Melee

C'mon... Another pop-up at Dish Dive? Do people really care about these silly pop-ups? Fuck yeah and it's gonna be fucking awesome.
It's no secret I like this joint a lot and the talent rotation coming through here every now and then to let local cooks cook what they wanna cook with DD's Chef Take-Over Series... Tonight's line up looks badass. What to get, what to get... Fuck it. I'm just gonna eat everything.

Nice collection of menu offerings... Yes please... To all of the above because this has things you actually wanna eat.

Chicken Wings. EB's sauce... I know what y'all are thinking. Is that white creamy stuff EB's special sauce? Nah, it's just ranch. The hot sauce looking concoction was the EB sauce, it's not all that spicy but has a tangy flavor to it. I liked it a lot but the baked wings coulda taken a dip in the fryer to give it that crispy factor.

Pork Dumps. Bastard sauce. I don't know if a bastard made this dipping sauce or it was made for a bastard but the little purses of ground up Ms. Piggy bits were pretty tasty... And they say eating out a fat chick would be stinky.

Octopus Beet Salad. This is the fancy dish of the night. Vibrant colors with various texture combinations. I liked this dish a lot... Wished there were more octopus, though.

Oxtail and Scallops. What a great combo. Savory oxtail and bay scallops... A little surf and turf wrapped up and placed into your facehole. The sweet brown sauce on the oxtail was a bit salty but overall a tasty handheld treat.

Soup and Sandwich. Beef pho, bologne and chicken liver mousse banh mi. Who doesn't like a soup and sando combo... It kinda similar to Lee's combos but Lee's sucks nowadays because they have been possessed by the white devils. At first, I thought it was logs of SPAM which made me drool... Then I realized it was bologne as stated on the menu. Love the texture combo of the banh mi but it coulda used more chicken liver mousse. The pho broth was rich and savory, wonderful smell and flavor. Love the raw eye of round gently placed into the broth and the noods were spot on. This was pretty boss.

Dish Dive needs to keep this Chef Take-Over Series going on Mondays when they are usually closed. This is awesome for the cooks and the locals who are looking for this type of surprise dining. The menu is usually full of stuff the cooks like to eat personally. Hey, I would do the same if I ever did a pop-up but it would prolly consist of more than 5 items... Because you know, I'm a fat slob. Can't wait for the next one.

Mixed Pouch

Like usual the pouch just eats random shit here and there... The past couple of weeks were no exception. Let's see what this fat fuck has been slobbering over lately...

Rustic Couch.

Salt And Pepper Chicken Nuggets. Stylish presentation vs. in a paper bag with a couple of sticks to poke at them. But how does it taste? The crispy factor with all the little crunchies were present, the dark meat chicken was ultra tender that it almost didn't taste like real GMO chicken (wonder if they marinaded it beforehand). The spicy level was medium and the Russian-esque dressing was just ok, just something to dip your cheekan nuts into. It's a decent display but it's no Quickly nuggets... How the fuck do they do it?

Oh, there was bubble tea as well... Mango black tea and milk tea. Both were pretty tasty but this place was located in some weird mall castle thinger from another dimension for the pouch to be a regular here. There's like a golf driving range where the nets are all ripped and falling apart, a I love Pho and I love Bowling, and a handful of non essential businesses. They have other snacks, sandwiches and desserts as well in here... Maybe if my spaceship flew by this quadrant of the universe again, I would stop in again and try some other stuff.


Quoc Huong.

Did I mention that I hate Lee's now... It has been crackerized to hell. I wanted to get a quick bite and the entire fucking place looks like a Chipotle. I haven't seen this many whities at an Asian joint since the Panda Express food court at the airport last week. There's no need to even wait to eat there anymore because everything has been so watered down to shit. So, let's hit up good old Quocky... Always reliable, let's hope they are still. The two favs here for the pouch are the almost dac biet (everything except tripe and tendon which isn't offered) and the all meatball pho. Their meatballs are some of the best if not the best in town. But on this visit, the broth was fucking unreal... I mean fucking unreal. Deep, dark, ultra flavorful, intense and fucking savory as fuck... I wonder how much MSG, err, I mean Umami they used in there. The rice noodles were spot on al dente and the meat portion was generous. This was one of the best bowls of pho I have had recently in this one horse town. Don't get me wrong, I have had some mediocre bowls here before but they were still totally acceptable. This time, it was better than pleasuring myself with a toilet brush in my porn lab.

