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I gave it a 4 since the servers are not very friendly. They take your order and serve you, and that's it. No smiles and never asks if everything's ok. But you're here for the food and not the service, right?
FOOD: I like the salt and pepper squid, beef chow fun dry, maboo doo boo (tofu), and hot braised chicken wings. Everything was good. Salt and pepper squid is lightly battered and crispy, but not greasy. The tofu dish is not as spicy as most places and it has bits of pork in it. The chow fun dry is tasty but I'm not a fan of the beef pieces in it. The wings are sweet and not spicy, but good and meaty.
TIP: If you're a first timer, ask for the manager as he is the only one with patience and helpful in selecting what to eat.
I like this place since the service and food is great, hence the 5 star rating. This place is… Read more »
Ok, - so I'm not so much of a Chinese food kind of guy. I don't even eat enough to have a bar or standard to compare this place too. There is one factor that lets me know weather I will be back or not; and that is my taste buds.
We strolled in to Canton Cooks last Sunday after a long hard day of running errands. I was STARVING and we just couldn't ignore the best deal they had to offer. The 31.00 dollar Canton special for 2 is not to shabby.
You get soup for 2. Appetizer for 2. Dinner for 2. And tea for 2......Are you starting to see a trend?
I had the hot and sour which was great, while Laura sipped on the egg drop. Both soups were yummy. I even caught myself wishing I had a cold so I could stay home sipping either one of these delectable liquids.
The dinner comes with chicken wings and egg rolls for the appetizer. Both of which were served pipping hot and tasty. The wings were the most crispy wings I think I have ever had!
For dinner I went the route of your typical American patron in a Chinese restaurant and had the General Tsao's chicken. Laura went straight for the Mongolian Beef.
Both dishes were tasty, even though I found myself eating more of Laura's Mongolian Beef then my General Tsao's.
Either way, I don't think you can go wrong with the Canton Cooks dinner for 2. Yeah, it's a lot of food. So go when your real hungry!
Yeah, I'll be back to this little gem.
I'll just say that I think I have to go back and try some of the dishes recommended by other yelpers.
It was late night and we were the only diners there. I ordered the squid in a spicy red curry(?) sauce. I believe I was hit with the typical "he's american" version. The waiter warned me staunchly that it was very spicy almost attempting me to change my mind. I asked him to make it as spicy as humanly possible. Of course it was not and I was disappointed. I can only assume they don't want to torture non initiated palates. The family style portion was humongous and since my girlfriend doesn't like anything that even resembles spicy food, I ate as much as possible and left the rest. I'll say it was good, but as stated earlier I must return for tastier dishes.
My girlfriend ordered potstickers and these were only just ok but what kind of suppositions can you make from that dish? None.
For there not being many late hour options in the Sandy Springs area, I do appreciate having this one.
It's late. Jang has been taking one of his infamous cat-naps again...and now he's hungry. And all other restaurants are on the verge of closing for the night, and I refuse to be that jerk-face customer that comes in 10 minutes before closing time and expects to be served (anyone who does that can suck it!). Where to go? Quick!!! We're running out of options, here. Jang's stomach growl is getting louder and louder...OH NOOOOO!!!
Thank heavens for Canton Cooks!
They rescued us from starvation and crappy late-night food choices again...for like the thousanth time.
I love how we can stroll on in way past 11 pm like it's only 6 pm (cause in hamster-land, it is...we're nocturnal, you know)! Immediately, we're seated in a booth and someone is there to bring water and ask if we want tea. Of course I want tea! Now, I would really love some FLOWER tea, but I don't think they've served that for a while (if ever...), but I'm still hoping they'll have it one of these days!
Anyway, we ALWAYS start out with a big bowl of crab meat Fish-Maw soup! So squishy and delicious! It's savory and soft...perfect as it is, but I like to add the red vinegar and a little red pepper oil just to be like Emeril and kick it up ONE MORE NOTCH!!!
Another old faithful dish is the Ma Po Tofu...I think they make one of the best! It's spicy with big, soft chunks of tofu surrounded by pork, shitaki mushrooms, peas & carrots, and if you're lucky, you'll find some small chunks of fresh ginger!
