99 Cafe Sushi & Hot Pot

When I hear AYCE sushi, I think of those shitty Chinese buffet places with crappy sushi rolls falling apart and sashimi that looked like a pack of rabid dogs prepared it with their foaming mouths. But this place is a bit different on how they deliver the goods. They actually have sushi chefs preparing and plating every order. It sounds pretty nice but can they really keep up with the volume since it's unlimited?
I was hankering for some snow crab legs and sooshee, so there's no better time to see what all the fuss was about on this new FOB joint up in K-town. It's pretty amazing that this joint is not run by Coreans, instead by Chinos. They are really fobby because the decor is a cross between a dungeon and a tiki hut. The girl host asked if I had reservations, I'm like no but are you on Opentable or something? She was like... What's Opentable? I'm like, an Asian that has never heard of Opentable on the interwebs? But I'm pretty sure she knows what the fuck Yelp is... Since most of them are in here with their stupid selfie sticks. Anyhoo.. This place has AYCE sushi and hot pot for $28.99. I don't know who can actually eat that much with both options but I was only interested in the crab legs and sushi for $25.99 on this visit. The hot pot solo is $22.99 which is kinda a ripoff compared to all the other AYCE hot pot joints around town for under $20. If I really starved the pouch for a whole day, it may be able to do the combo... But let's see what they can do first.

Snow Crab Legs. These came out quickly and steamed pretty damn nicely. The flesh were really good, I couldn't believe it. I tore through this like Hulk Hogan's tanktop. This was worth the price of admission. Had to order more...

Make your own sauces at the sauce station and the center one was called "Yummy Sauce"... True story.

Sushi and Sashimi assortment. I woulda thought the quality would be just ok but this really surprised me... It's better than average but make no mistake this ain't Umi or MF. I rip this plate a new asshole within a few minzies. They did miss a few pieces on this order but they didn't hurt my feelings since they were pumping out plate after plate like machines. You could always order more on the next round... Had to order more...

Spicy Tuna Tartare. This place is plating stuff like this? All cute and shit... This was not bad either. Had to order more...

Yellowtail Jalapeno. It ain't Nobu but this was totally acceptable and tasty. How is this possible? Had to order more...

Black Pepper Tuna Tataki. Ok, not really seared off but you know what, I ate the fuck outta this. I was basically pouring this dish down my throat like a cheap slut. Had to order more...

Tako Su. Octopus with vinegar sauce.. But I couldn't tell the difference if it was vinegar or ponzu since I inhaled this with 3 seconds. Had to order more...

Spider Roll and Spicy Tuna. For what it was this was quite surprising even to the pouch. The girls at the table ordered some other bullshit whitie rolls with cream fucking cheese in it... Oh, well, I ain't eating it so no pics. Believe me, you don't want to see them. Had to order more...

Kumamoto Oysters. When I saw this on the menu, I said to myself, no fucking way these are kumamotos... One look and y'all know the answer, way too big for real kumamotos. Not to say that these weren't good, they were pretty fresh and plump. I slurped the entire dozen within 65 seconds like a human trash compactor. Keep your kids away from the pouch. But I had to order more... 

For shits and giggles, I was gonna order either the "Sex on the Beach" roll or the "99 Cafe" roll, just because... But I opted for more crab legs... These fuckers were real nice, real meaty and salty. These crab legs are making thirsty! After the 5th or 6th cluster, the sodium was taking effect... You know they planned this all out. The more crab legs you eat, the more water you will drink to fill up your pouch space. Well played but it had no effect on the volume of the pouch square footage. Had to order more...

These crab legs are making me thirsty!

At first, I thought this was gonna be low rent as fuck... But I don't know why I'm so excited about this place... Could it be the very decent sushi and very tasty crab legs or the endless parade of slutty Asian hookers up in this piece. Rail thin skinny chippies with over the top boob jobs, but boy, can they eat! They must be training for something, squirt... Speaking of which, I need to train before my next visit. A light continental breakfast, stretchy pants, sports drink with electrolytes and Rolaids. Oh, remember there is a time limit (about 2 hours), so training is highly recommended before stepping into this lair of gluttony. I don't know how they make money with unlimited crab legs and soosh. And I really don't care, as long I can order more...

