RESTAURANT REVIEW:

I have always enjoyed MF Sushi on Ponce (only during lunch because I can’t handle the scenesters at night) so I naturally thought that I was going to enjoy MF Buckhead. The lure of the robata grill and fish from Tokyo’s Tsujuki market were especially appealing. I went with my family for a little post-Hanukkah get together expecting to be blown away. We were, in fact, blown away but not in the manner I’d hoped for. I’d received emails from some of my readers expressing their dismay with the service, prices, and portion size. But, being the stubborn Japanese food fiend that I am, I decided to go anyway. Finding the restaurant was a bit tough, because there is virtually no signage except for a small sign on the glass door. The restaurant’s decor is very stylish and modern--a nice step up from the other MF. From what I have heard, this restaurant is supposed to be a higher-end outpost for the growing restaurant group, owned by Alex and Chris Kinjo. The sake list is quite extensive and there are plenty of options to choose from. I did not examine the wine list. The menu is broken up into a selection of soups, appetizers, robata items, sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. The menu, while interesting, seems to be lacking balance. For a restaurant that touts their robata grill as a selling point, the selection was woefully small. I would have liked to see more vegetables and was surprised to find very little green on the menu. It all felt like a poor man’s Nobu. Do we really need to see miso-marinated black cod on yet another menu? Where is the innovation? My sister (and others that have written me about their experiences) also noted there was nothing fried on the menu. Something I agree would be a nice addition in the name of balance. We started with the shima aji carpaccio with yuzu and the tuna tartar with Japanese mountain yam. The presentation was flawless, but it was all quite flavorless. The yuzu was barely detectable in the shima aji dish. The fish, however, was very fresh and expertly sliced. The tuna was beautiful with small flakes of gold leaf and a dot of caviar, but incredibly bland. The $24 crab with uni mousse was quite good, but the price for the portion was ridiculous. Chef Kinjo sent over an order of Kobe beef nigiri for my Dad (who has been a customer of his since the beginning), which was probably my favorite dish of the night. It was almost the texture of toro and the truffle was a nice touch. Great dish. We moved to our sashimi course. Ordering the sashimi was frustrating because they were out of so many items. Quite annoying and a common issue I've faced at the Ponce location as well. The sashimi was all very fresh except for the giant clam, which was a bit fishy. Fresh giant clam has a distinctive snap and this was a bit limp. Next were our robata items, which we were all very excited about—especially since our robata experience in Tokyo a few months ago. We started with the corn tare, which everyone said was amazing. It was basically chunks of corn with a sweet sauce—just boring and cold. The whole squid was equally underwhelming. The squid had not been cooked long enough, so there was no char and it was cold by the time it reached us as well. We got the assortment of mushrooms, which they served on a platter with a small grill at our table. The marinade on the mushrooms was flavorful, but they mushrooms took forever to warm and we just ended up eating them cold. The only item I enjoyed, off the robata, was the gingko nuts, which are hard to find in Atlanta. They were smoky and tasty, but pricey for the two small skewers we received with our order. It seems, from what we tasted, that they still don’t have the robata execution down.I would honestly rather eat the yakitori items at Yakitori Jinbei in Smyrna, which is also considerably cheaper. After all of this food, my sister was still hungry and she ordered a salmon skin hand roll. They were out of salmon skin. What a surprise. She got some sort of hand roll and downed it. Still hungry, she ordered some sort of fruit dessert, which she said tasted like baby food. By this time, we were all squirming in our seats due to the unimaginably slow service. I am not saying the service is bad, but the pacing is completely off. The waitress took the time to explain every dish to us and how to eat it, but it was just ridiculous after a while. We got out of there for about $400 bucks. Given the choice, I would have rather spent the money at Taka. We could have gotten twice the amount of food in half the time and most likely spent less. Yes, I know this is a high-end place, but it was just not worth it. I have no problem paying a premium for good food, but there is better Japanese to be had in Atlanta. Verdict: If you can’t tell, my whole experience at MF Buckhead was lackluster. When it comes down to it, the food is just not worth the price. I think the clientele will most likely be an expense account type of crowd and people who want to be seen. Yes, I know the two MFs are different concepts, but many of the problems I faced at the original (availability of fish, snooty service, and pacing) have migrated to Buckhead. Dining out is supposed to be fun and the experience was maddening on so many levels. My whole family left the restaurant feeling grumpy and unsatisfied--a sad thing since we started out the meal so happy. All of us said we won't running back anytime soon.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 3280 Peachtree Road in the Terminus building; valet available for $5 Phone: (404) 841-1192 Payment: Cash and all major credit cards