You could also try the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce! I like veggies, so it's a winner in my book. But I've found that they'll be willing to make stuff even if it's not on the menu...like Bok Choy with garlic. Sometimes a hamster just gets a hankerin' for bok choy, you know?
Looking for something sinfully delicious, ooey-gooey and/or fried?
One word: Peking Spareribs. Holy cow...er, pig! OMG. It's like a meat dessert!!! Sweet, gooey, tangy red sauce covered, deep fried, juicy pork pieces still attached to some bones. *drool*
You can't go wrong with the salt and pepper squid, wor sue duck, or mu shu pork. Normally, I'm not big on mu shu (Chinese burrito?), but the one at Canton Cooks is pretty good...and cheap!!!
Hamster sayz: Solid 4 stars + 1 for late night and good location!
Viva la Canton Cooks!!!
We recently ate here again. The sauteed snap pea greens were delicious as well as the pan fried salt and pepper squid. The stuffed bean curd was also yummy. You cannot go wrong with the food at this place. Great food, great portions and great price. Always a full dining room. The best thing to do if you're a newbie is to look around at what people have on their table. If something appeals to you, just ask the server what it is and order it.
I'm craving the salt & pepper squid right now! It's very lightly breaded (not like the calamari served at restaurants) and seasoned just right. Yum!
We took the advice of my co-worker and visited Canton Cooks.
By far the best Chinese restaurant I…
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I first went here in 2002 with a large group of people and had a great time. Due to it being OTP I never came back until 2008. Since then I have been back several times. Why? Because it is that good.
Yes, there is a good Chinese place not on Buford Highway. I have never been disappointed with their roasted duck, but I always forget how big it is. I usually lapse into a food coma when I leave there. The biggest problem I have is that when I go here, it is a special occasion being OTP so I always have to get duck, and there is no room for anything else.
I do have to say that I always have to ask for chopsticks. They just assume a tall white guy is going to use a fork and knife. Maybe they should base it on what your order: General Tso's = fork and knife.
Their tea is good and the rice comes with the meal. Never had a bad experience, just wish it was closer
i am a big fan of this place over the years. Just as Houstons gives you consistent quality with each visit, Canton Cooks does the same with cantonese food. Things to try: calamari, salt and pepper pork chops, pan fried noodles, House Special soup, steamed sea bass, snow pea leaves, pork/fish/salted egg. I can't remember the exact name on the menu. This is a good "safety" chinese place if you don't feel like risking a new place on Buford Hwy.
One downside is that their prices have steadily increased the past few years. It used to be quite a bargain, but now it's on the higher end of chinese restaurants. 4 adults will spend ~$70-90 with tip and leftovers depending on what we order that day.
This place was open late and nearby when I was moving into my apt, the good food was just a bonus. The smell reminded me of Chinatown in Houston and the decor was typical of your Chinese-American restaurant.
I had the house flat noodle - both with and without sauce - which had beef, squid, shrimp, and pork I believe. It was super yummy, and I got a lot more squid than I bargained for. I would definitely go for the flat noodle without sauce if you want the traditional dish. I think I paid about $8-10 for it, and I'll do again when I'm in the mood for flat noodle (which all the time) and the in area.
Also the fried garlic pork chops were simple, but tasty nonetheless.
Heard about this place from a coworker and said that it was a good place.. figured I'd give it a try since it was close to my hotel and of course, I did my homework on Yelp before going of course ;]
Read from the reviews that the salt baked squid was good so I decided to give that a shot since I was only doing take out and didn't want Chinese-American food. I would say the taste was good.. spot on from what I'm used to at home. Although, one thing I didn't like was that it was a bit too chewy and I think calamari was used instead of squid.
But the staff was very friendly from my short encounter and the environment is like any other Chinese restaurant. A plus to this place is that they're open until 2! That was a shocker for me because I'm so used to everywhere else around there closing at 10. I'm glad I don't have to go all the way to Buford Highway for good Asian food when I'm in the mood for some.
I would definitely come back to try it again with more people next time and have a dine in experience -- stopping back for more take-out isn't a problem either. Keep an eye out for an updated review.. until then, four stars!
No reservations, but 'call ahead'! I walked into the restaurant hoping they had reserved a table for 7 for me. They did! My name + 6 written on their yellow pad.
