Makan
130 Clairemont Ave,Ste 100, Decatur, GA, 30030
Makan Menu
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Address :
130 Clairemont Ave,Ste 100
Decatur, GA, 30030 - Phone (404) 996-6504
- Website https://www.makanatl.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:00 pm - 10:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot, Validated
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Hipster
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Danielle F.
UPDATE: This update only addresses the ramen. It looks like they've updated their menu to bring back their original ramen. You have a choice of 2 broths now, one being spicy. I tried the spicy ramen again. It literally tasted like they put a lot of cayenne pepper into their original broth to make it spicy. I say this to say, pass on the ramen if you're expecting it to taste good. Everything else I've tried has been good. I really love the pork belly bao and spicy dumplings. There was a pork special they had the night we went, that my husband killed. The kalbi beef is delicious. Just pass on the ramen. It isn't good. So, the first time we visited this restaurant, we were in love with it. We've been back a few times and it hasn't measured up to the last time. I initially loved the ramen the first time we visited, but there has been a change in how spicy it is and the amount of salt in the broth. That just kills the taste. It was amazing the first time. We visited 2 additional times and received a bland rendition of the first experience. The Kalbi Beef is delicious. The pork belly is some of the best I've had in Atlanta. The flavor and texture is close to perfect. The steamed buns are also really good. I liked the dumplings as well. My only qualm with this restaurant is the lack of consistency. I love good food. I love being able to go to a place and getting what I like again and again. I will most likely give it another try because I really want to have a place to get a good bowl of ramen with pork belly.
(3)David L.
First of all, I'm pretty sure the owner got his friends to write good reviews on here, so beware. My family was visiting from out of state and wanted to try this place. I was super excited after checking out their website. The food looked really good. Long story short, this place is overpriced for what you get. The rice wasn't cooked properly; it was still hard. The seafood soup literally had one shrimp head with no body. The pork belly bun was really good though. The service was too attentive to the point of annoying. They're a new restaurant, so they bug the heck out of you asking about their food. If you're not confident about your food, it's probably because it's lacking. Just because they're in the good restaurant district of Decatur doesn't mean they can charge a lot for hit-or-miss dishes. My girlfriend is Korean, and she refused to eat (I've never seen this side of her). Go to Duluth and get large portions of real Korean food that is reasonably priced. Pros Service It looks nice Cons Overpriced Underwhelming food Too much service...let me eat in peace
(1)Allison D.
Came here on a cold Saturday night as a group of 4. We were seated immediately, and well-tended to the entire stay. I am sort of a scared-to-try new things kind of person, but gave the owner, Michael, our "protein preferences" (i.e. no duck), our general tastes, and told him to be creative. We had a perfect amount of food, YES, including those yummy pork buns, and had some delicious wine and signature drinks (again, we left it in the hands of Michael, and he steered us right!). Everything was prepared to perfection. The decor is fantastic, and the overall experience was great. We will surely be back very soon!!!
(5)Millenium D.
Overall, I really wanted to like this restaurant. It made a good impression with that lovely, vibrant Asian/ urban decor and really nice food presentation. But about the food quality, like some other reviewers have said, it's just too weird. Also, I left with a hole in my pocket ($72 for two people -- and we were sharing the main dish) while feeling unsatiated and unhappy. With this fair amount of spending for restaurants around the Atlanta area, I've used to experiencing having either substantial portions of food on my plates or really good cooking and flavors (sometimes I get both :)) At Makan, I got NEITHER. To be more specific, of the food that we ordered the Pork Belly Bun was too oily and fatty. There was oil/ fat oozing from the bun, but not in a tasty way. I gave it a bite and tossed the rest to my boyfriend's plate. The Wonton was mediocre, but probably the best thing they served that night. Not too oily, not too garlicky (like most wontons are), stuffing was pretty good and chewy. The Lamb Noodle Soup was wayyy too salty and weird, the different components don't quite come together: the tiny bits and pieces of lamb (as if they were scraped off a pan that was used to cook real lamb meat) scattered around huge chunks of what was called "home-made" noodle (the noodle itself was too long and pretty hard to eat with a fork, and there's actually no way you could elegantly handle this dish), the veggies were bland and bitter. I'm not sure about the thinking process of the chef who crafted this dish. I was excited about the banchan tray but they turned out to be disappointment. Of the three things that we ordered, the vinegar came off too strong on the veggies, the tofu reminded me some of the experiments my boyfriend did for dinner (that went wrong) and the tea egg were too salty. I think foods like these are easy to make but pretty challenging to make it high scale. For dessert, we ordered the sweet potato and pecan pie, which tasted like any regular pecan pie you might get from a grocery store, and the honeysuckle gelato which tasted artificially sour. It turned out "honeysuckle" was the name of the producer that supplied the gelato (the waiter told us this) and I personally don't think it's a smart thing, marketing-wise, to make it known to customers by putting it on your menu (especially if you're trying to charge them upscale prices). But I know I'm in no position to say this so... I think they will improve over time, but I'm definitely not coming back in four or five months.
(1)Laurie F.
This was a very memorable dining experience. I started with a little treat off of the rolling banchan cart. Great little presentation - I had the pickled fruit, went very nicely with my Korean beer. Then I just had to try the Pork Bun - that was amazing. For the main course I had to try the already famous Ramyun. For desert a great little egg custard tart. The perfect meal.
(5)Ginger L.
Wow! I was very excited to see this new spot open in Downtown Decatur and my first visit was amazing! I had the lamb noodle dish and I think I could eat it for every meal. The small plates were very interesting and tasty and then the dessert! I don't have anything bad to say about this fantastic new place. I will be a regular visitor.
(5)Shane S.
Excellent! Great ambiance and the food is amazing! The dukbokki was worth another visit and that was just the appetizer! The Kalbi steak melts and your mouth and the pork belly is the best around! Will definitely be back!!!
(5)Mitchell T.
Really good food. I had the steak. Perfectly cook plus it had a fried egg to mix in with the rice. Very tasty. The Ramen was also very good.
(5)Sun S.
It took more than a hour to get our food. It is not Taiwanese food at all. Beef noodles soup..the noddles was not right and ox tail..wow.. Never heard of it. Please remove the "Taiwanese" part .. Coz it is not even close. Please don't ruin Taiwanese food reputation. Name ur food use Taiwanese doesn't means "Taiwanese food "
(1)Shivali D.
I highly recommend this place. The owner Mike is great and welcoming. We were there for a conference and were at their bar late night and hungry. Some of us are vegetarian and love rice but didn't see it on the menu so we asked, Mike was more than willing to accommodate us. The chicken wings, dumplings, and drinks are really tasty. I will definitely be back when I am in town.
(5)Linda S.
The fourth star is based on hope and potential, but there's plenty of basis for optimism at Makan. We were there around noon on their first day of serving the new brunch menu, and the Decatur Book Festival supplied a hungry crowd, so the staff seemed understandably overwhelmed. We had a long wait after being seated before our order was taken, and order of seating did not correlate to order of service. But our waitress was friendly and working hard, and more importantly, the food was worth the wait. "Asian street food" is a genre broad enough to allow Makan to fashion a "just the good stuff" menu that makes it hard to choose just a few. The steamed wontons we started with were hot, tender, stuffed with a blend of shrimp and pork and perfectly garnished with chili oil and garlic. My husband was thoroughly satisfied with his raymun. I couldn't resist the Korean chicken and waffles, which seemed to be an early favorite of this brunch crowd. A gene rouse heap of huge wings came drenched in a spicy, slightly sweet, flavorful sauce. They shared a plate with three small, fluffy, savory waffles. There was also a cup of fresh melon and, of course, maple syrup. The problem was that this was absolutely the messiest thing I have ever attempted to eat in public. There was no knife, just a fork and chopsticks. I had to dig in with my fingers to tear chicken off the bone. Even the waffle didn't yield easily to the fork. Once I got all the components together into a bite, it was sweet spicy savory heaven. But I ended up with both hands dripping orangey sauce, and was worried that I was smearing it all over my face. This dish needs to be re-worked just to make it more manageable. Just don't change the flavors.
(4)mary r.
Overpriced, staff practically rude, they just don't care. Food was okay, but I've had much better on Buford HWY and Sabban. Also way better at the Korean Taco place off Chattahochee. Anxious to see what the new Korean place across the street will be. It has got to be an improvement.
(2)Terry J.
Mayan is a hidden jewel! My dining experience was fabulous. The decor is clean and minimal but with great details. The host staff was very friendly. I dined at the bar, and the bartender provided great conversation and drinks. Even the wait staff engaged in conversation. The food was presented with flair and levels of taste!
(4)Sophie N.
First time dining and I personally think this restaurant is great. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and directed to our table. We looked around and the atmosphere was contemporary Asian style, which suits the theme. The menu is very simple. There are a few appetizers and small plates selections. We ordered the fried chicken appetizer which was okay. Alongside that, we ordered the farro small plate. It was super small. For the entrée, we ordered the raymun and steak. The waitress recommended the steak to be done medium rare. Seriously? My boyfriend ordered the steak to be done medium regardless. Upon receiving our food, the ramen was tasteless. I had to put soy sauce to enhance the plain broth. Then there was the steak. As you might've guessed, the meat was done on the rare side. My boyfriend ate the steak but he said he could find better steak out there. The cooking temperature was way off from his request, nowhere near medium. I tasted the steak, which was exceedingly rare for my tastebuds. The dessert that we picked was the Asian birthday cake, which I believe that is the identical cake from Mozart bakery. The cake was plain, it had some fruits on top with cream icing. Nothing special at all. If all, the cake was somewhat disappointing. The server was new, she did not seem to be an expert in explaining the foods. However, she was very nice. Overall, this place is unique. The concept is interesting, but the food did not justify our expectations tonight.
(3)Brianna E.
Overpriced, underflavored. I came here with a group of friends and we ordered a random sampling of items. We had read on Yelp that the beef noodle soup and ramen were flavorless, so we passed. Items the table ordered & comments: Five spice chicken: Chewy, overcooked. Flavor good. Pork belly: Good, hard to screw up pork belly, good amount was left in both orders at end of meal, so it wasn't finger-licking good Seafood pancake: This was pretty good, the accompanying sauce was really what knocked it out of the park. Won tons: Delicious. Best item of night, which is sad because they are wontons and hard to screw up. Hong Kong Noodle Soup (2 in party ordered, same consensus): This comes with a roasted quail. I'm not sure why anyone would go through the trouble of roasting a quail to crispy-skin divinity, and then dunking it in soup, turning the skin into rubbery grossness. The quail was very chewy. The broth was boring, which isn't surprising seeing what we've read about the other soups here. Noodles were al dente and good. This soup claimed to have wontons; plural. There were 2 wontons, so technically this was true. The wontons were the best part of the soup, it's only sad that there were so few for $16 I honestly can't believe I paid $16 for this bowl of soup. Very disappointed. Almond cookies: Very buttery, soft, and almondy. Solid dessert.