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Ever since I returned from Japan, I have been craving Japanese food all the time. I have been making my rounds at the many Japanese restaurants of Atlanta in search of Japanese homestyle dishes--there is so much more to the cuisine than sushi. Yakitori Jinbei had been on my list of places to try after a reader recommended it a while back. I finally got the chance to stop in today for lunch. The restaurant specializes in yakitori, which is pieces of chicken (and other items like quail eggs or Japanese vegetables) grilled on a stick and topped with your choice of sea salt or a sauce. Yakitori Jinbei only serves yakitori at dinner, but the lunch menu has plenty of delicious items like soba noodles and donburi to choose from. Since it was so cold outside, I opted for the bowl of ramen noodles swimming in pork stock and topped with roasted pork slices, seaweed, and green onions ($9 for the soup, salad, and small bowl of fried sticky rice). I rarely see ramen served in Atlanta so I took advantage of the opportunity.

Tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen

Closeup of the noodles

I am about as carnivorous as a person can get. I love it all-nose to tail. Loving meat does not mean that I don’t like vegetables. I crave greens just as much as a juicy steak. When Cliff Bostock wrote about Dynamic Dish, I was intrigued—especially by the promise of a tagine made with organic veggies. I went for lunch yesterday to counteract the effects of the Korean fried chicken I had the day before. Dynamic Dish is located on the small strip of Edgewood near Café 458. I snagged a primo spot in front of the restaurant using my stellar parallel parking skills that I picked up while living in San Francisco. Upon walking into the restaurant, I was amazed how sleek the interior of the restaurant was. I wasn't expecting it. The owner, David Sweeney, has impeccable taste and all the eclectic pieces and furnishings somehow fit perfectly together. The persimmons tucked into a wire cubby near the cash register really tickled me. The man has a great eye. The menu (located on the chalkboard behind the counter) is small, but it reflects the pristine organic ingredients he has on hand. I ordered the tagine made with pumpkin, squash, tomatoes and other goodies served on bulgur wheat. Moon ordered the arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread. We both got the beet salad. The beverage selection is limited, but I did not mind. Sodas would be out of place here. We decided to share a bottle of sparkling water in some tiny glasses that Sweeney brought to table complete with slices of lemon.

As we waited for our food, I took in my surroundings and couldn’t help feeling like I was in New York or Europe—not Edgewood.

Tagine

Sweeney arrived with our dishes and the colorful food lit up the table. The ingredients of the tagine were very good and the combination just felt like autumn. My only problem with the dish was the lack of salt—I imagine he is trying to keep the sodium content down and I would rather add salt than eat a very salty dish any day.

Arugula sandwich with Emmentaler cheese on buttered whole grain bread

Beet salad

Moon liked his sandwich and I was so tempted to take a bite, but my moderation mantra kept me from doing so. The beet salad was the undisputed star of the meal. The beets were julienne and tossed with dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, a little maple syrup, vinegar, and something else I cannot remember. Just a stellar combination of flavors that exploded in my mouth. I loved it and would go back for that dish alone. Being the shopaholic that I am, I perused the mix of items for sale. Sweeney has some pretty neat stuff that he has collected from estate sales and other sources. I scored a gorgeous crystal dish on a pedestal for a mere $7.50.  

