Zach Pousman

Review: Tasty China (Marietta, GA)

28Jun09

I have been meaning to eat at Tasty China for a long while. I found out about the restaurant from a friend who lived in Washington D.C. (where the chef was a sensation amongst the food-loving-food-living set at chowhound and other communities). Then I heard about it again from Blissful Glutton, an Atlanta foodie and food blogger. And then today it came up again from a friend at work. My friend had heard about it from his friend, who swears by the place, but he’d never been. So we went.

Tasty China is in a dusty suburban-Atlanta strip mall, near an unfinished commerical building, and next door to Nazareth, which proudly proclaims “Your #1 Mediterranean Market!” Across the street is the usual Marietta assortment of carnacerias, nightclubs, and electronics stores. But the humble environment and very, uh, understated decor is part of the charm. Because the food is the one and only star.

The chef is rumored to have cooked for the President of China. I didn’t see it, but apparently there’s even a picture of him with the president behind the cash register of the joint. Dunno. Missed it this time because we were in a terrible hurry to get to a meeting, but I’ll take a closer look at the cash register when I return.

We had the following items on our quick excursion:

Hot and Sour Soup - Kinda plain and without much character. It tasted alright, it had a deep and abiding bite and pleasant sourness, but it tasted like it came from a mix. It was also a bit too “slick”, like it was made with a bit too much cornstarch. It was not an auspicious start to the meal, but hey, not everything can be great.
Hot and Numbing Beef Roll - This was a true standout. All the reviews say so. But it’s different than anything I’ve ever eaten before. The textures, tastes, and sensation… Firstly, the texture. The meat was lukewarm, and just barely seared, like ahi tuna, which complemented the crunchy texture of the lettuce and some kind of mint mixture. The taste was a crazy combination of hot and cold. The hotness had no tang to it, nothing vinegary or back-of-the-throat hotness. It was a bit hot, but also a bit “cold”, like the spiciness that comes from spearmint more than a habanero or thai hot pepper. Lastly, the sensation. After eating the beef roll, my tongue felt weird for 10-15 minutes. Drinking or eating anything tasted weird (water tasted like lemonade). The numbing-plus-weirdness sensation lasted the majority of the day. Note also that even though it was on the appetizer list, it was huge. Seriously, the thing was the size of a mission burrito, I think that it’s an appropriate lunch appetizer for four.
Dry Fried Green Beens - We got this a a side and it was fantastic. It had a ton of garlicky goodness, and a slick dark sauce. The green beens were really fresh and delicious. I’d like to say I’d order it again, but I think I’m going to get the Dry Fried Eggplant next time.
Kung Pao Chicken - This was the best Kung Pao Chicken I’ve ever had. It was hot and spicy, but it also had a lot of deep and smoky flavor. The chillies were large and different than others I’ve had in other Kung Pao dishes. I think that they’re the source of the depth and complexity of the flavors. The vegetables were fresh and delicious, but definitely watch out for the large slices of garlic. I’ll just say that I’m glad that I didn’t have any meetings in the afternoon after we ate it. Long story short, I’ll probably order this again, and I’ll definitely be back at Tasty China soon.