We thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Ruby Chow's. If you're looking for a fun night out, this place fits the bill. It's got it all - good food, service, and ambiance.
I have to admit I didn't have very high expectations of this place because it's an Asian fusion restaurant (I'm generally not a big fan), but they manage to pull it off well and in their own cool and unique way. I love the vibe of this place which exudes the atmosphere of an old-school, upscale Chinese restaurant. It looks like something from a 1960s Bond film. The business is named after Chinese American restaurateur and Seattle politician Ruby Chow.
Ruby Chow's opened on February 20, 2020. Our server, Emily C, told us the restaurant was packed regularly when it first opened. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the bar and dining room to close temporarily. Dine-in service resumed in July. With cases continuing to increase in Georgia, business was slow during our Saturday night visit. I was told too much volume hadn't been an issue yet.
We made a reservation and requested to be seated outside. When we showed up on time and checked in, there was confusion about our party size and where we would be seated. It was like our reservation didn't exist. It wasn't a big deal as we were ultimately seated how we wanted: outside and socially distanced.
Our menus were disposable. Eating utensils and straws were served individually wrapped. We were even provided sealable plastic bags to store our masks while eating and drinking. I thought that was a nice touch. We paid using our phones. QR codes on our receipts made touchless payment easy and convenient. All staff wore masks and gloves, though it's arguable how safe gloves are. As this is a "casual fine dining" restaurant, the servers were formally dressed and their masks looked nice too.
The restaurant interior is gorgeous with tall red curtains, vintage booths, and an impressive central bar. There's an upstairs area too. It's got more of a cozy lounge feel and has its own bar as well. I'm not sure the patio, as it exists today, was around pre-COVID. It's situated in a breezeway, covered, and looks to seat about 24+. However, it never got close to 50% capacity during our time there.
Open for dinner only, Ruby Chow's focuses on small plates. During our visit, they offered 20 small plates priced $5-15 each. Also on the menu were steamed buns ($5-10), rice and noodle plates ($11-13), large plates ($23-32), and desserts ($8).
Here's what I tried:
* Peking Duck Steamed Bun ($5) - duck skin confit, cucumber, scallions, hoisin, star anise jus
* Seared Scallops ($14) - sauteed mushrooms, corn puree, pickled chilis
* Sake Butter Mussels ($11) - garlic, onions, rice wine
* Roasted Bone Marrow ($15) - onion jam, gremolata, panko, radish salad, baguette
* Shoyu Tomago [sic] ($4) - soft-boiled soy sauce egg, crispy rice cake, sweet soy vinaigrette
* Banh Mi ($6) - plant-based protein, pickled carrots and daikon, jalapeno, cucumber, cilantro, mayo
* Roti Canai ($6) - flaky flatbread, chicken, Malaysian curry dipping sauce
Overall, we thought the food was pretty good. The only item I wouldn't order again is the Banh Mi. Not that it was bad, but it was like paying double the price for a Buford Highway banh mi. That said, the "meat" was plant-based.
What impressed me the most was the Roasted Bone Marrow. Compared to all the other bone marrow I've had, the portion size on the bone I got here was by far the biggest. Just take a look at my pictures. It was amazing. The marrow was incredibly rich and flavorful. High quality.
I highly recommend the Shoyu Tamago. Both the taste and presentation of the dish was outstanding. I like how they present the egg cracked, with the yolk running out, to show you how perfectly cooked it is. The crispy and crunchy consistency of the rice cake paired ideally with the soft egg and runny yolk. Just fantastic.
The Seared Scallops, Sake Butter Mussels, and Roti Canai were very good and all are worth getting. In general, presentation was beautiful. The scallops were fresh, plump, and tender. Together with the mushrooms and puree, the dish was just full of umami. Really good. The mussels were fresh and flavorful as well. The sake-based broth was buttery and delectable. It was relatively light compared to other mussel broths I've had. We ordered extra bread ($1) to eat with the leftover broth. The Roti Canai was excellent. The flatbread was warm, soft, and stretchy and curry was terrific. My friends liked the curry so much, they placed another order to-go.
The Peking Duck Steamed Bun was so tasty, I almost inhaled the whole thing without even thinking about it.
Aside from the little mix-up with our reservation, service was exceptional; very professional. Our server Emily did a tremendous job.
Ruby Chow's is located on the corner of Glen Iris and North Ave. I street-parked on Glen Iris and paid $5.60 for 2.5 hours of parking using the ParkMobile app (recommended). Zone 51151. read more