We order the spareribs, Singapore noodles without curry (I don't think I saw this on the menu), beef slices with green onions, house chow fun, stir fried greens, steamed dumplings, pan fried spicy squid and steamed Jasmine rice. I think that was it. All ordered items were good! My favorite were the spareribs! Out of everything we ordered, I would ask for the spareribs, squid and beef slices again. I wasn't stoked on their chow fun, but I still ate it. Their dumplings are huge! I wouldn't mind ordering those again either.
My overall experience at Canton Cooks was great! I'd love to make it my once a season trip. Anyone down for a group dinner, let me know! I'll even let you pay the bill!
Ambiance - B- (needs cleaner bathroom and crowded)
Staff - B (attentive if you know how to grab attention - and food can come out quick once ordered)
Food - A
Price - A-
I always love authentic Cantonese cooking and Canton Cooks does it well for most dishes! (I don't usually go for the American Chinese cooking - so can't comment on egg rolls/ chow meins/ chicken wings/ egg foo young...you got my drift?!)
As for ambiance - usual bustling of waiters fussing over the table, I'm not keen on the pinkish salmon coloring on the wall...
... but this is all about the company one keeps and eating the FOOD!
There were 9 of us in our group all around one big table with our trusty lazy susan and we had 13 dishes.
I can't remember all the dishes but this is what stands out in my mind as being properly cooked, seasoned and simply delicious...
- salt/pepper squid
- salt/pepper sea bass
- steam sea bass with soy, ginger and green onions (moist - watch for bones)
- honey garlic fried pork chop
- stir fry pea vines
- crispy noodles with seafood and Chinese veggies
- fermented Chinese cabbage with beef
- black bean sauce w/ baby clams
- crispy chicken with special salt
- Chinese broccoli (gai lon) w/ garlic and oil - tender!
and for the adventurous taster... you must try their
special made SHRIMP SAUCE accompaniment (free) ... ask for a little dish if you don't see it on your table... I like to spoon a dollop over my rice... you can actually buy a container for $5 to take home! I liked the sauce so much I bought 3 (to share with my friends)...
NOTE: They say they're the only player in town that makes and serves this sauce... so, you can't buy this anywhere else... and they don't give out what the ingredients are! If you can figure it out... let me know! (I think it has ground dried shrimp, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, sesame oil, hot oil, peanut oil.)
buy a container for $5 to take home! ... go ahead... I dare YOU!
(and NO... I don't have any connections or know the owners!
I just have a discerning pallet for what "I" like to eat!)
I told my brother, niece, and son that "HERE is the place we will celebrate your September birthdays!" In other words, I put my reputation on the line. Taking in balance their preferences, plus those of dear wife, I settled on China Cooks as probably the safest place for us all to gather on a Sunday. Too bad so many BuHi locations are closed on Sunday. I've never been here, so it was with trepidation I pulled in the parking lot at 7:00. My hopes were buoyed when I saw a huge waiting crowd spilling out the door. Twenty minutes later, all six of us were seated. Niece Lauren had hot 'n sour soup with chicken fried rice, brother Phil and wife Linda had Chicken Curry, son Matt had Sesame Chicken, wife Ann had Cashew Chicken, and I had Noodle Soup with Shrimp, with steamed dumplings and fried wontons passed around. As the sole Yelper!, I had to sample each dish (some things are critical, y'know). Overall impression: Fast service, efficient food delivery, a little bit higher than average American-y Cantonese food. Son Matt raved on the Sesame Chicken, wife liked her Cashew Chicken, and the rest were OK with theirs. My soup was soul soothing, but no choirs of angels appeared either. In other words, everything was "safe". I'll go with group consensus: A-OK.
I like Americanized Chinese as much as the next white girl, but I've never been able to wrap my head around the super sugary stuff served as places like Panda Express. I mean, why would you eat a meal that makes you feel so disgusting afterwards? Ugh. No thank you.
Canton Cooks in Sandy Springs provides me with the right kind of Chinese food: totally inauthentic, but not so totally over the top fatty and sugary. The ingredients are fresh and you can, in fact, find un-fried items. Hooray for that. Service is quick and friendly and your water glass will never be half-empty. Or half-full.
Probably one of the better Chinese restaurants in Atlanta. A lot of my Chinese friends hold the same opinion as me. This place became one of my old favorites ever since I started eating at Canton Cooks.