Burp.

PS- I did notice they had a perfect 100-A health score (for now), that's almost unheard of for an ethnic resto... But I'll take it and another order of crab legs, pweez.

2330 Pleasant Hill Rd.
Duluth, GA 30096
678-473-9399

Sloppy Pouch

It doesn't take much to convince the pouch to go out and gorge on slop... It's like a pig in shit. Let's go roll in some fecal matter...

Nakato.

 

Tonkotsu Ramen. Braised pork belly, seasoned boiled egg, wood ear mushrooms, scallions, bamboo, and dry roasted seaweed. This was a limited time offer... So, of course the pouch had to see what the fuss was about. Too bad, there wasn't much to write home about. It's an acceptable bowl of ramen but the broth was way too light. It was watered down way too much for an all pork bone broth. If it was at 80% full strength then this woulda been a very nice tonkotsu. The ramen noodles were toothy but wasn't all that noteworthy. The pork belly was melt in your mouth goodness but everything else was pretty much filler. Worth $13? Not really but go ahead and try it and see if they have tweaked the broth for the better before they disappear.

Sashimi Combo. Decent pieces of fish, not bad not great... The tuna was very pale, may have been frozen a couple times. All the moisture and color leaked out from defrosting and freezing again it seems like.

Nasu Dengaku. Grilled eggplant with miso. Yeah, these were damn good. 

Sesame Pudding. Nice like treat with a little matcha green tea pool.


Cafe Bombay.

Lamb Biryani. I have always found this joint to be a bit lackluster. It's usually full of white people eating in here. But a friend really needed this dish to complete his silly 100 dish challenge... And yes, he's as white as they come with the whole shaved head look, too. Kinda looks like Casper and he scares the shit outta me when I see him walk around the corner at night. But anyways, back to this specimen... I don't know, it's ok I guess. It's a bit wet for me but I was assured it was the way it should be by an ex-pat. It's like saying all Americans know what authentic BBQ is. It wasn't bad but the big clumps of white rice found in the dish made them look like amateurs. I don't know, it's becoming tiresome trying to find good eats sometimes.

Samosas. They were ok, nothing much to talk about here except that fake vampire blood sauce.

Papadum. These were kinda addictive... Maybe because they were the first and only things on the table. Suckered again by table snacks.

Tandoori Wings. I woulda thought they would be more crispy coming from a tandoori. They weren't bad, just something I would never order again. Been there, done that.

Garlic Naan. This was a sizable order of naan. Get one order first and if you like it, can always get another. But it's a lot of naan... Watch your carb intake.

Palak Paneer. Kinda refreshing to not find giant cubes of cheese in this classic dish but it doesn't mean that it was good, either. It was acceptable, kinda on the boring side. There wasn't enough ooomph in there to get me wet but Linda Blair would probably approve of the color. The basmati rice was decently flavored and kinda saved the dish when mixed all together.


Best BBQ.

The best dim sum in metro Atlanta. Made to order and ultra fresh. Just say no to the carts.

Cheekan Feets. Very plump and tender today... Eating this will give you very healthy skin and a rock hard boner... At least, that's what my Scoutmaster always told me.

3 Meat Combo, roast pig, bbq pork and roast duck. Their bbq meats are pretty much always spot on but the roast pork was some of the best I've had from them on this visit, the crispy skin was thick and crackling good. They make the best sour mustard around.

It's like the Pleasanthill Chainsaw Massacre... Now, that's a leatherface the pouch can love. Damn tasty.


Fork in the Road.

Damn their dericious fwied cheekan... I have to stop coming here for their cheekan so often. They say it's pressure fried but no way it's that crispy in a pressure fryer. I'm wondering if they flash fry it after to get that crust so crispy. Skip the cajun fries, stick with the sweet creamed corn bread. 

Charleston Fishwich. Very sizable with two pieces of fried flounder but since they were so thin, they were a bit dry and chewy inside. Skip this and try something else.