Verdict: An adorable spot with some wholesome food that is well worth the trip. I hope that you guys get out there and support a restaurant with loads of heart that won’t be bad for yours.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 427 Edgewood Ave., 30312 Phone: (404) 992-2179 Payment: Cash and credit

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
I had been wanting to try this place ever since the good folks at Atlanta Cuisine started talking about it. As you can imagine, my list of restaurants to visit is exceedingly long. I got over there at the beginning of the week with a friend. The restaurant is very well-designed-it manages to feel country, modern, and chic with minimal effort--perhaps it is the space, which has inhabited such doomed restaurants as Commune and Sampan. The table settings are simple--they use dish towels for napkins...a design element I always love for some reason. The servers' station (pictured above) is situated in the center of the dining room on top of a rustic table. There is a large pot on top of the table, which holds ice and chilled bottles of tap water-nice touch. The menu is quite extensive and runs the gamut from salads to seafood stew with Georgia shrimp. I ordered the peach/mango ice tea and the fried chicken--I have been on a quest ever since my story for Atlanta INtown Paper. My friend ordered the open-faced pulled pork sandwich.

Fried chicken: My fried chicken had very little flavor--if they brine it, they need to do it a bit longer and the breading needed a bit more seasoning as well. It did, however, taste like they were using fresh oil--a big plus in my book. The mac was more of a cream sauce with very little cheese or seasoning-there were some nice fried bits of crust sprinkled over the mac and cheese. The green beans were perfectly cooked and seasoned. Quite crisp and garlicky.

Smoked pork shoulder sandwich: My friend got the pulled pork sandwich which was very tasty. The bread tasted like it had been made that morning and the pork was smoky, sweet, tangy, and tender--really well done. The fries tasted freshly made-I would go back for the fries alone.

Banana cream pie: The pie was good. Impossibly flaky crust and I liked the bruleed bananas. The filling could have used a bit more bananas, but was pretty good overall.

Verdict: I really like the way the place is decorated. I think they will do well in Atlanta. There were some other things on the menu that looked good.It was all just a smidge above average, but I am not writing it off yet.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address: 1198 Howell Mill Road
Phone: (404) 355-2252

Nam tok

RESTAURANT REVIEW: The New Yorker recently had an issue (in September) devoted to food where many notable writers--like David Sedaris--penned essays. I loved it and have actually read some of the pieces over and over again. One article was about a writer who went to Singapore to explore Malaysian food. Being the food dork that I am, I took notes on dishes the writer's guide took him to try. The issue could not have come at a better time. Asam House, a new Malaysian (and Thai) restaurant, opened in Pinetree Plaza a couple of months ago. After I wrote about Chicago Supermarket in September, Steve Drucker (a local grubber who discovered Tasty China well before anyone else was hip to it) replied to my post on a forum I frequent about a fact-finding side trip to Asam House. With all my crazy travel, I didn't make it to Asam House until last weekend after a fun day at the Annual Castleberry Loft Tour. Armed with my crudely written cheat sheet, I scanned the menu for dishes I had never had before--the menu is actually a mixture of Malaysian and Thai and they have a chef for each cuisine. We ordered 4 dishes (3 Malaysian and one Thai).

We started with the roti canai (pan-fried Indian-style pancake served with a chicken and potato curry). The pancake was heavenly--flaky and not too greasy. The curry had a thick layer of grease on top and the flavor was just kind of flat. Next came the nam tok (grilled beef salad with onions, scallions, cilantro, and spicy lime juice), which was very flavorful and spicy. I liked the way the meat
was kind of dry which allowed it to soak up more of the flavors from the sauce. I would order it again. 

I was excited to try the char kway teow (stir-fried flat noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, and egg in black soy sauce) because the guide from the article said it was a must-try dish while in Malaysia. It reminded me of beef chow fun without the added spice (or beef). It wasn't bad, but it could have used more salt. I would order it again, but ask for it a bit spicy.

The aromatic chicken (stir-fried chicken with dried shrimp and chili paste) was my least favorite dish of the meal. The flavor tasted processed from the chili paste and it was too salty. I also found the use of maraschino cherries for garnish very weird. I only ate a couple of bites and left the rest for my date.

Verdict: The space is very new and clean. Service was friendly and helpful. The menu is huge and it definitely warrants further exploration. I think I will try more of the Thai options next time since I have heard many people say that the Thai chef seems to be the more talented of the two. Was it the best darn food I have ever eaten? No. But, they chefs seem competent and I enjoyed some of the dishes enough to go back.

RESTAURANT INFORMATION: Address: 5285 Buford Highway, 30340 (Pinetree Plaza) Phone: (770) 452-5100 Hours: Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 pm. Closed on Tuesday. Payment: Cash or credit Website