The Real Chow Baby
1016 Howell Mill Rd. NW
Atlanta, GA 30318 (with a new location opening at the Cobb Galleria Mall per website)
I've been wanting to write this review for a minute now. I happened upon this hip Asian/American stir fry eatery earlier (and several times since) in the '07 with a couple of gal pals of mine on a girlz nite out excursion...well to my surprise and delight I found a place that's a hip keeper in my book of worthy dining in the ATL.
The REAL- It's a large dine in or take out colorful, busy, contempo meets 1940's, big band music playing spot for the finger poppin' beatnik chick, college jock, business junkie, maybe even the book club meeting to on one of the quieter nights, and casual meal stopper alike. It's a place where all the tables are for the popular kids and everyone is popular. All types fit in and are welcome. Probably just don't come in with a mangled face and tattered pants as if attacked by Sasquatch and his crew or anything like that ok.
The spot boasts of indoor and outdoor (with heat lamp...YES) seating with rather small, simple light colored deco tables, a long bar type set up where you choose your toppings to go on your personalized dish (if it's nasty it is totally your bad), and a long space set out for the long line that is sure to gather with the hungry and chatty in a single file to make that original dish. You put together your master piece and then give it to a chef to stir fry and walla the wait staff will bring it to your table. Each guest who orders is given a wooden stick with a number...your dish is recognized by your number.
CHOW- Fresh, fresh, fresh! Fresh veggies (HEALTHY!!!)chicken, beef, scallops and sauces to go on top of your dish that they cook all together. You can choose to make a wrap, soup, a rice dish (2 types) or a pasta dish with several types of pasta! And yes the toppings or ingredients you choose from are mostly fresh and they have a plethora of choices like: mint, cilantro, parsley, onions, scallops, celery, nuts, basil, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, water chestnuts, raisins, carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans, eggs and SO much more. You can smell the garden in here people and you are sure to find something for you!
Oh BABY!- Yum! Belisimo! Well that is up to you really. If you choose the right sauce and toppings combo then your little chef sensation will be a delight. They have suggestions at the top of a large wall menu that helps the non creative of the world (dang right braineders...) with good combos for classic or The Real Chow Baby's custom dishes that have found favor in foodies eyes. Now personally since I like to be inventive and go against the advice of the wall, I've made some dishes...lots of them actually and uh...I've had some hits and some misses...but the great thing is since this is an $11.95 all a mug can eat type of deal..."If at first you don't succeed...dust yourself off and try again..." in the words of the late and great, talented Aaliyah Haughton (still miss her). So yes do go back for more, seconds or thirds...I think they really want you to anyway...or maybe that was just my belly talking. The food is healthy so you won't feel like you are getting fat but I must be honest three trips to ANY buffet is cause for pants to snap and fat to ripple.
I enjoy most the peanut sauce combos (they also have soy, light soy, pesto, peanut pesto, a ginger type, etc.) which of course is the fattiest of the selection but hey that's what i like and "It's like that and that's the way it is...HUH!". Okay...enuff.
The Real Chow Baby: funky, fun, casual yet sophisticated, kinda Soho in flavor or atmosphere...I felt like I could be in a mock or bootleg China Town friends. So my last words of persuasion are..try it!! And I'm not mocking Vitamin Water...I love that drink...especially Formal 50 and Triple X...yes! Pick me, pick me for sponsorship (shameful plug) Ok I digress. But yes try this place if you want something new, healthy and totally different than what you are used to at normal stuffy sit down restaurants where you have no control...control freaks of America (not myself included...shut up.).
The REAL- It's a large dine in or take out colorful, busy, contempo meets 1940's, big band music playing spot for the finger poppin' beatnik chick, college jock, business junkie, maybe even the book club meeting to on one of the quieter nights, and casual meal stopper alike. It's a place where all the tables are for the popular kids and everyone is popular. All types fit in and are welcome. Probably just don't come in with a mangled face and tattered pants as if attacked by Sasquatch and his crew or anything like that ok.
The spot boasts of indoor and outdoor (with heat lamp...YES) seating with rather small, simple light colored deco tables, a long bar type set up where you choose your toppings to go on your personalized dish (if it's nasty it is totally your bad), and a long space set out for the long line that is sure to gather with the hungry and chatty in a single file to make that original dish. You put together your master piece and then give it to a chef to stir fry and walla the wait staff will bring it to your table. Each guest who orders is given a wooden stick with a number...your dish is recognized by your number.
CHOW- Fresh, fresh, fresh! Fresh veggies (HEALTHY!!!)chicken, beef, scallops and sauces to go on top of your dish that they cook all together. You can choose to make a wrap, soup, a rice dish (2 types) or a pasta dish with several types of pasta! And yes the toppings or ingredients you choose from are mostly fresh and they have a plethora of choices like: mint, cilantro, parsley, onions, scallops, celery, nuts, basil, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, water chestnuts, raisins, carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans, eggs and SO much more. You can smell the garden in here people and you are sure to find something for you!
Oh BABY!- Yum! Belisimo! Well that is up to you really. If you choose the right sauce and toppings combo then your little chef sensation will be a delight. They have suggestions at the top of a large wall menu that helps the non creative of the world (dang right braineders...) with good combos for classic or The Real Chow Baby's custom dishes that have found favor in foodies eyes. Now personally since I like to be inventive and go against the advice of the wall, I've made some dishes...lots of them actually and uh...I've had some hits and some misses...but the great thing is since this is an $11.95 all a mug can eat type of deal..."If at first you don't succeed...dust yourself off and try again..." in the words of the late and great, talented Aaliyah Haughton (still miss her). So yes do go back for more, seconds or thirds...I think they really want you to anyway...or maybe that was just my belly talking. The food is healthy so you won't feel like you are getting fat but I must be honest three trips to ANY buffet is cause for pants to snap and fat to ripple.
I enjoy most the peanut sauce combos (they also have soy, light soy, pesto, peanut pesto, a ginger type, etc.) which of course is the fattiest of the selection but hey that's what i like and "It's like that and that's the way it is...HUH!". Okay...enuff.
The Real Chow Baby: funky, fun, casual yet sophisticated, kinda Soho in flavor or atmosphere...I felt like I could be in a mock or bootleg China Town friends. So my last words of persuasion are..try it!! And I'm not mocking Vitamin Water...I love that drink...especially Formal 50 and Triple X...yes! Pick me, pick me for sponsorship (shameful plug) Ok I digress. But yes try this place if you want something new, healthy and totally different than what you are used to at normal stuffy sit down restaurants where you have no control...control freaks of America (not myself included...shut up.).
Miesha
I have one word to say DELICIOUS!! The venue is the bomb!
ReplyDeletei've been too. ate so much i busted. i tried out many different combinations and the peanut pesto is strangely a great sauce. i'll go back again...got some friends coming into town so they will love it!
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