BBQ Pork Banh Mi. To me they are still the original banh mi joint for Atlanta... And they are still kicking ass in quality, taste and price. The bread is lightly toasted for that little crunch factor and they stuff the fuck outta it with the gorgeous bright red BBQ pork, but they were chintzy on the pickled carrots and non-existent daikon which was weird. They weren't cheap on the jalapenos, more the better which I love. This is the standard for this town and the prices between $2.50-3 still blows my mind how cheap these dericious little torpedoes still are in this day in age of overpriced fake Asian grub found at every hipster joint.


Argosy.

Sometimes, the pouch imbibes way too much party liquors during the weekday.. But when it comes to the weekends that motherfucker goes all out balls to the wall. So, after drinking all sorts of brown party swill almost everywhere in EAV, the pouch was in the mood for some 'ZA (couldn't believe it didn't want Octopus' grubbery, well, it did.. Except the joint was packed and standing room only), so, it made it's way to Argosy for some hair pie. The arugula kinda looks like pubes on a pie when you're boozing. I remember eating a couple of slices and then the pie disappeared. Who knows where the rest went but the two slices were real tasty... Shit, even the pizza rat's slice woulda tasted great in my physical and emotional state that night.


Ramen Crush. Ration & Dram.

Tonkotsu Ramen. I was kinda excited to finally try their ramen pop-up. The previous couple of weeks were a total shitshow. Long waits and running out early without notice made the pouch unhappy. Third time's a charm... Or maybe not. For $13, you would have expected a little more, not that it was awful but what do you expect from pop-ups... The broth was decent but the collagen level was low, no sticky cheekan lips smacking found here. I know it's tough making a kick ass pot of concentrated pork bone broth and there will be some watering down but this was blended with another broth (most likely chicken) and just killed the creaminess of a legit tonkotsu. The braised pork belly was ultra tender but a tad too fatty. The thick cut bamboo shoots overwhelmed the other ingredients. The soft egg was spot on. The straight noodles was a nice nod to the traditional tonkotsu ramen used but the broth was not strong enough to offset the blandish noodles. It's not a bad bowl of tonkotsu ramen, but it won't win any awards either. Tough to go back and spend that much for it again but for the people who don't know any better, it's a real treat for them.


Japan Fest.

Unagi Rice Plate. $10 for this relatively lifeless and mediocre plate of eel rice. C'mon, it's Japan Fest, do y'all really expect to find authentic Japanese food here... Geez. It's like the redneck Dragon Con here. I swore I was on the set of Karate Kid, the original one. I have never seen so many crackers at an Asian convention... I bet they love Lee's Bakery, too. Gotta admit, the place was packed as fuck and the line was out the door to get in. The food court was just ok, very limited options and when they say "sushi", it ain't fish, more like cooked shrimp and tofu skin. 

Tonkotsu Ramen. Served in a styrofoam container, half way full. Looks like a water cooler size cup doesn't it? Well, it might as well be. This place is called Hajime and it's a new ramen joint that's opening up on Cheshire Bridge at the old BJ Roosters location. They hired Umaido dudes to help them set this up. Gives tonkotsu milky creamy pork bone broth a new meaning in this wicked space. Too bad this jizzy broth preview didn't give me a blood flow at all. It was pretty weak and watered down... Shit, what did y'all expect at a festival. 

Pulled on some noodles to get a visual... Straight noodles was a good sign but it tasted chalky and looked eerily like angel hair pasta. It's better than instant ramem but based on this sample, they ain't gonna win any awards for this boring bowl of slurp. It was so full of sodium that I was dehydrated within 10 minzies. I would prolly be stupid enough to go to their brick and mortar shop when they open to see if I get the same results.


Last Word.

Bone Marrow. Ladybird was a millennial hot mess... So, strolled down here for a real cocktail and this massive order of bone marrow appeared before me... It was decadent and sinful, not to mention the marrow sweat pooling on the plate. That's when the hunk of bread came into play to soak up all that fatty goodness. They also had this cocktail concoction inside a glass canteen type contraption full of booze, fruits and other goodies that totally reminded me of the Aviary in Chicago... I'm like this is so Aviary and they said, wow, you know where this came from. I'm like, dudebros, I get around... Being this portly and round, you don't stay in one place for long. Weeble wobble...

