May is Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so for my first ever Food and Coffee Feature, I wanted to highlight and celebrate some Asian-owned restaurants and coffee shops in/around Atlanta, Georgia! Wherever you live, show your AAPI community some extra love this month!!! ♥♥♥
Food
Casual: Kathmandu Kitchen and Grill (Clarkston, GA)
As someone who loves experiencing different cultures and has a heart for missions, Clarkston is one of my new favorite cities in Georgia. It is a city that has a high refugee population, and you can find so many nationalities featured here. My boyfriend and I ventured here to try a coffee shop, and when we stumbled upon a Nepali restaurant I knew we had to try it! This is a humble restaurant, but the food was authentic and SO good!!! I got the Chicken Momos, my boyfriend got the Chicken 65, and we split a side of naan. Talk about taking a mental trip back to Nepal, especially when I decided to also try the Masala Tea. Not only did I love it, but my boyfriend did as well! This restaurant may not look like much, but I would HIGHLY suggest you give it a try! (I personally can’t wait to go back and try the Chicken Biryani!)
Date Night: Tuk Tuk Thai Food Lounge (Atlanta, GA)
Fun story about Tuk Tuk…this was supposed to be where my boyfriend went on our first official date. Unfortunately, it closed for the night due to the unrest in Atlanta at the time. We finally were able to go, and what a great night that was! I had the Pad Thai and a Thai Tea to drink, and there were no regrets with either! These classics were absolutely delicious! Also, there were some great photo ops in a real tuk-tuk in the lobby!
*I would recommend making a reservation, as they get very busy. Try to get a table outside for an extra special dining experience!
Coffee
Rendezvous Cafe (Cumming, GA)
As someone who has made it my personal mission to try as many coffee shops as I can during my lifetime, I am so excited to review this one first. I actually visited this cafe soon after I moved to Georgia, but it underwent a complete renovation during 2020. It’s even cuter now, and I absolutely love the atmosphere. (Tables or comfy seats and lots of natural light…yes, please!) The drinks I have tried are really good, and even the flavored lattes still taste like coffee! I would recommend both the Salted Caramel and Nutella lattes, although I think I like the salted caramel better. The pimento cheese sandwich was also super tasty, and the jalapeno added a little twist (thankfully not too much spice for this girl!). I think it’s safe to say I’ve found my favorite coffee shop in Cumming!
Honorable Mentions
Food: 26 Thai inside PH’EAST (Atlanta, GA) // China Moon Restaurant (Vinings, GA) //
Sweet Tuna (Alpharetta, GA)
Coffee: Cafe Comma (Vinings, GA) // Cafe Amico (Suwanee, GA)
What is your favorite Asian-owned establishment??? Comment below!
