First things first – this is a sushi restaurant, but understand that it’s a Korean sushi restaurant. So, what does that mean in terms of sushi? Best I can tell, absolutely nothing. And that’s a good thing. You’re not going to find a rarefied sushi selection. If you want that, head about a mile North on Buford Highway and try Sushi House Hayakawa (but be prepared if you don’t have a reservation). You’re not going to find an izakaya menu here either. If you want that, head about a mile West to Sushi Yoko or a mile South-West to Shoya Izakaya.

What you will find is workaday sushi of consistently high quality. But it’s also a Korean restaurant with a nice selection of traditional dishes – which I will admit, I’ve never tried…

Being a Korean restaurant, meals always start with an assortment of banchan. There’s usually some variation, but  the selection usually includes kimchi (fermented cabbage), sigeumchi namul (spinach salad), miyeok julgi bokkeum (sauteed seaweed), sukjunamul (marinated bean sprouts) and Korean potato salad (an odd adoption of an American dish).

There’s also the obligatory iceberg salad with ginger dressing (I’m not sure, but I think this is an invention of Benihana) and miso soup.

My fallback dish is always chirashizushi, a bowl of sushi rice topped with sashimi and other ingredients.
Takuan (pickled daikon), sake (salmon),  tako (octopus), kanikama (fake crab),  saba (mackerel), tamago (egg), maguro (tuna), ebi (shrimp), ika (squid),  hokkigai (surf clam), tobiko (flying fish roe), with the occasional variation thrown in by the chef.

I love to sit at sushi bars, but this is one of my favorites. It’s never really crowded (often the entire restaurant seems empty). But the itamae (chefs) seem to be constantly churning out bowls and sushi boats loaded with 50, 60, 70 pieces of sushi and sashimi, which quietly disappear behind the curtains around the edge of the dining room. And if you’re lucky, they’ll experiment on you with off-the-cuff dishes as well.

A little observation – each tatami room, hidden behind a curtain has a sign over it. The names on the signs (Ban Po, Do Gok, etc) are train stations in Seoul. KangNam (Gangnam) itself is both a district and a train station in the city.

Kang Nam
5715 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30340

Kai Yang

Before we move on, let’s revisit that first paragraph for the sake of some of my newer readers. First, replace all the occurences of “Thai” or “Thailand” with virtually any other ethnicity and you’ve pretty much got my take on the “Americanized” version of that cuisine. Second… Yes, I’ve used the word “authentic”. Prior rants on this word still hold. Just understand, there is something to be said for being “authentic”. Authentic in this sense isn’t nescessarily about holding strictly to techniques or rejecting interpretation, it’s about being true to the intent of the food.

Mieng Kum

I’m known for being notoriously bitchy about Thai food in Atlanta and pretty much everyone I know thinks twice about suggesting “Thai” food for dinner. If you read through this blog, there’s only 4 or 5 references to Thai food, and more than half of them are my own cooking. I’m not an expert or anything, but once you’ve had the real thing – not much else can satisfy that craving.

Panang Curry

For various reasons I finally got off my butt and made my way to Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft (in Buckhead). Tuk Tuk has been around for about 3 years, and even though I’ve been curious (their web site promises “street food”), I’ve been skittish. Now I feel a little stupid (I actually went back twice in the same week).

Kai yang (grilled chicken), hoy tod (omelette with baby mussels), moo yang (grilled pork belly), neau sawan (beef jerky), mieng kum, satay kai (chicken satay), curries, noodles – the menu goes on, but it’s not so large that it’s unmanageable. The best part is that the flavors and textures are there. If you’ve been to Thailand and like the food, you’ll find memories here.

Hint: They have yaa dong (Thai herbal “whiskey”) at the bar.

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft
1745 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30309

So, guess who’s on the bandwagon this year? In keeping with all things EatBufordHighway, I’ll cut the crap and get down to brass tacks. You’ll either love ramps or hate them. If you only “like” them, you’ll hate them as soon as you find out that they’ll cost you about $20/lb…

These are ramps.