Chicken Tenders. Same batter as the fried cheekan.. Damn good tenders... Crusty and moist, that's what you want to find on a piece of cheekan but not on a girl. The sweet tater fries were acceptable, standard stuff.

NY Deli Reuben. A decent showing but not authentic "NY" deli style by any means. It was tasty but this would go in the "had it, done that" basket... Time to try something else next time.

Haru Ichiban.

Tonkotsu Ramen. Still meh... Bless their hearts.


Rock N Taco.

RNT Wings. Naked with Habanero sauce on the side... Thank god because the hab sauce sucked so hard. And only 9 wings came out instead of 10... The waitress found the missing wing still in the fry basket. Obviously, attention to details is their top priority. Wings were ok, though... A lil extra crispy and still moist inside. Nothing to write home about nor come back here for these again.Why the fuck did I come here again?

Tacos. Can anyone even tell the difference between this row of slop... There's suppose to be a cluck, a crabby, a duck confit and a carolina somewhere in there. They all tasted the same... No wonder no one comes here. It was so depressing... And I thought the Clermont was where strippers go to die, this place had a handful of washed up 20 something hookers hanging out at the bar that coulda passed for 45. Rodney Dangerfield would say this was a rough crowd.

So much bad food, so little time... The things I do for my one fan. Don't worry, I won't die on you... Unless, I eat something that even my iron pouch can't handle which then would be a glorious day.

Burp.

Wingstop

The previous dump in this hole in the wall was a Blimpie.. It lasted as long as a Cessna on the radar in the Bermuda Triangle. Thank baby Jesus it didn't last long because their subs sucks a big fat juicy meat flap roll. And now the tiny space has been replaced by a Wingstop. I have never been to one of these joints ever because they're always in some hick town where you usually find a Dollar General. I have always thought these wing chains were garbage like Buffalo Wild Wings and the sort. Even Taco Mac's wings sucks ass. Why can't anyone in this town make a great medium sized wing with sick sauces? So, how can this little dump be any different... Let's go make fun of some low rent shit.

Atomic. Their sauces are kinda limited but this is their hottest of the hot. It was thick looking which could be bad or good. The first wing was weak, after 4 it gained momentum with a decent spicy kick but after the 6th one it peaked and went back downhill. The wings are pretty decent size and I do give them a little something for the effort. I can't believe I just said that for a chain/take out wing joint. But they deserved it.

Serrano Pepper Glaze. This is a new sauce for them, they didn't know where exactly to place it on their heat scale on the board, so they just slapped it in the middle... Fucktards. It's more sweet than spicy. But after 2 or 3 wings you can't even tell there's "serrano peppers" in it. Like I said before the wings are totally respectable. I'm still baffled by how decent the wings were, not this sauce, though.

Lemon Pepper. This low rent option always appear before the pouch. I don't know what it is but I hate this "flavor" and yet I keep getting it at different places hoping someone will blow my mind on doing a real one. For a chain, this wasn't half bad. How is this even possible? It's UNPOSSIBLE... And it was tasty. Damn it. The wings were crispy and very decent size. This was not a bad lemon  pepper specimen.

I can't understand it... This place was supposed to be lackluster, it really dashed my hopes and dreams of using my colorful verbiage akin to taking a dump at a music festival to compare this joint. Even the staff looked well put together and not like slobs. Could it be that they're new and are actually following the franchise operations manual by the book and cooking the shit correctly? Who the fuck knows, they might suck ass in a month but I know when to admit that the pouch was mistaken and I would prolly come back to try some other flavors... I'm so low rent sometimes. And it feels so G U U D. Wait, I'm always low rent... Who am I trying to kid? Definitely, not my one fan...

Burp.

