Urban Hai — Restaurant in Atlanta

A Flavorful Yet Concerning Experience at Urban Hai, Atlanta

Tonight, I had the opportunity to dine at Urban Hai, a popular restaurant nestled in the heart of Atlanta's vibrant culinary scene. As a food enthusiast always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors, I was eager to sample their menu, which promised a fusion of urban flair and traditional Asian cuisine.

The Ambiance

Upon entering Urban Hai, I was immediately struck by the restaurant's modern yet inviting atmosphere. The dim lighting, sleek furnishings, and subtle Asian-inspired decor created an environment that was both trendy and comfortable. The gentle hum of satisfied diners and the aromatic wafts from the kitchen set the stage for what I hoped would be a memorable dining experience.

The Culinary Journey

As I perused the menu, my taste buds tingled with anticipation. The array of dishes on offer showcased a creative blend of flavors and techniques, marrying contemporary culinary trends with time-honored Asian recipes. After much deliberation, I placed my order, excited to embark on this gastronomic adventure.

The dishes that arrived at our table were, for the most part, a testament to Urban Hai's culinary prowess. Each plate was a visual masterpiece, artfully presented to entice the eyes as much as the palate. The flavors were bold and harmonious, demonstrating the chef's skill in balancing traditional Asian ingredients with modern cooking methods.

A Concerning Incident

However, what could have been an unequivocally positive experience was marred by a potentially dangerous oversight. As I savored the wonton soup, a dish I've always considered a comforting classic, I was alarmed to discover a thin, shaved metal string floating among the delicate folds of the wontons.

This foreign object, likely a result of careless handling of canned ingredients in the kitchen, posed a serious safety risk. The realization that I had come close to swallowing this metal fragment sent a chill down my spine. While I understand that such incidents can occur in even the most meticulous of kitchens, it highlighted a lapse in quality control that could have had severe consequences.

Reflection and Recommendation

This experience has left me with mixed feelings about Urban Hai. On one hand, the majority of the meal was undeniably delicious, showcasing the restaurant's potential to be a standout in Atlanta's competitive dining scene. The flavors were authentic yet innovative, and the overall dining experience, barring the incident, was pleasant.

On the other hand, the presence of a potentially harmful foreign object in my food is not something I can easily overlook. It raises questions about the kitchen's attention to detail and commitment to customer safety.

A Call for Vigilance

I'm sharing this review not to discourage others from experiencing Urban Hai's otherwise impressive cuisine, but as a call to action for the restaurant management. It's my sincere hope that this feedback reaches the appropriate channels and leads to a thorough review of kitchen practices and safety protocols.

Urban Hai has the potential to be a jewel in Atlanta's culinary crown. Their food is flavorful, creative, and, for the most part, expertly prepared. However, no amount of culinary skill can compensate for compromised food safety.

To the management of Urban Hai: Please take this as constructive criticism. Your restaurant has so much to offer, but the safety of your patrons must be your utmost priority. Implement stricter quality control measures, especially when dealing with canned ingredients, to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

To potential diners: Urban Hai offers a unique and largely enjoyable dining experience. However, as with any restaurant, remain vigilant and don't hesitate to speak up if you encounter any issues with your meal.

In conclusion, while my experience at Urban Hai was tainted by this concerning incident, I believe in the restaurant's potential. With more stringent safety measures in place, it could truly shine as a must-visit...

————(REVIEW UPDATE)–———— I’ve come here multiple times for dinner and special occasions. This time I had an amazing experience - great dining environment and friendly workers there. Food is so flavorful and authentic, we got several dishes like:

Peking roast duck Spicy chongqin chicken Spicy beef tendon Sweet and sour spare ribs Dragon eggplant in spicy garlic sauce Shredded chicken/pork in spicy garlic sauce Double cooked pork

Every single dish was amazing but I highly recommends the Peking roast duck, Dragon eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, and double cooked pork. These were my favorite out of the entire meal we had.

————(BELOW AS OF MAY 2024)–————

Overall the restaurant is spacious and has great environment in the central downtown. Food is good but definitely pricy, and more like small bites style for hangout or special occasion

Service is a little slow, but very nice space and environment to get together for a meal with group of friends.

· dry fried eggplant: Not very crispy. The eggplant is thinner sliced than other restaurants, otherwise the seasoning is good

· duck soup: very flavorful and infused with duck broth. I was expecting actual duck meat but there’s only bits of it, there is glass noodle on the bottom.

· Peking duck: flavor of Peking duck is good, though the skin isn’t very crispy. I think it’s not roasted enough because there’s still a lot of fat in between the skin and meat. Make sure to ask for sugar if they didn’t provide it, dipping the skin in sugar is a great combination to try

· dry pot: very spicy and numbing, but good flavor and variety in the pot

· Chop Bell Pepper Glass Noodle With fish: very authentic in flavor and appearance. An actual whole fish is presented, and the fish meat is very tender, infused with great flavor.

Peking duck roll: delicious but I feel like each roll has very minimal portion of duck. I would recommend getting a half duck instead, as you would get the same ingredients but with better price.

Lime shredded chicken: this dish feels quite refreshing with the hint of lime flavor, chicken isn’t dry. Love the addition of cilantro to add another layer of refreshing flavor.

Cumin lamb: the cumin lab has a different presentation - it’s on toothpicks like mini skewers. Portion wise it’s a lot smaller than expected, and the plate is probably 80% seasoning and pepper rather than actual meat. Wouldn’t recommend.

Sweet and sour spareribs: love the kick of sourness balanced with the...

My wife and I visited Urban Hai just as lunch hour was ending which was a great time to visit given it wasn’t too crowded. We were instantly greeted by incredibly kind and hospitable staff, and then promptly seated at a table.

Browsing the full menu was a joy given there were so many wonderful options. My wife and I started with the Bang Bang Shrimp and Pan Fried Pork Buns. Starting off with a BANG, the Bang Bang Shrimp instantly became a favorite of ours as it was tasty and had more of a sweet taste rather than sour described as described on their menu.

Following we tried the Pork Buns which were fluffy and crispy towards the bottom which was great, but lacked flavor from the meat within. The sauce accompanied by it made this dish much better, but without the sauce these Pan Fried Pork Buns leave more to be desired.

Shortly after ordering the appetizers we ordered our entrees which we decided on the General Tso’s Lunch Special with a side of Wonton Soup and Crispy Pork Belly. Before even getting halfway through the appetizers we received everything from our entrees which was great as service was quick and on point, but giving more of a break between appetizers and entrees would have been nice. We aren’t necessarily the quickest eaters and like to enjoy our food so given the food came out so quick some of it was getting cold as it sat there leaving us to feel rushed.

Back to the focus of food, the General Tso’s Chicken Lunch Special was delicious, had great flavor with a bit of spice which was great. The fried rice and broccoli accompanied with it made for a great value add to the lunch special and adding the $1 extra for the Wonton Soup provided even better value!

The Wonton Soup was very soothing and came with plenty of wonton chips which were great for eating alone or putting them in the soup itself. Last but not least was the Crispy Pork Belly which was the HIGHLIGHT of this trip. That dish was absolutely delicious and I’d order it a million times over if I could. It had a nice kick to it and was more spicy than the General Tso’s Chicken leaving you to need to take a sip of your drink after eating one or two.

Overall this restaurant has delicious food, amazing service, and a great atmosphere! Although I gave the Service a 4/5 because of how rushed it felt when receiving all of the food it didn’t take away from the overall 5/5 experience we had at the restaurant as we left satisfied and excited to taste more in...