So, why are they so expensive? It’s simple really. Ramps are notoriously difficult to cultivate and most are foraged. Also, it can take up to 3 years before a seed will mature to a harvestable bulb.

These are not ramps.

So, why don’t I go out and find my own? Go right ahead- it’s a free country. But, be sure you know what you’re looking for. While ramps are a lot easier to identify that mushrooms, you can still jack yourself up pretty bad if you make a mistake. Ramps look almost identical to Lily of the Valley. There’s really only one cosmetic difference – ramp bulbs blend from white at the bottom to purple along the stem. Lily of the Valley is all white. The other difference is that Lily of the Valley will kill your ass.

So, how do I know if I’ll like them? Do you like onions and leeks? Do you like garlic? Do you like the idea of those all mashed up into one plant? Then you’ll probably like ramps. I can understand that at that price point, you’d be hesitant to try them. But a handful will only set you back about $3-4, so it’s not that expensive to experiment.

Where do I find them and what do I do with them once I have my hands on some? You should be able to find them a local farmers markets throughout April – I found these at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. As ramps are foraged, don’t expect them to be nice and clean – you’ll find them just as they were dug out of the ground. Expect fair amount of mud and don’t be put off by the mucousy outer skin on the bulbs (it kind of reminds me of a green onion that’s past it’s prime…). Just look for bright, healthy leaves. The leaves are delicate and wilt quickly – if the leaves don’t look good, the ramp is too old.

If you really want to get a taste for ramps, go simple. I simply toss them in a good olive oil and throw them on a hot grill. Keep them moving so they don’t burn – you’re looking to wilt them down and get a slight char. Grilling will bring out the sugars. Off the grill, hit them with a little salt and you’re done.

Making Thai Green Curry Paste Part 1: The Ingredients from BuHi on Vimeo.

So why go to all this trouble when you can just buy a paste off the shelf and be eating in 30 minutes? As I mentioned in the Mortar and Pestle post, it’s all about control. When you’re building a paste by hand you can control the texture, heat and flavor as you go. It’s a lot of work and it takes practice, but I can promise you that it makes a huge difference in the end. Instead of clobbering your palate with something screaming “CURRY“, you’ll find subtlety and layering of flavors. The individual components are distinguishable – garlic, chili, galangal, lemongrass… but within a framework that is definitely curry, but not brutally so (unless that’s how you choose to make it).

The videos for pounding out the paste and cooking the final dish are in the works and coming soon (along with the recipe)!

Life’s made it a little difficult to do much blogging of late, but it definitely hasn’t gotten in the way of eating. Buford Highway’s been slow recently – we’ve lost a few places to the economy and new restaurants and markets haven’t been forthcoming. I’ve been ranging a bit further afield though, so there’s still plenty to explore.

Palacio de los Jugos (Miami)

I’ve mentioned Palacio de los Jugos in Miami before. More of a huge shed with a covered eating area than a building, we visited recently during a heavy afternoon downpour. 90 degree heat coupled with 90% humidity did little to curb our appetites.

Costillas de Cerdo

I do love my ribs with some smoke on them, but what can I say – cut straight from a whole pig marinated in mojo criollo, crispy, sticky skin still attached – it doesn’t get much better.

Choripan

Spanish chorizo, lettuce & onion on Cuban bread.

Pan con bistec

Grilled steak, onions, lettuce, tomato & potato sticks on Cuban bread.

Palacio de los Jugos
14300 Southwest 8th Street
Miami, FL 33184

Delicias de España (Coral Gables)

Jamon iberico

These guys get a visit whenever I’m in town… They live at Delicias de España – a favorite spot for breakfast in Coral Gables. The market is a go-to spot for great prices on pimentón and other hard to find Spanish ingredients (like that $1300 ham in the photo).

