Before I head out to Yet Tuh, a homey Korean restaurant off Buford Highway that is notoriously difficult to find, I reach out to a couple of acquaintances for tips. I’m confident Google Maps will get me there; what I’m looking for is help navigating the menu.
In a city populated with flashy Korean barbecue palaces and Korean fried chicken chains offering eye-popping, Instagram-ready feasts, Yet Tuh is decidedly old-school. It has no website, no social-media presence, no online ordering. The staff is patient and kind, but not really proficient at explaining in English the intricacies of boribap (barley rice with veggies), budae jjigae (spicy sausage stew), or haemul pajeon (seafood pancake).
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
And, yet, despite its inscrutable nature (or perhaps because of it), Yet Tuh — which translates into something like “old place” — is a nationally regarded outpost of traditional, grandma-style Korean cuisine, beloved by critics, chefs and adventurous diners far and wide. Still, when the pandemic hit, I was concerned that it could be an endangered species, unable to adapt to changes in restaurant culture brought on by COVID-19.
When I pulled up in front, I was happy to see at least one concession to the times. “Delicious food to go,” said a newish looking sign with bright red letters. Other than that, same as it ever was.
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
If you know what you want, you’ll probably do just fine ordering by phone. (Expect to be spoken to in Korean, but don’t get discouraged: The voice on the other end probably knows more English than it lets on at first.) If you’re unfamiliar with the menu, I suggest ordering in person. Menus are written in Korean and English, with photos to guide you.
Carryout customers will be happy to know that Yet Tuh does not skimp on the banchan, the small complimentary dishes that usually are set out at the beginning of a repast. To go with the four plates I ordered, I got a generous two boxes with eight different items: kimchee, yellow pickled daikon, sweet glazed peanuts, slivers of omelet with veggies, delicate greens sprinkled with sesame seeds, strips of tofu skin in a sweet soy sauce, and so on.
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
The boribap — a cousin of bibimbap that uses barley instead of plain white rice — was remarkable. The components — the barley, a plate of veggies, a miso goop with the consistency of porridge, and a salty brown tofu paste — are packed separately, and need to be mixed together in a large bowl when you get home. Start with about a tablespoon of each seasoning; then add more, to taste. One of Yet Tuh’s more famous dishes, boribap is a stunner, in which all the various attributes of Korean cooking come together: the fresh, the fermented, the raw, the cooked, the greens, the grains.
Grilled mackerel likewise was excellent — tender fish, with crispy, salty skin and a garnish of scallions and sesame seeds, perfect with a bite or two of plain white rice. Once again, I was beguiled by the spicy cold noodles — you can’t go wrong with either the regular, or the chewy version.
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
In the end, the dish that blew my mind was the scallion and seafood pancake, packaged to go in a small pizza box. A squat, oily (in a good way) pancake with a deeply caramelized bottom, it’s built with spring onions, shrimp and squid. A few years ago, Eater’s “K-Town” series came to Atlanta and filmed an episode at Yet Tuh. “That is some of the deepest, most well-constructed pancake,” host Matthew Kang marveled. “Atlanta, you’ve got some good Korean food.”
I could not agree more.
For anyone wanting to explore the rustic flavors of Korea, in all their salty, musty, fishy, pungent goodness, this is Atlanta’s most essential destination.
Credit: Wendell Brock
Credit: Wendell Brock
YET TUH
Menu: homestyle Korean
Alcohol: yes
Recommended dishes: scallion and seafood pancake, cold spicy noodles, boribap, grilled mackerel
Price range: $8.95-$35
Service options: dine-in or takeout
Outdoor dining: yes
Experience: I placed my to-go order in person, then waited outside. Inside, a couple of parties were dining at opposite ends of the dining room; the covered patio was empty. In retrospect, I believe I would have been perfectly comfortable taking my meal outdoors. Carefully packed for the journey home, the food was extraordinarily fresh and delicious.
Address, phone: 3042 Oakcliff Road, Doraville; 770-454-9292
Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesdays-Mondays
Website: none
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