Venkman's

I don't know how or why they came up with this name but I kinda like it... Even though, I wanted to bust their balls about it deep down inside the pouch. I mean who doesn't love the original Ghostbusters. Besides the novelty naming of this place, the inside has nothing to do with the Ghostbusters. The only nod to the movie is a slushy cocktail called the Ecto Cooler which was kinda gimmicky yet tasty... But it's no Victory Jack and Coke slushy. Speaking of booze... They were nice enough to give out complimentary drinks while waiting for their license to come in. BYOB was welcomed and people responded, on one crowded recent Friday the entire place looked like it was the fucking Catalina Wine Mixer.
Ok, so the location is across from Bantam Pub and behind the building. You can not see it from this quiet part of the street on Ralph McGill. I like the clean space, it's pretty big with a stage in the center and an open kitchen. The vibe reminds me of Nashville, I don't know why but it does. The menu is interesting to say the least, everything on here is familiar even to people with no taste... But it's the little nuances in each dish that makes it stand out. They're not trying to change the world but they're putting out something a little different in each dish with some including Asian flavors such as fish sauce and gochujang... Not that those ingredients are that exotic anymore when you can find it on the menu at Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday, but it's amazing in this day in culinary age that there are people out there who are still incredibly closed minded when it comes to food. The pouch on the other hand wants restos to go even further and push the envelope with all types of cuisines... Luckily, for the sheep, the menu here is not that bold and it's quite approachable. I'm sure there will be many changes as it evolves but for the time being... Let's take a first look at the grub.

Ecto Cooler Slushy, vodka, tangerine, lemon, orange, ectoplasm. I got slimed... A few times. It's not a bad gimmicky drink but after a couple you'll want to switch it up.. To whiskey.

Chicken Liver, charred onion hush puppies, green goddess dressing, pickled peach & mustard green salad. It needs more liver, I like to taste chicken liver even if it's in hush puppy form. The color was a bit too dark, too. It's creative but the execution fell flat. I'm still not a fan of putting hot deep fried shit on top of any vegetation.

Smoked Chicken Wings, gochujang pepper jelly, pickles carrots, sesame seeds. They were pretty tasty, not spicy at all but the pepper jelly gave it that finger licking sticky sweet goodness. You can get a hint of the smoke on the finish, not much but it's there a little.

Fried Chicken Skin, green goddess sauce. I love that they did fried chicken skins... Too bad they were pretty greasy. They were really nice size pieces but you just can't get over that grease factor.

Smoked Trout Beignet, celery slaw, apple ketchup. It was like a fish mousseline thinger battered and deep fried, not too shabby at all. The apple ketchup is bit weird in a chutney kinda way but it give it a bit of sweetness for contrast.

Cast Iron Fried Chicken, pickled mustard, hot sauce, honey.  A whole 1/2 bird portion which was nice. The thin crust was a plus but the thin hard crust was like shellac enhanced by the honey brushed on. I love a crispy crust but this was almost like candy brittle. The seasoning was good but there was no hot sauce involved whatsoever. The meat was tender but also a bit dry, not that it was a deal breaker. It wasn't a bad fried cheekan but it would be tough for me to order this again. If they can get this cast iron fried thin crust cheekan just right, it could be a contender in this town.

The Burger, custom grind, white cheddar, tomato jam, pickled slaw, dill mustard, sweet potato bun. WTF, someone not doing a double patty medium-well temp cheeseburger in this town??? ....How sacrilegious! No, how refreshing. All the ingredients used here were top notch. The skin-on fries were seasoned well but they needed just a little more time in the fryer to crisp up just a bit more, they were a tad limp.

Temp was spot on mid-rare. The patty portion was acceptable even though a little more meat wouldn't hurt anyone's feelings. They bulked it up with a good helping of slaw which squeezed out the sides when you chomp on the burger. No one needs that much slaw on a burger, it's better off to the side. The tomato jam give it that sweetness without having the customer squirt on their own ketchup. What about the mustard you say? Well, that's where the dill mustard seeds come into play. This is a pretty good burger but it still needs to evolve a bit more until it's burger heaven worthy. I think we are all a bit too used to the double patty cheeseburger these days and I don't think H&F burger is that good anymore, it has lost that magic, so I'm waiting for someone to come up with an amazing but yet simple burger that will make me believe in god again.

Butternut Squash, raisin vinaigrette, fried sage, yellow grits. Bottomline- this shit was good. Sweet squash with raisins and the creamy grits was just a perfect threesome. Squirt.

Dry Fried Okra, fish sauce caramel, peanuts. Another hit, the fish sauce paired nicely with the lightly fried okra and the peanuts gave it that crunchy texture it needed.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, apple bacon jam, sherry. Once again, they're killing it with their sides.  This savory brussels sprouts side dish was just plain good. Get it.

The gimmicky name still leaves me scratching my pouch but I knew I liked this place when I stepped in... Even though, they're gonna get a lot of wannabes in the beginning, I would still come back and see what's new and happening here. The menu is on solid footing but it's still a work in progress because there are always dishes that needs more tweaking (like the fried chicken because I need them to be good here). Overall, they are on a good start and I think they will do just fine... If they don't slack off on the menu evolution and whenever they stock the bar with real liquors. One can only drink so much ectoplasm.

