Bowled Over
Stone Bowl House
5953 Buford Hwy NE, Atlanta, GA
As I walk through the door, the sounds of cars passing and other downtown bustle fade away, to be replaced with an upbeat, bubbly pop song in Korean. The store is small but seems bigger, even packed wall to wall with shirts, mugs, posters, and any other imaginable merchandise the enthusiastic K-pop fan might want. Maybe it’s the atmosphere that makes it seem larger than it is—there’s a palpable sense of joy in the air, and a number of the shoppers are young women, likely representative of the average K-pop fan. This store is the biggest and only K-pop centered store in Georgia (or anywhere else, as far as I can tell). Making my way through the store, I’m soon stopped by an employee who offers me a bite-sized treat in glossy packaging. “Milkita,” it announces in energetic letters, “vanilla shake candy.” My sister pops her Milkita into her mouth, and a moment later, turns to me, surprised.
“Oh my god,” she says. “It tastes just like a milkshake.”
Later, I try mine, not really expecting it to be as good as she said. Immediately, I’m swamped with strong vanilla notes, bright, fresh dairy, like creamy whole milk, and maybe a hint of malt.
“Oh my god!” I say, astounded. “It tastes just like a milkshake.”
This little amusebouche was a good introduction to the meal I enjoyed that day—in other words, unexpectedly and delightfully just as good as it claimed to be.
When you travel to Georgia, you might expect certain things: southern hospitality, streets named after peaches, and stifling humidity. But one thing you might not expect is a bustling Koreatown located in Atlanta. And in the heart of this Koreatown, next to the K-pop store, is Stone Bowl House, a restaurant that serves traditional Korean cuisine.
When you walk into Stone Bowl House, you’re seated in a little alcove separated by folding dividers. The lighting is dim and home-y, and combined with the seating makes for an intimate dining experience.
Once seated, you’re immediately brought menus and faced with a huge variety of dishes: savory cabbage soup with short ribs, spicy kimchi stew, and melt-in-the-mouth tender bulgogi.
But when you go to Stone Bowl House, there’s only one choice: the eponymous stone bowl.
And it has to be hot.
Similar to the comal that fajitas are served in, the stone bowl is cast-iron and brought out blue-hot so it can continue to cook the bibimbap as you eat.
I ordered the kimchi and pork bibimbap stone bowl, mixing up the egg and excavating the crunchy, caramelized lower strata of rice. The acid of the kimchi cuts the fattiness of the pork and egg and adds a mouthwatering heat that isn’t so strong that it overwhelms the richness of the other ingredients.
And you can’t ignore the side dishes, or ban chan, brought out with your main. The spread makes the table look like an indulgent banquet. My favorite, green beans flavored with soy sauce and garlic and served cold were the perfect counterpoint to the steaming, spicy kimchi of my stone bowl.
But Stone Bowl House isn’t a one-hit wonder. The stone bowl might be the star, but the understudies can hit notes just as high. The rice cake soup is delicious: the rice cakes are soft and chewy, like a dumpling, and soak up the hearty broth like a sponge, and the sauces that accompany the banchan are the perfect blend of mellow, sweet, and spicy.
The entire experience, already amazing, is made even better by the staff of the restaurant, who are incredibly welcoming and attentive. The chef, known as Grandma Han, prepares the banchan every day, and her presence was just as prominent in the restaurant’s dining room as its kitchen: she came out several times to check on diners personally, and stopped by our table to encourage us to try the stone bowls hot, since it’s the restaurant’s specialty and main draw.
Everything at Stone Bowl House is a delight, and chances are you’ll clear the table before your bowl goes cold—but no doubt you’ll find yourself wanting to come back for more.