(3)Kailee B.
We came here for happy hour, and were very pleased with our dining experience from start to finish. The restaurant has great ambience, a place I'll come back to with a group of friends or family. We sat at the bar and ordered the small plates - pork belly buns were delicious!! I am curious about the Ramen special on Tuesday and dim sum on weekends. Overall, Makan seems to have the right attitude when it comes to taking good food seriously and keeping it exciting and fun. Check it out.
(5)Jeff C.
We had a group of 6. Overall the food was ok. Favorite dishes included the pork belly (although a bit more pork would have been nice) and the Ramyun. The biggest misses were the seafood pancake (small and expensive appetizer at $14) and the seafood stew which lacked flavor and the seafood did not taste fresh. There were a couple complaints about too much salt in the beef noodle soup. The atmosphere was nice and servers were very friendly. There was also a good drink selection. Our group spends a lot of time dining along Buford Hwy where you tend to get more authentic food at a much lower price. My share for 2 persons which included a couple banchan ($2 each), one appetizer, 2 beers, 2 entree's, and tip totaled $78.
(3)Ashley M.
My sister and I planned a special night this past Saturday. We decided to try Makan. After arriving, we sat at our table without being greeted for about 10 minutes until a man came up and asked if someone had greeted us. It was not busy. Immediately following, a server came to the table. I could not hear her speak, and I had to ask her to speak up. She told us that it was a slow night at the restaurant...Not a great start to our dinner experience or view of the restaurant as it's been open for about 3 months. We ordered the pork bun, which was good. We also ordered the charcuterie plate which included three variations of pork, toast points, and some celery and carrot slices. The menu stated pickles but when we asked about it, the waitress said they change the charcuterie every day so she doesn't know what will be on it day to day. Um...okay. The pork was rather fatty but was alright. We decided to split the ramyun and another entree, the "tofu stuffed rabbit". We also ordered a side kale vegetable, which was good - great flavor with the garlic and ginger! When the ramyun came out, they had split it two bowls, which surprised us. The eggs were barely cooked a spewed slimy yolk and whites in the ramyun. It was kind of gross. My sister is pregnant and had to immediately remove as much of the egg as she could. I feel the egg should've been cooked with at least a little hardness to it...The rabbit came a few minutes later. By this point we were stuffed. However, the flavor of the sauce was great. The combination of the rabbit and tofu was different and interesting - it was good, however, the ratio of rabbit to tofu was extremely disappointing - especially for an $18 entree. There were huge rectangular pieces of tofu with thin slices of rabbit placed on top. Definitely way more tofu than rabbit. Overall, we were disappointed and believe it is overpriced. Our last disappointment came when our bill arrived. We were charged a $2.50 split charge for our ramyun! I've worked in the service industry for over 10 years - first of all, we didn't ask them to split the ramyun. Secondly, if you take it upon yourself to have it split, ask us if it's okay to split as there's an up charge. We talked to the waitress about it, she removed it, and didn't really say anything after leaving the final bill with us. We probably won't be back.
(2)Echia C.
I really really wanted to love this place. An Asian street food place in Decatur!! I was looking forward to not having to drive outside the perimeter for my Chinese food fix. Overall everything was ok. The one dish that stood out was the fish- sashimi style app. That was good. I was so so very disappointed in my oxtail noodle soup. The broth was the consistency of stew. The noodles! Were just too wide and thick for noodle soup. I've had beef noodle soup everywhere and never have had it with egg noodle sized noodles in beef noodle soup. It was just such a disappointment and it was $16! I'm so sad to say that I probably won't be going back. It's such a shame since I live so close to it. I'll continue to make my drive to get these Asian items.
(2)K K.
It had so much potential, but was just too weird, too expensive, and too self-conscious. The five-spice chicken appetizer was doused in five-spice, so it just tasted like licorice (and I usually like five-spice). Things like the wontons and soy sauce egg were fine, but really overpriced and a little too precious. Can you imagine bringing a bunch of ayis and amahs to eat here, then serving them one tea egg sliced in half in a cutesy baby mason jar, and charging $2 for it? Please. I roll my eyes at you, Makan. I guess it seems like they are trying to do a lot of Chinese/Korean street food or comfort foods, but they want to make it hip, so they plate it in a pretty way and have a trendy-looking menu. But usually when restaurants try to do a hip spin on comfort food, they make dishes of unusually high quality and execute them impeccably (justifying the pretty plating and high prices). But Makan's hip comfort food is not nearly as good as food I can get a for a lot cheaper in Duluth. I don't think I'll go back.
(3)Rhina S.
The food was not what I expected. I went there thinking it would taste like authentic Asian food but it ended up tasting more like Asian fusion. The fried chicken nuggets were $5. It smelled like it was seasoned with taco seasoning, but it was bland and dry with a hint of spice. The pork belly bun was great but small for $4, should've been a dollar cheaper. The pork belly dish with rice was ok. It came with a couple slices of slow roasted pork belly with a sunny side up egg and green veggies on top of rice with soy sauce in a small ass bowl, but ain't no way in hell this is worth paying $16 for. The only thing I enjoyed were the slices of slow roasted pork belly itself. Everything else was bland. Went there earlier tonight for a birthday dinner and none of my friends enjoyed their food, some couldn't even force themselves to finish their meal. Never going back again. In total I payed $31.50 for some bullshit because of the 14% gratuity included in the check. Meal was so disappointing we ended up getting some food from Checkers a couple hours later. This place is wack!
(2)Cindy F.
Location was hard to find but chic atmosphere and service was good. We order fried chicken and pork bun as ppetizers, both were delicious. The main dish... Umm...broth on both beef noodle and Hong Kong noodles were flavorful but extremely salty that we all felt dying of thirst and swallen after a late dinner considering how little I ate because the portion were very small. Great concept for Asian fusion but I probably won't go back again.
(3)Geoffrey C.
Went here with my son who likes Asian food (especially Korean) I had the Pork Belly Buns and the Ramyun entrée. Son had the steak. We both liked the panchan. We'll be back!
(4)J J.
Makan looks great and the menu looks promising, but the food is severely lacking. The server started off by telling us all the dishes and drinks that they were out of. Here is the breakdown of the 5 dishes we ordered: PROS: 1) Pork Belly Bun - This was the best dish of the night. Hefty slices of marinated pork belly nestled in a fluffy bun. It was the right amount of salty, sweet, and savory. If I came back I would order more of these. Our server did say that they started off with this as their star dish. 2) Wontons - I haven't met a bad wonton yet. Filling was a pork/shrimp combo, and the fiery chili sauce it rested in was what made this dish. CONS: 3) Hweh Dup Bap (Korean sashimi) - This dish had some slices of sashimi on white rice with mixed greens, fish roe, and sauce drizzled on it. First, the fact that this dish was served on a plate was strange. This is a dish similar to chirashi don. Normally, you would find the rice, fish, and pepper paste in a bowl where you can mix it together and eat. Portion was underwhelming and nothing like the dish you would see at any other restaurant - even an H-Mart food court. 4) Kalbi Butchered Steak - Completely misleading. There is nothing remotely "kalbi" about this dish. This dish was exceedingly rare cut up steak on a bed of greens with gochujang (red pepper paste) smeared on the bottom of the plate. The meat was not marinated in that fantastic sweet soy kalbi sauce. The server did not ask how I wanted the steak cooked either. Do not expect anything like regular kalbi if you order this. Flavor wise, nothing stood out. 5) Dukbokki - This is a Korean street food dish composed mainly of white rice cakes and red pepper paste, and I love it. Sometimes it has veggies, fish cakes, hard boiled egg, even ramen noodles can go in it. It is sweet, spicy, and delicious. The main problem with Makan's version was that all you get is tongue numbing salt. That is the single flavor in this dish. There is no sweet balance that one would expect. The sweetbreads were soaking in oil and tasted charred and greasy though it did add a savory flavor to the dish if you could get past the saltiness. Final takeaway - Great interior and tasty small plates warrant the two star rating, but ultimately a letdown with a menu riddled with misnomers and the food just isn't good. Would not come back here unless they upped their flavor game.
(2)Delia S.
I ADORE this place. I didn't even know how much I loved Korean food until I stopped in. I found the Ramyen noodles addictive and have gone back about four times for them, and tried other dishes as well. I think it's mostly empty because people just don't know about them, since there isn't much up on that bit of Claremont, so it doesn't get much walking traffic. My aupair from Thailand also loves it. I hope this place survives, or maybe it needs a smaller space, but i love it.
(5)Heather M.
I love Asian food but like others have said, this just doesn't cut it. For the high prices I expected something really exceptional but the most predominant flavor in everything was salt and the portions for the "small plates" were very, very small. We were going to order more dishes but since nothing we had was very good, we just left hungry and disappointed. On the plus side, the decor is very nice and the service was at least competent if not enthusiastic.
(1)minal p.
went with high expectations given the yelp reviews. you could not tell that they only opened a week ago; our waitress provided great service for our group of 8 and the food came out relatively quickly. 1) panchan: we had the tomato kimchi (eh--not sure what to expect and even less sure how to describe this), regular kimchi (good), pickles (definitely homemade and delicious, classic pickles). 2) appetizers: we tried a few--salt and pepper frog legs were delicious--crispy outside, served with perfectly sauteed spicy peppers and onions, with lots of salt/black pepper seasoning. the fried chicken was small boneless chicken pieces that weren't greasy with the crispy outside flavored with 5-spice. i love 5-spice, but i thought it was overly seasoned; others at the table loved it. we also go the pork belly bun. the pork belly was delicious (not overly fatty), but pura vida/super pan and mizo izakaya had/have a much better one. the bun was not light/airy/melt in your mouth; instead it was dense. what i did not like was thee pecan sugar crystals--the extra sweetness was not needed. 3) for dinner i had the ramyun. i have to say i agree with the other reviewer who was disappointed in this. in atlanta, i have to compare this to umaido and this does not even come close. the noodles fell flat--definitely not home made (i got a clump of noodles that were never separated out). the mushrooms were too tough; the broth while rich/well flavored was missing the flavor i'm used to. the roasted pork was delicious/not overly fatty which i appreciate. the egg was perfectly soft. the part i hated the most was the kimchi. it ruined the soup as i'd occasionally bite into the sour flavors of kimchi and it just didn't work very well with the rest of the soup. other people got the seafood stew (very very fishy), the lamb (delicious), the veggies (wish there were more veggie options on menu; this felt a little heavy in oil). anyway, i might be willing to go back but i'm sticking with other places on buford.
(3)C F.