740 Ralph McGill Blvd.

Suite A
Atlanta, GA 30312

470-225-6162

http://venkmans.com/ 

Bo Bo Garden

Bo Bo Garden was good a long time, then it sucked ass, then miraculously got good again... It was obviously due to chef changes. Fast forward another year or two and it's time to see what's going on again here. The place hasn't changed, looks exactly the same inside as the last visit which was many moons again. The menu made some slight changes but overall still the same. They're known for their claypots and rice casseroles with a few outstanding Chino dishes as well.
Round eyes has put this joint on their radar for the last couple of years, so you will see more whities in here... Hopefully, they haven't dumb down much of the menu to adjust for the clientele. Only way to find out is to check it out again. Walked in, first thing I see is a big table of round eyes, dead give away was the BYOB bots of cheap wine scattered around the table and bleached blond hair and excessive chalky elbow skin dangling... Oh, yeah, I'm hungry now...

Beef Strips and Tendon. Lost in translation once again, but I guess it's better than deep fried crap or fuck the vagina until it explodes translation found on many other Chino menus. This dish of offalness was good with bits of stomach, tripe, kidney and liver... But no tendon was found.  

Crispy Mapo Tofu. This was one of the best dishes here, but now it has been dumb down to a new level. Yes, the flash fried crispy tofu is still really good but the mapo sauce was not spicy at all, it's more like a sweet cloying HFCS brown sauce. The minced pork bits were few and far between. The crispy tofu cubes still rocks but everything else has become totally round eyed.

Sweet & Sour Crispy Spare Ribs. The last time I had these, they were fucking outrageous, great crispy crust, tender meat inside with the Chinese style brown sweet & sour sauce... Tonight, it was a total cracker special. The spare rib chunks were crispy and a bit chewy but the nuclear orange cloying sweet & sour sauce was a hat tip to the orange chicken found at Panda Express. The spare ribs weren't bad but that shitty canned sauce was a total letdown to our tribe and ruined the integrity of this dish.

Chinese Preserved Meat with Taro. The Chinese sausage and bacon were good as expected but the large chunks of taro were a bit chalky which was surprising since they usually do it right, needs to be cooked down a bit more and the broth was almost flavorless. This was another reason why not to stray off the path and stick with the pork belly and pickled mustard, pork and eggplant, spare rib with black bean or bone-in chicken chunk with sausage and shrooms.

Braised Yee Mein. Once again straying off from the classic favorite of beef chowfun and you'll get fucked again with this fake Yee mein dish. They basically used lo mein noodles vs. the real flatter yee mein which has more of a curl to it and chewier. This dish was so Americanized that round eyes would even laugh at how bad it was. Pathetic.

Looks like they strayed down the shitty path again... Who knows who's cooking back there anymore but let the evidence show that the cook may have possibly came from Panda Express. The servers are attentive but they could care less to tell you which dish is good that night or what dish to avoid.
Stick with the safer Chinese dishes like the claypots and the ones with rice (casserole rice), congee, wonton noodle soup and some noodle dishes, that's what they do best here. Being adventurous with authentic dishes here will only lead to disappointment. Pouch will prolly not be back for awhile.

5181 Buford Hwy NE
Doraville, GA 30340
678-547-1881

Better Half

This joint was never that high on my list... It was like I'll get here when I get here. I even went to the new sushi joint next door before this place. The philosophy here is mostly new American with a hint of Latin influence. Sounds like it could be really good but the pouch's instinct is usually pretty spot on. The menu just never wow'd me in the sense that I had to try ASAP. So, since I have basically exhausted all the recent offerings around town, I thought it was a good time to finally check this place out when mostly everyone has been through here already and the kitchen should be running smoothly after all this time. The reviews have been mixed but things like that never stops the pouch from giving it's bona fide take on the grub.
The space is nice and cozy, a good date night kinda vibe. The service is spot on, not all up in your grill and not lacking either. The bar is always my preference when it comes to drinking or eating, you just get better service and more action. I do like that here. It's good to watch how chefs cook in real time and to check out their mise en place, what's pre-made and reheated and what's made to order.
They are changing the menu to an all tasting menu theme (9, 5 and 3 course) which looks very promising but let's take a look at the old menu offerings before they're gone forever... 
Let's do this, putas!

Black bean butter. It's interesting but it also looks like you know what... Mr. Hanky just proposed to it. The good thing is that it will come out looking the same going in. Those masa/corn bread stick/toast thinger were bland and even with the black bean butter it didn't make much of a difference. The first thing that you eat should pop and make you guessing/wanting for more. It's a nice gesture that they want to give you something to nibble on but it was pretty much forgettable.

