I have not been back to this place for many many moons... I remember the inside was so dumpy and gloomy and the food was middling at best, there was no reason to really comeback any time soon... And soon became years. Since, I do like to come back to restos that somehow continues to defy all rationale and stay in business after all these years, there might be something going on since my last visit. The exterior is still the same which looks like a soup kitchen, the bright red sign is still up and glowing... But the inside has been somewhat renovated to resemble a farm to table whitie joint. What the fuck is going on in here? Was this another attempt to crackerize the interior setting to look more attractive to the demographics around this pretty well to do neighborhood? Obviously, Asians are not their primary target audience... But the roundeyes will surely love this place because it will look like the farmhouse style living/dining room/kitchen they always wanted like in an episode of Fixer Upper with Chip and Joanna Gaines. So, why not make it look like a mini Ford Fry resto inside, shit, he always wanted to open a Thai and sooshee joint, anyways. Instead of Mex-Tex, this was Nip-Siam.
Not only did they renovated the space, it seems like they reworked the menu, too... And it's fucking long as shit. That's usually not a good sign but what can I do now... I could walk out but I really wanted some sweet shrimp with the tasty fried head.
Fuck it, if it sucks, then the pouch will have something fun to write about... Time to feed da pouch.
Soft Shell Crab. They have a few different soft shell crab dishes, but it was a struggle not to order the spider roll... Yeah, I know, why didn't I fucking order it? But this regular SSC app was not too shabby at all. The crust was not overly battered like at most places. You can actually tell it's a friggin crab on the plate while other places look like a friggin chicken tender. It was crispy and meaty. Not a bad start.
Thai Toast. Minced chicken and shrimp smeared on bread and deep fried. Oh, they're greasy and crispy and kinda totally addictive. It's like the worst concept ever but it's so bad they're good.
Duck Rolls. I always get suckered in for duck deep wrapped up and fried in any manner... They look pretty good but the duck was a bit chewy. So, you get that really nice crispy layer then you're chewing and chewing to work that duck into submission before you swallow it. It's not bad, but the execution didn't work out as planned.
Sweet Shrimp. I love these fucking things... It's one of my all time favorite snack. The fried shrimp head is quite possibly one of the most savory things on earth to put in one's mouth. The brains/tomalley is one of the finest delicacies made by mother nature. I love staring into his black eyeballs before I crack open his head with my teeths. The shrimp was pretty sweet and the texture was very nice, it was pretty fresh overall but it ain't the best I've had in this town. For $2.95, I ain't complaining.
Sushi Special. I know I know what the fuck is the California roll doing on this platter... I just wanted to sample a few selection of their fishies and the cali roll was just an included byproduct. The only disappointment was the fake surimi crab leg, the other pieces of nigiri were fine and average, nothing spectacular... At least they weren't mushy and devoid of texture and flavor like another place I had recently. It ain't gonna blow your mind but if you needed a sooshee fix, it's acceptable.
Pad Thai. This version included chicken and shrimp, that explains why it was abnormally pricey for this simple noodle dish. I must admit it wasn't a bad version of the classic national dish. It need more acidity so ask them for more lime wedges. It wasn't gooey and gloppy like a few places around town. I was totally acceptable and I would get it again.
Miso Soup. This place only gives you one option for the sushi special... Either, miso soup or the salad which was kinda chintzy, c'mon, bro, it ain't gonna eat into your margins if you offered both. But if you had to choose, I would go with the soup since the other apps already included a little salad. The miso soup here was average, at least it wasn't full on instant miso soup from an envelope.
I was pleasantly surprised by this visit years later... It's not the best sushi and Thai in this town but for what it was, I would come back again. The service was good, the ambiance was nice even though it didn't convey the feeling that you're at a Thai/sushi joint, the food was better than average, some dishes were kinda silly but that's ok. Next time, I would sit at the sushi bar and see what magic they can perform for me. But the interior update still baffles my mind... It's so friggin southern farm to table style that I wanted to order fried chicken, collars and cornbread.
1799 Briarcliff Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30306-2142
(404) 817-9805
http://www.thaicoonsushiatlanta.com/
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