I went in expecting Korean and maybe some pan-Asian cuisine, but found that this place instead does some kind of weird Southern-Korean fusion they definitely did not advertise. The ddokbokgi was overpriced and had a weird BBQ and nutty flavor, not at all the spicy goodness I'd expect, and the ramen...well, you'd be better off eating soggy cardboard if you wanted flavor. It really confused us how something could be so fatty and so tasteless at the same time. The broth was basically glorified vegetable oil. Everything else was also really greasy, and not in a delicious way--more in a "why am I doing this to my arteries when the food isn't even good?" way. The pork belly was okay, the okra and spinach balanced out the rich sweetness of the pork, but ultimately it was also too strange, since I'm used to authentic korean food. Authentic Korean food is often very spicy, I should add, but this was all geared toward people who can't handle even a drop of spice in their food (seriously, the kimchi was ALL VINEGAR and NO RED PEPPER. What the hell?). It seems like they spent all their money on the decor and then just wanted the food to cater to the lowest common denominator of tourist taste. You're better off venturing further afield for Korean. Bleh, will never go back.
(2)amd l.
This one of the worst food I ever ate. The decor is great, I really hoped that the food would match. Don't go here. Food is u flavorful and expensive.
(1)Catherine J.
This place is overpriced for what you get. The service is decent and the food is okay. However, I ordered the salt and pepper cuttlefish which was $12. It does not come with rice. Rice is $2 extra. My cuttlefish dish came out looking like a joke. About 6 small pieces of cuttlefish and the rest of the tapas style plate was filled with very salty jalepenos and red onions that were painful to eat. The portions are ridiculously small that we ended up going to two bars afterwards and ordered food at both of the bars. The pork buns were good but inconsistent. The first one I had was good. The second one I had to order after my unsatisfying cuttlefish since I was starving and I could taste all the sugar crystals in it. It ruined the experience. Finally the bill included 20% gratuity. Overpriced for mediocre food. This "fusion" restaurant is for people who don't know better and don't know real good asian food and don't mind paying a lot for a little. I will not be returning or recommending this place to anyone.
(2)Sara G.
I think we picked a very lucky day to visit about a month back. They had Korean BBQ on special and it was overwhelmingly delicious. It was a two person serving style (maybe a tad smaller than we would have liked but only because it was all so good!) The little pickled veggies and kimchi, the texture and flavor on the beef; all spot on in terms of flavor and preparation. They had a list of the farms where they're procuring their veggies and meats, not exactly something you see on a lot of Korean places around here but I appreciate the attempt at farm to table with a slightly different concept than "new American." We tried all of the gelato flavors as well, can't remember the name of one, it was made from a Korean rice beer I think? It was really tasty and the black sesame was fantastic. Not as impressed with the toffee cake but I didn't order it (why order toffee cake at a Korean/Chinese restaurant?) We'll definitely be back, though to try other items on the menu.
(5)Roibeard S.
I really don't know why this place has the low rating it does. The food is absolutely delicious. You must try the duck buns and dumplings. The service was great; in fact, the dumplings were a bit long so the kitchen sent out delicious wontons with our order. Really a great time and laid back atmosphere. We'll be coming back.
(5)Dene L.
I wanted to love this because Gwyneth Paltrow's goop sent us here. I called ahead and they don't use MSG.. so thumbs up on that rarity! The place is cool. The servers are cold. They look awesome with pink hair and fresh tattoos, but they are uninterested in what they are doing and didn't tell us anything about the menu. Despite very few customers they never visited the table. We frequently ate fresh dim sum in London and were hoping this Dim Sum brunch would be great. This is more like Trader Joe's frozen gyoza's. No fresh or cold vegetables or salads for balance. A meal of hot, mushy, unidentifiable meats that are all the same. Nothing to refresh the palate. Not many options. The shrimp was very strong and tasted off. The duck bun was ok and was organic. Overall, tastes like take out. We were still hungry but of all of us, we couldn't pick a favorite to order more so just left.
(2)Merkin M.
Great food with a fun atmosphere. Affordable. I was in for brunch (duck bun, congeree, and dumplings -- all quality). Friendly service and a great selection at the bar. Hey bit tongue-in-cheek with kung fu movies playing for the diners. I would certainly return, especially if I was staying at the hotel or attending a conference.
(4)Zewditu D.
Finally got my dumplings! However, fried dumplings are no longer offered. *sad face* But I figure the steamed ones are better for me. They were very tasty. The pork bun has also changed. Now the pork belly is not crispy. *safe face* again. But it was still excellent. Not AS excellent, but very good. My friend also loved them. We both also tried out the beef rice rolls. This was way too sweet. The menu does say that it comes with a sweet soy sauce. It would have been alot better if the sweetness was tuned down. Overall, it was ALOT of food. I couldn't finish the rolls. I had a Scoutmob deal of 6 dim sum options and two alcoholic beverages (we both chose strawberry bellinis- yum) for $24. The regular price would have been $42. So it was a great deal. Tax and 20% gratuity was added at the restaurant. Very fair as our service was very good and I usually tip 20% or more anyway.
(4)Andrea M.
Went here this past Tues with the date. This is a pretty modern Asian fusion place with half being a restaurant and the other half a bar set up. There was also a spacious area outside too for the nicer weather days: eating or chilling around with a beer. There is a beer special on Tuesdays along with other specials throughout the week. We started out with the grilled corn and peaches as the appetizer. It was pretty tasty and flavorful to my surprise. Near the end, the sauce it was cooked in was a tad too salty, but it was overall very different and tasty. [wish there were more peaches though...] There were also complimentary seasoned fish chips. The food was well seasoned I must say. I ordered the entrée with beef in it. That plate was full of meat. I def got my protein for the day. Some rice or something to offset the meatiness of this entrée could have helped. The kale helped but not by much. The date ordered the spicy lamb noodle. We could taste the spiciness, but it wasn't super spicy. I would say barely. The noodle could have been cooked a tad longer. It was undercooked imo, but I know for certain types of dishes, this could be the case. Service was great: our waiter was friendly and attentive. The owner/manager (?) also stopped by to ensure our experience was great. BTW: You can park at the bank for free if it's after hours.
(4)Michael L.
After a couple of more visits, I'm glad to see that Makan has definitely matured regarding its menu, and has tailored its food towards the Decaturish clientele in general (presentation has improved)- there are some seriously legit flavors across the board. Throughout my time in Atlanta, I've never had a bibimbap bowl that actually charred the rice on the bottom- and did it in a tasty manner. Last night was the first time. Get the seafood bowl. It's awesome. Even an appetizer like the sweet potato fries with black bean aioli was well thought out, and was a real flavor bomb- I swear that the flavor combination almost creates a truffle flavor. That is genius, folks. Props to you, chef George. The only issue I have is table service- it seems to come in fits and starts. We hope it improves, because we want this place to do well! Cheers to you Makan, and we hope that you'll stay for the long run.
(4)Licca K.
Finally, after so long of it being hidden in my bookmarks, I've managed to visit Makan. With a mixed feeling here or there, but overall, very good! 7 out of 10 sort of deal. Regrettably, we didn't try the pork buns, so this means a re-visit plus there were a few other things I'd like to check out on their menu. The three of us ended up all getting ramen - Korean Spicy & the Summer ramen with an order of the pork & shrimp wontons. The wontons were superb, but the ramen had mixed feelings. My friend who had gotten the Korean spicy ramen stated it was a fine level of heat, but literally just tasted like water with spice. I ended up taking a sip of the broth and, yeah... that was strangely void of flavor. The broth was just spice. On the other side, while she lamented lack of flavor, my summer ramen broth was way too salty. It didn't have this robustness from the broth, it just was covered in a salty flavor. For the Atlanta area, Makan's ramen ranks the lowest for price and taste for me, however, I think they do other things very well and wouldn't want to dismiss them for a bad batch of ramen. I am very interested in trying more of their menu and those wontons left a big enough impression to cover the ramen mishap so I'll be back. The place looks really trendy too and clean, and I imagine the venue is a pretty good date option if you're feeling a little Korean/Chinese fusion inspired.
(4)Keo S.
Makan must translate into "you just can't just eat one" as that is exactly how I feel about their pork belly buns. You get 2 large pieces of pork belly encased in a delicious steamed bun and with a sprinkle of sugar & pickled onions. It melts in your mouth and seriously will eat more than one. I love the the wontons in chili oil as well -just right amount of heat and again, try to just only eat one and you will fail. I like the kimchi fried rice as well, but you have to be prepared that this is "wet rice" and not the traditional Chinese fried rice. Once you get over that, then keep on scooping. Net net, we'll be back many times as there is so much more to try and they have my favorite Wild Heaven Blackbird beer on tap! PS - there is a parking lot across the street that you can pay $3 to park at
(5)matt m.
Food?? Forgettable at best Service???extra green Cocktails?? Amateur Will I be going again?? Use your imagination. Too many spots in Decatur doing things right to waste my time or money. Try Sobban down the street.
(1)Lori B.
I have been to Makan for drinks, dinner, and now brunch, since it opened. My experience has been all over the map. I agree with some other reviewers that it's gotten more 'pedestrian', and in my opinion, less enjoyable over time. Brunch recently was kind of a disaster - overpriced greasy dumplings, out of items, and even the usually delicious pork buns were poorly executed. I'm relegating Makan to a drinks/happy hour kinda place. Tasty cocktails and those pork buns in a nice space - but sadly, that's where it ends for me.
(3)Kim F.
Holy Cow! I had heard a few good things about this place from friends and thought I would give it a try. I had zero expectations when I went in other than I wanted dinner. We sat at the bar and it went from there. Fantastic service from Devin to start it off. We went for the Sunday $24 dinner deal and let Devin pick our offerings. Not a single dud to be had!!! Loved everything about it. Awesome atmosphere, fantastic food, impeccable service. Eat here now!!!!
(5)Lindy F.
"I've eaten wonton soup driving through San Francisco on a motorcycle. I think I can handle a couple of flapjacks." -- The King of Queens: Season 6, Episode 17 Chinese meets Korean located in a Courtyard by Marriott... seems odd, I know. There is quite a bit on the menu I cannot eat, but Owner Michael Lo has no problem marking up the menu with what is safe for me to enjoy (without dying). I've eaten here a couple of times now and I have not been disappointed. There are a few things I keep going back to and I will continue to eat... over and over again. First, the wontons in chili oil. Pork and shrimp with a hint of soy and a lot of chili oil and flake. These are mini bombs of flavor. I am addicted. I could eat two orders all myself. Next up, and a new find, the pork and beef dumplings, northern style. Served with just a soy sauce with green onions - they are perfectly seared to the pot (pot stickers) on one side and come 4 to an order. Also, highly addictive. I also enjoy the veggie fried rice, which is super spicy and filled with mushrooms and peas and so delectable. My last meal, I was so full I could barely eat any of it, so I brought it home for a midnight snack. And then the best item on the menu, I cannot eat as it comes prepared - so they make it special for me. The Pork Buns. The come prepared with a pecan sugar. But for me, they leave the pecan sugar off. the perfect bao folded over with two pieces of braised and seared pork belly, pickled onions and a touch of cilantro. I would eat my weight in these delights. They are A-MAZE-ING! The service here is great - recently our server was Greg and he was sure that everything that came to me was tree nut and fish free. He double checked everything with the kitchen to be sure I was safe. I appreciate that so much since many places just don't pay any attention. I'll be back for more of my favorites again and again.
