Food For Thought: One Mile of Global Cuisine

DOUG REYNICS

I’ve lived in the Atlanta area since 1988 but only recently decided to dive into the hundreds of varied restaurants up and down Buford Highway. I’d like to share some I found to be above the curve for flavor, value, and menu.

Food Terminal (5000 Buford Highway) is a great place to start for Malaysian and Asian fusion, with a robot that brings you your food! The menu is extensive but suitable for all food palates. To the right of Food Terminal is Dish, a Korean restaurant more for the adventurous eater; try the dolsot bibimbap, assorted vegetables and pork with a spicy sauce served over rice in a sizzling stone plate. Next to Dish is Best BBQ, a Chinese place with a huge, varied menu but another one geared for the more adventurous diner. I loved the eggplant stuffed with shrimp. The fourth restaurant in the same complex is Tum Pok Pok, serving Thai street food good for anyone’s palate.

Pho Bac (4897 Buford Highway) is an excellent choice for Vietnamese cuisine; its bahn mi sandwiches are savory and terrific. Lee’s Bakery (4005 Buford Highway) is another good choice for Vietnamese food. For Pho bowls, try Nam Phuong (4051 Buford Highway). La Mei Zi (5150 Buford Highway) serves Chinese, Malaysian, and Thai dishes. For a taste of Venezuela, visit Arepa Grill (5302 Buford Highway); the pancake-like cachapas and the stuffed turnovers, or empanadas, are amazing. Paris Baguette (5252 Buford Highway) has a variety of French baked goods including the country’s iconic long loaves of bread. Yummy Spicy (5164 Buford Highway), a hidden gem for Chinese and Malaysian food, is not all spicy as the name says; try the braised fish in chili oil, and check out the wine menu. Sabores del Plata (6200 Buford Highway) is an Argentinian/Uruguayan steakhouse and a place to come with a big appetite! Nur Kitchen (7130 Buford Highway) is a Mediterranean restaurant with big portions and great flavor combinations that is sure to delight any diner. Las Delicias De La Abuela (5600 Buford Highway) serves great Columbian food, with the best arepas, or cornmeal cakes, in town.

A close food friend recommended Canton House (4825 Buford Highway) for a dim sum experience, where you can try a variety of these small, Chinese dishes. “Canton House was thoroughly enjoyed by my boys yesterday. They have never had dim sum and they tried more things since they could actually see the items on the cart. They loved the fact that everything came out so quickly. They said they loved that it was an interactive restaurant.”

I have dozens more places I could recommend but limited space to write about

A bibimbap entree from Dish. them all. Since many traditional American restaurants are closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, now would be a good time to try some of the many ethnic restaurants along Buford Highway that are open on those holidays. Happy dining and Happy Holidays!

DOUG REYNICS is a longtime Tucker resident and self-described “foodie.” Many know him as “Doug the Driver,” who provides rides to and from both the domestic and international airport terminals. (To date, his service has provided almost 2,300 airport rides!) If you have a food story or question you would like to see him write about (or if you need a ride!), email him at dougthedriver1@gmail.com or call him at 770.842.4261.