Their menu provide both Americanized and authentic Chinese dishes. You just have to figure out which one is which. :) But their dishes taste decent to delicious.
I suggest coming here with Chinese people since they'll know what dishes are the best. I came here with someone that goes here nearly every week, and she introduced me to a bunch of awesome dishes. Too bad I don't know what they are now.
But I do have my favorite. I usually like to order the crab meat fish maw soup (using vinegar to season if needed), salt and pepper squid, sauteed Chinese broccoli or bok choy, mapo tofu, Peking pork ribs, and a few others.
I don't have the luxury to drive all the way to Buford Hwy for some decent Chinese food. Luckily, I don't need to drive as far since Canton Cooks located themselves at Roswell Rd. Also they open until 2AM! Whenever I get the late night munchies, I can always count on this place.
I must admit, some dishes can taste too sugary or too salty or too bland. Usually though, Canton Cooks deliver a hit instead of a miss. Oh yeah, I would recommend coming for dinner instead of lunch. Their lunch menu isn't impressive, although you can order dinner items for lunch if you like big lunches.
Canton cooks is a bit inconsistent lately. The americanised dishes should generally be avoided. Sweet and Sour here looks horrid. I love Egg Foo Yung but at Canton Cooks it is served with brown glue gravy. Ask for the slop 'on the side' so you can avoid it & send them a message! I can't stand when a waiter attempts to discourage one from ordering Chinese greens, warning 'they are bitter' or duck: 'it has bones'.
Sometimes the fish can be good here. Too often it's tilapia, these days. The duck dishes are very good. The egg rolls are sooo GREASY. I hope Canton Cooks gets back to what it was 2 years ago. I'm not ready to give up on them completely. YET.
I've been going to Canton Cooks since back in the early 90s. I learned about it from my Chinese classmates (exchange students) who are homesick of home-cooked food. I've asked every Chinese expat I've met and they all go to Canton Cooks for a taste of home. My family has close ties with the OCA (Organization of Chinese-Americans) in Georgia for many years now and the members all go here. This place is the best Chinese restaurant in the city. Period.
A regional/ethnic restaurant is only as good as its chef. I don't care how "nice" the owners are -- if the chef isn't authentic, the food won't be. To appreciate the great Cantonese cooking here, you must order from the Chinese menu. That's how my family eats Chinese (you know, when in Rome...) Having said that, here are my family's favorite dishes at Canton Cooks.
No visit of ours is complete without the Beef with Bitter Melons in Black Bean Sauce. Let me warn you, this is an acquired taste for the non-Chinese or the non-initiated. I grew up eating this kind of authentic food so I love it. It's a bitter-salty combination of slices of bitter melon in black bean sauce. Delicious!
The Salted Fish Fried Rice here is so good. Just like at Penang's they use big flakes of dried, salted fish here. The saltiness of the fish is tempered by the blandness of the rice. Really, this is already a meal in itself.
The Dragon Soup is a magnificent soup. It has winter melon and slices of tender chicken in a clear broth with egg whites stirred in. Add the shrimp paste (available by request) and you have a hearty, comforting soup.
We love the Ono Choy in Garlic Sauce. Ono Choy is a foot-long weed that grows in swamps in Asia. It is called straw vegetable in English due to its hollow body. This vegetable grows year round but I haven't seen it in Atlanta for a couple of years now. When not available, a good substitute is the snow pea leaves. I prefer Ono Choy because of its crunch. Still, they're both delicious.
For noodles, we always get the crispy noodles topped with brown gravy, meat/seafood, and Chinese broccoli. Let the noodles soak in the gravy for a minute or two and you get this saucy noodles which is so flavorful.
My mom, sister, and I love crabs so much that we have to get two orders of the whole fried live crabs every time we visit. If you've never had fried crabs, I suggest you go now. It is heavenly.
We've eaten though the entire Chinese menu at Canton Cooks and every single dish is superb. It's like eating in China and Hongkong. If you want authentic Cantonese food then you must go here. Service can be slow during peak times and service is typical of China -- you have to flag them if you need something. Still, the food makes up for it. Even if you order from the American menu, food is extremely good.
