Switzerland: rösti
A pancake made of shredded potatoes? It’s a popular idea in various cuisines worldwide, and Atlanta diners no doubt are familiar with the not-too-distant cousin hash browns. But in the German-speaking Alps of Switzerland, the crispy golden potato dish rösti is so esteemed that it is considered a national dish, right alongside cheese fondue.
Potatoes — ideally, a nonstarchy variety such as fingerling or red — are grated, dried, then pan-fried in butter in a straightforward patty. This unfussy dish frequently is eaten with meats, cheese or eggs.
On the upscale restaurant Avize’s dinner menu, rösti is a side dish topped with fresh chives, creme fraiche (scented with elderflower) and a dollop of smoked trout roe that offers a punch of salinity.
Avize. 956 Brady Ave. NW, Atlanta. 404-879-1713, avizeatlanta.com.
— Christopher Hassiotis
Taiwan: beef noodle soup
Taiwan reveres what sounds like a relatively basic bowl of beef noodle soup as its national dish.
But Lucky Star chef Jason Liang puts incredible effort into his version. The broth made in-house is enriched with the braising liquid from the beef shanks also found in the soup, giving the bowl an almost bottomless depth of flavor. The tender beef and noodles are inviting enough to make anyone feel at home, and the portion is gigantic — a veritable feast in a single bowl.
Lucky Star serves the dish with a tincture of Sichuan peppercorns that allows the diner to add their desired level of spice.
This version of Taiwan’s famous soup is about as close to the ideal as you could hope to find, and it’s not just a good dish — it’s one of the better single-bowl meals you’ll find in town.
Lucky Star. 1055 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 678-994-6016, luckystaratl.com.
— Henri Hollis
Thailand: pad thai
Pad thai is served around the world, in spots ranging from food stalls all the way up to fine-dining restaurants.
Although its origin story varies (some say it originated with the Chinese; others cite a rice shortage, with the government promoting rice noodles instead), its components are not open to debate. This fan favorite combines flat rice noodles, fish sauce and proteins such as chicken, shrimp or tofu, as well as eggs, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic, peanuts, lime wedges, soy sauce, tamarind paste, sugar and chile flakes for heat. Its taste combines sweet, salty, spicy and the elusive umami.
If there is a trick to perfecting pad thai, it is not overcooking the noodles and tossing them quickly with the other ingredients — so the noodles are not too gummy.
On a recent visit to Little Bangkok, every table was sharing a plate of pad thai.
Little Bangkok. 2225 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta. 404-315-1530, littlebangkokatlanta.com.
— Bob Townsend
Togo: fufu
The many varieties of fufu — a dough ball made from varying plants or grains — have been a staple of West African cuisine for centuries.
Christie Agbale opened Le Nouveau Maquis about 15 years ago with the goal of sharing West African food with Atlanta.
In Togo, all types of fufu are eaten, including versions made from eba, banku, plantains, semolina and cassava. But pounded yam is the most common variety, Agbale said. At her restaurant, several types are made from scratch daily, sometimes to order.
Making pounded yams requires peeling, boiling, then pounding the yams until they form a starchy, sticky ball.
Agbale suggests eating the pounded yam alongside seafood okra, egusi or pepper soup. Pinch off a piece from the ball of pounded yam that arrives wrapped in plastic and use it as the vehicle to scoop out the broth, meat or veggie from the soup. Pounded yam has a very neutral taste, so it absorbs the flavor of any stew or meat and creates a warm and filling bite.
Le Nouveau Maquis. 5651 Memorial Drive, Stone Mountain. 470-355-3049, lnmaquis.com.
— Olivia Wakim
Turkey: adana kebab
Few national dishes have been as heavily exported as Turkey’s adana kebab, featuring heavily spiced ground lamb cooked on a metal skewer.
The secret to the dish’s global success is the distinctive succulence that lamb takes on when grilled over an open flame and the bold flavors of traditional Turkish spices.
Cafe Efendi serves a version of the dish featuring lamb so redolent with spices that it’s hard to keep from tearing open the takeout bag for a taste before you get home. The kebab is served with a generous salad of Mediterranean vegetables, such as bell peppers and grilled tomatoes.
Like so much other Mediterranean cooking, Cafe Efendi’s adana kebab makes a hearty meal that doesn’t feel too heavy or induce too much guilt.
