Blossom Tree — Restaurant in Atlanta

Disclaimer: I lived in Korea for 16 months and am a Korean food fanatic. I knew that I'd be taking a risk by coming here, but I wanted to give it a try. I'd be willing to give Blossom Tree one more go, but it didn't live up to my expectations. If you like Asian food adventures, feel free to check this place out; I was just looking for authenticity and didn't find it.

--

Galbi bibimbap with spicy sauce: The girl who took my order told me the spicy sauce is the more authentic option (usually you don't get a choice of sauces in Korea), so that's what I got. The sauce did remind me of the real thing, and the galbi meat sort of reminded me of the real thing, but that was about as close as the similarities got. I admit I'm being super picky here, but bibimbap is supposed to come in a bowl, not on a plate. There was too much sauce, too much meat, and not enough rice. The vegetables didn't mesh well with the dish, either.

Korean dumplings: They tasted and felt like they'd been frozen before and that they had been reheated a long time before they made it to my plate. I think I ate two out of the three I'd been given. I wasn't impressed.

Sweet potato: My first bite was nice. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. But sweet sauce over the potatoes quickly became too much for me, though. I ate about half of my portion.

--

Very friendly service. Casual atmosphere. I think I'll give it one more shot, but with the amazing Dua just down the street, I don't know when I'll be making the decision to visit...

It took a great coworker of mine to introduce me to this place. Why have I never heard of it or paid much attention to it??? Since the closing of Pixel's Cafe I have been in need of a Korean lunch fix. Looks like I have been lucky enough to find it!

Food: I ordered the Bulgogi/rice plate with dumplings and sweet potatoes on the side. The bulgogi was very thinly sliced beef (almost shredded like) with onions, scallions, and mushroom. There is an enormous proportion of meat that tops the white rice. It was flavorful and savory compared to the sweetness offered at Pixel's. None the less I was pleased. The dumplings were a bit too greasy for my liking but they were nicely flavored. The sweet potatoes as so many other reviews have spoke about are awesome. Perfectly cooked then drenched in a sweet sauce. This place had mega yum factor for me.

Service: I went during the lunch hour so the place was pretty crowded but we managed to get a seat (surprisingly). You walk up to the counter, place your order then wait to be called or they will bring it to you. The place was so busy I hardly noticed the service. It was more of a "Wam, Bam, Thank You Ma'am" type setting. Our food was ready pretty quickly and staff is helpful in explaining the menu. I have no real complains because it was very informal. That being said there is no need to speak about atmosphere. There are tables and chairs and lots of people. :)

Will I be a frequent...

We’ve seen this restaurant on campus for a while and finally decided to try it out. The food itself is pretty good, the corn salad was a bit disappointing though. Both the beef and chicken rice plates are good, unfortunately they used chicken breast for the chicken so it was a bit dry and chewy (chicken thigh is better for this type of cooking). Pretty sure the dumplings are just store bought frozen ones, which isn’t a bad thing but it’s overpriced for a store bought item. The interior is a bit cramped, only long tables and one single table in the corner and it’s in the sunlight. I know people can take their food to the restaurant next door but that’s not the point. And it was uncomfortably hot in the sitting area. It’s directly exposed to the sun so if they don’t turn on the AC, it’s like a sauna in there. There’s this misconception that the moment the temperature drops below a certain degree that everyone has to crank up the heat and that’s not something a restaurant can do, especially one with such tight spaces. The service was good, everyone was very polite and competent. Overall I’d say 7/10 since the food was good but I wouldn’t sit in the restaurant...