Canton Cooks is cool...but honestly if I had to choose between them and PF Changs, Id probably do PF changs. The place was packed to the brim at 9pm on Friday night, and I had to wait for about 15 minutes to get a table.
I figured this was a good sign.
As far as the aesthetics...the place is pretty unimpressive.
My server was a butthole, and a little pompous....so I wasnt really feeling that. He was acting like he was a server at Chez Piere in this dingy azz Chinese restaurant. Weirdo.
The food....I was pretty unimpresed. Not saying it wasnt good, but just not the "great" that I was expecting.
I sampled the Chicken Fried rice (average), sweet and sour shrimp (average), and the Mongolian Beef (better the next day--but average).
I might go back to this place, but I am still kinda in a quest to find the best Chinese in the city, and this frankly cannot be it.
Granted the many reviews, no intros needed.
Salt and Pepper Squid- done pretty well- crisp- a bit on the bland side though- I wish it were a bit spicier
BBQ duck- again, done as well as one could hope for- the skin was crisp (and stayed that way). But the meat itself seemed on the dry side.
Seafood Tofu pot- Nothing special, but they didn't botch it up, which is good. Lots of shrimp, scallops- they didn't skimp on the seafood, which is much appreciated. The fried tofu was fresh enough.
Snow pea tips- done decently- again, did not blow my mind, but it's solid.
The prices were a bit higher than I would've expected for a place that's basically making homestlye cantonese stuff, but I guess that's not such a surprise given this is Atlanta, and not the SF bay. :-p
Since I live in Decatur though, I don't think I'd drive up here that often to have a meal here. Solid 4 for Atlanta, would be a 3 in SF bay.
EDIT: Whoops...I forgot one other dish we had...for good reason.
Pork patty with salty fish- This is a dish I grew up eating in the bay, and it's always been made with the salty fish evenly distributed within the pork patty- at Canton Cooks, not so. The salty fish were left in long slices that circled the edge of the round dish- BOO. The point is to have the salty fish flavor within the pork.
One word to describe this place "AMAZING"!
I'm from California and i've been in Atlanta for the past 4 years and i've always complained about how horrible the chinese food has been compared to Los Angeles.
My co-worker took me to Canton Cooks for lunch and i absolutely loved it. It is by far the best Chinese food in Atlanta. I tend to get the normal items off the menu like the beef and broccoli, and the shrimp fried rice (to die for) with sweet tea. Now everytime she ask where we should meet for lunch I say u know the regular "Canton Cooks"!
Severely overrated. My dad learned to cook in Taiwan, I've traveled China and Hong Kong, yet I can also appreciate most cuisines (including Chinese American stylings). However, Canton Cooks is the most overrated Chinese restaurant I've ever been to. On a recent visit to Atlanta, I yelped and scoured the web for recommendations of ATL's best eateries, and I landed at Canton Cooks for a recent dinner.
I followed some menu recommendations and got the pan-fried sea bass, beef chow fun with sauce, and garlic shrimp. They were recommendations, and I regularly order 2 out of 3 of them. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. The food was mediocre at best, and the prices were high. I'd take quality over quanity any day. The food was too salty and sweet in the wrong places. Sea bass was doused in a soy sauce mixture, chow fun had far too much unappetizing gravy, and garlic shrimp was cooked shrimp with sauce, not shrimp cooked with sauce. I understand Chinese food in ATL is slim pickens, but steer clear anyway.
Been to Canton Cooks so many times it feels like home. I always start out with either their Egg Drop, or Sizzling Rice Soup. My better half enjoys the Won Ton Soup. Being a creature of habit at Canton, I love the Peppered steak, it has always been good to my taste buds and tummy. The Pepper Steak is thinly sliced steak strips served in a brown sauce with onion and green peppers. They have a chili sauce that I love to put on the rice to kick it up about five notches. The Significant other orders the rich and flavorful Mongolian Beef, rich and sweet but still robust with beefy flavor.
The service is not bad, there's one guy and regulars will know who I'm talking about who loves to clown around with customers, quite the entertainer he is.
It's a nice place to go late night but remember, CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY. Otherwise they're open untill about 1:30 A.M. I believe, maybe 2 on weekends. Smile and say 'Say Chinese'!
I should really take notes. I keep going here with people that know just what to order, but instead of taking note, I'm more concentrated on stuffing my belly full of what's in front of me.
