We had a good dinner at Talat Market. This is a hip "New Thai" restaurant that has been listed in…read morethe Michelin Guide since its inception in Atlanta in 2023. There were some hits and misses, but overall, I recommend this place.
The restaurant is located in the Summerhill neighborhood, just south of downtown Atlanta, near the old Braves stadium (now Center Parc Stadium). It's four blocks south of Little Bear, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant (also good and I recommend it).
There's a free dedicated parking lot on site, but it's small (only 15 spots). There's plenty of free street parking in the residential area surrounding the restaurant.
This place is popular. Book your reservations on Resy. If you have an American Express card, check your benefits. For example, Platinum card holders get up to $100 in statement credits each quarter on eligible purchases with Resy (Talat is eligible).
We came with a group of seven on a Saturday night at 6:30. We ordered a bunch of dishes and shared.
I describe the cuisine as "New Thai" because it's not traditional Thai. It's like a New American version of Thai cuisine. Talat describes the cuisine as "the union of Thai culinary tradition and Georgia's seasonal bounty."
Here's what I tried:
Cocktails
* Super Cold Martini ($14) - Fords Gin, Contratto Bianco, pear eau-de-vie, Madeira
N/A Cocktails (non-alcoholic)
* Green Drink No. 2 ($9) - mint, ginger, pandan, citrus
* Thaijuino ($13) - fermented corn bevy served with Athletic Brewing Hazy IPA
Food
Special
* Snapper Sangwa. $18. Pomelo, mint, Raj oil, fried garlic.
* Grilled Oysters (3 for $12) - red curry, fried shallot
* Chicken Rice Soup ($12) - winter melon, chicken meatballs
* Fruit Salad ($14) - mint, shallot, fish sauce, pecan
* Crispy Rice Salad ($18) - radish, beets, red chili jam, peanut
* Crab Fritters ($21) - corn, lime leaf, sweet 'n sour
* Phat Pak ($14) - veggie stir-fry, cabbage, oyster mushroom (and tofu)
* Fried Garlic Shrimp ($21) - white pepper, cilantro, Shark-brand Sriracha
* Grilled Beef Salad ($28) - coconut, lemongrass, grape, mint
* Chicken Red Curry ($35) - shiitake, sweet potatoes, Thai basil, jasmine rice
* Whole Flounder ($40) - oyster sauce, onion, Thai basil
Dessert (not on menu)
* Apple Sorbet ($12)
* Custard ($16)
For the most part, the food and drinks were delicious and presented beautifully. I like the variety of dinnerware they use. The Thaijuino was served on a wooden tray with a wooden mixing spoon. Each Grilled Oyster was served atop a bed of salt.
As a fan of martinis, I really enjoyed the Super Cold Martini. Strong, smooth, well-made.
Hits:
Foodwise, my favorites included the Snapper Sangwa, Grilled Oysters, Fruit Salad, Crispy Rice Salad, Phat Pak, and Chicken Red Curry. Portions were kind of small. The Chicken Rice Soup was also good and reminded me of Chinese West Lake Beef Soup.
Misses:
The steak in the Grilled Beef Salad was quite tough and chewy. The Whole Flounder was crispy, bony, and hard to eat. The desserts were okay. I liked the Apple Sorbet, but the Custard was too salty.
Service and atmosphere:
Our server was Leo and he was great. Good service. The hostess was nice too.
The vibe is trendy and laid back; more on the casual side. Talat has both indoor and outdoor seating.
Talat first started doing pop-ups around Atlanta in April 2017, and this brick-and-mortar location opened in May 2020.