(4)Mauricio A.
Got to say, this is way better than what I expected. With that said, here goes my journey. Its Saturday night, my wife and her co workers are going to Lips for her Birthday, so me and some of my boys decided to go out and get some food. A friend decides on this place. So we all met up there around 845pm on Saturday. First off, Decatur has some nice restaurants that we will be checking out very soon. Second, for being a Saturday the place wasn't as packed, which made for a chilled out dinner. Third, parking is limited, but is normal for the area. As we got there, the breeze was nice and we almost sat outside on their patio, but looked nicer inside so we did that. Proceeded to get some drinks, and we got the menu. My friends can tell you, seems like I was immediately drawn to the Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice (big fan of Kimchi Fried Rice), so i went with that, one of my friends got the Wok Fried Porch Chop, and the other got the Five Spice Fried Chicken. All dishes were amazing. The fried rice was spicy, but not super spicy where you couldn't taste the dish, just perfect. Pork chop was cooked to perfection, same as the Fried chicken. Also, we got some Pork Belly buns, which I heard were delicious. Staff was very helpful, waitress was very attentive and even hooked us up with an appetizer, can't remember the name at this point. Overall, I liked it a lot. I will check it out once again soon.
(4)Rachel M.
We didn't eat here. A huge group of us were staying at the Courtyard for a wedding. We went down right before they were closing, I guess bc of the large group the bartender decided to stay. We had a great time, drinks were decent...kind of pricy and the staff let us be.
(4)Danae L.
My much awaited visit to Makan was preceded by 9 months of cancelled plans and atlanta hotspot instagram envy... First off, I was attracted to Makan by the name. As a Malaysian-Chinese Australian I couldn't help but get excited by the self-proclaimed identity that this restaurant/bar has knighted itself with - Makan means food or "to eat" in Bahasa Malaya and Indonesian. Unfortunately the menu clearly explains that it is a collaboration between a Korean 'girl' and a Chinese 'boy', and when pressed our lovely waiter didn't really have a clue as to why the Malaysian name was chosen. Identity crisis aside, the Korean arm clearly won the wrestle with most dishes having a kim chi/ramen influence. The pork belly and duck buns are northern Shanghai-state cuisine at best, but last time I checked red onions weren't staple at traditional Sunday yum-cha brunch. Don't let the deceivingly small servings of wontons fool you, they are packed with a flavorful mixture of pork and spices. Same goes for the ramen bowls, although they wouldn't win the largest serving award (see my I luv pho review for more on that) they are dynamite on the tastebuds and definitely well worth a 10er and some change. Drinks menu, although comprehensive, wasn't entirely thrilling. Cocktails are housed in skull mugs, which may be the highlight. Tuesday nights mean $3 draught beers (if you can get them all on tap, in stock). Overall the service and vibe could have increased in enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, hence the triple star rating.
(3)Leah M.
I went here on Thursday (8/27) with a large group of friends. The service was friendly and pretty prompt but the flavor of the food was nothing too knock-your-socks off. We started with the seasonal pickles, sweet potato fries, and watermelon salad. I actually think these three items were the best part of my meal. The watermelon salad was totally delicious and included a good selection of yummy pickled veggies and fruit. For my entree I ordered the Miso ramen. The pork belly was really great but the ramen and broth was overall kind of meh. It was under seasoned and I ended up asking for salt and the spices that go in the spicy ramen just to jazz it up some. I was pretty underwhelmed. I had some friends that all got the various types of steamed buns and loved them so I'll be willing to give this spot another try.
(4)The S.
Food is so so. Very untraditional buns and meat was too fatty for my taste Am not impressed. Bloody Mary was okay.
(3)Daniel B.
Makan is a modern Chinese-Korean restaurant that opened July 24, 2014 inside the Courtyard Marriott hotel in downtown Decatur. In Indonesian and Malay, the word "makan" means "to eat." However, no Indonesian nor Malay food is served here. Just Chinese and Korean. The co-owners, Michael Lo and George Yu (Yu is also executive chef), are Chinese and their wives are Korean. Both Michael and George grew up in the restaurant industry. When I asked Michael how he pronounces Makan, he told me "Mah-KAHN." The biggest difference between Makan and other Chinese and Korean restaurants in the Atlanta metro is Makan sources its ingredients from local farms and purveyors. Examples include Tucker Farms (Rome, GA), Brasstown Beef (NC), Grassroots Farms (Tatnall County, GA), 5th Kingdom Mushrooms (Atlanta), Heritage Farms (NC), Montaluce Garden (Dahlonega), Geezer's Garden (AL), and Gaia Gardens (Decatur). Good luck finding a Chinese or Korean restaurant on Buford Highway or in Duluth with ingredients as high quality and local as Makan's. Makan is a beautiful restaurant from the interior design, with its large Asian wall art, to the menus, featuring illustrations of Communist China farmers, to the decorative plating, with its ornate and traditional patterns. The interior feels like a loft with giant billowy curtains separating the bar from the dining room. There's a long, bar-height, communal table that runs down the middle. The dining room is intimate. At night, it has a romantic, candle-lit atmosphere. There are a few large tables with lazy Susans so you can dine in true Chinese family style. There's also a nice outdoor patio, decorated with string lighting, with picnic tables and heat lamps for when the weather is cold. At lunch, Makan serves Korean tacos and Chinese bao (steamed buns) along with ramyun (Korean ramen), bulgogi (Korean marinated shredded beef or pork) rice bowls, and other small plates. A lunch meal can be had for around $10. The dinner menu is much more extensive with entrees hovering around $15 each. If dining with a group, I recommend ordering family-style. Special dishes such as the Whole Roasted Duck, Red Roasted Pork Shank, and Whole Wok Fried Fish are intended for groups. Here's a rundown of what I've had: Land: * Pork Belly Buns - slow roasted pork, pickled onions, pecan sugar * Kalbi Butchered Steak - roasted mushroom, onions, sesame seeds, ssamjang * Wontons - pork and shrimp stuffed, poached garlic, chili oil * Dukbokki - bacon, sweet bread, rice cakes, chili Sea: * Braised Fish - sea bass, turnips, radish, peppers * Scallops in XO Sauce - seared scallops, XO sauce Farm: * Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce - heirloom sweet potatoes, Thai chili, ginger, black bean sauce * Greens in Shao Xing Sauce - kale, garlic, Shao Xing wine Rice: * Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice Family Meals: * Whole Wok Fried Fish - vegetables, mushrooms, black bean sauce, ginger, scallions * Red Roasted Pork Shank - grandma potatoes, scallions Alcohol/Cocktails: * Makgeolli - milky, sweet, unfiltered rice beer (Korean beverage traditionally served in a bowl) * Boxer Rebellion cocktail - bourbon, fernet, hibiscus, honey, blackstrap * There's Something About Maggie - vodka, pamplemousse rose, lemon soda In general, the food is good and most everything is presented nicely. My favorite dishes are the Pork Belly Buns, Kalbi Butchered Steak, Whole Wok Fried Fish, and Red Roasted Pork Shank. My least favorite dishes are the Braised Fish (a little bland/boring) and Greens in Shao Xing Sauce (too salty). If the saltiness of the Shao Xing dish was better, it would be one of my favorites since I love kale and garlic. I do like the simplicity and healthiness of the dish. The Pork Belly Buns are a must-order. The bun is soft, the meat is succulent, and the pecan sugar is a sweet touch. The Kalbi Butchered Steak is sliced and the meat is tender and perfectly cooked. The Wontons are rich, oily, and savory. The Dukbokki is spicy and appetizingly chewy. Dukbokki (Korean rice cake) is a popular snack food in Korea. I like the Scallops in XO Sauce. The scallops are fresh and the XO sauce is light and pleasant. XO sauce is a mildly spicy Cantonese sauce made from seafood, peppers, onions, and garlic. Like the kale dish, the Vegetables in Black Bean Sauce and the Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice are a bit too salty for my taste. However, I do like the inclusion of heirloom sweet potatoes which is a root variety you don't see often at restaurants. The Fried Fish and Pork Shank are served on-the-bone. Including the bones results in the best flavor. The fish is crispy with a delicious, uneven batter. The mushrooms are terrific. The pork shank is hearty and fulfilling. Its red skin really glistens. Parking is located in the hotel and conference center's underground parking garage. Be sure to bring your parking ticket with you so the restaurant can attach a 2-hour validation sticker to it. The parking garage is behind the hotel off Montgomery St.
(4)Felix C.
Excellent food with a great staff. As far as I know, they make almost everything from I just went and had a few items. Pork Belly buns: Must get Duck buns: pretty good with a nice hoisin sauce. Summer Tonkotsu Ramen: They make their broth by slow cooking Cumin Lamb noodles: Outstanding.
(5)Kelsey F.
I typically turn my nose up to restaurants located in hotels, but Makan gets a great review from me. The atmosphere was comfortable and modern with an open kitchen, dark walls, a few lazy Susan tables, and homey dish-ware. Also, the prices were completely affordable unlike many hotel restaurant spots. Makan has a great outside patio area that I can only assume is very popular in the warmer months. Makan serves Asian fusion food bringing together Chinese and Korean dishes. 3 friends and I stopped in without reservations on a Tuesday night. The space was moderately crowded, but we got a table near the kitchen. For two diners, I would recommend asking to sit at the bar which over looks the kitchen. On Tuesday nights Makan offers a ramen special featuring a pork belly bun, a bowl of regular or spicy ramen and a scoop of gelato for $16. This is not expressly printed anywhere on the menu, but ask your server. The pork belly bun was my favorite thing I had. The meat was sweet and tender, the bun perfectly soft and the pickled onion toppings added a needed crunch. Makan's ramen was the first restaurant ramen that I've tried. It comes with pork belly, a soft boiled egg, scallions, seaweed, greens, regular onions and of course ramen noodles. The broth was good, it was better when I added a little of the spicy broth to it. The spicy was too spicy for me though. We were each only able to eat about half of our bowls before we started feeling very full. I will say, the ramen was not so great re-heated so I wouldn't bother taking the leftovers home. We finished with a scoop of gelato. I went for the sesame seed flavor which tasted similar to peanut butter, and I was a fan. Makan is a welcome addition to the Decatur area. They validate parking for the hotel and it is a short walk from the Decatur MARTA stop.
(4)Kristin K.
Had the dim sum brunch. It was good, I liked the variety of things to try. We tried almost all of the items on the menu. They were out of dumplings...what?? The rice rolls were good but I wish there was more meat in them. Next favorite was a tie between the sui mai and the beef balls. Service was good and friendly. Parking kind of sucks but is validated.
(4)Chamberlaine B.