Just had the opportunity to eat here at 1 AM, and the sea bass and the salt & pepper squid were insanely tasty. Next time, next time I shall pull out a pen and jot down all those dishes on a napkin though!
This is a huge Chinese restaurant on the D-woody side of town. For some reason it feels closer than… Read more »
This used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant in the Perimeter area. Unfortunately, the quality seems to have fallen off. The last three times I have been there the food has been exceptionally greasy and the tea was so oversteeped and dark that you couldn't see the bottom of the teacup.
It used to be 3-4 stars but just hasn't been good in quite a while.
All I have to say is that I love me some Canton Cooks! We had 5 in our party and ordered 6 dishes.
Salt and pepper squid - very good and my fav dish
Salt and pepper shrimp unshelled - good
Salt and pepper pork chops - not so good
Lettuce wraps - i'm not a fan of but others in the party liked them
Chow fun noodles - good
Mapo Tofu - good but too much ginger this time
We had a lot of pork chops left over, but the other dishes were pretty empty. We also wanted snow pea leaves but they were out. CC is always consistent and good. Just remember that they are closed on Wednesday.
This place is by far my fave Chinese restaurant! I love the Salt and Pepper Squid. I get it every… Read more »
I really like this place, their food is good and their service is decent. But the reason their getting 2 stars is b/c they tried to charge me a "sitting fee". Wtf is a a sitting fee? 2.50 for taking a seat and not eating b/c I ate before I met up with my friends? They can shove that 2.50 up their a$$.
Most things I can forgive but 2 things I will NEVER tolerate(in consideration to surcharges) are when they charge for sitting and not eating, and when they charge to split plates.
It's unbelievable how dead this area gets by 9pm... where am I? Winder? Canton? Did Sandy Springs Inc.'s Gestapo impose a secwet curfew?
Only one thing to do...grub at old Canton Cooks where the victuals are tasty and the service should start with self!
Spicy Salted Squid (S&P Squid) - who doesn't love these fried curly pieces of cephalopod?
Beef Chow Fun - one of the better ones in Atl., lighter and less greezy than most other places.
Clams in Black Bean Sauce - eat it while its hot or else it'll be Clams in Black Jello.
Wor Sue Duck - funny how no one mentioned this dish which is kinda their claim to fame. It's good but a few pieces is more than enough.
Beef with Bitter Melons - nothing compliments each other more than meat and melons. Mmm Mm M.
They've been around for a long time and the grub hasn't been dumb down with all the pedestrian chow sprouting up like the Section 8 housing in this dusty old town. It's a good standby...
BURP.
My family and I have been coming here since I was a little kid - no joke. This was before they moved down the street from that dingy shopping center. They've definitely come a long way since then. I'm kinda sad that they're always so crowded now, but they're nice people and deserve the success. Oh yeah, their food is also the real deal, so step outside the box a bit and try the authentic Chinese dishes...mmm.
And the fact that they open past midnight is definitely a plus.
It's 11:30 PM. You just got off work. Where do you go to eat that is both good and open late?
Waffle House? No.
Georgia Diner? Yes, but too far.
Buford Highway? Meh.
Canton Cook? Yes. OK, Let's go!!
I personally do not really care for Chinese food, but this place is good enough to draw me in. When my co-workers told me that they know of a good place to eat, I went. If they had told me it was Chinese, I would not have gone. I am glad they took me there.
This place is good because the Chinese food is similar to Japanese Chinese food (or the type of Chinese food that is similar to ones in Japan). I do not know how Chinese people would rate the place, but as far as I know, if you are Japanese, this place is good for you.
A trip to the ATL isn't complete without a stop at the Dirty South's best Chinese. As a New Yorker we think it rivals - and often outshines - Chinatown's best (and far pricier) options. Order off the menu and grab some Salt and Pepper Pork Chops, Sauteed Pea Shoots or Pan-fried Frog Legs. The short ribs are redolent of slow-ccoked 5-spice masterpieces of China 'Yore.
Down side is the brutally bright overhead lighting and potential long wait.
This is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Atlanta. The food is consistently good. Having read the other recent reviews they provide an accurate reflection of the place. It does have duel menus and you can get as authentic or Americanized as you prefer.