2941 N Druid Hills Rd. 
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 343-2536  
http://www.wingstop.com/

MF Sushi

Unless you have been living under a rock or a flappy pannus like me... MF Sushi is back in da ATL. The once extravagant and over the top sushi joint in Buckhead (and midtown) that relocated to Houston has quietly reopened in Inman Park. This time they're doing it right without all the glitz, glamour and outrageous price point... Not that it wasn't worth it at times but no one would go there on a weekly basis paying that amount of change.
So, they have downsized to a more intimate and manageable space and the price point is more approachable but that's not to say it's cheap, either. But for their pedigree and history of quality, this was spot on. I love the length of the sushi bar and it can fit even the fattest of humans like me. The booze bar when they get their license (soon) will be a great hangout/lounge space. Even with the smaller space, they didn't cut any corners on the design of the place. It's a very stylish place even for the new Inman Park... But don't dare think the millennial and frat boy crowd won't come in with shorts and mandles. They were there, they're everywhere like roaches... Eating their beloved rolls.
Alright, enough talk, more cowbells and sushi. I wanted to do the omakase and the chef said they could it do it but the selection will be limited and not as good... "Come back on a Tuesday or Thursday." That's what I like to hear from a chef. Someone who looks after the customers. I know a few places that would charge you the full price and give you shitty pieces then expect you to kiss their ass like they're doing you a favor. I will definitely be back to do the omakase when they are at 100% inventory. But let's check out a sample or 14 of what's to come...

Tuna Tataki. Ponzu, scallion, pan fried garlic, hot sriracha. This is so cute! That's what chicks would say... I say just put it in your mouth like you usually do every night, it's about the same texture, mmm... fleshy. I don't usually fall for this dish because I'm more traditional when it comes to sushi but this was very nice. The fried garlic on top gave it another pump to the dish. I squirted.

Ankimo. Cucumber, caviar, ponzu. I lurv monkfish liver. If it's on the menu, I'm getting it. This version was real nice and velvety. The caviar gives it a small hint of saltiness to balance out the silky liver.

Baked Mussels. Japanese mayo, eel sauce, masago and scallion. I don't usually get mussels at any restos because they are so easy and inexpensive to make at home but Alex said I needed to try this, so, why not... Looks like a mess but when you suck it down, it's a mix of different levels of flavor. It's a tasty starter to get the palate going but I would save the pouch space next time for something else. Gaijins are falling over themselves for this, though...

Sake Kama. I always get hamachi kama, time to switch it up a bit. This was a very nice showing. A ton of flesh and fat melted in your mouth. The skin charred nicely and don't forget to eat the fins.

Soft Shell Crab Roll. I am a sucka for this every time...A SUCKA, I said. I'm not really into rolls, most are usually pretty lame but the spider roll always Jedi mind tricks my fat ass into getting it. This was pretty good, not the best I have had but it will do... For this one time. I really don't need any more rolls in my pouch, it jiggles enough already.

Kani, Medai Signature, Hamachi Signature. I had to ask if it was real crab meat because the price point seemed off to me, hey, I'm always skeptical but as you can see it's real crab and it was dericious.. The medai and hamachi were pretty damn tasty as well.

Maguro, Hirame. The tuna was gorgeous and the flounder was melt in your mouth. I shoulda ordered another round of the flounder but... I went for the tuna sashimi instead.

Maguro Sashimi. Look at the color of this tuna. Sick. Perfect meaty pieces of tuna went into the pouch within a blink of an eye. So G U U D.

Sake Signature, Tako. Caviar and truffle on the salmon means only one thing... Some entitled fat ass is living the life. That is until I see the check. The salmon knife work was a perfect blend of fat and flesh. Dang tasty. I love octopus, so it had to go into the pouch as well. Tender and fresh.

Yuzu Chocolate Mousse with Pina Colada Sauce... and Macaron. I don't know exactly what this was and neither did sushi chef Masa but it was tasty even for me. I ate like 3 bites of it instead of my usual single bite and had enough routine. The texture of the mousse was almost like a pate similar to the ankimo but man, this was pretty nice.

Without even doing the omakase, this first look and sampling of the tidbits around the menu proved positive. These motherfuckers are back with a mission and if they keep doing what they're doing and keep the price reasonably affordable without breaking your bank or your woman's back, they will have a very respectable sushi joint that might quickly become one of the best in town again. I really hope so because I'm totally digging it for now.

