Sowing my royal oats

Let’s go to Blade Runner World, Wayne said. We were driving around, looking for new restaurants. “Blade Runner World” is his nickname for that part of Buford Highway north of the Perimeter, where cultures seem to suddenly conflate themselves, as they did in the movie. You get restaurants like a Korean one called Baden Baden Hof and a Mexican one, Cancun, with a Chinese sign.

A sign that sort of looked like “Muse” caught my eye at International Plaza. I drove in. We peered inside and realized that the sign was written in Greek and, yeah, there was a list of the muses of antiquity on the wall in English ... and a lot of very lovely Asian women — muses?-- sitting around. I have no idea.

Intimidated, we went next door to the new Yong Su Gan (5979 Buford Hwy., International Plaza) and headed to the rear of the restaurant. “You do want barbecue, yes?” the server asked. We muttered yes.

The rear of the restaurant is totally devoted to the Korean art of barbecuing at the table. Like nearby Hae Wan Do, the restaurant uses live coals shoveled into the grill. Here, a young man walks about, depositing the scary red-hot coals with the indifferent competency of a bomb squad member. Huge metal ventilation hoods are above each table but the room still has a lingering smell of smoke. In actuality, I wasn’t much in the mood for barbecue and we asked to move to the better-smelling front.

“Royalty,” our server said almost as soon as we ordered.

“Huh? Us? We’re just plain simple folks,” I assured her, imagining myself in a Korean crown.

“No, I mean what you order is what kings used to eat, very special. You must not be from here to order that.”

“But yes,” I said. “We’re just ignorant, not tasteful.”

It was just the beginning. Soon afterward, in the middle of our meal — a truly royal feast called “youngiungsik” — our server and another began a furious and loud argument in Korean at our table. About five other servers, all women, gathered around to watch. I started to laugh hysterically, but Wayne, who clings to Old South notions of propriety, turned scarlet with embarrassment. The argument ended as quickly as it began. Everyone suddenly split and went back to work.

Later, our server told us that she was being chastised for not explaining the food to us more thoroughly. We had no idea how to eat some of it and had asked another server. “I sorry but I not have time then!” she said, hacking our block of pine nut-studded kim chee with scissors and launching into an explanation of each dish. Honestly, I proclaim the whole staff Waitrons of the Week. Divinely sweet and really anxious that we understand their food, as was the owner who came by later, the staff was pure delight.

Everything here is made on the premises. Our meal, $20 each, began with a delicious pumpkin soup with dumplings that reminded me of gnocchi. That was followed by large shrimp wrapped with cucumber in a very light rice paper, drenched in a slightly sweet sauce. Then there was a dish of noodles, three types, with beef. Then a plate of not very appetizing, cold brown dumplings made with potato flour. Then a large plate of various pickles and condiments meant to be wrapped taco-like in round rice-flour sheets and dipped in a soy-based sauce. Then bowls of rice-flour dumplings that looked like hats, bobbing in a bowl of flavorful broth. Then a plate of thinly sliced rare beef to roll around onion, garlic and green pepper with wasabi (red and green) and dip in another sauce. Then a little plate of tempura. Then barbecued beef, bulgogi, served over a pine branch that imparted a delicious fragrance to the meat. Finally: a sweet rice drink and a chewy cookie.

We could barely walk.

You’ll also find less demanding meals here. Besides the barbecue, there are all the classics like bibimbop. The interior, befitting the Blade Runner-esque environs, is all fresh, strong-smelling wood. There’s a huge autumnal mural that could represent the North Korean mountain from which the restaurant takes its name.

Here and there
We followed the recommendations of others to try Mediterranean Grill (2126 N. Decatur Road, 404-320-0101), next to Rainbow Grocery. Although we found the food competent and we appreciate the low prices, we didn’t share others’ enthusiasm for the quality.

Hummus and baba ganouj were good enough, but served with pita bread past its prime. The falafel was hard and cool. We liked our stuffed grape leaves and chicken kebab, but gyro was obnoxiously greasy and tough. We sampled both the rice pudding and baklava. Go for the rice. The baklava is tough and grainy with sugar. Admittedly, we dined here an hour before closing and I did notice that some takeout orders were definitely made with reheated food cooked earlier. Maybe lunch is better.

I revisited Agave in Cabbagetown recently. The restaurant has paved the awful lot there and really dressed up its outside dining area. The food remains a very strange, rather bland take on Southwestern cuisine. At the server’s suggestion I ordered the weird-sounding crawfish and beef burrito. It is basically the restaurant’s decent green chile stew with crawfish added and then wrapped in a tortilla. An inferior cheese is used unfortunately. I’m clueless.

E-mail or call 404-688-5623, ext. 1504, with your dining tips and feedback.??