Every visit home never fails to include a visit to Canton Cooks. To my disappointment, I have yet to find a Chinese restaurant that lives up to the expectations set by CC in the Bay Area. Bold words, but don't take my word for it. If you're in the area, I encourage you to try it for yourself and you tell me what you think.
Just to give you a little background on my history with this establishment; I know Cathy, co-proprietor of CC's. She and her husband, parents and brother run the restaurant with an enormous staff. She and her brother run the front while her husband is the head cook and her parents assist with the prep work. I met Cathy about eight years ago doing charity work in Atlanta when I approached her restaurant requesting a food donation for one of our events. Not only did she donate food, but she went way above and beyond donating more than we could have ever asked for. Since then, her kindness has never waivered whenever we've asked for her to participate in other events. And, every time I've eaten at her restaurant, she always calls me by name, even after all these years having moved away from the ATL.
ENVIRONMENT: It's nestled among strip mall heaven/hell in the northern suburb of Roswell/Sandy Springs. It shares the same parking lot as Whole Foods, Ross and Petco (no animals...from this establishment were harmed/consumed in this review). The restaurant itself has about six (four-seater) booths, six large (ten-seater) tables and about six (two-seater) tables.
SERVICE: No frills. They take your order promptly and the food comes out just as expeditiously. One interesting note about Cathy's business acumen is how she staffs her restaurant. She astutely recognized a fair amount of her patrons are of hispanic descent. She therefore promptly hired spanish-speaking servers to cater to that population. Just from pure observation, I noticed this community frequenting CC multi-fold to where at any given time, over half the restaurant's patrons could be hispanic. Very smart business person indeed. Otherwise, you still have a fairly large Asian population that frequents this restaurant, even though it is off the beaten-Buford Highway-path. Yet another good sign of a delicious Asian establishment.
FOOD: Ahhhhh...now to the good stuff. I cannot remember the last time I had a bad/average dish at CC's. It also helps that I tend to stick with what I know and appreciate. Rather than explain each and every dish, I'll just give you a quick rundown of what I've had. Salt n' pepper squid, cabbage cups with ground pork, general tso's chicken (my mom's favorite dish), sea bass (steamed and pan-fried (I recommend the latter)) (by far my most favorite dish here), beef chow fun (with sauce), seafood chow fun with special house sauce, spicy eggplant and pork hotpot (my dad's favorite), orange beef.
I cannot attest to the authenticity of the dishes (whatever that means in this day and age), but what I can attest to is the yumminess (if that's a word). For me, I'll take yummy over authentic any day.
OVERALL: Over the years, CC has garnered a huge loyal following. So, unfortunately, you will find yourself waiting quite a while (30-45 minutes) during peak meal hours (lunch/dinner). Frankly, words don't do the food justice and certainly don't take my word for it. I'd rather let the food do the talking. Enjoy!
Since China Cooks is just a couple blocks down the streets and the two restaurants are so similar I will do a simple comparison. Both offer long menu of pretty authentic and tasty food with emphasis on Cantonese cuisine. Both open until really late. These are some of the better Chinese restaurants in town.
Canton Cooks is cheerier and a generally more comfortable environment. The seasoning and general execution is more delicate than China Cooks, which is good for certain dishes (e.g. steamed shiitake chicken) but as a result many dishes taste too light for me. China Cooks also has more "Chef's Specialty" type dishes than this outfit. I would say overall the two even out and take your pick based on preference.
You can shop at Whole Foods while waiting for your To Go order.
DON'T LET THE STRIP-MALL LOCALE FOOL YOU!!!
This is one of THE BEST places to get chinese food! They're open late for those of us who are hungry after 10pm but don't necessarily want fast food.
You know it's good when over half the clientel is asian. The dishes are large and flavorful and the staff is good, fast and relatively friendly. They are usually willing to make adjustments when possible (more or less heat, veggies, sauce, etc.)
I try to go with a group - mainly because I'm indecicive, but greedy and this lets me try a bunch of different dishes at once.
This place was a huge disappointment. They didn't have a single vegetarian appetizer except fried wonton, and I'm not big on wonton. Their vegetable section pretty much sucked. I'm sorry but why do you have a PORK DISH under the VEGETABLE section? I finally settled on some vegetable lo mein. It was too saucy, the sauce wasn't even very good, and those were NOT lo mein noodles, sorry. The lo mein was a giant saucy mess that was thoroughly disappointing.
