The area’s most beloved Thai restaurant is very unassuming. The name is as straightforward as they come—Thai Restaurant of Norcross. No Buddha references, no basil references, nothing fake-exotic in the title. The location is likewise unassuming. Plopped in the middle of a strip mall in a part of town that has seen better days.  Yet, the restaurant has an extremely loyal, enthusiastic fan base and has been reviewed by everyone from Zagat to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (three stars). Heck, Tiger Woods and R.E.M. have even been to the restaurant. What gives? Excellent, perfectly authentic …

Here at Norcross Patch, we’ve been doing some looking back. We looked at the year in pictures, recalled the craziest crimes, took a peek at the year in business and took in some real estate news. Now for our favorite look at 2011: the top five things I ate this year. Trust me, choosing ain’t easy. Cheap Tacos at Don Pedro A Red Velvet Donut at Sarah Donuts A Massive Paella at Mojito’s  Pad Thai at KoKai  Chef’s Choice Sushi at Sushi Yoko What about you? What was your favorite Norcross meal of 2011? Tell us in the comments.    

Mi Pilon was named for an actual pilon, a wooden mortar that owner Mayra Esquea received as a wedding gift, 18 years before she opened a restaurant at 5705 Buford Highway with her sister Laz in 2001. The restaurant is named for a family legend—and also serves up legendary family comfort food, made with a homemade touch. The brightly painted little restaurant serves Puerto Rican, Cuban and Dominican food cafeteria-style. There’s a rotating cast of stews, beans and rice dishes served on either a regular, medium or large plate. All of them are heaping to the brim and cost $5.99, $7.95 or $9.95 …

Izakaya. A word that rolls off the tongue with delightful staccato. An izakaya, to get all food-snobby on y’all, is a Japanese gastropub. You know, one of those places to sit for hours over drinks with a group of friends, one that also happens to have incredibly good food that’s plated for sharing. In Japan, almost every little town, even those blips nestled between expanses of bright green rice paddies, has an izakaya. You’ll know it because of the red lantern that hangs out front, inviting visitors. Usually, pitcher upon pitcher of beer (or bottle upon bottle of sake) are drained by a large…

Don Chava is hidden is plain sight. The Mexican joint has been open for six months at 5316 Buford Highway, near the CVS, but most of my fellow Norcross residents said the same thing I did: “Really? I didn’t see it there."   The new-ish strip center where it is located doesn’t have any other current tenants and was not fully lit until recently, so it seems even the most ravenous of taco-eaters could overlook it. But a recent trip yielded yummy, authentic eats and friendly service in a kitschy environment. And for next to nothing. The interior of the shop is sparse, but on the walls hang framed…

I’ve ordered many (perhaps too many) dinners from KoKai Thai Bistro in the Hong Kong Supermarket shopping center—all of them have been good, some very good. But it seems that I was missing the point. I was delighted when I finally went into the local restaurant for dinner this week and ate straight-from-the-wok dishes.  The modern, minimalistic bistro touts its specialty as “Bangkok street food.”  But before you start thinking of greasy finger food understand this: street food in Bangkok is an art form. Books have been devoted to the subject. Top Chefs have made their mark with it—and KoKai …

When I travelled from the southern delta of the Mekong River to the ethereal heights of Sapa—literally from tip to top—of Vietnam two things came as a complete surprise: strong coffee and great bread. I'm happy to report that you can find both at Huy's in Norcross.   You might think of a steaming bowl of pho noodle soup or a herb-stuffed spring roll when you think of Vietnamese food, but you almost certainly won’t start salivating for a flaky baguette. Yet, the French colonial rule of Vietnam left a strong sandwich tradition behind. And the Vietnamese—quick to swallow and improve on culinary …

At my favorite Thai restaurant in Champaign, Ill., there are three different spice designations on the menu. There’s “regular,” “spicy,” and “Thai spicy.” I’m that crazy person who orders everything Thai spicy, every time. I once drew a crowd in Goa, a seaside town in India known its eye-watering cuisine, when I insisted that a vegetable-and-lentil salad be served to me like it would be to any local. My lips did swell, I’ll admit, but I enjoyed it. I say this because I want to give you context: When I went the The Mughal’s at 5265 Jimmy Carter Blvd on a friend’s recommendation, I had a false …

I went to Bento Café in Norcross looking for a Japanese lunch served in a square container with small portions of the country’s staples, like grilled fish, rice and pickled plums. You know, I went there craving… a bento box.  I even amused myself by thinking of a cheesy headlines as I drove: “Lunch Squared,” “Boxed In.” But I won’t get to use them, because they don’t have bento boxes at the sparse, modern shop in the Hong Kong Supermarket shopping center. What they do have is the ever-popular “boba,” or bubble, tea and excellent Taiwanese comfort food. The brushed metal and cinderblock décor …

Baba’s Gyro & Kabob is a new Greek and Middle Eastern joint in the Flying Biscuit and Dream Land Barbeque shopping center off Peachtree Parkway—and it’s a crowd pleaser with its fresh, authentic dishes and snappy service. Though the restaurant is new, the staff and management seem to be old hats: They already have one location in Cumming off Ronald Reagan Boulevard. Even on a hopping lunch shift, we were lavished with attention. Hey, I saw the servers take the time to kiss two babies during a lunch rush. The food is good, darn good actually, but the true advantage of this restaurant is that …

