Omnivore - Frank Ma lands again

Frank Ma, probably the city’s most popular Chinese chef and restaurant operator, has landed at another venue. It’s called Frank Ma’s South (2088 Briarcliff Rd., 404-417-9990).

It’s a bit confusing. Ma is sharing the space with Wingnuts, whose sign you will see in front of the location inside a tiny strip mall.

While a group of wide-eyed adolescent boys chomped on wings, we dined on classics, shown above — homestyle tofu, 3-cup chicken and shrimp with snow pea vines. We also ate the usual starters of pan-fried dumplings and a scallion pancake. I like Frank Ma and his wife Amy very much but they do tend to recommend the same dishes to people over and over. The menu here is lengthy and I want to explore more of it.

Ma was last at Dinho, which hired him to re-create his classic menu and manage the dining room with Amy. I asked him why he left and he explained that the Dinho owner asked him to create a new, mainly Cantonese menu. Ma said “no way” and left. The man is giving the perpetually itinerant Richard Blais a run for the money.

We were entertained at dinner by Ma’s charming granddaughter Angela (above, right).

More in Grazing, week after next.