Beyond BuHi: 5 more spots for global flavors across metro Atlanta
In Atlanta, unfettered by the traditional divisions of ethnic enclaves, immigrants have become integral parts of our communities, sharing their heritage and history with us across our neighborhoods and suburbs.
So, global dining bastion that Buford Highway is, it’s far from the only avenue for delicious food with a toehold still in the motherland. A fantastic, beloved immigrant-owned spot could be even closer and more convenient than you think.
In this month’s exploration of immigrant-owned establishments, we remain mostly inside the Perimeter even as we’re transported to India for a first-of-its-kind cafe; Korea for family recipe kimchi and bulgogi; and experience Indigenous techniques from the Philippines. Plus, we journey just beyond I-285 to find classic Hong Kong-style baked goods and Moroccan classics you shouldn’t miss.
Chai Box Cafe
Monica Sunny was only 9 years old when her family moved to Stone Mountain from Punjab, India in 1984, hoping to find greater opportunity. Suffice it to say, she’s found it, first with a successful corporate career, and now, her own award-winning, nationally distributed chai brand and recently opened chai cafe — the first in Atlanta.
“When I started The Chai Box, I just wanted to share the chai I grew up drinking with my three boys, who were all under the age of seven at the time,” Sunny said. “I wanted to hold onto the traditions that shaped us.”
The ritual naturally evolved. She began sharing it with others in her own home; then, with the launch of the tea concentrate, even more people in their homes; and now, with the cafe, she shares with the city.
While chai drinks — including hot lattes and iced versions of signature blends — are the headliners, they make up just a few of many unique options at the Chai Box Café. Ceremonial-grade matcha, a rotation of more than 15 loose-leaf blends and South Asian-roasted coffee are also on the menu. Seasonal drinks with house-made syrups might include iced coconut water topped with lychee malai (cream).
To accompany the beverages, the Chai Box Cafe developed a pastry program that Sunny excitedly calls a true East-meets-West collaboration. Saag paneer danishes and crumbly pistachio sable cookies with edible flowers and cream are particularly pretty treats in an equally aesthetic setting. Sunlight gently bathes soothing, muted tones of berry and greens, and a sprawling image of a summery Indian landscape fills an arched cutout in the wall. Indian rusks (“Think of it as somewhere between a biscotti and lightly sweet, crunchy toast,” Sunny explained), samosa croissants, cardamom buns and masala-spiced quiches are regularly found in the pastry case at the counter — if you get there early enough.
1963 Howell Mill Rd. NW, Atlanta. 844-242-4269, thechaibox.com/pages/chai-cafe
Marrakech Express
Chef-owner Amal Alaoui moved to Atlanta for love, joining her husband here in 2015 from Marrakech, Morocco. After that, it didn’t take long for her other love — cooking — to surface; she started her catering business a year later. Fast forward to 2024, when the doors to her very own brick-and-mortar in Smyrna opened for the first time, granting access to her uber-traditional Moroccan cooking in a convenient counter-service setting — no special event required.
Many of Alaoui’s dishes come directly from family recipes using time-honored techniques. She prides herself on the accurate replication of these flavors, going so far as importing spices directly from Morocco to ensure that there are no colorants or commercial additives. Because the dishes are true to her experiences with home cooking in Marrakech, there is no curry or soy in them, either.
“We can make our own preserved lemons, make our own spiced olives and our own chermoula all here in Atlanta, too,” she said.
These ingredients are found in specialty dishes such as slow-cooked chicken or lamb Tanjiya. Crowd-pleasing Mediterranean dishes include locally sourced chicken shawarma with her own blend of seasonings; falafel bowls with rice served with denjal (eggplant), a house-made garlic yogurt sauce called leguor and greens; and dips like hummus (available plain or spicy), baba ghanoush and zaalouk, an eggplant, tomato and green pepper spread. Her take on her country’s famous harissa sauce is also sold on the side if you agree that spice is nice.
However, when asked what tastes of her ancestral home she’s most proud of bringing to her new one, she said, “Chicken Mhamar, beef tagine with prunes, chicken T’faya. And couscous, the national dish of Morocco, is my favorite,” a common base for communal dishes meant to be shared. These are typically offered as specials, so keep an eye out!
2450 Atlanta Rd SE Ste. 400, Smyrna. 770-405-8298, marrakechexpressrestaurant.com
Family Baking (Rolls Village)
Buford Highway has the indomitable Sweet Hut, the photogenic Chinese-Malaysian bakery cafe that launched the Food Terminal empire. But Atlanta Chinatown in Chamblee has the equally satisfying Family Baking, formerly known as Rolls Village — a no-frills, old-school Chinese bakery opened by Michael Lam in 2018.
Like most of the businesses in this shopping center, the décor is minimal and utilitarian; as Hong Kong-native Lam has said, his affordable bakery is “meant for families, for the working class, who want a taste of home.”
Family Baking is spartan by necessity, with occasional seasonal decorations and perennial images of the different types of milk and bubble teas Lam mixes to order in the kitchen.
