Minhwa Spirits wins prestigious global award and more from metro Atlanta’s dining scene
A new hotel with two on-site restaurants announced its imminent opening downtown, a longtime supplier of local restaurants died and more of this week’s happenings from the metro Atlanta restaurant scene.
Minhwa Spirits soju wins on global stage
Yong Original Soju from Minhwa Spirits, distilled in Doraville, was named the best-in-class soju at the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition earlier this month. The honor gives the locally made spirit a claim as the best soju in the world.
The business partners behind Minhwa Spirits, Ming Han Chung and James Kim, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution they were proud to win the best-in-class award over many of the major Korean distillers who have been making soju for generations. The SF World Spirits Competition is considered particularly prestigious because it is judged through blind tastings, putting tiny craft distillers and huge brand names on a level playing field, Chung said.
Soju is a rice-based spirit distilled to a higher proof than brewed products like sake or makgeolli. Chung and Kim, both Georgia Tech graduates, said the spirit’s reputation had fallen as its production became industrialized and the end product was made cheaper and sweeter. They launched Minhwa Spirits in late 2023 with the goal of producing high-quality, craft soju made in a traditional style.
In their first year, Minhwa Spirits won double-gold at the SF World Spirits Competition, announcing their arrival in the category’s upper echelons. By winning in their sophomore year, Chung and Kim hope the accolades will inspire more curiosity in their product and in Korean spirits, in general.
Yong Original Soju is known for its crisp, smooth flavor that can be enjoyed straight or mixed into a cocktail as a relatively neutral base. Chung said he hopes soju can chart a course similar to tequila, a spirit once seen as exotic in the U.S. but now considered standard on most cocktail menus.
2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville. 470-391-2840, minhwaspirits.com
Longtime Atlanta restaurant supplier dead at 85
Howard Halpern, the founder of restaurant supplier Halperns’ Steak and Seafood, died Thursday at age 85, according to his obituary. A New Jersey native, he came to Atlanta in 1966 by way of Miami, where he had begun his career selling produce. In 1972, he started Halperns’ Gourmet Grocer, a combination restaurant and butcher shop that was innovative for the time, his obituary said.
Halpern moved from retail to wholesale in 1983 when he started a company called Buckhead Beef. The company grew and was eventually acquired by Sysco in 1999. Several years later, he started Halperns’ Steak and Seafood with a focus on fine dining restaurants.
Halperns’ was acquired by Gordon’s Food Services in 2015, but Halpern continued to work there “until his final weeks,” his obituary said.
Halpern will be buried at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.
New management at Vice Steak Bar
Vice Steak Bar in Milton hired a new general manager, Jamie Saad, according to a news release. Saad previously managed hospitality operations at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina, but moved to metro Atlanta for family reasons, the announcement said.
Vice Steak Bar stands out for its vertical integration with its own cattle operation in North Georgia, an aspect of the business that attracted Saad, he said in a press statement.
“We have unique control over the entire supply chain, which yields higher quality and lower prices, while maintaining sustainable margins,” Saad said.
“Besides a sharp eye for detail, Jamie has a great personality for the business; he truly enjoys meeting and getting to know our customers, many of whom are already regulars,” Vice Steak Bar chef and owner Nick Leahy said. “He’s just a perfect fit for the community-focused feel of our restaurant and our company.”
3000 Heritage Walk, Milton. 678-974-0940, vicesteakbar.com
Other items of interest
Bar Blanc, the sister restaurant to Little Sparrow in the Westside Provisions District, will begin its French Dip Fridays promotion Nov. 28. Each Friday, the restaurant will serve two styles of French dip sandwiches during lunch.
1198 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-355-2252, barblancatl.com
Season in Marietta is offering a holiday coffee flight for a limited time. For $20, customers can sample four of the restaurant’s seasonal coffee and tea flavors: gingerbread latte, sugar cookie latte, eggnog coldbrew and peppermint white mocha.
301 Lemon St. NE, Marietta. 678-439-2935, seasonmarietta.com
Tiger Sun, known for its movie-inspired omakase-style cocktail tasting menu, has announced its next theme: Goodfellas. Cocktails will have names like the 2R Rossi and the Union Delegate, and diners will have the opportunity to order “extra kicks” with their experience.
904 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta. tigersunatl.com
O by Brush is offering its own unique take on nontraditional omakase menus with a dessert omakase. The acclaimed Buckhead sushi restaurant will begin offering the intimate dessert experience Dec. 6, with just 10 reservations available per day between 1-3 p.m. The service will cost $155 per person plus a 20% gratuity.
3009 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-500-1888, obybrush.com
Restaurant openings and announcements
Luella, the steakhouse taking over the building formerly occupied by the Ivy in Buckhead, will open Tuesday, Eater Atlanta reported this week.
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza will open a third Atlanta-area location in the Inman Quarter development, according to a news release. The popular pizza chain will take over a 1,400-square-foot space with a patio next to the cocktail bar Little Spirit. The announcement did not specify an opening date.
Hotel Phoenix will open in downtown Atlanta on Dec. 1, bringing another bar and restaurant to the quickly developing Centennial Yards just steps from Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena, the hotel announced in a news release. The property’s flagship restaurant will be called Zephyr, while a second cocktail bar will be named Bar Z.
About the Author
Henri Hollis is a reporter and restaurant critic for the Food & Dining team. Formerly a freelance writer and photographer with a focus on food and restaurants, he joined the AJC full-time in January 2021, first covering breaking news. He is a lifelong Atlantan and a graduate of Georgia Tech.
