Christiane Lauterbach
5/1/2009
Traveling up and down Buford Highway with a few dollars in my pocket is a pleasure I can still afford. My obsession with ethnic dining didn’t start out of economic necessity, but in these tough times, it is great to know that sandwiches, snacks, French pastries, and even sushi will cost me a fraction of what I would have to pay in tonier neighborhoods. I know that not everyone is as comfortable as I am with unfamiliar food, but this handy cheat sheet will tell you what’s what on the street and help you discover untold treasures at rock-bottom prices.
1. La lot beef with rice-paper wraps: $10.95 at Château de Saigòn. The tender beef at this elegant Vietnamese newcomer is marinated with lemongrass, rolled into wild betel leaves, grilled on charcoal, and presented with translucent rounds of rice paper, a bunch of fresh herbs, lettuce, and a dark dipping sauce with crushed peanuts. Half the fun is learning to soften the rice paper in hot water and practicing making your own wraps. 4300 Buford Highway, 404-929-0034.
2. Bahn mi sandwich: three for $5 at Hong. Vietnam’s answer to the po’boy is a stubby, fresh baguette crammed full of barbecued pork, sliced meatballs, and/or agreeable cold cuts. Hold the mayo if you are watching your diet, but enjoy the shredded pickled carrots, the sprigs of cilantro, and the fresh jalapenos lavished inside the bread. Know that there is no place to sit at Hong. 4646 Buford Highway, Chamblee.
3. Rice casserole with ribs and taro root: $8.50–$9 at Wan Lai. Everything comes layered in a handy clay pot (pay an extra dollar and you can take it home) with a small bowl of rich XO sauce flavored with dried scallops on the side at this new Cantonese restaurant. This delicious house specialty is available in dozens of variations. 4897 Buford Highway, Chamblee, 678-530-0633.
4. Pupusas: $1.85 at Rincon Latino. Two of these wonderfully soft and aromatic griddled maize pancakes—stuffed with, for example, shredded pork or mild cheese—should be plenty for a quick meal. This Salvadoran specialty is served with a traditional bowl of pickled cabbage (curtido, in Spanish), and the chips and salsa are free in this simple restaurant. 5055 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-936-8181.
5. Dan dan noodles: $4.95 at Cafe 101. This comforting Taiwanese version of a classic Szechuan dish comes in a spicy sauce that contains chili oil, peppers, and ground peanuts with a fresh topping of salted leafy greens. End your meal with a huge shaved ice dessert ($4.50 and big enough to share) topped with beans, fresh fruit, and various syrups. 5412 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-458-8883.
6. Pollo asado al carbon: $6.99 (lunch special with a soda), regularly $7.97 at El Pollo Regio. Half a bird, rubbed with bright-red chili and achiote paste and flame-grilled, easily feeds two in this modest Mexican restaurant, where fragrant tortillas, rice, ranchero beans, delicious salsas, and a big old sweet onion softened on the grill are included with your order. 5499 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-458-9663.
7. Kalbi (marinated beef ribs): $18.99 at Cho Sun OK. For the price of an entree, you get to have a party complete with panchan (a slew of small pickled dishes), rice, condiments, and supremely tender meat you grill yourself on a live charcoal burner sunk right in the middle of your table in this authentic Korean barbecue joint. 5865 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-452-1821.
8. Chirashi sushi: $22 at Sushi House Hayakawa. This form of “scattered sushi” consists of a bowl of slightly warm, vinegared rice with morsels of precision-cut raw seafood on top. Not only is it far more economical than ordering sushi by the piece, but the artistry of master chef Atsushi “Art” Hayakawa always makes me feel as if I were in his native Japan. 5979 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-986-0010.
9. Mini choux: 40 cents apiece at Maum. I recommend that you buy a dozen of these adorable cream puffs filled with vanilla custard. They are as cute and fresh as they are inexpensive. While you are at it, gather a few madeleines (three for $1.70) and take advantage of the comfortable premises of this upscale Korean cafe and bakery. 7130 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-263-7447.
10. Goat tacos: $1.50 at the original location of El Cabrito. The thick tortillas are handmade, the meat is shredded and sumptuous, and the avalanche of onion and cilantro gives true power to a treat best enjoyed with a squeeze of fresh lime and plenty of homemade hot sauce. The dining room has expanded beyond the original shed, and lingering is now an option if you want to do more than wolf down a single taco. 6530 Buford Highway, Doraville, 770-300-0364.
Originally published in the May 2009 issue
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