Things I Did in Atlanta
1. BON TON ATL
Bon Ton is a Vietnamese-Cajun fusion restaurant. It's Pepto-Bismol pink exterior is hard to miss (crying to this day because I didn't take a picture in front of it). They serve an array of fried or steamed seafood, Po Boys, Banh Mi, as well as cocktails inspired by Vietnamese and Cajun flavors. Price is mid-range but the portions are pretty good. I ordered a Spicy Shrimp Po Boy and Cajun Fries. The sandwich was super sweet and not spicy, but the fries helped balance the flavors out. Also pictured are cajun crawfish (which had so much of my fave seasoning aka cayenne) and soft shell crab Po Boy. Really enjoyed the interior and would like to try the Vietnamese Coffee and fried catfish next time.
2. Ice Skating at Atlantic Station
As with all mall rinks, this one was mediocre at best. The rental is overpriced at $15, with skates that don't have laces but buckles like ski boots (barf) that made my feet hurt like crazy. The skates were super dull so I was slipping all over the place. The rink itself is missing the center space and is small in general. I can't deny that I still had a great time with friends and I was glad I got to burn some of the T.H.O.U.S.A.N.D.S. of calories I consumed that day. ALSO, Atlantic Central has a cute Christmas set up with a gorgeous tree and cute stands that serve mulled wine, hot chocolate, roasted nuts, etc.
3. NRB (NoReBang (Korean Karaoke)) at Sound of Music
Had the time of my life. #NRB 5 ever. Drink your alcohol outside cuz they threaten to charge $200 if you get caught lol!
4. H-Mart
You can never go wrong at H-Mart. Picked up some Korean ice creams (Samanco and Screwbar), peach and pineapple flavored soju (a whopping $5.00 per bottle), and banana milk.
5. Korean BBQ Instestines at Gopchang On Fire 2
Gopchang is a Korean delicacy of barbecued intestines (pig or cow). It's quite chewy/elastic-y and tastes like what you would expect for intestines.We ordered a combo for four people with 곱창 (small intestine of cow), 대창 (large intestine of cow), 막창(upper lining of last stomach), 특양 (upper lining of first stomach). It was definitely an interesting and entertaining experience, but I think I'll stick with tenderloin and ribeye. We also ordered Kimchi fried rice. This made me miss Korea all over again ><
6. Pho at I Luv Pho
I shared a beef pho with a friend. The pho was also supposed to have crunchy fat, which I don't think it was in our bowl...but we also had no idea what crunchy fat looks like so maybe it was in there but we didn't know LOL.
7. Kung Fu Tea
Got a Honey Milk Green Tea with less sugar and boba. It was good, but it didn't fulfill my craving fully. I made the mistake of getting less sweet in Chicago as well. Next time, I'm just going to get full sweet. Hopefully, the next time I go to Kung Fu I can finally perfect my order :P
Conclusion: Atlanta has a huge array of Korean businesses, kind of like Irvine, but spread out and older, which kind of reminds me of all the Asian restaurants in Las Vegas. It's quite small compared to Los Angeles or NYC, but it is an Asian oasis in the desert of super homogenous, Bible Belt states. Just a 4-hour drive from Nashville, it's a perfect, affordable destination for some cultural relief.