Stay tuned for the results of the Omakase next.

299 N Highland Ave
Ste K
Atlanta, GA 30307

678-575-7890  

http://mfsushiusa.com/

Pea Ridge Kitchen & Bar

I have driven by the dumpy Country Cafe a few times in the past, was always skeered to go inside which is very unlike the pouch... Unless they had fried chicken. But they didn't and that's prolly why they failed. Fast forward to the present and now the space has been replaced by a few guys with a vision to bring good local eats to this area which no one even cared about before. They have giant balls to even think about doing something in this rundown shack and location. But like I have said before, I think this town needs more small local joints that are dishing out affordable and creative grub like Dish Dive which I think is badass. So, can this little shack deliver the goods that the locals will accept or will it share the same fate like the dump before it...

Mussels. They are on the smaller size but still pretty tasty due to the garlicky chile butter wine broth. And they give you enough bread to sop up the golden juice. Not too shabby.

The Board. Cheese, pickles, roasted garlic bulb, grilled veg, pâté, zucchini relish, baguette. It's a cute presentation but it's still a work in progress. There's nothing that thrilling about the stuff on this board. The pate is more like rillettes shaped into a sausage patty and pan fried... Kinda threw me off a bit. Get some more interesting stuff on here and it could be a hit but for now I would skip it and go for the nachos. Yeah, I said it... Nah-CHOSE in the most gringo of pronunciation.

Duck Confit Risotto with lady peas, wild mushrooms. This was pretty damn tasty at first until the olive oil pools at the bottom of the bowl. There is no need to put that much olive oil in a risotto, plus, you got confit in there. It's a good dish, just need to watch the heavy handed-ness with the olive oil. Also, a good idea to double check the duck confit for bones before some old lady cuts her dentures on them by accident. A little green garnish wouldn't hurt either to give it some color.

Pea Ridge Burger with cheese sauce, zucchini relish. If you don't eat the burger fast enough, the cheese sauce breaks and gets the bottom of the bun a little greasy. But that doesn't take away from the flavor of this burger. I think this burger has good intentions but the cheese sauce and zucc relish wouldn't be on my signature burger... One word: bacon. Stick with the regular burger. The homemade chips are fantastic and addictive.

Smoked Chicken Salad. A different take on a classic cheekan salad. Chunkier and a bit smokey. Not a lot of dressing which is good and you can actually taste the protein. It's a cute chicken salad sando but needed something else in there besides just the hand pulled chicken.

Roasted Shaved Lamb with roasted peppers, asiago, zucchini relish, baguette. They love their zucc relish on everything don't they? The relish didn't work as well with the other dishes but on this lamb sando it worked very well. Very flavorful shaved lamb with the asiago makes it hard to put down. But you should because the chicken veggie soup was very nice as well. Soup and a sando, perfect pair here.

Memphis Style Banana Pudding. What the fuck is a Memphis style BP? Looks like a regular old BP to me... Come to find out a week later is that there should be BACON on there. How could they forget the most important part of this dessert? But it's ok though, they're still getting their routine down. I would be pissing down their necks if they did this 6 months down the road. You're on notice, pal.

The menu is not filled with crazy ingredients and wacky modern cooking techniques... There's no liquid nitrogen, foams or food tweezers here. But there is heart and comfort food made fresh daily here... And it looks like it's winning the hearts and minds of the local yokels. On the plus side, there isn't really any mom & pop restos on this street within miles of either direction, so they do fill a needed niche... But there is a Bojangles not too far up, I wished it was a Popeyes instead but beggars can't be choosers. I like what they're doing here, it's a good hard working group of people trying to bring back some of the local flavor and with some time I think they will evolve and take the menu up to another level without compromising on their original mission which is all about the small community vibe. I'm still cheerleading for smaller restos like this and Dish Dive, this town needs it.

Oh.. And their booze license should be in any time soon.

2607 Lawrenceville Hwy
Decatur, GA 30033
470-268-4051
http://www.pearidgerestaurant.com/