Photograph by Iain Bagwell
Chef Ron Hsu is a man of juxtapositions. He’s a Le Bernardin alum who came of age in his immigrant parents’ straightforward Chinese restaurants. And though he’s opened the most ambitious new restaurant Atlanta has seen in several years, that doesn’t mean his rarefied food is short on fun. In the magnificently transformed Candler Park space that formerly housed Radial Cafe, choose from two tasting menus—seven courses for $125 or 10 for $165 (gratuity included)—or sit on the patio and order from the a la carte “snacks” menu. Hsu’s Steak & Eggs is a nod to his family’s frequent visits to Waffle House, but in his version, a dry-aged New York strip is accompanied by a sous-vide egg wrapped in a wasabi leaf. The menu is ruled by playfulness, down to pastry sous chef Lindsey Davis’s cherry-coconut mousse, which arrives in the form of a giant glistening cherry (complete with chocolate stem). You’ll drop a lot of cash, but even for the money, it’s hard to find a more creative meal in town. 1530 DeKalb Avenue, 404-975-3692, lazybettyatl.com
