. The interior is a bit sparse with light green walls and nice, industrial finishes. The place is a bit small so best to hit it during non-peak times - otherwise you may have to wait (the wait is worth it). I consider the cuisine more a fusion of Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai and Chinese which seems to be common in most restaurants that originate in Malaysia or Indonesia as those seem to be melting pots of the surrounding countries. I think that most people who like Thai food will like the food here - it's very clean (more like Vietnamese) and relies on the actual flavors of the food rather than on heavy sauces. There's also a distinctly local take on turmeric that delves a bit more into Indian cuisine flavors - if you like all that I've described, you'll love Mamak. If there's something in there you don't like, don't worry, as there's enough variation that you'll be able to find something delicious that's to your liking (the cool thing about fusion in my opinion).

I've enjoyed every dish I've tried at Mamak - from the samosa-like fried meat and/or veggie pies to the delicious seafood dishes. I love the curries and noodle dishes as well - lots of interesting flavors and textures.

Roti Canai - I've had this before (at Thai Spice specifically) and it's very Indian style, your basic roti served with a curry sauce for dipping. I think this is the best version I've had with very distinct flavors.

Curry Puff Pastry - this is basically a samosa only using puff-pastry (it's the fried-pies I referenced above) - very interesting made this way with lots more emphasis on the container than typical.

Papaya Salad - this is an awesome version of the green papaya salad with a bit more fish-sauce and slightly spicier than I've had elsewhere.


Curry Laksa - Coconut milk curry with chicken, potato, cilantro - this is delicious and one of those signature dishes that combines Malay and China flavors.

Sambal Shrimp - Shrimp with sweet peppers, onion and okra in homemade sambal - slightly spicy and awesome. 

Hainese Chicken - Another classic dish, soft chicken served on pasta.

Kari Ayam - chicken curry with potatoes - delicious.

Mamak Tofu - fried tofu, shrimp, pork, egg and gravy - delicious and saucy, great over rice.

Service here is very good but the place is small and very busy so keep that in mind. They serve Malaysian Ice Coffee here which is worth trying (sweet with lots of condensed milk). I think if you like Asian cuisines you'll love Mamak as much as I do.

(also Posted to Yelp)

Food Terminal - Chamblee Atlanta Georgia

You can find Food Terminal at 5000 Buford Hwy NE, Ste B201, Chamblee, GA 30341 - this is a building in the front of the City Farmers Market lot (the market across from Halal Guys but a bit further north on BufHy). There's plenty of parking out front, to the side or in the shopping center lot.

Much has been said about Food Terminal so I'll try to keep this as brief as possible - I've now eaten here twice and love this place. Whoever did the design work did a stunning job - there's an Asian chic to the place that's totally enhanced by the industrial vibe, with plenty of wood finishes and classy touches all around. The interior reminds me a bit of Cafe Alon at Perimeter - expansive spaces with just enough detail to direct your eye to the immediate space. As you walk in the host station is in front with a dessert counter to the right - the right-hand counter extends to an open kitchen. Dining is in the areas behind (there's also a fairly large patio that I can see myself visiting often).

Some of my friends have already reviewed the various dishes and many of the comments I've heard have been "well this was OK but it's better at "x" - which I find interesting. My own experience has been that while I've had better of some of these dishes, the magnitude off the offering at Food Terminal is overwhelming. The menu is designed as a glossy print magazine complete with Table of Contents and plenty of photos - once again a stunning design. Food Terminal is noted as a Malaysian Street Food restaurant and the various styles of cooking is amazing - there's a touch of Thai, a pinch of Chinese and even a bit of Japanese (and of course the Malaysian). You just won't find this variety anywhere else and that by itself makes it worth visiting.

I've now eaten here twice, first with fellow Yelper Michelle T and about a week later with Yelper John F (who also leads an awesome BufHy Restaurant Crawl - now in it's second round). Once you've picked some items you fill out a sheet much like you would at a sushi bar. Here's a rundown of what I've tried and some general comments.

Appetizers: 

* Thai Tea - it's the real-deal here and not that premixed crap.

* Raspberry Lemonade Soda - John F had this so I can't comment other than he said it was much like the soda offered at Sweet Hut.

* Five Spice Shrimp Roll - first bite not impressed but they grow on you. There's a subtlety here that you don't get in the initial bite.

* Fried Wonton - your basic wontons - nothing special

* Crispy Pig Ear - surprisingly delicious and melt-in-your-mouth. They really aren't crispy at all, despite the name.

* Szechuan Steam Wonton - love these - steamed wontons covered in pepper oil and delicious.

* Crispy Curry Wings - not impressed - they came off as fried wings without any real seasoning.

* Thai Chili Ground Pork Cheong Fun - delicious - this is a mas of unseparated noodles with a bit of spicy pork and sauce - delicate and quite good.

Veggies:

* Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce - quite good

* Sambal Okra - these are amazing - the best in the veggie category I've tried. The steamed Okra is greatly enhanced by their version of Sambal (it's not the red stuff you buy at the grocery store)

* XO Asparagus - disappointing - this is basically just steamed asparagus with little to make it distinctive.

Entrees:

* Tom Yum Rolling Hot Plate - similar to the Korean Bokkeum Bap served on a hot plate - good and you'll taste the lemon grass, but a little lacking in flavor. Next time I'll try one of the other offerings. Order this like you would fried rice.

* Grandma BBQ Pork - delicious sweet-glazed pork bits - probably the best entree I've tried.

* 5 Spice Pork Belly - very filling but could have used something spicy (order a side of sriracha to fix that). The fried tofu, while broadening out the dish as far as content didn't seem to add much to me.

* Szechuan Beef Noodle Soup - This was good but a little disappointing - the broth wasn't very robust (but that may be me comparing it to all the great Ramen available in town). Also lot's of attached tendon int he broth that some non-Asians may not care for.

Dessert:

* Mango Fever - Mango Puree, Mango Ice Cream, Diced Mango and Sago - I wasn't sure what Sago was so I looked it up - it's the starch extracted from palm stems - think of these as mini-tapioca balls. Loved this dessert and it's easily shared by 2 people.

The service both times was exceptional - with all the experience the restaurant owners have with Top Spice and Sweet Hut, they certainly know how to take care of diners. It's fast, friendly, efficient and the servers know the food so they can make recommendations. All around my experiences have been great. Cost per person (2 apps, 2 veggies, entree, specialty drink) was around $30 but you certainly don't need to go that far to get full - we just wanted to try everything!

(Also posted to Yelp).