The One Sushi +

I would like to instroduce to you a relatively new sushi joint... It sounds like the sequel to Jet Li's movie, The One, but Jason Statham's supporting role has been replaced by Sushi. Is that a real Plus? Because he's hot and dreamy when he's steamy... And topless.

Shochu has been instroduced here... Fascinating.

Taiwanese S&P Chicken, Five spiced Taiwanese rice wine marinade, Thai basil. It ain't as fancy or flavorful as the description but it was tasty overall with flash fried green beans and basil. Quickly still kicks ass in the nugget department.

Yellowtail Jalapeno Shots, Cilantro, sriracha, radish, balsamic, honey yuzu. Gimmick central, I'm kinda disappointed that the fish wasn't branded with their logo... But I still had to order it. You can't shoot it, you kinda wiggle it out with the steel chopsticks. Not bad at all. One try is all I need to see what the fuss was about... But chicks really dig this, it's soooo cute, OMG!

Spider Maki Roll. Looked boring, tasted OK but the rice was overcooked and mushy. This was made in the back by the prep cook not one of the sushi dudes up front. That's why it's so ugly and sloppy looking. Gracias, amigo.

Sashimi. So, the server says the sushi & sashimi combo thinger will come out separately because they are in the weeds. Whatever, it will trick the pouch in thinking I ordered more food. It's all good. Speaking of good, this display was not too shabby. Relatively fresh fish, standard issue assortment but the sushi dude did include a little fatty salmon from the belly region...Which was nice.

Nigiri... And the tuna roll. Ah, the other half of the order... Simple, standard selection, pretty decent. The pedestrian tuna roll is what it is, nothing special just belly filler. The rice from the sushi dude area was a tad bit undercooked vs. the rice in the back kitchen which was mushy and overcooked. The sushi dude's rice was still a little warm which was nice but it badly needed a big shot of rice wine vinegar. They need someone who specializes in only making sushi rice because that's the true test of a real sushi joint... Not saying that this was a fake sushi joint.

Overall, a decent sooshee spot in little Buckhead aka Brookhaven... The menu and talent isn't gonna make the more authentic raw fish joints around town jiggle in their underpants but it's a cuisine that this area needed and it fills the spot nicely. I don't hate it... For now.


2523 Caldwell Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30319
404-869-6988
http://theonesushiplus.com/

Pouch Around Town

Sometimes, the pouch doesn't want to write a bunch of reviews of small bites around town, so, it puts them all in one big bowl of crap and let my one reader pass judgement on which dish is the biggest shit show in town...

Here we go... Weeeeeee!

Highlander.

 

Hot Chicken Fridays. So, I just came back from hot chicken central, Nashville, recently. Had some decent chicken in that town and I was still craving it when I got back. So, naturally, I went to the Highlander to compare it while it was still fresh in my bowels. Let me say this is one good deal, a meal in itself for a measly $10 with your choice of dark or white meat (dark of course, durr), a bowl of mac-n-cheez and a side (have to get tots here, duh). So, how was the cheekan? It was kinda spicy and a little wet which was nice but I was hoping for a lot more heat. The chicken itself was tender and juicy, a good tasting bird. Where would I rather get a hot chicken in the ATL? Well, you can either pay the same price for one thigh and a slice of white bread at H&F or a fancy version at One Eared Stag... But for the value and similar taste, I think I would come back here for their hot cheekan deal a meal. Eat that, Richard Simmons. I so want a pair of his ball sack short shorts.


Alma Cocina.

 

Taquitos Trio of Tacos. This place is a pain in the ass to get to and parking is a logistical nightmare. The margaritas are forgettable and the food is freshly made but hardly Mexican. Tongue, carnitas and some other meat creasture... All of it bland. Had to drown it in hot sauce to get a hint of Latino flavor. Snooze.


Argosy.

Sriracha Dog. Cute snack, comes with fries. Actually, a semi meal. Good hot dog but the Asian slaw was too raw and crunchy and not spicy. Just flick it off and you have yourself a decent regular hot dog. Pretty decent fries too.

Plancha Burger. Rut Ruh, do we have another best burger contender? Oh, fuck yeah we do. This is what it would taste like when H&F's burger have a disgusting greasy orgy with General Muir's burger and Grindhouse's burger... This is like the Freddy Krueger of burgers and it's pretty fucking tasty. Is it that good you ask? I don't know yet, might need to eat a few dozen more before my verdict. PS- I'm fat so I got a side salad instead of fries because I keep seeing girls who eat a triple bacon cheeseburger with a side of salad, light dressing and a diet Coke to neutralize the fatty calories in their ass... It obviously works.

