Taiwanese Eats: Ah-ma's Taiwanese Kitchen

More Taiwanese food love is happening in Atlanta, you guys.  To my surprise, another Taiwanese restaurant (Ah-Ma's Taiwanese Kitchen) opened up in Midtown, and this tiny place has been a Yelp darling ever since it opened. AND a must-go spot on my stomach's map!!

I did make myself go a couple of times (once with the mama) before writing this, and their menu is pretty small, so I've just about tried everything.  General opinion?  Solid place, and I'll be back for some very specific things.  

First, I will state this: I agree with some of the negative things I've heard/read about this place. It is very expensive for Taiwanese food, the menu is limited, they do run out of things, and some of the rice dishes are not quite the right texture (think mushy).  However, I will say that this is a tiny place with, I'm sure, a tiny kitchen, and it's located in Midtown.  And they're fairly new and a little overwhelmed.

That being said.  My dream meal here is a bowl of beef noodle soup (牛肉麵), a side of pickled vegetables, and a plate of fried pig ears.  The beef noodle soup is my absolute favorite that I've had in Atlanta, mainly due to the noodle, which has got that QQ (think chewy) quality that I love.  The pickled vegetables are so good, that I'm not even mad about paying $3 for them -- most Chinese restaurants offer this type of dish for free...I add this statement because I recognize that the previous one sounds SUPER cheap LOL.  And the fried pig ears?  I had never had them prepared that way prior to eating here, only had them braised.  This is my favorite new dish, you guys.  My mom isn't a fan, but I. LOVE. them.  I had a scare reading a Yelp review that said they got rid of them from the menu since there wasn't a high demand, but the last time I went, they were still there.  So help a hungry Taiwanese out and keep that demand high!!

Also, I like the wonton soup and hot and sour soup.  The first time I had the hot and sour soup, it didn't come with any tofu strips or wood ear, but the second time it did, and was much better.  The wonton soup was perfect for me, with a great taste from the radish and really awesome dumplings.  

The baos are decent, though I'd rather save stomach room for my dream meal :) I appreciate that there's another place that sells this now though.  The sausage is good, but I wouldn't order them again at $6.50 per plate.  And I've ordered the lu rou fan (minced pork rice) every time I've gone, but mainly because my stomach feels weird NOT ordering that dish when available.  Oxtail rice was a little sweet for my taste.

Also, side note -- they did say they are planning to change up the menu seasonally.  Can't wait to see what else comes up!

So yes, a decent place to hit up when in the area.  FRIED PIG EARS.  That is all.  

Er...or not.  Don't forget that Midtown Restaurant Week is coming up soon!  Be sure to check out the menus! 

Dat New New

Yikes!  It's been a long while since I've updated this thing.  Not for lack of eating, more like pure laziness.

I figured I'd get back in the swing of things by writing about some newer places that have come up on my radar, both by word of mouth or complete accident -- (such as trying to make a U-turn to head to the cake place you just passed, but instead spotting another delicious post-lunch treat, which was great as the cake place was very much closed).

First --

I was very excited to hear about another Taiwanese influenced restaurant opening up.  TJ House is located off Old Norcross Road in Duluth and is labelled as Japanese and Taiwanese.  We don't have too many Taiwanese places in GA (Bento and Kampai are the two that come to mind), so this was big news for my family -- my mom tasked me and my sister with trying it and coming back with a review.

The verdict? Definitely taking Mom.  We went with some friends and ordered a ton of food, most of which is pictured below.  My favorites, per usual, were the minced pork rice and snow pea leaves, which were some of the best I've had.  Other awesome dishes were the fried oysters with basil, the beef rolls, and the stinky tofu.

As an aside -- stinky tofu.  It's fermented tofu that really, as the name says, STINKS.  I can't even really stomach the non-fried version.  In fact, the first time I visited Taipei, I thought there was something seriously wrong with the sewage system at night -- but no.  That odor was from the night market stalls!  I like it when it's fried and served with pickled vegetables and chili sauce, though.  Which they have here, and it's good.  I wouldn't recommend ordering it if you are sensitive to that kind of thing.  I don't know too many non-Taiwanese who like it.

But yes.  You should go!  I do want to try some of their drinks (which looked huge and delicious) and desserts next time.  We were too full on our visit.

Second --

So I was pretty excited to hear about a favorite college eating joint opened up pretty close to me. Your Pie, a place specializing in personalized pizza, just opened up last week in Buckhead, right near the Whole Foods.  I like this place because it's like a Subway, but for pizza.  And it's fast. The crust is thin (and delicious!) AND they have gelato and alcohol.  I went with a couple of friends the other day and got the Thai Pie, substituting mozzarella cheese for the cheddar.  They stamped our receipts and let us know if we came back within 24 hrs, we could get a free entree.  Not sure how long that deal will be going on, but it's a good one!

Lastly --

My sister and I stumbled upon a treasure today (which helped alleviate the disappointment on that closed cake shop!).  It's called Pink Popcorn (3175 Roswell Rd), and according to their sign, they do over 250 different flavors of popcorn.  The shop itself is adorable, resembling a 50's style ice cream parlor.  AND they serve Morelli's ice cream as well as Hawaiian snow cones.  They didn't have any ice cream today since they had some electrical issues recently, but the sweet popcorn was a nice enough treat.  We tried several flavors, but ended up getting snack sizes of Coconut cream pie, Denver, and Caramel Sea Salt.  Some other interesting flavors?  PB and J, Almond Hazelnut Cheesecake, CRAB LEGS... They've been open for about 6 months.

And though this should probably be under a Kuo Kitchen -- My new go to baking recipe is for Nutella cookies.  The linked recipe is my favorite, and while it calls for chocolate chips, you can leave them out, like I did in my last batch per request.  Just stuck some almonds on top and substituted almond extract for the vanilla extract and BOOM! A Nutella almond cookie.  Very versatile.  Very delicious.  Very consistent!

Anyway.  Happy Sunday! And GO SPURS!