Sky-blue walls with bracketed white shelving hold bags of soft-baked Chinese breads in various flavors on the top rack. Below are trays of individually wrapped sweet and milk buns with fillings that range from approachable red bean mochi, creamy custard and coffee buttercream to savory-sweet specialties such as pork floss, char siu, corn and cheese and hot dogs, which are cut and folded into a flower-shaped bun.
The bakery is a boon for vegetarians and vegans, who will find a wealth of suitable options of Lam’s most popular pastries stacked on a table in the middle of the shop, including bo lo bao (also colloquially known as polo buns and pineapple buns) and lai yo bao (flaked coconut covered buns with a cream-filled channel). Arrive before noon to be further tempted by a hot case filled with flaky-crust Hong Kong-style egg custard tarts, still glistening from the oven.
This place is strictly takeout, but customers can take their boba and buns to the Chinese garden-style courtyard in the middle of the shopping center for a picturesque Chinamaxxing moment.
5389 New Peachtree Rd., Chamblee. 770-559-4779
Estrellita
We love Kamayan ATL, the Filipino pop-up-cum-James Beard Foundation and Michelin Guide-recognized restaurant on Buford Highway. But Atlanta is home to another Filipino spot in the Bib Gourmand club: Estrellita, currently found in Grant Park but relocating to a larger space on South Downtown’s Broad Street this fall.
The current space is inspired by classic Filipino homes, jazzed up with Hollywood Regency flair, resulting in a bright, sunlit dining room with stone textures, gold accents and a long, cozy dining bar that extends along an entire wall. The food, however, is all Philippines, all day long. Co-founder and executive chef Walter Cortado’s roots and flavors trace back to Pampanga, the culinary capital of the Philippines.
Fellow owner Hope Webb, who grew up on Florida’s Gulf Coast, shared that both their sets of parents migrated from the Philippines during President Marcos’ declaration of martial law. But it wasn’t until early adulthood that their stories intertwined; they met in New York, which led to them moving to Atlanta together in 2017 and opening Estrellita in September 2020.
As with any business that opened during the COVID-19 pandemic, the path to success hasn’t been easy, but they’re proud of their journey, especially with Webb’s charitable work. Webb is the founder of local nonprofit Filipino Food ATL Inc. and serves as lead PR officer for the Filipino American History Month Committee for Les Dames d’Escoffier International’s Atlanta chapter. Another point of pride for the pair was introducing Nilaga, “the indigenous-rooted original boiling technique used for Filipino stews and soups,” Webb explained.
Estrellita’s beef Nilaga is the best way to try the traditional stew — it’s made with Angus beef that’s been fire-roasted for added smokiness. Another must-try stew is a classic adobo made with pork belly and fire-roasted Duroc Pork Sinigang. Char-grilled marinated halal chicken, spare and short ribs and the signature longaniza and lumpia round out the menu.
580 Woodward Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-390-3038, estrellitafilipino.com
Bene Korean BBQ
Areas just outside of core Atlanta like Doraville and a bit further, Duluth, are blessed with a wealth of Korean barbecue (KBBQ) restaurant options, with many nearly standing shoulder to shoulder. But with the opening of Bene Korean BBQ in August 2024, Atlantans can save the gas and maybe even the parking — this spot is located directly in front of MARTA’s Lindbergh Center station and happens to be accessible from the Atlanta BeltLine’s Northeast Trail. You’ll be glad of the opportunity to walk off your feast, especially if your group goes the all-you-can-eat route.
Bene’s interior space reflects owner Lisa Kim’s own journey to Atlanta. She was already 12 years old when she moved to the U.S. from South Korea, and Bene is inspired by her memories of Seoul’s tony Gangnam district. The scene is set with contemporary design, a moody color palette and modern ventilation that leaves just enough of the aroma of grilled meat in the air to get mouths watering.
In this grand-scale concept by the Miss Gogi founder, luxury makes it onto the menu as well, with premium cuts not always found at other KBBQs like tomahawk steaks, as well as delicious upgrades like an exceptionally airy version of a classic Korean seafood pancake.
More importantly, Kim’s north star remains scratch-made food, “using traditional methods and quality ingredients,” including kimchi that’s made from a family recipe, she said.
“We have many customers who come by just to order that!” Kim said, “And that’s something we’re very proud of.”
As the daughter of a restaurateur who has been in the business for more than three decades, Kim is also able to source many of the kitchen’s main ingredients directly from Korea, “to keep the flavors as true and traditional as possible,” she said. It’s easy to taste those flavors in the marinades used on the chef-curated meat combo sets, as well as appetizers like tteokbokki, composed dishes like dol-sot bibimbap, brisket soy stew and, of course, KFC (Korean fried chicken). Try not to fill up on apps and banchan — with expert staff cooking the meats at the table for you, you won’t want to miss the main event.
555 Main St. NE, Atlanta. 770-800-7323, benekoreansteak.com