Delicias de España
4016 SW 57th Ave.
Miami, FL 33155

La Carreta (Miami)

Cafe con leche, croquetta

Everyone will tell you to visit La Carreta when you visit Miami. It’s not bad advice (tho we tend to hang out at Café Versailles across the street). Cafe con leche is spot on – a cup of steamed milk and a big cup of Cuban coffee so you can doctor it how you like. Croquettas (mashed potatos, stuffed with minced ham, breaded and fried) – are you picking up on the Latin double-starch theme?

Huevos revuelta con jamon

Sounds much fancier than scrambled eggs with ham.

Little Havana is full of chickens – in statue and live, running around form.

La Carreta
3632 Southwest 8th Street
Miami, FL 33135

Dos Pancakes (Atlanta)

Dos pancakes

Awesome concept. One of the main things on the menu at Dos Pancakes is, get this – Dos Pancakes. Two pancakes. Doesn’t really need much more explanation than that. Located in a re-purposed Huddle House in a gas station parking lot just North of Suwanee. HX really dug the pancakes.

Chorizo ranchero

Chorizo ranchero was a masa cake, buried under a pile of Mexican chorizo (not all chorizo’s are the same – that’s probably another post…), cheese, chilies, onions and two runny eggs. After killing the pancakes, HX made work of half of this. Tasty and spicy, but I can’t say it’s the best choice for road food…

Dos Pancakes
2525 Hamilton Mill Road
Buford, GA 30519

Home (Atlanta)

Indonesian spareribs (marinated in fish sauce, glazed with kecap manis & shallots)

Yeah. This is one of the reasons why you need to know me…

Baldinos (Buford Highway)

Baldinos has been on Buford Highway since, I don’t know – forever. I guess some people would call it an anomaly on the highway, but I don’t see it that way. A solid, New Jersey sandwich (I really like the shredded lettuce). They have sandwich specials every day that are dirt cheap. If you haven’t tried it, simply because it’s a sub shop and you’re looking for ethnic eats, you’re doing yourself a disservice.

Baldinos
5697 Buford Highway Northeast
Doraville GA 30340

Old Brick Pit Barbecue (Chamblee)

I’ll admit it – I used to hate on Old Brick Pit. I ate there a couple of times in the late 90′s and hated it. Didn’t dislike it – hated it. I figured that 20 years later, I should give it another try. Something changed – their cooking, my palette or both. Still not my favorite, but I’ve been back a few times over the summer and it’s a passable spot for barbecue in the Chamblee area (unlike Pig n’ Chik down the street – no idea what happened there, but good God – that ain’t how barbecue is done…).

Old Brick Pit Barbecue
4805 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30341

Penang

Roti canai

Penang’s one of the few places left for good Malaysian food in Atlanta (especially since the closing of Little Malaysia). The roti canai (pronounce it chennai) is one of my favorite comfort foods.

Char kway teow

There used to be a few Chinese restaurants around with char kway teow on the menu (usually with beef instead of seafood), but I haven’t seen it for a long time. This is a solid Malaysian version with a slight hint of wok hei, but you can’t really get that smokiness unless you’re cooking over coal.

Gai lan with dofu ru

Gai lan can be tough, especially when it’s more mature stems, but dofu ru (fermented soybean curd) makes almost any vegetable edible.

Kari ayam

A’s become a fiend for the kari ayam (chicken curry with coconut) at Penang. Surprisingly, she’s really into the green beans cooked with belacan (fermented shrimp paste). Penang incorporates belacan to a level that even I find off-putting. Go figure. Penang is also one of the only places I know in Atlanta (please tell me if there are more) that has pandan ayam (chicken wrapped with pandan leaves). I first had this in Thailand and I’ve had a built in craving for it ever since.

