While some restaurants sound the trumpet when they open their doors, others turn the key quietly. Here are three under-the-radar dining destinations that debuted recently.
Rose Valley Sweets
Folks looking for baked goods will encounter a two-fer at the Medlock Bridge Shopping Center in Johns Creek.
On the south end of the strip mall sits Persian bakery-cafe Rose Valley Sweets. Open since August, this unexpectedly elegant shop (11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily) is stocked with delightful baked goods made on-site by pastry chef Pari Yousefi.
Paula Pontes
Paula Pontes
The Iran native is whipping up gorgeous whole and individual-sized cakes, baklavas, cream puffs, cookies and more. The pistachio cake is a must-try, as are the super moist, airy roulettes — layered whipped cream desserts presented as generous single-serving portions in such flavors as chocolate and coffee.
And roses are everywhere: in flaky baklava scented with rosewater and topped with a tiny pink rose, as a garnish for shatteringly crisp zaban (Persian puff pastry cookies), in pots of Persian rose tea served in ornate cups with a rock candy stick for stirring, and in framed floral prints that give the space the look of a fine art gallery.
Paula Pontes
Paula Pontes
Nibbles and sips can be enjoyed in the soft seating up front, at tables along the wall or at the table in back that gets set for high tea. Available with a one-week advance reservation, high-tea service is $35 per person and features tiers of savory bites, such as kashke bademjan (Persian eggplant dip), veggie spring rolls, chicken sandwiches and Persian potato salad as well as stacks of sweets, including zabans, baklavas, Persian-style Napoleons and cream puffs. Beverages include Persian rose tea and pistachio ice frappes.
Co-owners Erica Ting Ting and Yaser Hassani, who also is of Iranian descent, hope to tap into what they see as growing interest in Persian cuisine. Ting Ting thinks that’s because Persian restaurants’ pastry and desserts “are very light and refreshing. … You can eat an entire cake and don’t feel like it.”
6000 Medlock Bridge Parkway, Johns Creek. 770-674-1340, Instagram: rose.valley.sweets
ChuChat
At the opposite end of Medlock Bridge Shopping Center is Chinese bakery-cafe ChuChat, which also debuted in August.
ChuChat follows a self-serve model: Grab a tray and pile it with individually wrapped sweet or savory snacks and desserts. The case is packed with fruit- and crème-filled Danishes, round Korean-style streusels, mini cream cheese rolls, buns and more. Sausage pizza is covered in melted cheese and dotted with rings of sliced hot dogs, while hefty curry croquettes have a crunchy exterior and a moist filling that could use more seasoning.
Paula Pontes
Paula Pontes
Check out the chilled cake case for the likes of Oreo- or strawberry-flavored cheesecake cups and green tea mille crepes. Feeling adventurous? Point to the durian box cake. Before you open the plastic lid, prepare for the pungent odor that some describe as smelly gym socks — the reason why this fruit is banned in some public areas of Southeast Asia. Focus instead on the layers of soft, creamy custard that taste of luscious caramel and vanilla.
ChuChat also has a few hot, pressed sandwiches. My pick is the buldak, which combines spicy, chicken-flavored ramen noodles with egg, melted cheese and sausage bits.
Paula Pontes
Paula Pontes
While ChuChat offers a variety of espresso drinks, take a cue from the teenagers who’ve made this cafe their new hangout and order sea salt iced tea, creme brulee milk tea or a fruit-filled slushie.
It’s open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with strong Wi-Fi and Instagrammable spots inside and on the comfy, covered patio.
6000 Medlock Bridge Parkway, Johns Creek. 770-609-8099, chuchatusa.com
Chicken on Fire
Another August opening brought Korean-style fried chicken to Grant Park via Chicken on Fire, on the street level of the George Apartments on Memorial Drive.
Ligaya Figueras
Ligaya Figueras
The brief menu is built around jumbo wings and boneless tenders slicked with a choice of seven flavors, including sweet-chili, honey lemon pepper, soy garlic and the signature Chicken on Fire. The latter is a sweet-spicy number that doesn’t come close to the advertised three-alarm chile pepper heat. The wings were notably crispy, but don’t merit a long drive.
However, nearby residents might consider adding Chicken on Fire to their takeout rotation for more than the chicken. Appetizers include respectable egg rolls (three per order) and fried dumplings (six per order). Crispy and oil-free, they are a fair deal at $6.95. And you can get french fries loaded with bulgogi, drizzled with a sweet-spicy OG sauce and garnished with scallions.
Ligaya Figueras
Ligaya Figueras
The kimchi fried rice lacked the expected briny funk, but the tteokbokki was an umami flavor bomb of stir-fried chewy rice cakes and fish cakes smothered in an addictive sauce amped up by gochujang and gochugaru.
The counter-order restaurant doesn’t focus on dine-in traffic; the interior is decorated minimally, and the back patio needs some loving care. But the service is speedy and there’s online ordering on its website, as well as delivery through DoorDash and Uber Eats. There’s ample free garage parking in the complex, too.
Chicken on Fire is open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays.
275 Memorial Drive, Atlanta. 404-975-3573, order.toasttab.com/online/chicken-on-fire-3398-long-creek-dr
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