Daniel B.
Yelp
Add my five-star review for Mushi Ni to the many that already exist. This food stall inside We Suki Suki in East Atlanta Village (EAV) has some of the best and most unique bao I've tried in Atlanta. Their bowl was really good too. Simply put, this place churns out very yummy, quality food.
If you've never been to We Suki Suki, it's a food hall in EAV. It's small and, true to the neighborhood, hipstery. There's not a whole lot of seating inside and it's all communal (picnic tables). That said, over the years, I've never had a problem finding a spot for the group I'm dining with. During COVID, all the vendors switched to takeout and delivery only.
Street parking in the neighborhood, including directly in front of We Suki Suki on Flat Shoals Rd, is free. Parking lots around the building, including the lot directly behind the building (hidden from street view), are free too. Note, some of the lots can be in pretty rough shape, which is why I've often preferred to park on the street.
Mushi Ni opened inside We Suki Suki in January 2018. The stall is run by a husband and wife. Mushi Ni's menu has also become offered at Little Trouble at Westside Provisions District and the S.O.S. Tiki Bar in Decatur. These are all hip locations.
I ordered and paid online at https://www.mushini.net/. On a Tuesday, I submitted my order at 6:26pm and it was ready at 6:43pm. We Suki Suki wasn't terribly busy at the time, but it did have a slow and steady stream of customers. Parking on Flat Shoals was plentiful when I arrived.
Here's what I got:
* Classic Bowl ($12) - grain/base options: glass noodles (+$1), kale and broccoli (+$2), main options: Manila Chicken Adobo, Lemongrass BBQ Pork, fried egg (+$1), sauce, chimichurri, pickled veggies
* Bao Six Pack ($17)
Bao 1: Korean Beef Bulgogi (+$1)
Bao 2: Duck Confit (+$1)
Bao 3: Maitake Mushroom (+$0.50)
Bao 4: Spicy Sichuan Eggplant
Bao 5: Manila Chicken Adobo
Bao 6: Lemongrass Pork Belly
In general, everything I ordered was super savory and packed with flavor, especially umami. I believe Mushi Ni used the same or similar seasoning mix on all six of my bao and my bowl. I'm not certain, but I think the seasoning mix consisted primarily of furikake, which is a dry Japanese rice seasoning made with ingredients like seaweed, bonito fish flakes, and perhaps even MSG. There was other stuff in there too, which I wasn't able to fully discern. Among them, fried crispy bits that reminded me of fried shallots or fried garlic, often used in Southeast Asian cooking. Anyway, seasonings like furikake can instantly make anything taste delicious, so I applaud Mushi Ni's liberal use of these seasonings as they really added another level of delectable flavor to each item.
My custom Classic Bowl had quite a bit of weight to it, though at $16 before tax and tip, I guess I should have expected it. This was a superbly filling and tasty bowl that had enough food to make two small meals for me. All of the ingredients were fresh and cooked to order. Aside from the proteins (chicken, pork, egg), everything appeared to be stir-fried. Overall, this was a well-rounded and balanced bowl packed with plenty of meat, veggies, and carbs. The combination and contrasts of flavors and textures was enjoyable. I recommend adding a fried egg (or two) as I think it really enhances the dish. They kept my yolk runny so I mixed it in with everything else. It was great.
All of the bao were excellent and it was hard for me to pick favorites. It really comes down to personal preference and what you're in the mood for. In the moment, if I had to rank the six bao I tried, it'd probably go like this:
1. Maitake Mushroom
2. Korean Beef Bulgogi
3. Spicy Sichuan Eggplant
4. Manila Chicken Adobo
5. Duck Confit
6. Lemongrass Pork Belly
Yep, kind of surprising that the two vegan bao would be in my top three, but they really made my eyes light up as I bit into them. I also love mushrooms, and eggplant, to a lesser extent. The mushroom bao had wonderfully thick and satisfying pieces of maitake. I absolutely loved it. The eggplant bao was prepared with a single, big slice of eggplant. I liked this presentation style. Also, whatever sauce they used on the eggplant was incredibly flavorful. The bulgogi bao was packed to the gills with nicely-marinated and grilled morsels of beef. I could taste not only the smoky flavor off the grill, but also the sweet and savory flavors of the marinade. Both the Manila chicken adobo and the duck confit contained shredded, tender, and moist meat. I think the chicken adobo bao was slightly tastier because of the sauce, but the duck confit was appetizing too. The latter had a gratifying richness (fat) to it. The pork belly bao ended up last on my list and it's ironic because typically, pork belly bao is among the most popular type of bao. The piece of pork belly I got was a little too chewy and made taking a bite out of the bao difficult without taking the entire piece all at once.
Check 'em out!