Makan is brand new, and still finding it's footing, I think, so there are a lot of pro's and con's. Because of this... commence bullet-point review! PRO'S: -Fun & funky décor- industrial, yet semi-traditional (ask your waiter to tell you the story behind the wall art) -Unique food offerings (I've never had the choice to mix and match tacos and buns before) -Good coffee (I know, weird, right?) -They play the Sunday football games at the bar -They are not busy on the weekends, so you can show up and grab a table pretty quickly -THE FRIES!!! (so good) CON'S: -NO parking- They have no private lot, nor are they near a good public lot- good luck finding a spot in Decatur -Service was lacking- we were a big table of 8 but we were the ONLY table and still, we had to flag down our waiter more than once - Flavor- where was it? I dunno. I couldn't find it (this comment excludes the fries) -Price- not expensive, by any means, but if you are all about "bang for your buck", this is NOT your place I tried the pork belly bun, the Korean fired chicken bun, the pickled cucumber, the kimchee, the fries, and enjoyed a cup of coffee. The coffee and fries were really the only two items worth mentioning. Overall, my experience at Makan was okay. I was not upset that I drove down to Decatur to try it out, but I certainly won't be running back any time soon.
(3)Rachel K.
I had to update this since... I finally was able to try out the pork belly buns during a happy hour! Got there on a Friday - had a hawks game that night, so why not swing by for a mini dinner!? Their pork belly buns.... MMMMM. Worth the drive and definitely worth the price ($2!) Who will say no to $2 pork belly buns?! I just had a few ... b/c I had a late office lunch. But man... if my stomach was emptier, I would have inhaled at least 5-6 of them. Each bun I had was so delicious and perfect. Nom nom. All the things they put in the bun + the way they make their pork belly.... drool. Buns are pretty soft too. I recommend coming to the pork belly buns happy hour if you're anywhere near Makan during 5pm-7pm on the weekdays. I'll be back soon! :) Wonton app + Korean Fried Chicken (Wed Nights) + Pork Belly Buns happy hour = awesome fix.
(5)Tiff H.
I was surprised to see that this restaurant had a three-star review. From the hype I'd heard and the fact that it's in Decatur... I expected that this restaurant must be terrible in order to have garnered such weak results. But I was blown away (so thank you for the rough reviews, all)! It helped me lower my expectations to make the restaurant that much better! I was cold and finding close parking for this restaurant that I wasn't sure of the location of was difficult. However, I somehow found parking in a dark street and walked quickly toward the direction of the Google Maps destination. And alas, I found a beautiful entrance to a dark restaurant. I found my friend sitting outside waiting for me. The outdoor area is beautifully designed, and I hope one day they will put heaters outside for the winter time (maybe even a fire pit or two??) for outdoor seating in the near future. The interior was beautifully decorated as well, with the artwork on the back wall of the Monkey King from the ancient tale of the Journey to the West. The lighting and furniture was edgy and modern, and an open kitchen is always refreshing to the consumer. Managers (owners?) stood in the back next to the chefs, which is also a great partnership you like to see. We were seated right away, as the restaurant was nearly empty (but not quite) at 8:45 PM. After perusing the menu, which the server pointed out had been completely redone, we ordered two braised pork belly buns and two bowls of ramen. They must have lowered the prices, since a bowl of ramen was only $12, although most ramen restaurants I have been to have never charged over 10.50 for a bowl. In addition, the server convinced us to order some alchy. We ordered some Chinatown Cold Tea (serves 2). Here's the run down: Pork Belly Bun ($4 each): looked savory, tasted savory. Although not super flavorful (needs a little salt), the quality of the meat was beautiful. The belly melts in your mouth, and not just the fatty parts. Definitely worth a shot when you get a chance! Ramyun (Korean Ramen) $12: I noticed that maybe because of the reviews Makan was getting on not having Japanese ramen that they changed the menu to show the ramen as "Ramyun" and specifically noted it Korean. If you go to their website, they made NO mention of being a Japanese restaurant, so do not expect JAPANESE ramen. When I first heard of this restaurant, I had heard this restaurant to be a Korean/Chinese fusion, with no mention of Japanese. The server made a note to us that the broth is steeped for 24 hours before serving. The broth was so full and rich and meaty, which was unexpected. Again, it lacked a little salt, but no problem. Maybe they're just trying to keep me from pre-hypertension! The pork belly was once again cooked perfectly, while lacking in salt. And it's saying a lot for me to notice that the food isn't salty enough... Chinatown Cold Tea (serves 2) $15: Not bad. The server gave us a complete run down of the history of the drink, even though we never asked for it. Apparently, back in the day, after a night of drinking and debauchery, people would go to restaurants for late night munchies in Chinatown where they would not typically serve alcohol, and ask for "cold tea." That was code for alcohol, and not just alcohol, but this Cold Tea cocktail blend. It came served in a typical metal tea pot that you see in most Asian restaurants and little tea cups that served as shot glasses in this situation. Black Sesame Gelato (One scoop): I can't remember the cost since it's not on the menu, but the ice cream was served in a little tin bowl. You can definitely taste the black sesame. Worth a taste! Whew. After writing this review I got a little worked up and pissed off. I'm pretty disappointed in the reviews that Makan received in the past. They have definitely stepped up their game since they first opened. Most people are forgiving of new restaurants when they first open since they still have a lot to learn of the business, but for some reason, some Yelpers chose to attack the restaurant. I hope they will make another visit and rethink their rough judgments. Sure, it's a little pricey... but aren't most Americanized and modern Asian restaurants pricey in Atlanta?? I did enjoy Makan and hope to make another visit in the near future.
(4)Nikki R.
A bit pricey, but overall good for Asian "tapas." The restaurant had a nicer, more classy ambiance, perfect for a date night or a night out with friends. Went on a Friday night and did not have to wait, which was nice. I tried a dish not listed on their online menu, a lettuce wrap with pork belly and oyster. Great flavor, only wish there had been three instead of two, but they were filling for tapas. There were also a number of alcoholic choices, including infused soju, which the waiter was more than willing to explain both how it was made as well as which would taste more or less alcoholic based on the fruit used for the infusion. Unfortunately, the non-pork options were a bit limited, so if you don't eat pork, this might not be the best place; for people who do eat pork, the pork dishes have great flavor and will leave you wanting a larger portion.
(4)Lucy W.
Sorry Makan, I have to knock my review down a couple of stars. During the first few months, the menu changed several times...and they took everything I loved off the menu. No more tea-smoked egg (WHAT! Nooooooo...), spicy lamb noodles, seafood pancake, chap chae, or Hong Kong wonton noodles. They now have a family style menu for parties of four+, but that doesn't help since I am a frequent solo diner. Maybe the Decatur crowd isn't as adventurous as we hoped...veggie lo mein, beef noodles and egg rolls have made their way onto the menu...yawn. Without the initial inventive twists or Makan special takes on the classic Chinese dishes, this place becomes a kinda overpriced sort-of boring Chinese Korean restaurant. I much preferred the innovative style (and affordability) of the first version menu...let's hope they find a middle ground. I love me some pork belly buns, but they seem a bit inconsistent here...sometimes they are a bit cold and skimpy and need additional crunchy veggies to supplement and sometimes they are hearty and tasty. After tasting the sharp flavors of the pork belly bun across the street at BBQ Takorea, it's hard to compare. I was a bit appalled at the XO scallops...it was literally one large scallop sliced horizontally so it looked like 4 pieces, with a dabbling of XO sauce, for a high price tag. Um...no thank you. They also had some kind of chicken roll drowned in sweet soy sauce...blech. Glad that is no longer on the menu. On the plus side, bartender Shannon is fabulous, service is still fantastic, black sesame gelato is still on the dessert menu, and Asian West Elm decor is still top notch. Dim sum is an option on weekends (for now), though I have yet to try.
(3)Sara M.
I could eat those pork belly buns for every meal and not tire of them. I am 100% positive of this. So. Freaking. Delicious. The End. No, just kidding. I really like Makan. The food is good, the decor is sleek and modern, and the service is attentive. The first time I was here was for a happy hour that a friend of mine was hosting. We sampled some of their appetizers and it was then that I was introduced to the amazingness that is their pork belly bun. The only thing keeping me from scarfing down an entire tray of those was the fear of shaming myself in front of a bunch of fancypants lawyers. It was really hard to listen to them prattle on about law stuff when there were perfectly delicious buns just sitting there on the table, waiting for me to take them in my hands and make them mine... Wait, what was I talking about? Oh right. I've also tried the wontons in chili oil and the veggie egg rolls. Both are very good. Obviously, they don't thrill my insides like the buns, but they are definitely worth trying. Entree-wise, I've only had the ramen. It is a really good rendition. I wish there were more pork but otherwise, no complaints. I got the miso but also tried the spicy; I liked mine better. The broth seemed more flavorful. Their beer list is small but I like their selection. I have yet to try any of the cocktails but I'm not really a cocktail person. My favorite part of the booze list is the "Six Pack for the Kitchen," which is exactly what it sounds like. I opted to buy the guys in the back some beer the last time I was here and one of the dudes came out later to thank us. We chatted a bit and it made me glad I did something nice. And the moral of this story is: order the pork belly buns.
(4)Mqew W.
Overall - okay. I went for happy hour so the prices matched my experience. Not sure if I'd paid full price I would have okay. Swing and missed. Spice Ramen pork belly - Slightly below avg. The broth was chalky. It was spicy but if tasted as if the through cayenne pepper in at the last second. Not okay. The pork belly wasn't tender, it was just average. The noodles were below average. The 20 cent ramen tastes better.... Pork belly bun was good. I was looking for a more succulent pork belly, but to no avail. It was as if I tried to make it. The bun was AMAZING!!!! I don't eat bread much at all, but it made up for the pork. I do believe it should have had some type of sauce on it, I had to use my dumpling broth... Which made good. Dumplings - were AMAZING! Perfect! Wouldn't change a thing! Overall - I would have been upset if I would have paid full price as I went at happy hour. Maybe that's what happened? I got what I paid for?
(3)Tom H.
We were looking for something different without going to Buford Highway, and found some good reviews of Makan. We sat outside in the patio area at first, which is nice space hidden away from traffic.when some rain came we moved inside. Inside Makan is larger than you would guess, with a nice mix of group and individual seating areas. Food and service were great. Our server was attentive and one of the owners visited with us as well. We had the whole fish, which comes with crispy spring rolls, kimchi, rice, spring peas, etc. They deboned the fish at the table and it was moist and delicious. Good selection of beers as well. We'll keep going back.
(4)Jennifer B.