Pork Belly Pizza. When they first opened, the first thing I noticed was the sweet wood burning oven, I knew they would be cooking something round and foldable in there. It was a decent 'ZA but it needs more work. The ingredients were fresh and vibrant but the dough needs work because without a great crust all it is is just sauce in a cardboard bowl. Not bad but I'll wait till they get it together before I try another one. But I will eat your last slice that no one wants.


Blue Moon Pizza.

BBQ Chicken Pizza.Where am I? Ok, it isn't the best pizza in town and it isn't traditional at all. It wants to be NY style but CiCi's is holding it back. It's a very middling pizza but it will get you fat and sleepy. Why did I get a BBQ chicken 'ZA? Like it matters if I got a different one.

Italian Flatwich. This had me laughing until my pants button popped off. It sooo wants to be a Hot Pocket but it's just a really fancy Pizza Combos. The slices of meat in there were so thin I could read a Kindle novel through it.


Quan 9.

 Eggrolls. Hot as fuck and crispy. Innards were ok. It's passable.

Meatball Pho. Broth was a little weak but still had nice flavor. They give you a lot of meatballs... And they should when it's called a meatball pho.

Dac Biet Pho. Not a great selection of assorted meats and offal. Same broth, same weakness in flavor... But not for long, just dump a shitload of Sriracha, bean sprouts, jalapenos, basil, chili paste and hoisin. That sauce is so money, I'm driving this short bus to flavor town... Donkey sauce not available. Unless you make your own in the bathroom.


Heirloom Market & BBQ.

Mess Kit Special. Shit is always G U U D. Thank you, come again. PS- Hot as Balls Hot Sauce back in stock.

Stick around for more reports from the pouch around town... Or not.

Don Soo Baek (Korean Restaurant)

The owner of the long running former Korean cold noodle joint in Duluth has quietly opened another Korean resto that specializes in pork bone soups. This joint is a chain from Korea that has been opening up in the Northeast (NY/NJ) area with a pretty strong following and now the first location outside can be found here in Atlanta. This place does not have an English name except "Korean Restaurant" on the front signage but secretly known to ex-pats as Don Soo Baek (translate to something like eat pork and you will live to 100)... Shit, why stop at a 100 years old? I say to 104 at least... Then wrap me in bacon and honey and roast me like a little suckling piglet.

You may think this is a Korean BBQ joint when you peek at the round metal cover thinger on the tables but it's just an electric heat element coil for the soup pots and what nots that's coming out from the kitchen in giant bowls. Nothing is in English, so you're basically shit outta luck... Unless you know Spanish, you know, to get the busboys to clear the dirty plates off the table so more shit can be brought out. I'm telling you, you will run out of space on the large tables in no time. 

This is just the beginning... By the end of the meal, shit was stacked two high.

Blood sausage, pig tongue, ears, liver, stomach and pork belly. Holy shit, yo! This was G U U D... Especially, the pork belly, shit melted in your mouth. Squirt.

Giant bowl of spicy pork bone soup that can feed 4 peeps easily... Meat was super tender and fell right off the bones and the spices used were super fragrant with large chunks of potatoes. And no joke at $10. Yeah, fucking 10 clams for this bowl of Ms. Piggy love.

Pork bone soup with a variety of thinly sliced meats and offal inside it, the stickiness from the collagen from the bones were so flavorful. Shit is good for you, too. We got another bowl with blood sausage and offal. The bone soup has been simmering for 20+ hours in this giant cauldron of pig bones and parts like whole heads and penis (this makes it cloudy supposedly from what I hear). This could be one amazing tonkotsu broth. Damn, yo, get some friggin hand made noodles in the house.

Giant mandoos the size of an average human's fist. The girth is quite impressive, but as with all things with girth this size... They are almost impossible to fit a fist in one's oral or anal cavity, let alone swallowing it. The seasoned mandoo eaters should have no problem taking it all in up to the elbows. These were quite good but if they made it half the size, it would please more women and some men.

We finished off with one of the owner's famous cold noodle... I miss his old cold noodle joint in Nukoa Plaza. The best cold noodle in town.

They just opened for like a week and the shit is this good already, imagine when they get their routine and groove on. They will also have a special (I think 4 orders per day or some shit like that) of pig face cuts... All different selections from his face! I fucking love face meat.


