The Scene
DIY stir-fry's universal appeal spreads to west Midtown. The sleek loft space, in the bottom of stylish apartments on Howell Mill, attracts Atlantans of all stripes: parents with toddlers in tow, first-date types nervously sipping specialty cocktails, good-looking 20-somethings as far as the eye can see. The stir-fry line, a buffet of raw ingredients from rice and snow peas to coconut curry sauce and fresh shrimp, moves surprisingly quickly, even with a large crowd.
The Food
Patrons line up, pile ingredients in a bowl, then hand it off. A cook stir-fries everything on a giant flat griddle, and a server delivers it to the table. While it's tempting to simply toss every available ingredient into your bowl, the results can be uneven. Thankfully, Chow Baby offers suggested combinations near the ingredients. The other route to success is to keep it simple: veggies, beef, teriyaki sauce, lo mein noodles.