Makan is an interesting addition to the Decatur restaurant scene - it's adjacent to but not part of a recently remodeled Marriott, which is a small convention oriented hotel in downtown Decatur. The look is nice, streamlined and ambient. The food is described as Chinese Korean influenced. Sitting at the bar for our meal, we enjoyed wonderful and pretty exclusive care from bar mistress Ashley, who could talk football and liquor with hubby. Let me get this out there clear & simple - the absolutely best item on the menu is the Pork Buns (1/2 drinks and $2 buns are their 5-7 happy hour special M-Th - go for it!) the pork belly was cooked perfectly with an outer crispiness and melt in your mouth pork. The bun is sweet and light. We also had the Ramyun soup, whose noodles were better than your starvation preventing ramen. The broth was spicy and had some choice chunks of pork belly. The scallops with XO sauce were pretty good and scallops were prepared competently ($18 for 4 medium size). The duck breast not so much. Too tough to cut with a fork and the duck flavor was buried by the sauce. The cold potato slivers on top were just confusing and tasteless. Run of the mill signature cocktails and wine list. We ended with palate cleansing and yummy sesame gelato and maegeoll gelato - both interesting flavors but I don't see a difference between them and something I could buy at the Farmers' Market. The portions were appetizer small and entree priced at $18 so my conclusion is it's a decent place that may be over-Americanizing its dishes, resulting in a generally so so (in my limited experience) somewhat pricey meal ($100 with drinks). I don't feel the urge to return. So go for the 1/2 price drinks and pork buns for a tasty bargain treat,
(3)Alicia G.
Delicious food & great service. My fiancé & I enjoyed a family style meal - everything is very shareable. The kitchen staff were worried that our final dish was a little slow to come out so the owner personally brought out a complementary bowl of wontons as an apology. We didn't even notice the time it took for the dish to come out, so it was a generous surprise. We will definitely be back.
(5)Sam M.
Makan has become our office's favorite watering hole. Especially on Tuesday evenings for the $3 draft specials. They also have a regular happy hour food specials - both the pork belly bun and spicy wontons are highly recommended. Everything on the menu is a sure thing, but my favorite dinner dish is the five spice chicken. The chef even gave me the house recipe and spices for me to make the dish at home. The owner Michael and his staff are gracious hosts. We held a 50 person happy hour event in their bar area successfully. We received compliments for weeks. Whether you are in need of a change of scenery from the regular Decatur scene or want to indulge in some truly amazing Asian cuisine, Makan is your place.
(5)Alex C.
Overall, pretty good ramyun. It's definitely more Korean-ish than Japenese, which isn't good or bad. Just something to keep in mind if you're expecting Japanese ramen. Portion size is good. Plenty to fill you up. Service was pretty good. But the pricing was a little steep. Being in the Decatur downtown area, I had hope lunch specials would be a few bucks off the regular rate. Not quite the case.
(3)Joy W.
I learned from my Indonesian friend that Makan actually means "eat" in Indonesian. Yet Makan primarily serves Chinese and Korean food, and no Indonesian food. LOCATION Makan is a new addition to Decatur Square, and is located on the bottom left of the Courtyard Marriott (enter from inside the hotel lobby). Apparently you can park in the hotel parking for 2 hours of free validated parking, which I'll have to keep in mind for next time. ATMOSPHERE - 5 Star Beautiful, beautiful decorations. I really like what they've done with the space, and love the patio outdoors. I could see it being a fun place to eat at on a cool summer night or pleasant fall evening. The tableware, specifically their disposable chopsticks, is worth mentioning. They are the NICEST disposable chopsticks I have ever used in my life. Very fine and polished darker wood or bamboo chopsticks. Ugh, so nice. I almost wanted to take them home. Their bread dishes are also really pretty and remind me of patterns I would find in my parent's Asian cupboard. FOOD - 4 Star The quality of the food was definitely there, but for good Asian food, their prices were way too high. I would not be able to justify paying this much to eat at Makan when I can get things on Buford Highway or Duluth for half the price. Lost star goes to high prices. Fried chicken ($5) - pretty good. They were actual chicken nuggets like the kind you would find at Chick-fil-a and I think they were white meat instead of dark meat. The spices and basil was tasty. I especially loved the cooked jalapeno pieces. Ramyun ($15) - Please do not compare this to Japanese ramen such as the ones from Umaido. This is definitely a Korean ramen as indicated by the kimchi and also sesame leaves in the dish. I actually loved it. It was more on the lukewarm side, so my raw egg didn't cook as much as I would've liked, but other than that the texture and flavors were all very well balanced. Is it worth $15? Maybe in NYC, but here in Atlanta, it probably could've been a dollar or two cheaper. Beef noodle soup ($16) - This beef noodle soup is so expensive!!! I can't get over that price tag. This version has the big fat noodles called liang pi, which is similar to what you would find at Xi'an Famous Foods in NYC. I thought that was a fun twist on the dish, and also the fact that they use ox tail instead of traditional beef. The biggest complaint was that the broth was wayyyy too salty. Hong Kong Noodle Soup ($16) - This clear chicken broth soup has noodles, shrimp and pork wontons, and a roasted whole quail. It looked pretty tasty, especially the noodles and wontons. But apparently this was also too salty, and the quail was pretty difficult to physically figure out how to eat. In the end, it is best to abandon any prim and proper way to eat it, and to just eat it with your hands. SERVICE - 2 Star Unfortunately, the restaurant loses most of its stars in service. Despite our waiter being a very sweet and happy go lucky guy, he was not a very good waiter. He kept asking us if we wanted to order any alcohol and multiple times we said we'd just want water. But that's trivial. The biggest blunder was that he tends to spill things. The first time was when he was filling the girl's water across the table from me, and it filled to the brim and overflowed. It was over her shoulder so she couldn't see, but he didn't know what to do with all the water, so he just poured it onto the ground! That puddle was there behind her all the way until the end after we had left. Talk about a hazardous situation. Also when he was taking our noodle dishes up, he would stack them on top of each other but then the soup would overflow and make another puddle now on our side of the table. He ended up cleaning that up with a napkin, but only after he had given us our checks. Speaking of checks, it took about 30 minutes for the waiter to come pick up our dishes and bring the checks after we had finished our meals and were awkwardly waiting for the checks. Overall, fun location and atmosphere, but the high prices and horrible service will keep me from coming here more frequently. I'll have to come back to see if the service improves. In the meantime, there's still too much of Decatur Square to explore!
(3)Dee Dee C.
I love the concept of Makan but I don't know if it will last long. While it's great to have a place in town that serves authentic Chinese & Korean food, their prices and food just don't rate being a place that will have staying power. I see this place as more as a hipster Asian spot. Staff and decor is young, hip, and funky but if you really are coming for the food you could do better for price and taste. Makan's knows their pork belly buns. Their buns are fluffy, light, and reminiscent of great spongy marshmallow. Their ramyun on the other hand had a lot to be desired. The broth was too thick and the addition of butter beans, as a hail to the South, didn't do it for me. Also for the price of it you can get a much better bowl on Buford Highway. And, their wontons were a bit too flimsy for my taste. Spicy they were, but I got the feeling that I was eating air and wasn't at all satisfied.
(2)Allison B.
Just had a Saturday brunch here, and it was absolutely wonderful. Started with a strawberry Bellini, which is just a great idea. The pork belly bun was good, but could have used a bit more flavor. The dumplings and the ramen, on the other hand, were perfect. I'd never had an authentic version of either and this surpassed expectations. Absolutely lovely Asian brunch.
(4)Jessie K.
I've been to Makan several times now and was able to order a wide variety of items on the menu, including the spicy shrimp wontons, five-spice fried chicken, salt and pepper frog legs, pork buns, ramyun, oxtail noodle soup, seafood stew, and the fried rice... Sampling the menu is easier with a larger group, so I'd recommend grabbing your friends. Each item was made with high quality ingredients. Sometimes I get a funky aftertaste when I have seafood at other Asian restaurants, but here, the flavor of the prawns was unbelievable, and as a result the broth was beautifully refreshing. Quick note on Atlanta's first Ramen Festival. It was great to see a bunch of my favorite chefs in Atlanta create their own version of ramen. Everyone voted for their top 3, and all proceeds went to benefit the folks at the Hungry Kitchen. So much fun and very filling. It was packed as I was leaving... I can't wait until they do it again next year. I love the bold flavors! Makan isn't a traditional asian restaurant. It's authentic in that it's created by someone who grew up with traditional asian cuisine. Most asian restaurants that try to be trendy tend to dumb down the flavors to help its appeal, but not Makan. The richness of the flavors I love leaves me craving for more. Quick tip: when ordering the banchan, I'd ask the server for help on what would pair with your entree. Not every banchan goes well, in fact I did try one that tasted great on its own but didn't go well the ramyun.
(5)Karen L.
Makan is located in downtown Decatur inside the Courtyard Marriott hotel. Parking was a little difficult to find, but you would have to turn into the hotel entrance, drive around the hotel (don't worry if you're starting to drive on gravel because they're doing construction, you're going the right way!), and find the lower parking deck on the left before you hit Commerce Drive (I think). Get a parking ticket, once parked, ride the elevator to the main lobby and it's located towards the entrance of the hotel on the right, pass the lobby bar. Remember to take your parking ticket because they do validate for two hours! The restaurant isn't too big, but the interior design is very nice with a main seating area where there is an open kitchen and the other side has a full bar and a high table that you can sit at. They also have outside seating for when it gets warmer and some of the different events that they may host when expecting more people. On my first visit there back in November, there were six of us where we got seated at a round table. My friend suggested to get their pork belly buns (slow roasted local pork, pickled red onions, and pecan sugar) and wontons in chili oil (pork and shrimp stuff, poached garlic). So we had a couple orders of those, their family sized whole fish (two whole market fish with mushrooms, black bean sauce, ginger, and scallions), rabbit soup, kimchi fried rice, and unfortunately they ran out of their whole duck that day. Pork belly buns - These are TO DIE FOR! SO. GOOD! I would definitely go back for these and I hear that they have happy hour between 5pm-7pm on the weekdays when they're only $2! I'm not sure if they're still offering this, but it's definitely a must try! Wontons in chili oil - They come with six pieces. Makan's dishes are meant to be shared so you would have to order more if there are more people present. I'm not a big fan of chili oil, but the wontons didn't taste too bad. Family sized whole fish - It came with two pieces and they were both cooked to a nice crisp. The sauce complemented it very well and one of the managers was nice enough to come over to help us de-bone the fish. Rabbit soup - I've never tried rabbit meat before, nor was i willing to make an exception for it, so I didn't get a chance to try it. Haha. But from my friend who ordered it, said it wasn't too bad, but not the best that she's had. Kimchi fried rice - I've tried kimchi fried rice at a number of places, but there wasn't really anything that stuck out to me. Maybe besides the fact that it didn't have much of a sour taste to it, since you're suppose to use sour kimchi for this dish. Overall, I would say my friends and I had a good meal and a nice experience with good service. Since I enjoyed it my first time, I took my family there on a Wednesday night after my graduation ceremonies in December for them to try. Probably not the best move because until this day, whenever it is brought up, my mom complains about every dish that we had because everything, besides the pork belly buns, were really salty. In addition to the items listed above, we ordered their Makan ramen, Korean fried chicken, quail, salt and pepper calamari and a children's steak and rice. Their ramen was bland, my nephew didn't finish his steak and rice (which is pretty rare considering he can eat a lot), and I didn't want to believe it because I liked it the first time, but everything was really too salty. On top of that, the second time I went, it was a party of eight of us. The hostess seated us at the table next to the restrooms. When asked if we could move, she said no because they aren't able to pull tables together for such a big party and didn't even try to ask if there was another alternative. We were the only party there at the time. Later, right before we were finishing our meal, a family of four or five came in and they were able to pull the tables in for them. We weren't too happy about that. Both times their service was good, very attentive and consistently made sure everything was okay and replenishing our water for us. Although, when asked about their daily happy hour, they had no clue. All in all, I'd say it's really only worth going back for their pork belly buns. I'm sad to give this place such a low rating, but it didn't meet my expectations the second time around especially when it was my family's first time.