Penang
4897 Buford Highway
Chamblee, GA 30341

Poole’s BBQ (Ellijay)

Roof pig

We spent Memorial Day weekend in a cabin 4 miles up a vertical dirt road near Cherry Log, GA. Despite the full kitchen, hot tub and 3 fireplaces, I still dragged A. to every barbecue joint I could find.  More often than not, they were disappointing – surprisingly so. Poole’s, which has quite a history in addition to it’s highly visible location, was one bright spot. The food was good, if a bit salty.

Brisket sandwich

Brunswick stew

I’m not a huge fan of Brunswick stew, but I did like what Poole’s had on offer.

Baked beans

Lot’s of smokey pork mixed in with the baked beans. I think the beans and stew were my favorite part of the meal…

Poole’s BBQ
164 Craig Street
East Ellijay, GA 30540

Sabores del Plata (Buford Highway)

Empanda

Uruguayan cuisine is not heavily represented in Atlanta. “Well, what do Uruguyans eat?”, you might ask. The same thing as Argentinians – meat. Lots of it. I like the empanadas here – the dough fries and blisters like chicharron and the filling is reminiscent of picadillo.

Parrilla

Parrillada are serious business here: short rib, chorizo, morcilla, chicken breast, pork, intestines, sweetbreads. The chimichurri, though, didn’t quite meet up to the challenge.

Chivito

Chivito’s are monsterous sandwiches – grilled steak, ham, lettuce, tomato, avocado, cheese and fried eggs.

Sabores del Plata
6200 Buford Highway
Norcross, GA 30071

Tostones (Buford Highway)

Cuban Sandwich

I am one of those that mourn the passing of Alvarado’s, the last in a cavalcade of Mexican joints that have taken up in the old Taco Bell just south of 285. These days, Tostone’s is giving the location a try. More power to them, but I for one am a little disappointed that they’re going for the mixed up “Latin Cuisine”  thing instead of picking a genre and doing it exceedingly well. Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican mixed up with weird “fusion” presentation. Not too sure about this… The Cuban Sandwich, which the waitress recommended, was tasty enough, but it was just a little off.

Ropa Vieja

Ropa. This is one of those dishes that you better damn well get right in my book. I refused to order it, but A. did. I’ll leave it here – weird. The ropa was, well, not ropa vieja. No sourness, no peas…. And it was served on top of some giant tostones (fried plantains) with cheese. WTF?

Black beans

Lately, Tostone’s has had a sign up for bandeja paisa, Thursday – Saturday. With La Casona right across the street serving an outstanding bandeja (and a mini bandeja if you’re some kind of wimp) every day, I don’t get it.

They’ve done a great job with the interior renovation, though. It looks like a brand new place inside.

Tostones
5499 Buford Highway
Atlanta, GA 30340

Home

Hami gua

Bill over at the Buford Highway Farmers Market gave me a heads up when hami gua were in season. Hami gua are a Chinese muskmelon that taste somewhere between a cantalope and a honeydew. Buy them when you see them.

Yes, I’m of Minorcan-Ukrainian-Polish-German-Welsh-Huguenot-whatever descent, but most of my DNA has been around these parts for two or three generations. And because of that, nothing will get me to lock up the brakes on a back road in the middle of nowhere quicker than a cloud of thin, blue smoke and signs offering bait and barbecue.

Bolton’s is, technically, in the middle of nowhere. I grew up in another Southern state, in an area that was, technically, in the middle of nowhere. Technically, that makes me an expert on the subject. Don’t question it. I also grew up around my grandparent’s roadside barbecue joint in rural Florida so that makes me an expert on that subject as well.

Right off the bat, Bolton’s has a lot going for it – rural location with a corn field right across the road and the aforementioned thin blue smoke, fueled by a rack of seasoned oak.

