Yummy Spicy in my tummy!
- Kaitlynn and Dylan Henderson
- Jul 23, 2017
- 6 min read
Here in the Henderson family it's an odd day when one of us isn't craving something ridiculously spicy. For our post this week, we had originally planned to eat at Kula, the new revolving sushi restaurant but when we arrived (much later than we had planned, about 8:30 on Friday) there was a line down the shopping center. Neither of us had eaten since noon and were hangry so we decided to find some place close that we could eat at. Neither of us had any specifications, we just wanted to eat fast and while we didn't actually get our food until 45 minutes later I'd say over all it was worth it. After some quick internet searching (like always), we decided on Yummy Spicy off Buford Highway in Doraville.
I don't think I've ever walked into a restaurant that smelled as amazing as Yummy Spicy did. I can still smell it when I think of it, It was spicy and warm and it reminded me of when I would come home from hanging out with friends during the summer and my mom would be almost done with making a delicious dinner for my family. The atmosphere had that sort of feel as well, there were families sitting at large round tables in the center of the room and along the edges almost all the tables were full when we walked in, they had Chinese Idol playing on a projector and everyone was watching and laughing and talking and enjoying the atmosphere. The decor was odd, it was like they tried to make a sophisticated restaurant but then let their 12 year old daughter pick out the artwork. There were Ikea photos of London and Marilyn Monroe along with chain & butterflies hanging above the partition for the bathroom, it was weird but honestly didn't take away from the experience for me, it just wasn't what you would have expected walking in to a Chinese restaurant.
Once we sat down, the waiter came over and brought us a pitcher of water and a cabbage appetizer that for lack of a better word, was like Szechuan kimchi. It was room temperature and appeared to be soaked in what tasted like chili oil and kimchi-like brine. It was sour and crunchy and while Dylan liked it, I wasn't a big fan. It just fell flat on the tongue, there was no real taste to it and I just wasn't drawn to continue to eat it, but it was a different way to change the meal that's for sure. Our waiter wasn't very attentive and it took another 20 minutes after he brought us the cabbage dish for us to be able to order. We got the Pan-fried Dumplings, Szechuan Cold Noodles, the house Yummy Spicy Chicken, and Orange Chicken. Once we got to place our order though, the food came out relatively quickly. First came the Pan-fried Dumplings, they were made well, crispy, filled to the brim and and stayed together, they just lacked any taste. They were bland and we for sure wouldn't recommend anyone to get them. In spite of that, everything else was delicious.
The Yummy Spicy Chicken came out next and absolutely blew us away. Jia at Ponce City Market is our go-to Szechuan place because Dylan can get the numbing Shan City Chicken there and have his mouth obliterated by spice, and while I enjoy a couple pieces I could never eat a whole plate even though I also like the numbing of the Shan City Chicken. This though, this Yummy Spicy Chicken may be our new favorite numbing meal. It was spicy and moist and so savory and amazing I'm salivating while I write this. It wasn't overwhelming and even someone with a mild palate would be able to eat this dish. The rest of the meal came out at the same time. I tried the noodles first since I'd heard that they were a crowd favorite, and I have always had an affinity for cold noodles. Coated in chili oil, they were light and mild in spice, while also being chewy and the exact right temperature for sensitive mouths. The last thing I tried was the Orange Chicken and this is what makes it a great restaurant to try if you're new to authentic Chinese food or if you have a family like we do that isn't necessarily on board to try authentic foods because this was basically your standard American Chinese Orange Chicken. It was heavily breaded in a thick super sweet orange glaze that coated your tongue when you ate it. There was broccoli served in a ring around the plate as more decoration than part of the actual entree and there were pieces of orange peel in the glaze which was a nice addition, but the taste was average. You could've gotten it anywhere, but I think this is actually more of a strength than a weakness, since it allows timid foodies to want to try to be more adventurous. When you're surrounded by all new foods and can still find something that you know, it gives you the confidence to want to try a new appetizer or a new side and to expand your tastebuds without feeling worried about hating your meal.
The value was great, we spent under $40 for two entrees and two appetizers and left feeling happy and excited about our meal. The service was spotty. Our server was more interested in Chinese Idol than his customers and one of his other tables had to flag him down to get the check and then grab him again after another 10 minutes to be able to pay, however the other server was running to get food to customers and filling glasses like wildfire. She stopped me on the way out, hooked her finger with mine and asked me who did my hair. When I told her I did it she was excited and told me that it was beautiful and she never could have done it. It was a genuine moment and I appreciated her taking the time to speak with us before we left since we weren't even her table, but that personal interaction helped seal the deal of how much we liked this restaurant.
Overall, Yummy Spicy is for sure our first recommendation for Buford Highway. The food was great and is reasonably priced, and while some parts of the experience were uneven it was one of the better Szechuan restaurants we've found anyway in Atlanta.
Dylan's Final Review:
Food: 4.5/5
Overall the food was fantastic. The dumplings were the only thing that weren't delicious. The orange chicken could have been slightly improved, but honestly I'm nitpicking. The Yummy Spicy chicken alone made the return trip inevitable, and the Szechuan noodles were incredible.
Service: 3/5
It's not fair to give the restaurant one grade for service. Our primary waiter was undoubtedly a 1/5. He was so inattentive, but the secondary server (the one who stopped Kaitlynn) was a 6/5. She was incredibly hardworking and very sweet.
Value: 4/5
The value here is very strong. You're not floored by how cheap it is, but the food and quality are certainly more than fair for the price.
Overall: 4.5/5
If it weren't for our server I would undoubtedly give this place 5 stars. On the whole the meal was one of the better ones I've had in a while. Everything was fresh and very flavorful. I'd recommend it to anyone needed a Szechuan spot inside the perimeter.
Kaitlynn's Final Review:
Food: 4.5/5
The food was craveable. It was savory and spicy and crunchy in all the right ways and I think I'll be wanting to go back next week, but the dumplings brought it down for me.
Service: 3/5
If it wasn't for the woman at the end this score would be much lower. Service is just as important as the food to me and she hit a home run at the end of the ninth (I'm not a sports person but I feel like that's a necessary description!) for me.
Value: 4/5
It's not crazy cheap, but it's also not expensive. You get what you pay for here for sure.
Overall: 4.5/5
Honestly the only thing holding me back from giving Yummy Spice 5/5 is the dumplings and our waiter. Besides that it was awesome. I'll still recommend this to anyone asking for some yummy Chinese food.
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