(2)Adaliz V.
D is for deliciousness!! Can't wait to go back. we had a big group for brunch and the service was good.. we had the bottomless cocktails and ate, bacon kimchi rice, shrimp balls, roasted duck bun (my fave) and beef rice rolls (my least fave, but b/c they broke) flavor was good though.
(5)Benjamin G.
I was really stoked when Makan opened in Decatur. Being that ramen and pork buns have been a deep, culinary love interest of mine for the past year or so, the menu was something that I couldn't get out of my mind. Now, after having lunch here a few times and finally making it in for dinner, I'm really happy to see what the guys are bringing to the table in every arena. First of all, the thing I appreciate the most is their attention to vegetarians. My wife is never found wanting after a meal at Makan. There are always several dishes that speak to her interests and it's especially wonderful to see that there is never any flavor sacrificed. The tacos and veggie buns are two things that are always easy to go for an they are actually quite filling. Upon our last visit, she ordered a tofu dish with tons of veggies (the bok choy was incredible) and it was a pretty substantial portion. Really appreciate this on their part. Second, the ramen and is absolutely wonderful and is the ramyun. I loved that both sport a hefty amount is mise en place atop a glorious bowl of broth and noodles. The pork is incredibly flavorful, the greens are a nice touch, and the eggs are cooked with a perfectly gooey center. Now, I will say that the ramyun is probably a preferable choice for me personally because the spiciness is a bit more enticing with the colder weather about. However, they both deliver on all fronts. The Sun Noodles are just perfect, too. Huge fan over here. Thirdly, the steam buns. Sweet lord. Of all kinds, friends. Whether it's only the pork belly or the KFC (Korean Fried Chicken), I'm always in the mood to eat like 10 of them. The pork is unlike any other I've had. The pickled onions are what really bring them together. The KFC on the other hand? Sweet, glorious spiciness. What a fantastic bun that is. Even if we've worked through several apps and entrees, the buns are still something that I have to order. As far as apps go, the wontons are absolutely fantastic. The chili oil opens up your sinuses just a bit and delivers a warming sensation to your palate. Such a fun dish. Again, this is another dish where ordering multiple plates won't be uncommon. The dumplings, which I had upon our last visit and are now a part of the Dim Sum Brunch, were unreal. Handmade and served with one of the best dipping sauces I've ever had with dumplings. Other items of note are the cocktails and Makgeolli (pronounced MOCK-uh-LEE) are rather creative. Especially the makgeolli. It's a drink made with rice or wheat and has a slight sweetness and beer flavor to it. Such a great drink. Huge fan of this place and the guys that run it. I know we'll be making several visits in the near future. Looking forward to our next dinner especially. Now I just need to make my way away from my regular favorites and explore more of the menu!
(5)Steve W.
We are very to have Makan serving up high quality Chinese and Korean in downtown Decatur. These guys really care about quality and the overall dining experience. My colleagues and I recently went there for drinks and small plates on the patio (great patio by the way) to celebrate a business deal and the food and drinks were excellent. We had some Korean style sashimi with chili paste that was incredibly fresh tasting, yummy sweet potato fries and my colleagues had some dumplings they raved about. They have a small but high quality beer selection, including a gluten free standby and cider! Great cocktails too! My only gripe, which is not anything against them, is there are many delicious looking and smelling items on their menu (such as noodle and dumpling dishes) that I can't eat because I have a gluten allergy. That said, the owners Michael and Chef George are very helpful and accommodating in helping me find delicious gluten free options or modifying dishes so I can eat them. The updated menu has many more gluten free or low gluten choices. About a week or so after I went for happy hour, I took my wife and daughter back for dinner and I had this amazing fish and vegetables stew. I'm also a big fan of almost anything pickled and they have a great variety of Korean pickled veggies and kimchi. Also, did I mention how kid friendly this place is? They have a cart of children's books and games to help keep the kids entertained. They also made a non-spicy version of a chicken ramen for my daughter, which went over well with my little one. I'm looking forward to trying many of Chef George's creations soon!
(4)Jason S.
I don't know why but I normally don't like restaurants that are attached to hotel lobby's. Despite my bias, I loved this place. The drink menu was a 9 out of 10. They had different ice cubes for each drink! The food was great. 8 out of 10. My favorites were the dumplings, spicy pork noodles, kimchi and the spicy tofu with mushrooms. They had a cool table looking into the kitchen and the patio looks like it could be fun.
(4)Kristie M.
Overall I would definitely come back. The service was excellent from the waitress to the owner and you could tell the meats were very high quality. I had the miso ramen which was okay but given it was my first time having ramen I have nothing to compare it too. Ramen may just not be for me. The dumplings were fantastic as was the pork bun.
(4)Falco L.
Nice atmosphere and decor. We found the lunch menu to be very limiting with pretty much all dishes consisting of pork. Why?? The duck bun (slab of poorly seasoned duck meat in a bun) was not appetizing and I think it would have been better had it been shredded, with plum sauce and cucumber. The vegetarian fried rice was on the greasy side - not worth the $12. Ramen was average, no match for Umaido.
(3)Daniel C.
Food was very good. Definitely more on the fine dining side of things than I would have preferred. I left still kind of hungry, expecting more when I ordered. Service was attentive and decor was trendy. Would definitely go back, but only at lunch or during pork bun happy hour. I got just eat about 8 of those and call it a meal. They were delicious.
(4)Jang C.
Makan impressed me. Because of the low ratings it had on Yelp, I wasn't expecting too much. But it seemed like they have improved or something. Makan serves Chinese and Korean food. They're not really fusion. Some have neat twists on an traditional dish, but most seem authentic. It's because the owner and the head chef are both Chinese and have Korean wives. So their menu is a marriage of traditional Chinese and Korean dishes. We came with a big group and had their pre-fixe menu. We got to sample a ton of the menu for about $35 per person. For starters, we had the pork belly bun. That was good. The bun was nice and fluffy. The pork belly was good and crispy. The wontons tasted good. They were your standard wontons served in chili oil. It tasted good. I liked it. The dukbokki tasted great. It had a great, traditional flavor. They added sweetbread to it which added a new dimension. I liked it with the sweetbread. Then came the main courses: Red Roasted Pork Shank was delicious. The meat fell off the bone. It came with grandma potatoes. The potatoes were done well. But the star was the pork of course. Whole Wok Fried Fish was just that. It was an entire fish, head to tail, fried. The skin was nice and crispy, and I liked the flavor of the fish. The scallops in XO sauce was good too. It was a good dish. Kalbi Butchered Steak was fine. It came with ssam jang. The ssamjang gave it a nice flavor kick. I didn't taste much of the kalbi taste. I liked how they cooked the short ribs though. Greens in Shao Xing sauce was okay. It was just greens. It had decent flavor, but it was kinda boring. There were nice garlic pieces in the bottom at least. Heirloom Sweet Potatoes were cooked well. The black bean sauce rounded it out. The savoriness of the black bean sauce matched well with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. The Kimchi fried rice tasted okay. Being Korean, I make my own. So naturally, I like my version better. Not to say, mine is better, but different. We also ordered a bit more stuff off the menu. I tried the salt and pepper squid. That was spot on. The flavors were there. The squid was cooked perfectly. I liked it a lot. The kimchi jjigae was nice and authentic. It was cooked well and comfy. Overall, I loved a lot of the food here. They were all delicious. The flavors seemed traditional. I also liked some of the creativity like the sweetbread in the dukbokki. The service was attentive and friendly. I also loved the design of their menu. The newspaper feel was nice. It gives the whole place a certain charm. They validate parking if you park in the hotel parking deck. But I parked in the wrong deck. It's confusing which deck you were suppose to park. So finding parking is annoying. But that's the only complaint I had. Everything else seemed great.
(5)Terah M.
Had a bite to eat with my girls here, if it wasn't all three of us sharing and splitting the price I don't think I could really afford it! Lol Yes, I'm a college student. And yes, I spend too much money on good food. But hey, this place seemed promising! I didn't realize how small the portions were going to be.. which would have been fine if I wasn't starving at the time. The pork buns were my absolute favorite, but then again it's not hard to get those right. I also ordered a soup, I can't remember which one but it seemed as though all they really had on their menu was soups. Don't get me wrong I love soup, but when you're not really a meat eater and everything seems to have meat in it it's hard to decide what to eat. The menu was small but it was in the form of a one page newspaper which I thought was adorable. I sat outside and the decor was very cute and modern. I like their bench style seating as well. Next time I'll be sure to come with a hot date so he can pay for it all! Lol
(4)Sky D.
I rarely give 5 stars, but Makan was an exceptional experience and I could not give it anything less. I came across Makan in my search for another restaurant and I read the reviews and thought "I am going to add them to my list of places to go". I hit up a few friends to go and have dinner this past weekend. On the planned date, everyone backed out, but my palette was set on the pork belly bun. So I got in my car and ventured solo to Decatur. I got there at 5pm when they were just opening for dinner and luckily I found a parking space nearby. Upon entry, the decor was inviting and soothing. The hostess greeted me and lead me to the chef's table since I was eating alone. I started my meal with "Wontons in Chilli Oil' and the "Pork Belly Bun". The wontons came out first. I am not a big fan of wontons but I decided to venture out and I am thrilled I did. The scent of the dish was divine. As I dug my spoon in, I realized the wonton wraps seemed mushy but as soon as it hit my tongue it felt like silk. From the texture to the taste, everything fit together perfectly. As soon as I finished my wontons, my bun arrived. After one bite, I wanted to ordered a dozen more but I politely sat and savored every morsel. It was the right balance of savory, sweet and acidic. I stomach was happy and content and I stopped there because I wanted to savored all of these flavors for a while. My server was attentive. Everyone worked together as a team. Upon my leaving, I spoke with one of the co-owners and I did not get his name. I informed him of my delightful experience and that I will be back for family style in the near future. I did not take any pictures of the food because they are plenty already posted, but I did take pictures of the decor.
(5)Ike S.
