There are three buzz words in today's modern, healthy kitchens: fresh, fusion and fast. And Atlas Kitchen appears to be hitting home on all three, appealing to health junkies, flavor seekers and armchair foodies.
From the boys at the helm of Hope & Sesame, this new endeavor (in partnership with Hong Kong-based Twins Kitchen) is under the umbrella of its entrepreneurial owners Altas.
Tucked away on the third floor of Agile Center in Zhujiang Xincheng, this eclectic canteen welcomes guests with a well-stocked salad bar (RMB58/lunch, RMB78/dinner for unlimited servings) and hot and cold fridges touting grab-and-go options like roasted tomato and vegetable soup (RMB28) and Sichuan style crawfish and cucumber sandwiches (RMB48).
Lunch deals are abundant and priced on the lower side; try a crisp salad, a soup of the day and either tea, coffee or dessert for just RMB38. The juice bar is a whimsical nod to your daily dose of vitamins; get superpowers (RMB45), a mix of ginseng, ginger, apple and carrots, so you can fight the tropical storm (RMB38), a concoction of coconuts, pineapple and whey.
The well-designed menus are a risky hybrid of dishes that use ingredients sourced locally, but inspired internationally. The puff pastry clam chowder is inspired simplicity: steaming soup is topped with a willowy blanket of crumbly pastry that falls apart as soon as you break into it. For RMB38, it works.
Try the shellfish bisque laksa (RMB68/crab, RMB128/whole Boston lobster), with a superb broth that is hot, sweet, tart and succulent, or the slow-cooked duck hash brown (RMB48), a pan-fried bed of spuds, topped with homemade sour cream and crispy bits of duck.
For dinner, the incredibly juicy meat mains such as the 48-hours barbeque ribs (RMB158) – cooked sous vide so that the collagen that binds together strands of muscle melts away – is worth ordering. The due of earthy cumin and sesame seeds add a supernova of aroma and piquancy, giving it a finger-licking quality.
But does it always work? In most cases, yes. Dishes like the clay pot paella with Chinese preserved sausage (RMB138) fall flat – the rice isn’t as appetizing as one would expect and the seafood a tad dry.
But those craving carbs (and protein) can opt for the attention-grabbing alternatives: grilled tuna and avocado rice bowl (RMB78) or char siu mac and cheese (RMB48), anyone? Fitness freaks will find their fix here too. The spinach and feta egg white omelet with a garden salad (RMB48) is as nourishing as it gets. With cocktail masters running the show, expect a beverage selection that satisfies.
If you’re looking to sate taste buds that evoke the world, give Atlas a go for its new, creative approaches.
Price: RMB120
Who’s going: global villagers, inspired distinctions
Good for: bold combos, fun mashups
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