Awesome Ethnic Food in Atlanta

By: Yuechen “Poppy” Yang, 1st Year- Health Policy & Management

You’ll definitely find amazing southern food here in Atlanta including, but not limited to, South City Kitchen, Mary Mac’s Tea Room, and Poor Calvin’s. Yet Atlanta is so diverse that you’ll also find delicious ethnic food. We have a Korea-town that is mostly centered around the I-85 corridor extending from Duluth, Georgia to Buford Highway. Let me introduce you to some of my favorite Korean, Japanese, Venezuelan, and Brazilian food in Atlanta.

Favorite Japanese and Hawaiian Places in Atlanta
Coming from San Diego, California, I can’t live without sushi. Earth Fare is only 5-minute walk away from Rollins (near Emory Point), and you can’t miss their sushi deals. Earth Fare provides basic sushi rolls, shrimp, and crab rolls for $5 every Wednesday. Definitely stop by if you want to try something new besides the food from school on Wednesdays!

What if you are crazy about sushi and only have a limited budget? Go to Nori Nori! Nori Nori is an all-you-can-eat buffet offering sushi, sashimi, and other cooked Asian Fusion. It is a little bit further away from school because it is located in Sandy Springs, but I think it is a great spot to go with friends! I prefer to go there for lunch because I’ll get the same kind of food, but at a relatively lower price compared to dinner.

Have you ever tried Poké? It has nothing to do with Pokémon. Poké is a raw fish salad served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine, and sometimes as an entree. Poke Bar is my favorite spot for Poké in Atlanta. It is a chain restaurant that was first opened in California with fast, convenient, and healthy food. It has a Chipotle restuarant-styled ordering method where you can choose your bowl size, types of protein, sides/toppings, and sauces. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful, most noticeably the fish, marinated scallops, and sesame oil. They also offer loyalty cards where you buy 10 bowls and get 1 medium bowl for free!

Favorite Korean Places in Atlanta
My favorite Korean BBQ in Atlanta is 678 Korean BBQ. 678 Korean BBQ has delicious meats sizzling over charcoal grills, super friendly servers, and, yes, even the catchy K-pop, and a chubby famous Korean dude, Kang Ho-dong on the wall. The restaurant makes you feel that you are in Seoul because of the ambience. I think they offer great quality meats that surpass most of the Korean places in Atlanta.

One of the most authentic Korean places that I’ve been to in Atlanta is Jang Su Jang. It specializes in Korean dumplings, tofu/meat stews, and other family shared Korean dishes. My favorite ones are the braised pork rib stews, Budae Jjigae (a spicy stew with kimchi, ramen, sausage, tofu and cheese or even more toppings), and seafood pancakes.

Favorite Venezuelan Place in Atlanta
Arepa Mia is a cute little restaurant that has two spots located in both Decatur and on Edgewood Ave. It is small, casual, and family oriented restaurant. The decorations are super cute and customer friendly. The restaurant offers good deals on wines, special dishes on different days, and awesome vegetarian options! My favorite ones are Chicken & Sausage, Pabellón, and Perico arepas. 

Favorite Brazilian Place in Atlanta
If you are a meat lover, you can’t miss the Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse. It is a Brazilian chain restaurant that offers all-you-can-eat meat, and an extensive salad bar! You’ll receive a little card when you dine at the restaurant with green and red on each side. Green means that you want meat, and red means no meat. The servers will come to your table with different types of meat skewers to slice off meat on your plate. It’s a great experience if you have never tried it before. Most of the meats are tender, juicy, and full of robust flavor.