Lunch with Lauren - Gu's Kitchen - The Aha! Connection

Lunch with Lauren – Gu’s Kitchen

By Lauren Townsend for The Aha! Connection

Gu’s dumplings keep popping up in my Instagram feed, but the drive to Krog market is not in my daily schedule. BUT THEN, I see that there is a Gu’s Kitchen open on Buford Highway in Chamblee, so I drag Amanda in the rain to get some dumplings. First things first, the dumplings are delicious and totally lived up to the hype. We ordered a full order of pork dumplings and they were perfect. If nothing else, you should go for the handmade dumplings.

Gu’s Kitchen is the Gu family’s casual concept, which is slightly different from beloved Gu’s Bistro and the popular, Gu’s Dumplings. Typically Amanda and I would order different things so I can eat everything, but Gu’s had a number of specials on this day and we were both sold on Spicy Crispy Beef. I would order this again and we had enough left over that I took it home and fed my kids dinner. When I return to Gu’s Kitchen, I’ll have to make a tough decision between Handmade Sweet and Spicy Thick Noodles (“Handmade thick chewy noodles with homemade sweet sauce and chili oil; sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. One of the most famous street foods in Chengdu.”), Spicy Crispy Fish (“Lightly battered fish stir-fried with robust sliced garlic, ginger, homemade chili oil, sesame, oil, and numbing Szechuan peppercorns”) or Szechuan Spicy Fried Rice (White rice sautéed with juicy cubes of chicken, pickled Chinese cabbage, scrambled eggs, fresh green onions, and assorted chili peppers”).

The prices are little higher than some Buford Highway prices that you may be used to, but I feel like the quality and quantity was worth it. It was also pretty busy for a weekday lunch, so if you have a large group, you may want to plan accordingly. Finally, many of the items have some degree of spice, but the staff is very accommodating in adjusting the level of spice in each dish. Grab a friend or co-worker and head to Gu’s for some authentic Szechuan food.

Gu’s Kitchen