On any given day, seemingly at any given time, you can drive by a humble taco shop on Buford Highway and find it packed. Cars might be parked askew, lines might be forming at the door. The sign simply says “Tacos, 99 Cents.” Don Pedro’s menu boasts that it serves “Real Mexican Food.” This is not Tex-Mex. This is not a place with fake palm trees and margaritas. This is a place for tacos: tongue tacos, BBQ tacos, spicy pork tacos, steak tacos.  Each taco comes with a minimalist topping of diced raw onion and a little chopped fresh cilantro—we liked that the flourish had a definite flavor but …

Mojitos Cuban-American Bistro in Historic Norcross has a deserved reputation for presenting the classic Cuban flavors with gusto--and even throwing in some twists: moist, mild empanadas with tangy avocado sauce; a classic “Ropa Vieja” brisket-style steak; the lusted-after ribs with guava BBQ sauce.  The authentic cuisine comes from owners Luis Fernandez and Yanin Cortez. Cortez’ mother, Elsida Cortez, provided many of the tried recipes and can be found diligently working them to perfection in the narrow kitchen in the mornings. What was added with the addition of chef Joel Ferrer three months…

I’m going to wander slightly here—outside the borders of Norcross and outside of my formula of picking an authentic ethnic restaurant you’ve likely never heard of—to bring you this healthy edition of Ethnic Eats.  The Loving Hut is a vegan Pan-Asian restaurant that defies expectations. First, its location at 6385 Spalding Drive in Peachtree Corners in a squat business park meant for professional offices, it seems. Next, its active community of health-minded patrons seem that they should be more Little Five Points than Peachtree Corners. Last, its menu, delicious and inventive without any meat…

Elaborate Greek columns and terra cotta soldiers greet you in the lobby. The elaborate chandeliers and flower arrangements makes you think you could be crashing someone’s wedding. But no.  Instead you are in the faux-elaborate dining room of Happy Valley to get some snap-fresh Cantonese food and incredible bites of dim sum. Many adoring foodies have called Happy Valley dim sum the best in Atlanta. For those who have not partaken in the treats, individual-portions of bite-sized food or dumplings are served in a steamer, often from a rolling cart. The idea originated in the southern Canton …

A large buffet and hibachi grill is now open at the corner of Singleton Road and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. The shiny lacquer booths and decorations speak to its newness. The voluminous piles of food will give you a good idea of why this $8 flat fee restaurant is so busy in its first weeks.  As you can imagine, I would steer you away from the pizza, oddly shaped chicken fingers and twice-baked potatoes at an Asian buffet. You could join the crowd and see how many crawfish or crab claws or peel-and-eat shrimp you can possibly eat for just $8, but allow me to advise you against that, too. …

The Global Mall has long been a center of Indian culture in Atlanta—so it comes as no surprise that the food court serves quick lunches for its clientele, who are largely vegetarian. (At least 40 percent of the Indian population is vegetarian. Mostly because of the Hindu belief in reincarnation.) Undulating music and colorful details give the over-lit mall a little warmth and friendliness. Once you come up the escalator—with pictures of gurus smiling down at you from the walls—head to the right for the food court. Among the small stands of note are Mumbai Masala, Sri Krishna Vilas and a …

Let it be known that your editor is a Japanaphile. I love everything about Japanese culture, from the kitschy little cell phone charms to the austerity of Zen culture. I spent long, quiet years perched in a little mountain town in rural Japan, after all. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that one of Atlanta’s most esteemed “underground” Japanese restaurants is right in Norcross, Sushi Yoko.  The restaurant is in unlikely territory, along the access road on Hwy 141, in what I thought may have been a late-night emporium. But inside of the boxy, almost windowless building at 7142 …

Let me count the clues that Los Ranchos might turn into a club when the clock strikes midnight: The disco ball, sitting out of commission in the center of the restaurant; the giant speakers you run into on the way to the bathroom; the CDs lined up in the windows as decoration. And, my favorite, the glittery fake flower on every table, which we dubbed the “disco flower.” We headed to Los Ranchos on a recommendation about the Honduran food, but we arrived to find that all of the Honduran items had been crossed off the menu. Perhaps a change of staff? Either way, we were hungry and rolled with …

If your driveway is anywhere near as steep as mine, the best shot you have of eating “out” has involved a very irritated pizza man. But the grocery store is still open, which means it’s time to cook. If there are two things this weather makes me think about it’s a big pot of curry and a big pot of soup. This dish that I made the other night combines the two.   Curried Butternut Squash Soup 1 Tbsp peanut or canola oil 1 big clove garlic, mined 2 inches fresh ginger, minced About 7 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed 4 cups vegetable broth 1 ½ Tbsp red curry paste 1 can coconut milk  In a …

When you walk into Elizabeth Salvadoreña Panaderia and Pupuseria, you’ll first see a wall of desserts. Freshly baked jelly rolls, chunky cream-filled pan, pineapple bread and so much more greet you from a tall dessert case and a glass showcase. You’ll need to remember that this eatery, which specializes in foods from El Salvador, also has great pupusas, so take a seat. Or you can grab the dessert first, and then take a seat, like I did. The restaurant itself is in a strangely barn-like building with a pointed roof. The cheerful colors do go some distance to pep up the standard cheap booths …