Wild mushroom soup, goat cheese cremeux, mushroom powder, mushroom confit. Nice presentation with pouring the soup into the bowl in front of you but all the neatly plated accessories in the bowl were basically covered up by the soup. I guess it really doesn't matter since you're gonna mix it all up anyways. The soup was good, great consistency, not too thick not too thin. The flavor was there, mushroomy, earthy and the shroom confit give it a little extra texture. The powder and other stuff didn't do much, even the goat cheese kinda blended into the liquid. I have mushroom powder at home and it's really just a gimmick for plating effect, has no real flavor value. I woulda sauteed/roasted some larger shrooms with bold flavors to go with this soup, it woulda give it a better texture and it wouldn't get lost in the soup. But overall, it's a pretty good soup.

Charred corn salad, salsa esquite, toasted corn cob tea, brown butter. For $10, this little corn app fell a little short for the money. It's a tasty little dish but it needed something else, perhaps some spicy peppers.

Silk handkerchief pasta, wild mushrooms, tomato marmalade, porcini cream. Their claim to fame dish. You would think the handkerchief size of pasta sheets are just cute and gimmicky but they do serve a purpose... They hold in a lot of the goodies in between the folds... Kinda reminds me of a fat chick I banged when I was on many different drugs in college. The shrooms and porcini cream gives it a velvety earthy note to the dish. This didn't even have meat in it and I still loved it. This was a really nice pasta dish.

Guinea hen breast + fried leg, smoked potato salad, cornichon, black garlic honey mustard. Sounds great on paper but just ok on the plate. It's nicely presented but it's basically a classic chicken dish pan seared and finished in the oven. The breast was a little dry but I'm not surprised. The fun part of this dish is the deboned fried leg, it's crispy and somewhat tender inside but still tasted pretty good. The tater salad is, well, a tater salad. I don't know if this really fits in with the main ingredient because it's a cold side on a warmed plate.

I don't even remember them putting this on the table, it kinda just appeared from nowhere. It was some hybrid butterscotch/brown butter cake. It was pretty much tasteless and forgettable. After one bite I had enough. It was as sad as I am.

The place is definitely more of a local neighborhood joint than a destination but the hood around here is mixed, mostly students. So, it's hard to tell who their demographics are during the week vs. the weekend crowd. They have passion and heart but the old menu offerings were just ok, while everything was cooked properly, nothing really stood out as a culinary trailblazer. But that doesn't matter now, since they are going a different direction and offering only tasting menus with 9 for $75, 5 for $55 and 3 for $35 courses. I like that concept a lot better but I'm not rushing back for it, either. I don't know if it will work for them in this area considering the price points. The tasting menu does look pretty decent including red snapper, seared scallop, guinea hen and oxtail ravioli while keeping same the New American/Latin fusion-esque theme... And of course, the silk handkerchief pasta will stay on. And we can't forget the cremeux, they love that word.

I hope they stick around because I think they are a good addition to this area's growing resto scene.


349 14th St NW
Atlanta, GA 30363
404-695-4547
http://betterhalfatl.com/

Marcel Late Night Menu

After drinking in a shark infested pool of millennial trust fund babies for an hour at Little Trouble... I had had enough of the ridiculous fashion styles these entitled kids with daddy issues were sporting. And I thought only cheap sluts called each other to match their outfits to land a future ex-husband... This generation of dudebros do the same thing. Bright button down checkered shirts with pleated khakis and boat shoes. Does any of these douchebags own a mirror? Pussification of 'merica will continue until the entire nation's population is named Cait. I wasn't able to nibble at Little Trouble since it was basically standing room only, luckily, it was late enough for Marcel's late night menu. And I had the hankering for some manmeat after watching American Ninja Warrior earlier...
Sat at the bar, got a few more cocktails... Looked over to the right of me and I swore it was Donatella Versace or Manimal sitting there with these ginormous animal balloon blowing lips and botox lumps all over that mugshot. I couldn't tell if it was a real human being or someone brought in a wax dummy until it talked... Complaining about how a glass of wine tasted like dishwashing detergent and making the bartender go back and wash another glass personally for it. C'mon, that fugly beast wouldn't know the first thing about cleaning dishes with those nasty claws on that hoof. I gotta admit, this hideous creasture made my night... Halloween is coming up isn't it? Now, let's take a couple late night bites...

Soft Crab Omelet. Not really an omelet, more like an egg pizza with toppings. If you folded it in half then you got an omelet, maybe. As for the egg itself, it was cooked pretty well technique-wise... There was no color on the bottom of the egg, impressive. The crab, shrooms, arugula, etc were pretty tasty and seasoned properly, surprisingly, given that they are so heavy handed on the salt.