3473 Old Norcross Rd.
#207
Duluth, GA 30096
770-622-7780

Yoi Yoi

When one of my favorite "authentic" sushi spots just got rammed in the ass with a 61/U hot poker recently, I went into a depression and was reduced to this... Ok, I was lazy and didn't want to drive far from my dump on a Monday night. They took over the same space as Sakura Stix, can't remember if the interior has changed much... Who cares but their website is still active which is super FOBBY. Is it the same owners just rebranding the joint? Could be because the menu is almost exactly the same except for the addition of bento boxes. They speak Mandarin so, you know the food will be authentic Japanese. Ok, can't really bust balls until you try it.

How bad can it be? They have bento boxes...

Famous last words.

Ubiquitous carrot ginger salad and miso soup. If you like sesame oil that comes in the Costco gallon size for a family of 28, this dressing is for you. The sesame oil dominated the ginger/carrot and left a thin film of it in your mouth that basically null and void anything you eat after. If you like instant miso that comes in those little packets with tiny freeze dried cubes of tofu that you keep in your office drawer for when the zombie apocalypse comes, this soup is for you. I bet those preppers have cases of this stuff in their bunkers.

Sushi Dinner For 1- First thought... Taste the Rainbow... wasn't it. Play-Doh was more like it. This entire meal tasted like it was made in Home Economics 101 in a Winder high school... In summer school. All the previously frozen to death slices of chum were tasteless, textureless, vibrantless and nameless. It was either mushy or stringy. They used dried up chives from like the week before for garnish on a couple pieces. Shrimp tempura roll was over fried and burnt. The best thing on the plate was the fucking California rolls. Even the wasabi was watered down. Who the fuck waters down wasabi? Adding insult to injury, they place a sprig of parsley on the corner for that Lap Of  Luxury feeling... Only thing I could do was LOL. That was the only thing that was fresh on the plate.

Bento Box- Coconut walnut prawn with lemon aioli coconut sauce and candied walnuts. Bento box my ass, this looks more like the dinner tray in Cell Block C at County... Not that I would know but I've seen it on TV before on Criminal Minds, so I'm an expert. Half of this box was frozen previously- the nasty little soggy battered shrimp soaked in liquified mayo to the semi-baked veggie eggroll tasted like freezer burn. The stars of the show was the California roll (which is called a "crab roll" made out of pollock surimi) and the steamed rice (when you are craving for one thing, 3000 times in one sitting). Don't drop the soap, errr, I mean orange slices.

The couple in the table across the way ordered 2 giant platters of assorted "sooshie"... Hope they got a good supply of TP back home.

Time to purge, seppuku style.

Flush.

857 Collier Rd NW #11
Atlanta, Georgia 30318
(404) 351-1788
http://yoiyoisushi.com/

Hot Chicken

What do you do when you can't find a decent piece of hot chicken in da ATL? You get your muffin top in the car and head up to the place where it all started... A little place called Nashville. Yeah, it may be a little extreme and almost borderline certifiable to drive hours for a piece of chicken but sometimes it's absolutely necessary when the craving hits. You will drive passed a lot of trees and rednecks in wife beaters driving a beater but it's worth it in the end.

Let's get this party started... Time to rock out with your hot cock out.

First digs, Hattie B's near Vanderbilt... It's kinda like a college hipster hangout. Those trust fund pussies can't take the heat but they do like the banana in the tail pipe pudding though.

Dare to compare... Southern style vs. Nashville hot chicken style. Look at that spread, it's a shitload of grub for one sitting. I took no prisoners. The sides were all pretty simple but tasty. The redskin tater salad and beans were stand outs. I don't eat much desserts or sweets but the banana pudding was da bomb, creamy sweet and nice chunks of ripen bananas filled it out, the vanilla wafers were not stale like most other places.

Glamour shot of the "Get the Cluck Outta Here" hot... This was their hottest hottest hot chicken available up in this piece. The guy was like, you sure about this? I was like, dude, stop it and mind your own biznaz. It looked terrifying at first glance but I just dove right in and inhale that beast (leg-thigh combo, always, if you get white meat for hot chicken you're an ass clown) in like 2 minzies. I would say it's mild to medium hot, no where near the high end mark of hot. It was a crispy, juicy and mildly spiced chicken that delivers what most people would expect. I can only wonder how weak the medium or hot levels are. The southern style was a very nice plain fried chicken... Just bring your own hot sauce.