Cafe Efendi Mediterranean Cuisine. 488 N. Main St., Alpharetta. 770-360-8014, cafeefendi.com.
— Henri Hollis
Ukraine: borscht
Borscht is believed to have originated between the fifth and ninth centuries A.D. in Ukraine, but it is served across Eastern Europe in countless different forms. In 2022, UNESCO added Ukrainian borscht to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
Pop-up Brave Wojtek’s menu offers a mixture of recipes from owner Matt Reeves’ grandmother and great-grandmother, as well as new dishes he has learned along the way. Reeves is Polish, but he developed his take on borscht with help from a Ukrainian friend.
Brave Wojtek’s borscht incorporates local seasonal vegetables, along with chunks of soft beetroot, tender beef that’s been marinated in Worcestershire and red wine, and thinly sliced strips of red bell pepper and cabbage that are sauteed to almost sauerkraut consistency. It’s finished off with a dollop of cooling sour cream and flecks of dill. “It’s almost like a full harvest of flavors,” Reeves said, and has an addictive combination of sweet, sour and umami.
Brave Wojtek’s menu changes, so be sure to grab a bowl of borscht by June, before it takes a summer vacation.
Brave Wojtek. 5-10 p.m. Tuesdays. 130 Arizona Ave. NE, Atlanta. instagram.com/bravewojtek.
— Olivia Wakim
Uruguay: chivito al pan
Uruguay is as proud of its beef as is its neighbor, Argentina.
There’s a significant amount of overlap between the cuisines of the two countries. In fact, at Sabores del Plata the flags, soccer jerseys and celebrities of both nations deck the walls.
The indulgent sandwich known as the chivito al pan, though, is pure Uruguay, originating from the resort town of Punta del Este. A firm baguette bears the weight of thinly sliced skirt steak, ham, bacon, mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise. (Why beef, when chivito means “young goat” in Spanish? Back in the 1950s, a diner ordered goat, but the restaurant made do with what it had. From that kitchen improvisation, a classic was born.)
The sandwich is meal enough on its own, but if you’re particularly hungry, Sabores del Plata also features a chivito al plato dish that provides a larger cut of the sliced sirloin atop a bed of fries, still topped with all the accoutrements and a salad on the side.
Sabores del Plata. 6200 Buford Highway, Norcross. 678-743-4671, saboresatlanta.com.
— Christopher Hassiotis
Venezuela: pabellón criollo
The Venezuelan dish pabellón criollo acknowledges the mixing of cultures between Spanish colonizers, enslaved Africans and the country’s Indigenous peoples.
The plate includes three components: stewed and shredded beef, black beans and white rice.
This is a tough combo to beat, even in its rustic form, but the cooks at Arepa Grill Kitchen & Wine add impressive flair to the humble dish. In a pabellón criollo tower, the individual components are stacked in layers and served alongside dabs of sauces with the colors of the Venezuelan flag.
There’s substance, too — the kitchen does a great job with beef, and the stew at the center of this dish is rich and hearty. The presentation might look modern, but the flavors have that ancient quality found in so many comfort foods.
Arepa Grill Kitchen & Wine. 45 Oak St., Roswell. 678-226-1287, arepagrillkitchenandwine.com.
— Henri Hollis
Vietnam: pho
The Vietnamese dish pho shows influences from both Chinese noodle traditions and French culinary technique, particularly the meaty broth.
Warm and comforting, it showcases the essence of Vietnamese cuisine — the balance of five taste elements: salt, bitter, sour, spice and sweet — with a variety of fresh herbs and layers of flavor that come from toasting spices and roasting bones.
Nam Phuong’s pho is exemplary. A steamy bowl of aromatic broth — achieved through hours of slow simmering — has a full range of spices: ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander and hints of anise. It is rich, complex, yet clear and light. The nest of rice noodles, tender slices of meat, herbs and bean sprouts are chosen carefully and arranged for a balance of flavors and textures, a hallmark of Vietnam’s cuisine.
Tables are set with a range of sauces so you can doctor each bowl to your preferred level of heat, sweetness or funk.
Nam Phuong. 4051 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta. 404-633-2400, namphuongga.com.
— Angela Hansberger
