Monday, February 6, 2012
Restaurants Gu's Bistro doesn't torture the mild of palate
Posted by Cliff Bostock @cliffbostock on Mon, Feb 6, 2012 at 1:30 PM
- www.gusbistro.com
- Cumin lamb at Gu's Bistro
Gu, with 30-plus years in the restaurant business, was last a chef at Sichuan House in Johns Creek, where he gained a considerable following.
I went to Gu's a recent Friday night with my regular dining pals and at meal's end, they announced that Gu's was "much better" than Chang's. Their reason was predictable. It wasn't as spicy. (Don't worry. There are plenty of dishes featuring the hot and numbing ma-la peppercorns.) Moreover, even though Gu's has an astoundingly long menu, two friends ordered the same "crispy beef" and one ordered kung pao (from an "Americanized Chinese" menu). Oy. Not exactly challenging dishes on a menu of head-to-tail goodies like pig's kidney, intestines, tail and ears.
Kidding. I didn't go very exotic myself, wanting to compare chef Gu's cumin-coated lamb to Peter Chang's. The most conspicuous difference was Gu's presentation of meltingly soft, boneless chunks of meat. Also, the intensity of the cumin seemed comparatively restrained, as was the spicy heat. (The kitchen will tone-down the chili peppers, but I didn't ask for that.)
We ordered a couple vegetable plates as starters, including spicy dried eggplant and Sichuan-style green beans, probably my favorite dish of the evening. Everything's there: hot chilies, crispy green beans that actually taste like green beans, and other mysterious spices. Order it.
Fried tilapia with peanuts and red chilies was also a favorite at the table. The least favorite was a dish of cold, shredded potatoes. The menu said it included bell peppers, but there were practically none. The effect was something like cold hash browns begging for a touch of acid or heat.
The one dish, universally recommended, that I wish we had tried is the tea-smoked duck, but that's a good reason to return. The dan-dan noodles and dumplings also gather positive reviews.
If you can manage it, try to get a group of 10 together for the Sunday dim sum special. That's the minimum reservation that Gu's requires to serve the $15 (cartless) endless meal. If someone else makes the magic 10 reservation, anyone else can go, but everyone must arrive at the same time. Call ahead (770-451-8118).
Comments (5)
Showing 1-5 of 5
Gu's for dinner has never disappointed me. You definitely must go back for the duck. Also, like a few other restaurants, I think they do dial back the spice level for Caucasian customers unless you ask them not to do so. I can relate with you about going with friends who can't seem to shake the Americanized-Chinese-Food habit. I have also been to Gu's for the dim sum. I enjoyed it, but I was not "blown away" by it. The service is always top-notch, though, so it is well worth going. They announce beforehand on their Facebook feed when they will be having a dim sum.
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I liked Gu's a lot the one time I went. The wife thought everything had too much chili oil in it (too greasy, not too spicy). I'd definitely go again but can't get the wife on board.
Wow--my own impression has been that some of Gu's food is at least as spicy as, if not spicer than, Tasty China's (I haven't been to the spinoff Peter Chang's). Gu's Fish in Hot Pot, for example, nearly blew my head off with that wonderful capsaicin rush the first time I ate it. I believe spice levels can vary, though, and some times it's been hotter than others. I'd be careful about perpetuating your friends' generalization that Chef Gu makes less spicy food than Chang and/or Tasty China do.
Seems like Gu is following in the food steps of all other Atlanta Chinese restaurants, make it "Atlanta Chinese." What I love about Peter Chang and Tasty China is that they don't try to fall into the trap of "make it Atlanta sweet."
For instance you can order Mongolian Beef at Peter Chang. It is wonderful, what it should be beefy, oniony, not spicy at all, all savory no sweet.
I remember seeing on local TV a former Chinese restaurant owner saying that he finally closed down his place because he couldn't take it anymore, "sugar, sugar, sugar" had to be in every dish otherwise people complained it didn't taste "Chinese." I still chuckle when I think of the exasperated look on the poor fellow's face.
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