112 19th Ave S
Nashville, TN 37203
615-678-4794
http://www.hattieb.com/ 


Next up... Pepperfire Chicken. Based on a recommendation from a friend who lives in N'ville, I was told this was da bomb, better than Prince's. I had to see what the fuss was about with smack talk like that. It's a shack with some picnic tables inside a covered area. You order from a tiny window, similar to a walk up liquor store bullet proof window in the ghetto, and they text you when your order is ready... Because it's so difficult to call out your name. They just want you to like them on Facebook. Seems like they get a lot of call ahead orders which could be why they text you, it is 2013, y'all.

XX-Hot. The hottest they got. I told them to make it XXXX-Hot. They said they can only do so much, we're not miracle workers here, we just make hot chicken. I just triple dog dared them and they bent over and took it like a little bitch. This hot cheekan looks deadly with the glossy dark shellac of hotness. Not as battered at most other places but definitely deeper in color and less wet. Great tasting chicken, juicy and semi crispy but sadly it had zero heat. I kept eating and eating hoping the heat and spices will develop via some chemical reaction with saliva or bad breath but all I got was nada. This was like a nice backyard BBQ chicken with a decent coating of dry rub. The fries and okra were from a brown bag... But it was seasoned well, so it's got that going for it.

2821 Gallatin Pike
Nashville, TN 37216
(615) 582-4824
http://www.pepperfirechicken.com/


Meanwhile, in the hipsterville part of Nashville... Holland House Bar & Refuge has an amazing atmosphere but their Happy Hour menu (both food and cocktails) is even more amazing. They have the standard happy hour from 5-6PM but they also come back after 10PM. FUCK YEAH, brah. All the classic cocktails are $5... Are you fucking kidding me? Five friggin bucks?! Don't even hand me the menu, just yes, please. Then I glanced at the happy hour menu and everything on there is also $5. Why is this not in Atlanta... WTF, yo?! I really wanted their Korean Fried Chicken but they replaced it with a Hot Chicken, instead. Even better, bro. But for $5, what will I really get... The bartender did say it was a drier style hot chicken. I was so happy with the cocktails that the hot chicken was just a consolation prize, even if it sucked dick, I was totally jazzed about this joint.

First off, why is it in nugget form? Oh, I get it, it's fancy hipster gastropub style served on top of a baguette instead of white bread, a few slices of gourmet bread & butter pickles and a little tater salad. It may be called hot chicken, but this was not hot chicken, Atlanta has better hot chicken than this and that's really pushing it. These were spiced nuggets made from white meat. While they were quite tasty, they really shouldn't call this hot chicken... It's like saying  General Tso's chicken is spicy and real Chinese food. You can fool the retards but the people who seek the real stuff will be sorely disappointed. But to give them credit, they did say this was not real hot chicken but I was so excited about the cocktails that I didn't even care. I bamboozled myself. Bartender, another $5 Manhattan, pweez. Still a great place.

935 W Eastland Ave
Nashville, TN 37206
(615) 262-4190
http://www.hollandhousebarandrefuge.com/


Ok, this is not hot chicken but when I see fried chicken in a shack in the ghetto, I'm like a fly to a flypaper. That shit just pulls me in and never lets go. It's ok though, I'll be in chicken heaven. This small Alabama chain have one outpost in Chattanooga. It's kinda in a seedy area (I saw cops taking pictures of gang graffiti on the building walls next door, how fun!) but that's usually where you will find the best fried chicken, 40's of beer and hot white college girls working here. Naturally.

I got some fried chicken and fried livers. The livers were pretty awesome... large livers, medium batter and super crispy. Douse it with hot sauce and heaven will open it's doors. The fried chicken, made to order, was super crunchy and juicy. It's just a great piece of fried chicken. Don't you dare get white meat here... Unless it's one of the servers. Is it better than Popeyes? Close but Pops is still King. You know how hard it was for me to not go into a Popeyes on this road trip... Had to close my eyes and think about KFC every time I saw a Pops. That's discipline.

526 E Ml King Blvd
Chattanooga, TN 37402
(423) 752-9198
http://champyschicken.com/


I did not have the chance to see how Prince's Hot Chicken was these days because it was closed when I went by. They have the worst business plan, they open and close whenever it suits them, never keeps to their schedule. But as I remembered it last, their chicken was pretty damn good and spicy. On this trip, Hattie B's came out on top.