Daniel B.
Yelp
Pleasantly surprised is the best way to describe my experience at 285 Colonial Kitchen. Great food and friendly service. In Sandy Springs and the surrounding area, I recommend this place if you're looking for Vietnamese cuisine, but in an elevated environment. This is more of a Vietnamese-French fusion or, in a broader sense, Asian fusion restaurant. Vietnamese food is influenced by French cuisine and 285 Colonial Kitchen likes to emphasize that. If you're a purist, don't let the "fusion" part scare you away.
For Atlanta restaurant enthusiasts, I think a good comparison for 285 Colonial Kitchen is Le Fat on Marietta Street. Both restaurants like to showcase dishes from Vietnam's French colonial period. While 285 is a little less fancy than Le Fat, it's still classed up and works well for both a date night and a casual meal out. The restaurant looks nice and it's certainly more elegant than your typical pho joint. Floor to ceiling, you can tell they've put extra thought and effort into the decor.
For longtime Atlantans, another good comparison is the old Com Dunwoody (later known as Simha: https://bit.ly/3gM64s6) which was the second location of Buford Highway standby Com Vietnamese Grill (https://bit.ly/2XSgNd4). The owner and executive chef of 285 Colonial Kitchen, Duc Tran, was the founder and original owner of both Com locations. Chef Tran opened the first Com on BuHi in 2004. Currently, he owns and operates 285 Colonial Kitchen and another Vietnamese restaurant named after a Georgia interstate, 575 Bistro in Kennesaw (https://bit.ly/31JRcnP). He opened 285 in August 2019. Chef Tran told me he's done with restaurants after 285 and 575. I don't blame him. It's a tough industry.
One great thing about this restaurant, and something most other Vietnamese restaurants do not have, is their patio. It's nice too; fenced in with comfy chairs and umbrellas. I'm not sure I can name many restaurants in Atlanta where you can enjoy a bowl of pho outdoors. During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, outside seating is definitely an advantage for restaurants that have it.
Speaking of pho, 285 Colonial Kitchen's pho is solid. I recommend it, but note if you like pho with a lot of ingredients, such as tendon and tripe, you'll have to head to Pho 24 (nearby) or BuHi. 285 doesn't offer as many meat options nor did we receive any culantro (one of my favorite raw veggie pho sides), but that was okay because what 285 did serve was high quality and delicious. Their broth was so tasty that my tablemate commented on how good it was then picked up his bowl and slurped down every last drop. That should tell you something. 285's broth is definitely superior to Pho 24's down the street and, in general, I think it's above average.
285's pho comes in two sizes, regular ($11-13 per bowl) and large (+$1.50). We ordered regular sizes and it was plenty of food; then again, our group also ordered multiple apps and entrees. Here's what I had:
App
* Grilled Beef Grape Leaves ($8) - mixed greens, peanuts, crispy scallions, "fish vinaigrette sauce"
Entree
* Shaking Steak & Fries ($24) - pan-seared filet mignon (10 oz), wild creamy red wine sauce, red onions, red bell peppers
Pho
* Filet Mignon & Brisket Pho ($12.50) - beef broth, 24-hour slow-cooked beef bones, rice noodles, red onion, scallion, cilantro, basil, bean sprouts, lime, jalapeno
Dessert
* Creme Brulee Cheesecake ($6)
* Guava Cheesecake ($6)
I recommend all of the above. Everything was delicious. I originally wanted banh mi too (a Vietnamese sandwich), but 285 only offers that at lunchtime (we visited for dinner). Like the restaurant, the dishes were beautiful. Each item was plated and presented in eye-appealing fashion.
In one word, the Grilled Beef Grape Leaves were succulent. There were three pieces of grape leaves stuffed with savory marinated Vietnamese beef. Each thick and juicy piece was served sliced in half. There were all sorts of fresh and colorful ingredients that accompanied the stuffed grape leaves, providing different flavors and textures. One of the more interesting ingredients were what I think were red pear (or teardrop) tomatoes. Yummy.
The Shaking Steak & Fries was an interesting fusion dish that worked well. It was a play on Vietnamese shaking beef and French steak frites. It was essentially shaking beef with a side of fries and ketchup. The steak (filet mignon) I received was very good quality. The meat was tender and flavorful. Appetizing, thick chunks of steak with freshly chopped veggies. And you can't go wrong with golden crispy slender fries with ketchup. Good stuff.
The same quality filet mignon and equally good quality beef brisket was used in my pho and the meat portions were generous. The noodles were on point in terms of consistency and the veggies were fresh all around.
The slices of cheesecake came with thinly sliced ripe apple. The cakes were smooth, rich, and delectable.
Service from Chef Tran and server Chris D was outstanding.