Asking the guy in the rocker out front for permission to photograph his smoker resulted in a deeply drawled “I don’t care” – laden with equal parts apathy and judgmental subtext that I’d rather not expand upon. Many would call that a “Southern” thing, but it’s not. I’ve experienced that incredulous “why would anyone want to photograph their food being cooked” mixed with “I really can’t care to worry about what weird crap people do when they show up on my doorstep” all over the world, and it’s entirely understandable.

Anxious for some true roadside barbecue, we made our way inside. The greeting inside was warm but unfortunately our excitement waned as the food was served. Sausages were not home made and were dry, sauce was doctored store-bought and the pulled pork was reheated in a microwave (and was long overcooked way before it hit that box). The pitman’s “I don’t care” suddenly seemed more poignant. We made our way back to to the gravel parking lot and ate sitting in the tailgate of the SUV. Disappointment was such that I couldn’t bring myself to take more pictures.

Maybe I’ve become a snob (living in the big city and all that), but just like the wine adage, life is too short to eat bad barbecue…

Bolton’s Big Boys Bar B Que
Somewhere near Lawrenceville

Much like the Southern usage of “greens”, which could refer to collards, kale, mustard, spinach or who knows what, in Mexico the word quelites is used to reference pretty much any green, leafy vegetable. So essentially, I had no idea what I was dealing with. My best guess from the shape of the leaf is that this was some type of amaranthus. The uncooked leaf tasted a bit like kale.

After a couple of washes in a full sink of water (these held on to sand much like spinach and took a couple of water changes), stems were removed and the leaves were cut into 1″ strips. Prep took much longer than the actual cooking…

I really like sauteed greens, so that was the plan. Onions and a chili from the yard went into the pot with some oil and a quick Google search on “quelites recipes” turned up a recipe by Aaron Sanchez that mentioned the inclusion of tomatoes, so I went with that. After the onions and tomatoes began to soften, the greens went in with a bit of salt and cooked for about 5 minutes. A squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil finished them off.

Simple and delicious and I still have no idea exactly what I cooked (I’m sticking with amaranthus). The point is, don’t be afraid to explore. This huge bundle of quelites cost all of $1.29 – cheap enough to toss if I screwed them up and no guilt involved.

Jamon de Serrano

Breakfast was simple Spanish fare – but it helped set things right with the world. Hard rolls with butter, cafe con leche, jugo de naranja, huevos con chorizo, tortilla rellena…

Jugo de naranja

Tortilla rellena (eggs, ham, mozarella, chorizo)

Huevos con chorizo

Wall of hams (Serrano & Iberico)

Delicias de España has a small market of Spanish specialty groceries attached. Notable is a large selection of Spanish wines and hams (jamon).

Tasting room

Delicias de España
7384 SW 40 Street
Miami, FL 33155
www.deliciasdeespana.com

I thought some of you might be interested in a few of the ingredients I keep in my pantry (this doesn’t include things I’ve already tossed or have stashed in A’s pantry…).

I keep commonly used spices in magnetic tins on my refrigerator, so their easily at hand when I’m working at my cutting board.

Dried chilies are always handy to have around (ancho – these smell sweet – like prunes).

Guajillo

Pasilla

Chili de arbol – I buy huge bags of these – I use them in Chinese dishes and for infusing alcohols.

Dried tangerine peel, rice flour, and an old coffee grinder I use for spices.

Corn husks – tamales.

Dried shrimp – critical ingredient in lots of Asian recipes (cha chiang mein, etc.)

Flor de jamaica – dried hibiscus flowers. Makes a slightly sour, refreshing cold drink. Tastes a little like grape juice.

Kombu – dried kelp – critical for making dashi (stock).

Nori – roasted seaweed sheets. Use it for rolling sushi, julienne as a garnish. I’ll sometimes add it to noodle soups for a little extra flavor.

Panko – Japanese bread crumbs.

Kripik/Bánh Phồng Tôm - prawn crackers – fry them in hot oil and they instantly puff up to a chicharron/Cheeto texture. Delicious.