My husband seemed to like his, but he said it wasn't anything impressive either. Sorry but this place doesn't hold a candle to Little Schezuan on Buford Hwy.
So I am not much a Chinese food person but this place is definitely an exception! Chinese food here is more traditional and open LATE! If you're ever just outside the Perimter in Sandy Springs just looking for some hot food...try Canton Cooks. The place stays busy!
They have his one eggplant dish with minced that surprisingly was really good! I normally get the Beef Chow Fun (can't spell).
This is hands down my favorite Chinese restaurant in Atlanta. It's Cantonese style flavor is definitely distinct and worthy of merit. As a matter of fact, this is where all the Chinese restaurant owners go to eat after they close their restaurants for the night.
Their salty duck egg on pork (xian dan cuo ruo) is the best tasting in Atlanta. It's hard to find seating at night because it's usually packed full of customers, so be ready for a short wait. They also do take-out.
All the dishes here are great, and whenever it's my turn to choose which restaurant to go to, no one frowns or complains when I suggest Canton Cooks.
This is a must try for everyone that hasn't been there. There is also a special menu for those literate in Chinese. If not, have no fear - ask your waiter for some suggestions.
First of all, I come from Cantonese stock. That means I'm going to be particularly picky about Southern Chinese Food. (Don't get me started about Suatao food. That's my specific stock. :) )
As for where to get the best Canto food in North America, there's only one debate: Toronto or Vancouver. Alas, for those of us stuck on this side of the Canadian/US border, we've got to make do with what we've got.
In Atlanta, there are a handful of choices, and this is one of them. It's not bad -- the flavours are definitely authentic southern chinese. From Chili crabs, to Ho Fun, to Garlic/pepper fried squid -- and the array of vegetable dishes, it's all quite competent. There's nothing I've ever had there that was anything but good.
Alas, nothing mind-blowing. Nothing that strikes as food cooked by someone who loves their art and their customers. You know what I'm talking about -- it's the extra something that shows up when you can tell that the food was prepared by somebody trying to tell you something through their food.
I'll eat here with you anytime you wanna come -- but I don't think I'd tend to come myself -- I'll just wait for my next trip to Toronto or HK. :)
Yeah, spoiled. :(
But I really can't help being hard on Cantonese places.
Three plus.
Every once in a while I get a hankering for the salt and pepper squid (fried calamari served with sliced jalapenos on a bed of lettuce, no sauce). It's the best calamari I've ever tasted.
Sunday night we also had a bowl of brisket soup. The broth had a deep beefy flavor. There are egg noodles in the bowl. The brisket was good, a little fatty, but hey it makes the broth that much tastier.
The rice is just ok.
The service is prompt, after a 20 minute wait at 6pm.
Prices good for the quality of the food.
I was glad to discover the brisket soup this time. It will save me the trip out to What the Pho for those chilly days when I crave a warm glow in my tummy.
The owners do a great job to keep up the quality and level of service.
It's good!
You can always tell how legit a Chinese restaurant is when the clientele is predominantly Chinese. It's a pretty obvious statement, but true time and time again in my experience. Canton Cooks is the most authentic Chinese food you're going to get in Atlanta without going to to the mini Chinatown off Buford Highway.
I've been spoiled on great Asian food thanks to my mother-in-law (I married into a big Taiwanese family). Last time she was in Atlanta, we took her to Canton Cooks, put the menu in her hands (she went straight for the page in Chinese) and told her to order for the entire table. It was plate after plate of stellar food, and she seemed to be happier about it as each new dish arrived. We weren't the only ones, the looks on faces all around the restaurant were content and blissfully full.
It's in a strip mall, but it doesn't suffer from the location really. It's always crowded, even in the wee hours of the morning when they're still serving excellent food. If you've only had Americanized Chinese food, give Canton Cooks a try and you'll be amazed at what you've been missing.
Atlanta, GA
Category: Chinese
Atlanta, GA
Category: Restaurants
Atlanta, GA
Category: Chinese
Atlanta, GA
Category: Chinese
Atlanta, GA
Category: Thai
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