L'Entrecôte. The late night steak frites. It was more mid-rare minus (touching blue territory) but I was totally ok with it. They are not the most accurate when it comes to cooking to temp. The piece of meat (or was it two separate pieces of meat put together?) was sliced in half, assuming they did it to check the temp, didn't really resembled a normal steak cut... More like a lump of coal. While it was a smaller portion than an usual steak frite found elsewhere, it was still a decent tasting piece of meat, tender and seasoned ok but the chimichurri sauce was flat tasting. The fries were decent enough but not crave worthy. For $10, this was a good little late night snack.

Cheeseburger. I wonder where I can find a double patty cheeseburger in this town, no one seems to be doing this. Oh, lookie... Another double patty cheeseburger... With a smokey thick cut bacon on top. They were back to their old self here with the salt. This was sodium overload, along with the fat. The bacon was ultra salty which I can accept, but the double patties were also super salty. Two bites in and you wanted to drink a whole glass of water... Time for them to push another cocktail or glass of wine. It's a decent burger, if it wasn't so salty, you may be able to actually taste the meat. The bun was really nice and it took the abuse from the juicy manmeat within it. It didn't fall apart and it held up to the grease pretty well. It would be a pretty good burger if it wasn't for the salt content. For $10, it's not really a late night deal, but they know this will be the big seller at this time of the night.

The strategy to this name is to play the late night menu. The regular menu still needs work and simply just not worth the expense, so, I prefer the late night menu way more because of the better execution and price point. But they will get you with the drinks you will want to consume at the bar. Most people ain't gonna want to eat at 11pm or later but that will suit the pouch just fine... Just watch out for the freaks and geeks that do come out late at night. It's pretty entertaining how miserable and petty their lives are when you do unnatural things to your face just because you can afford to. Barkeep, another cocktail, pweez... I don't want to miss the freak show.

1170 Howell Mill Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-665-4555
http://www.marcelatl.com/

Hop's Chicken

If there's cheekan, the pouch will be there... The somewhat long awaited chicken shack from Linton Hopkins finally opened at the PCM. The food court space is quite large and a lot of goodies are going in. You can already imagine the crowds. It will be a tremendous goat rodeo success. The line for this shack was pretty long but it seems like they are moving orders as quickly as possible which was not fast by any means... Ok, maybe fast for a cripple. The menu is simple which is awesome. But some retards will still sit there and hold up the line thinking about what to order. Hey, douche nozzle, they serve only cheekan here- pick a fucking biscuit, sando or individual pieces already for crying out loud. Ahh, fuck it, I'm next in line so just order your goddamn biscuit and move along. Let's try a sample and see if the pouch approves.

I still can't believe they are relatively inexpensive for individual pieces in this day in age where every motherfucker is charging like upwards of $20 for 3 pieces. For $1, the whole wing was a deal. The half bird for $9 was not bad either and it comes with 2 buttermilk rolls. I have a feeling this may be just an introductory cock-teaser price and that shit is gonna double when it hits critical mass of zombie sheep in a month.

Chicken Biscuit. That biscuit looks real sad, real fucking sad. It was somewhat flaky but also parts of it were undercooked and gummy. The piece of fried boneless chicken had a shape that was not conducive of eating it together as a biscuit sando. Things were falling off left and right like a leper in high winds. The chicken itself was pretty good, decent crust but the meat was a bit dry inside. I'm not a big fan of Chick-fil-A but their cheekan biscuit trumps Hop's for now... Maybe with time they will get to that level and produce consistent product over and over again.

Fried Chicken. Like I said the prices are not too bad for the fried chicken with this caliber of hype. I wanted to get the half bird for $9 to gauge all the pieces which was a good deal but they ran out of the buttermilk rolls that comes with the half and they weren't substituting anything for it, so you're paying full price without the rolls which I really wanted to try. I didn't want the breast anyways, so I just ordered the wing, leg and thigh. The pieces (Springer Mountain) are brined and deep fried (interested in what oil/lard/shortening they were using)... Does it really matter what kind of chicken (free range organic or gmo'd the fuck out) they used if it's gonna be deep fried? People just don't get it, it's like deep frying a prized piece of foie gras... It won't make a difference. Wait, I take that back, I did deep fried a piece of $180 foie gras for shits and giggles at an unnamed 3 star resto in NYC and it was fucking dericious. The fried chicken were a bit on the smaller size which was not a problem if it is as good as everyone was saying. The crust had a really nice deep golden brown color to it, it's also not a thick crust which is key. It was crispy but it does break apart somewhat easily. The meat was really moist to the point that it was greasy. You want moist flavorful meat but when it's too greasy all you taste is the grease. It was seasoned well, maybe a tad to well, the salt factor was acceptable with a cup of water on standby. The chicken was not fried to order but in batches and held in a steam table with heat lamps above since there was a steady flow of orders coming in. The frying process is definitely not skillet fried, that would take forever... So, the question is- is it fried in a regular deep fryer or a pressure fryer... The chicken had that similarity of crispiness and greasiness like in a KFC chicken. Those pressure fryers are pricey but they cook quicker and in higher volumes. Regular deep fryer gives the chicken a dryer crispier crust since the steam escapes but it does take longer. You could produce a pressure cooked style fried chicken but that is more involved and time consuming. I tried to peek back there in the kitchen but you can't see shit behind the wall. So, my guess is that the chicken was pressure fried (I hope I'm wrong). I'm not a fan of KFC chicken because of that... Anyone remember Leroy's Chicken? For the time being, this was a decent fried chicken and people will love it no matter what just because of the name behind. Oh, and skip the Frim Fram sauce (mayo ketchup sriracha hybrid thinger) which was awful at best.