Rice paper – Used for wrapping gỏi cuốn (fresh Vietnamese spring rolls). Dip them into warm water and they become pliable. This is an art form – not long enough in the water and they crack; too long and they become a sheet of glue.

Xianggu – Dried shiitake mushrooms. One of the more expensive ingredients in my kitchen. I buy large quantities and keep them sealed in airtight bags in the dark. Very fragrant (xianggu literally means “fragrant mushroom”).

Bean threads (vermicelli) – can be used in spring rolls, soups, etc.

Bun Pho – a wide, flat rice noodle.

Bun Than Tai – another variant of rice vermicelli – this one’s a little thicker.

Candlenuts – used for thickening curry pastes (don’t eat them raw…).

Corn Starch – essential for velveting meats and thickening sauces in Chinese cooking,

Red Curry Paste & Hon-Dashi – Basically, cheating. Sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to make a curry paste or dashi stock from scratch. That’s where these come in.

Fish Sauce (Three Crabs – fishy. Squid Brand – Fishier). Chipotle sauce (great on fried chicken).  Chinese spiced michiu, hot chili oil, Mei Gui Liu Jiu (rose scented wine), molasses.

Franks – I like chicken wings.

 Fried Shallots (used as a garnish), Pineapple Juice (for al pastor marinade), Tomato Paste (Italian food is ethnic too).

Coconut Milk (not my preferred brand), Guilinggao (black, herbal jelly – this one does not contain turtle shell).

Aji Amarillo & Huacatay – Essential Peruvian ingredients.

Lard – people feel better about things when you tell them it’s fried in manteca.

Pandan extract, Lime pastes (for making slaked lime – helps keep vegetables crispy), Gapi (fermented shrimp paste – used in some Thai curry pastes).

Sesame oil, Shaoxing michiu (cooking wine), Sichuan chili, Worcestershire, Oyster sauce, Sriracha.

Palm Sugar.

Gelatine, Baker’s Chocolate, Lindt, Brown Sugar, Confectioner’s Sugar, Light Brown Sugar.

Honey, Crystalized Ginger, Balinese Salt, Wasabi powder, Pecan Smoked Salt, Sal Grosso (fat salt), Pink Salt (Prague Powder #1: 93.75% sodium chloride, 6.25% sodium nitrite).

Sesame Paste.

Annato Seed (achiote), Sichuan Peppercorns, Dessicated Coconut, Gula Jawa (palm sugar), Piloncillo (whole cane sugar), Maltose.

Light Soy Sauce (again, I buy in quantity…), Mushroom Soy, Usukuchi Soy (very salty). Kecap Manis (sweet soy – not at home).

Chili Powder, Pork Sung (dried pork floss), Roasted Rice Powder (important for Thai salads), Rendang seasoning (cheating), Madras Curry Powder, Old Bay, Sazon Completa.

 Tianjin Preserved Vegetable. (Used in Sichuan dishes).

Mexican Vainilla. (Everyone says it’s crap, but it’s what I’ve got…). 

Mojo Criollo, Rice wine, white vinegar, Chinkiang Black Rice vinegar, Apple Cider vinegar, Rice Wine vinegar, Red Wine vinegar, Balsamic vinegar.

 Wet Tamarind (used for making tamarind paste & tamarind water).

 Nutmeg, Pickling Spice, Tandoori Masala, Red Tandoori Masala, Pink Peppercorns, Butter Bell, Baking Powder.

Pickled Sweet Peppers, Capers, Roses Lime Juice, Oyster Sauce, Chili Dofu Ru, Dofu Ru. 

Israeli couscous, orzo, pearl barley, basmati rice, rolled oats.

Sichuan mala sauce (broadbeans, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, etc.), gochujang, ssamjang, konnyaku, coffee-gastrique barbecue sauce, homemade sriracha, macapuno (gelatinous mutant coconut).

Questions? Want to share what’s important in your pantry? Comment below!