Tag Archive for: ceviche

26 Thai Kitchen and Bar Brookhaven

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 12/6/21

Immaculately decorated with an expansive patio, 26 Thai Kitchen and Bar’s newest location in Brookhaven is one-part delicious Thai and sushi and one-part beautiful ambiance. Yes, this location has sushi! Everything from the creative cocktails to start to the delectable Nigiri, creative ceviche, spicy tuna tartare, the stunning Ka Pow Kai roll, and sensational sushi, they have a great variety for all palates. Let’s dive in.

Sitting on the patio, there is a light breeze as the wait staff brought us a KOH Samui cocktail. This drink starts bright and citrusy up front and then ends tart on the back. As we sipped, we delighted in the Nigiri, which was absolutely amazing. The salt water and freshwater eel are both so tender and fall apart in your mouth. Of the two, the freshwater eel is divine with a slight char and full flavor. It’s some of the best eel we’ve had in a long time. Plus, don’t count out the salt water eel, which was a little bit fuller, thicker, and tons of flavor, as well. The octopus was just ok though, it needs more flavor and tenderness.

Next to pair with our Zen Sake, we opted to try some of the other raw dishes, like the Ceviche and the Tuna Tartare. First up, the ceviche is so fresh and packed with peppers and radish! It starts almost sweet up front and then as you eat, there is a myriad of spice on the back. The spiciness grows as you eat, so this ends up being a spectrum of flavors from sweet to spicy with a good crunch. Another one of the great appetizers is the Tuna Tartare. It is spicy, creamy, spicy, and a great crunch from the wonton. The best bite is to add soy sauce for an extra saltiness and richness that revs up the flavor!

One of the things that 26 Thai in Brookhaven does that the other locations don’t is sushi! Starting with the stunning Ka pow kai roll, this one is the most unique fusion roll we’ve had with crepe on the outside and rice and asparagus inside. Surrounding this is some delicious minced and slightly spicy chicken with bright, crisp, peppers. Fun tip, go ahead and add soy sauce, it actually adds a little more richness to the meat and rice. Beyond this Thai and sushi mashup’s amazing flavor is the best sushi presentation we’ve seen in a long time on a circular wood board and piled high.

Along side this, we got two more sushi rolls, the Under the Sea and the Sahara Roll. The Under the sea is surprisingly light and refreshing with tender meat and creamy avocado that can be paired with the soy and wasabi for even more flavor. The best part is this one feels healthy for those watching their weight! We also thoroughly enjoyed the Sahara Roll, as well. This roll is sweet and rich and then you get the creaminess of the avocado and the tender fish on the back. Then, there is the slight crunch of the wispy tempura flakes and if you top with soy sauce and wasabi, you’re in for a treat.

What would you try first?

Ocean & Acre: Land and Sea Perfectly Paired

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 11/24/19

Land and Sea come together in perfect harmony up at Ocean & Acre in the Halcyon Forsyth complex! What really sets them apart is the innovative and truly unique menu offerings like ceviche with beets, wagyu beef carpaccio, lamb belly, and savory pork chops. If meat isn’t your thing, they have tons of fish, a take on fish and chips, oysters, and even more shellfish to choose from. Like we said, perfect harmony! Beyond this, we really enjoyed the medley of flavors that they paired together in each dish to make them remarkable. Ok, enough talk, let’s take a journey through their menu, sip on a cocktail, and sit by the fire. Come on in.

Starting with the raw bar, the Bass Ceviche was one of the most unique small plates we’ve ever had with light and flaky bass mixed with beets and in a beet vinaigrette. It was earthy, fresh, and light with every flavor you could imagine in such a simple dish. Yes, you must like beets, but they are perfectly cooked and are actually the perfect pair with the fish. Light and delicious.

Maintaining our foray into the lighter side of Ocean & Acre, we opted for the wagyu beef carpaccio. The most tender slice of tartar beef paired well with some oil, herbs, and a light whipped cheese. The best bite is to wrap up the beef, cheese, herbs, and oil and stuff it all in your mouth. Savory, creamy, light.

We took a turn from there into hearty with the Smoked Lamb Belly. The meat was fresh with very little game, a different take on a pork belly dish. What was truly amazing about this dish was the best side on Ocean & Acre’s menu: the polenta. We cannot sing the praises of this more! With the creamy polenta flavor up front then the tart and sweet of the craisins and raisins on the back it’s a savory sweet MASTERPIECE. Could. Not. Stop. Eating it. Great for the cold weather!

Our main course consisted of some of the most flavorful, savory pork chops we’ve had in a long time. Perfectly cooked with herbs and a hearty au jus, this chop was well, perfect. It comes with two, cooked onions to add flavor to the sauce, as well as mushrooms. Two people can share it, it’s that big. Suggestion: get the pork chop with a side of the polenta from the lamb belly dish. We ended up mixing them together and WOW. This is THE combination to try! Highly recommend.

Let’s not forget their drink menu which had a good mix of classics and signature sips to try. The one we like the best was Barracuda. It’s their drink of the week this week, November 22nd 2019 through the Thanksgiving. They have an in-house infuser and backed it with habanero, blood orange and tequila. They paired this with crème de chassis on the top. Perfecto. We also enjoyed both the Rosetta, the drink of the week last week with whipped egg and cloves, as well as a fun tiki drink called Ebb Tide: pineapple, rum, mint. A tiki mule if you will. Wonder what fun drink of the week they will come up with next week? Can’t wait to find out.

We must say that the Halcyon up in Forsyth is really a destination for anyone living in Atlanta. They have a brew pub, sports bar, movie theater with delicious eats, and more. Let’s not forget this absolute gem, Ocean & Acre. Take your family, friends, and life mate, grab a cocktail and sit by the fire. You’ll be glad you did.