Jennifer Zyman Says Chat Patti’s Indian Fare Is Still Great

Atlanta Magazine critic Jennifer Zyman heaps praise on Chat Patti this week, complimenting the Decatur restaurant’s vegetarian Indian cuisine. It isn’t a starred review, but Zyman says Chat Patti’s location may have changed after a move from Druid Hills, but the food is just as good after two decades in business.

Thankfully, the quality of the food is unchanged. The cooking is just as vibrant and full of layered nuance as it once was. The Chat Patti special chaat—a stack of fried flour crisps topped with yogurt, tamarind sauce, chickpeas, cilantro, and at least a million other ingredients—looks like a cross between nachos and an ice cream sundae. When the whole lot is mixed together, it is tangy, crunchy, and kind of sweet. ... While I will miss my neighborhood Indian vegetarian shop, the move to Decatur has breathed new life into this long-standing favorite.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Wyatt Williams assesses meals at two mobile food destinations that have turned brick-and-mortar: The Halal Guys and Yumbii. The former started as a New York City street cart, and the latter was originally an Atlanta food truck. Williams says the condiments outshine everything else at both.

In the end, the Halal Guys is all about the sauce, and they know it. At the counter, they’ll ask you if you want white sauce or hot sauce. Say yes to both. What you’ll get is an enormous zigzagging topping of white sauce, enough to cover more or less the whole platter, and one dark red line of hot. That’s the right proportion of both. ... I’ve found the key at Yumbii, like many other quick-service restaurants, is to special order the best parts. There’s never enough cucumber kimchi in their portions, so ask for as much as they’ll give you. The sesame fries are pretty good when dipped in the house-made chipotle ketchup, but they’re even better dipped in the Korean-style barbecue sauce. No matter what you order, you’ll want to add a cup of Sriracha queso on the side for frequent dipping. Some places are just all about the sauce.

THE ELSEWHERE AND THE BLOGS: Fried Chicken Lips says the kitchen needs to work on execution of Japanese fusion at Hopstix. Burgers, Barbecue and Everything Else likes the Korean-inspired burgers at Ssam Burger. Hot Dish Review is a fan of the grilled pork tenderloin at Kimball House. Roamilicious says Bar Margot is located in a hotel, but it’s worth a visit for locals.

• All Week in Reviews [EATL]