It's just unreal to me how people can eat the same stuff I ate and proclaim it is the best fried chicken and/or the chicken biscuit/sando ever on their first week. If it was called Bill's Chicken, no one would give a shit. The hero worship in this town is fucking uncanny and annoying. It's such a mind fuck. If they took a shit in the fryer and sandwiched it between a bun, some people will say it was the best fried fecal matter with b&b pickles they have ever eaten because it's from the H&F crew. But make no mistake, H&F does put out very decent grub and they do care about their product but when you start opening more and more stores the products will not be the same on a consistency level. I would definitely go back and try the chicken again but it ain't a destination fried cheekan joint for the pouch just yet. I'm sure this is the first of many menu restructuring. So, hopefully, they will get things running smoother as time goes on with new offerings and a fried chicken that's pouch worthy. But it's a worthy addition to the PCM.

675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
678-235-2696 
http://www.hopschicken.com/contact-1/

Sobban Tokyo vs Seoul Ramen

Seems like Ramen Pop-Up nights are spreading like a virus around town... Which concerns me... Since, I have been scratching my pouch non-stop for days for this event. I stopped by Ration + Dram last week for their first try at Ramen Crush but it was an absolute total shitshow, the hour+ wait for a bowl of noodle soup was ridiculous. Dude, if you're gonna promote the shit outta a ramen pop-up for one night only, make sure you prep enough for 200 bowls. You know this town has an itch for expensive bowls of soup with noodles in it... So, why are you fucking around acting like some amateur. Get your fucking mise en place in order.
Fast forward to this week and Sobban is doing a ramen pop-up on the same night as Ramen Crush. There's no contest which place I was gonna stop by first... I know Sobban has their shit together so I can zip right in and zip right out with enough time to spare to hit Ramen Crush as well if I was still hungry... Well, shit, that was my plan, to hit both joints in one night if I was able to. Let's take a look at Sobban first.

Mibo Tokyo Shoyu Ramen, Chicken chashu, egg, corn, bamboo, sprouts, negi. Shoyu is one of my favorite styles of ramen with tonkotsu being my fav, of course. The broth is light yet complex, it is savory on the palate and smooth on the finish. The Sun noodles do not disappoint, the chicken chashu was tender but a bit on the salty side which was amplified more by the broth. The corn niblets were there for color and a bit of texture but didn't really add much to bowl overall. The whole egg split in half woulda been better if it was semi soft boil at least.. But prepping for dozens and dozens of orders I can understand for the hard boil. Just drown that fucker in the broth to soften the yolk and kinda trick yourself that it's runny. 

Spicy Seoul Budae-jjigae ramen (Army stew). Andouille, Miso bacon, rice cake, tomato kimchi, tofu. Don't let the bright red/orange color fool ya... It ain't spicy, ok, maybe a tad bit for the heat challenged from the gochujang. The sausage and bacon were tasty as expected. The rice cake gave it a toothy texture. The tofu really didn't do much. And the Sun noodles killed it of course. It's simple but yet a hearty bowl of noodle soup.  

Assorted Bean Salad. All the beans are grown right outside, so you know what the fuck you're eating. Dress it lightly with a sesame dressing and puffed rice, you got yourself a tasty little treat. The pouch loves beans, keeps me regular.

Miyozakura Junmai Cup. Look at these cute cuddly fucking pandas... That motherfucker with his hoof over his snout is up to no good. Looks like he's gonna stick a bamboo up the other one's ass. I will never understand panda foreplay... Filthy little fuckers. This cup sake was light and refreshing with a crisp and dry finish... Perfect finish to a bowl or two of ramen afterwards.

