The Dudes of Food

4300 Buford Hwy NE
Suite 218
Atlanta, GA 30345
ph: 404.929.0034

Following a tip from an unexpected source, the Dudes of Food ventured to Buckhead on a Saturday night to try the burger at Holeman and Finch Public House. It is rumored to be the best burger in Atlanta, and only twenty-four are made each night, beginning at 10:00pm. Arriving at 9:30 pm was a tragic mistake, for by that point the restaurant was packed with customers who had long ago ordered the twenty-four. Yes, they were that night’s hamburglars. Saddened by our loss, we went back to a place of safety, Buford Highway. We were dressed to impress, and thus decided to go to a high end Buford Highway gem. And with great misfortune comes even greater fortune, and with great misfortune came Chateau de Saigon.

Chateau de Saigon is a Vietnamese restaurant with French flare. It is fairly upscale, not in price but in ambiance, and first attracted the Dudes of Food many moons ago with its massive portions. Yes, it is more upscale than the usual Dudes of Food dive. Yes, it is an FSFW meal.

How? Might you ask, kind FFSFW (Fancy FSFW) novice.

We were in four that night, two Dudes of Food and two rookie palates, and we decided to order four dishes. This would prove to be our only mistake of the night.

First came the Bò Lá Lôt, lemongrass beef wrapped in a wild betal leaf then grilled. This was served with a hot bowl of water, rice paper wraps, vermicelli noodles, lettuce, seasonal spices (in our case mint and cilantro), green mango, and the special dipping sauce (a variation of fish sauce). There is a certain art to wrapping the perfect Bò Lá Lôt, an art only two of the four diners would master. The rice paper is hard until it is submerged into the hot water. Two full rotations of the rice paper through the water is just enough to soften it to where it still holds its integrity to create the perfect wrap. Once the rice paper is soft, add the ingredients provided and a touch of the special sauce. We recommend dipping the finished product to prevent dripping and leaking.

Next came the Bún Gà Nuòng, the grilled chicken vermicelli noodle salad. This superb salad is not ordinary. It is served hot and consists of a vermicelli noodle base topped with seasoned grilled chicken, bean sprouts, garden herbs, cucumber, fried onion, lettuce, peanuts and the special sauce.

A long time favorite, the salt and pepper tofu, followed the salad. Tofu is an interesting ingredient for it has little natural flavor but takes on the flavor of the ingredients used to prepare it. In this case, the tofu is seasoned with salt and pepper, coated in a very delicate batter, and flash fried to perfection. Many people do not like tofu and shy away from it, but one cannot accurately judge tofu until trying this moist, almost creamy on the inside, salt and pepper tofu. This was a table favorite, and possibly a dish in itself worthy of a visit.

With stomachs nearing their maximum capacity, our waiter brought us our final dish, the Shaken Beef. This dish is credited as the establishment’s signature dish and rightfully so. The Shaken Beef is composed of juicy strips of filet mignon in a succulent sauce served over a bed of lettuce with tomato, cucumber, and scallions. We suggest using the lime and salt and pepper combo that accompanies the dish to add a whole new flavor dimension to the already Shaken Beef.

The dishes range from $7-$14, but the majority of the dishes cost around $7 or $8. Three dishes can easily feed four people. Four hungry teenage stomachs almost fell short. The fourth dish was not eaten out of hunger, but to uphold the reputation of our voracious appetites. Do the math and you will see why this falls under the FSFW category. Go alone, with parents, with friends, or take a date. This is one of the most versatile restaurants out there, so take advantage of it!

Nothing survives the Dudes of Food...