Overall, the ramen sampled where both pretty good but it's hard to judge who's is better because they're different styles. Both were executed with style and speed, no one had to wait for an hour to get a bowl. The Shoyu was definitely in the ramen camp while the Army stew was more of a ramyun. It's like judging a fried cheekan vs. a rotisserie chicken. They may both contain chicken as with the noodle but totally two different creastures... Unless you deep fried the fucking rotisserie chicken whole, then that's another story. As for overall taste, the Shoyu edged out the Army stew by a Monchhichi's nose. If the Army stew was ultra spicy, that may have ended as a tie.
Hopefully, they will continue to do more ramen pop-ups, we need more of them... Wait, the pouch needs more of them. Ramen Crush will have to wait til next week, maybe by then they will have their shit worked out.

Yami Sushi

Bless their hearts... Hidden away in the back of this dumpy ass strip mall with almost no traffic visibility except a small sign jumbled together with the rest of the other signage out front. I heard about this place once or twice many moons ago in lore but recently stumbled upon it making an u-turn in the T'kila parking lot (which is another story). This place was dead, I guess they do more take out since it's in student central. I don't care, less people the better, more attention to my order. Let's do a test run before I go back for more heartburn...

Tempura Combo. I have never seen a shrimp stretched out that long, I feel almost inadequate eating this because it's embarrassing. While the factory molded shrimp tempura tasted plasticky, the slices of veggies were real and fresh but their version of tempura batter was totally lacking. Ok, the tempura was total shit. The coating was thin and hard, not exactly Japanese but neither were the owners (they spoke Mandarin). It's acceptable on a very low rent level.

Yaki Soba. I wanted to try the selection of ramen but I heard it was total garbage. You have no clue how much I wanted to get a bowl so I can shred it to pieces. But I didn't want to waste the pouch space and money on that shit tonight. So, I got the yaki soba instead but asked for the kid's portion because I'm on a diet (shhh, don't tell anyone). The Chino she-owner looked at me and said, but this is the kid's menu... I replied, Don't I look like a kid? She said, no but you act like one. Sold! So, I got my sampler size of yaki soba... Because if it sucked ass, I woulda been pissed with the full order. Luckily, this did not suck as much ass as I thought and it was actually a decent size portion... No fucking child can eat this much. The chicken and veggie ratio was pretty good (no red pickled ginger, though) but I was more into the noodles and the sauce... If it was up to standards. It's no Shoya's incredible yaki soba but for a shithole, this version wasn't half bad. The sauce was flavorful (a bit salty) and the noodles used were acceptable. It could be the most acceptable yaki soba in this area. 

Sushi & Sashimi Combo. Well, isn't this special... The first thing I see is the fake crab meat which they pulled and fanned it apart a bit to imitate real king crab meat. It's the little details that makes the difference, too bad it didn't make a difference in taste. Fake crab meat is only good in a Publix Neptune salad, period. The one thing that I haven't seen in a long time is the way they cut the sashimi...in blocky rectangles. Y'all, know why they did this, right? Not to waste any scraps, even though they could use it in a spicy tuna roll. They obviously get the frozen fish in blocks like you'll find at the Asian markets. So, they basically slice them accordingly to the shape and not against the grain. This amuses me that they're so aware of being cost efficient. Too bad the texture was like chewing on warm salt water taffy. If you closed your eyes, you wouldn't be able to taste the difference between all the pieces maybe except for the ebi and tako. It's a very mediocre display that could be found at any other average sushi joint across town. And why do sushi joints still serve that fake white tuna escolar shit.

Miso Soup. Look at the color. Guess they needed to put another spoonful of the miso soup mix in there. The tiny freeze dried cubes of tofu were a dead give away. As you expected, this tasted like very seasoned water... Maybe they cook their ramen noodles in it.

This sushi joint was very middling at best but I'm sure the Chinese family is working very hard here to make that buck. They're still in business so they can't be that stupid... They prolly know their demographics in this area. As evident by two millennial dudebros that came strolling in to place a take out order filled with California rolls and eggrolls... I don't think they even know the difference. Wait, do they even serve eggrolls here or are those two nitwits just blending the two Chinese and Japanese cuisines together because all Asian food are all the same to them? It's so comical and entertaining to see how our future is on the right path to Idiocracy... They returned shortly after their filled up at the growler joint to pick up their order and asked 3 times... Is there soy sauce and duck sauce in the bag? Chopsticks? Because I can't eat my California roll and eggroll without them. Don't forget your 6 pack of Brawndo, bro... Because it's the Thirst Mutilator: It's got what plants crave! It's got electrolytes.

Shoot me now.

1248 Clairmont Rd
Decatur, GA 30030
404) 634-8388
http://www.yamisushihibachi.com/