They approach their menu with creativity. Rather than go overboard, their kitchen has a skilled palette. I have a lot of faith in their menu. Unfortunately, a few interesting aspects from when they first opened have been discontinued. For instance, they used to roll out a food cart with a variety of small dishes (like kimchi) in tiny jars. I enjoyed seeing my options, and then getting them immediately. In the mix was a tea-soaked egg. I have told so many people about this egg, and I'm not even sure if they serve it anymore. As I am sad to see some things missing, I went yesterday and was given new reasons to come back. GO THERE ON A WEDNESDAY FOR THE KOREAN BBQ SPECIAL. Easily shared between two (maybe even three) people, you get a huge variety and this meat that haunts my dreams. I also miss their original menu design. It really was a clever concept. It was printed like a Creative Loafing magazine, as far as paper type and dimensions, and they pulled it off well. It may not be practical to get those printed, especially with a changing menu, but know that I was very impressed.
(5)Laura P.
Fantastic! The pork rolls are amazing. They make their own hot sauce that's way better than sirracha! Spicy chicken with kim chi quesadilla were awesome too.cant wait to try everything on the menu.welcome to the neighborhood new awesome food!oh and super nice people!
(5)Harrison B.
I was in the mood for some Ramen. Maybe the whole summer college course thing was bringing back nostalgia of freshman year, eating some Maruchan out of a microwave bowl... eh it was more just me remembering how good real Ramen was in Japan, and wanting something close. I Yelped for "Ramen" in my area, and the closest result was Makan. It was 10:49 PM, I just finished my online course quiz for the week, and I wasn't about to have a PB&J for dinner. I arrived to a pretty empty restaurant, with just a group of 6-7 at the bar. I was greeted by one of the waiters and he kindly directed me to one of the three open spots on the right side of the bar. The bartender brought me the drink menu, and the bar menu after letting me know that after 10 PM, that's all they make. Good to know, but unfortunate since I was in the mood for Ramen, and that was one of the few things not on the menu. Instead, I went for the spicy emperor shrimp with carrots and jalapenos, and something a little more outside of my palate-- Kimbap. Prior to this night, I had no idea what Kimbap was, so I was just hoping it was tasty when I ordered. Oh, and I got a beer while I waited for the food. The shrimp came out first. It was served in a regular ol' paper fast-food holder, but damn it was a lot of shrimp. The shrimp was served over a bed of salad mixed in with the diced carrots and jalapenos. Shrimp was lightly fried to perfection, and the sauce was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. The Kimbap followed shortly after. When it arrived (in an identical holder), I was surprised to find it almost entirely mimicked sushi. I would later find out that Kimbap came to be through Japanese occupation in Korea, which is something I had learned about, but not to the culinary extent. Safe to say this Kimbap, featuring Bulgogi, fried egg, and some other stuff, was damn good. The portion was awesome for $5-- way better than you'd get at any sushi joint for the same price. I was feeling particularly ravenous, so I put in a final third order for the Korean Fried Wings. When they arrived, I was greeted by the lovely aroma of Korean hot sauce. I tore them apart and devoured them with no regard for how much sauce I was dripping on the counter (rest assured, my fingers were licked clean after the wings were gone). The service was awesome, the food was awesome, and $3 drafts of craft is never a bad thing. Definitely turned my night around.
(5)Wayne R.
Buckhead quality at Decatur prices. This place should be full every night. Try to get here before happy hour ends but even after that prices are reasonable. At happy hour, drinks and pork bellies are half price, The pork belly appetizers are terrific, and generously portioned. Get two apiece. The dumplings are also terrific. We also shared the Korean Shashimi and it was okay but not great. My wife had Emblem Cabernet by the glass and liked it. I had the Dark Manhattan that was great. Their Boulvardier was too sweet for me so I was able to send it back with no resistance.
(5)Cassie D.
Great service and sharp atmosphere. Perfect for a date night or business happy hour. I highly recommend their pork buns. It will be the best buns you have ever had! All draft beers are from Atlanta. The korean fried rice is crunchy and delicious. The food has a farm to table feel. Quality Asian food.
(5)Joseph P.
A great find. Pork Buns were absolutely delicious. Is definitely going to be my new go to spot for dinner in Decatur.
(5)Lee L.
I really like Makan, but I'm a little conflicted about how many stars to give it. My issue- consistency in the food. I've had meals where everything was really good. And then I've had meals where everything was a little off. I'm not sure what the issue is since they've been open a few months, but I hope that I'll have more "WOW" meals than "meh" ones in the future. Oxtail beef noodle soup- (on the menu during the summer, but not currently on the fall menu). The first time I had it was WOW. The broth was super flavorful, the noodle consistency was just right, the oxtail was tasty. The second time I had it, the broth had way too much soy sauce and the noodles were thick and weird (they stuck together and were hard to eat). Five spice chicken nuggets are the bomb. Wish the portion was bigger, but man, sometimes I want to lick the plate clean of all the fried basil & crumbs. Fall menu: Braised fish (sea bass when I was there)- reminded me of Korean bean paste soup base, even the veggie (mushy, but very flavorful). The portion wasn't huge, but I think it just about filled me up. It was very tasty, I would get it again. Order it with rice (which I wish wasn't $2 a bowl... is this fancy golden rice or something?) Ramen- (1/2 price on Tuesday nights) The first time hubs ordered this, it was awesome! Korean Shin ramen, but home-made and better! And then I went on a Tuesday night with some girlfriends, and everyone's ramen was bland bland bland. It was as if someone realized there wasn't enough broth and diluted it with water. They also sometimes have a duck broth ramen. Again I had it once where it was phenomenal, and once when it was bland. I love that there's an authentic Chinese/Korean joint in downtown Decatur. Saves me the drive up to Buford Hwy. I'll give 4 stars for now, though in reality it would really be a 3.5. I hope they will step it up and do well in Decatur. Say hi to Michael & chef George. The co-owners are both really nice folks! PS- I LOVED their ramen festival event in October, where 8 different Atlanta restaurants brought their rendition of ramen to Makan for a competition. Some of the best ramen I had in Atlanta... even if a lot of it wasn't traditional. I hope they'll do the event annually!
(4)Holy Guacamole M.
The atmosphere was nice inside; they also have a patio area with lights streaming on top. The menu was smaller that what I saw online, but I felt it still had options (the only thing I thought it was missing was more vegetables). A few menu items I sampled were: Kimchee - unlike a traditional kimchee, this is not spicy AT ALL; although it had "okay" flavor, I'll pass next time. Leeks salad - this consisted of citrus segments, cherry tomatoes, grilled leeks and pickled radish. The overall flavor was pleasant; it was refreshing to have something on our table that wasn't a protein. Spicy Pork Ramen - the ramen had good flavor and can be considered a meal in itself. the only drawback for this dish was that the poached egg was poached hard (verses being traditionally undercooked so you can mix it with the soup to create a creamy broth) Shrimp & Pork Wontons in Chili Oil - probably my favorite item; definitely had great flavor!!! This dish has just the right amount of spice to it. You get the flavor of pork and the texture of shrimp. Pork Belly Bun - this was a well balanced bun with pickled veg, hot pork belly and fresh herbs. It was a decent size bun for $4. Spring Peas - pass on this one... the spring peas were soaked in a pork broth that tasted more like stewed peas. This was the only dish on our table was was left untouched. 5-Spice Fried Chicken - on the money! I loved the 5-spice and the grilled jalapeños that came with it. The skin was delicious and crispy.
(3)Hieu H.
Makan is a great new addition to downtown Decatur. Went here with a couple girlfriends who knew the owners, so was able to get a deeper perspective of the dishes which are inspired by Asian comfort food - from Korean ramyun to Chinese beef noodle soup. Definitely start off a meal where with the Pork Belly buns, which are amazing! Everyone at the table should get one, since it's too good to share. Another appetizer you must get are the wontons in chili oil. The wontons are filled with shrimp and pork. We also split the ramyun which is similiar to Japanese ramen, but the broth is flavored with kimchee. Another noodle dish we sampled was the Beef Noodle Soup - which I learned from the owner is quite controversial since the noodles are not the traditional noodles that's used in the dish. That's the thing with "comfort foods". Everyone claims their mom makes the best version of it and any deviation is outright blasphemy. I liked Makan's version and think the hand-cut noodles adds a great texture, and these noodles also showed up in a lamb dish. We also tried a daily special of duck served with Korean rice cakes or Ddukbokii with what tasted like a puree of butternut squash. The rice cakes and rich butternut squash almost tasted like it could have been an Asian version of mac' n' cheese. I could have eaten more of this! Salt and pepper calamari was good and the jalapinos added a nice little kick of heat. Makan also has a roving "dim-sum" style cart that comes to the table to entice diners with even more small plates. We had already ordered so much food at that point, that we had to pass. It's an interesting concept that's also being used at other places like Gunshow and of course the place that started it all San Francisco's Statebird Provisions. The best thing that we were introduced to was "Makgeolli" which is a milky, sweet fermented rice alcohol. It was served to us in cold copper cups which made drinking it feel very special. I highly recommend trying this drink. It's tasted like sake - a little sweet and milky. On top of all that gluttony, we were still able to taste the desserts - a slice of "birthday cake" and sticky toffee pudding with a dollop of ice cream that tasted a little like the Makgeolli. I wonder if the owners had ever went to Benu in San Francisco. I had similar desserts there - a personal "birthday" cake and an ice cream made of sake kasu or lees that gives the ice cream a sweet fermented taste. We also had the black sesame ice cream which was amazing and a great palate cleanser. Our meal at Makan was epic, to say the least. Downtown Decatur needs more places like Makan that pushes the envelope.
(4)Max M.
I just want to say that the Five Spice Fried Chicken was about the best, most flavorful chicken I've ever eaten. However, it didn't seem like what I would consider traditional fried chicken... it seemed more oven-baked or seared or something like that. But nonetheless, it tops my list of chicken dishes I've ever had. The rice and the turnips that it was served with were really tasty as well. I also liked the service we received and I liked the ambience of the place. Great restaurant and I will definitely return to try the chicken again as well as some other items.
(5)Valerie H.
This place has so much potential. I really wanted to love it, especially considering its right in my 'hood. But, I just won't be going back. First, the bad: The spices used on most of our dishes were too uniform. There is this dark sauce that made an appearance in 3 of 5 of our ordered plates, and was too strong, drowning out the taste of the food itself. Also, it is pitched as a "tapas style" plates, but for some reason comes with the price tags of a full-sized meal. It was like spending the money for four dinners, but only getting 1.5 (for the two of us). Also, I just don't get the praise for the ramen. Its nothing like the noodle house ramen I so dearly miss and crave, and have yet to find out here in Atlanta. Yes, it has ramen style noodles, charsiu pork, and a soft boiled egg (and these were all very good). But the broth was just a 100% swing and a miss. And to me, its not ramen without good broth. But then again, it was a "korean take" on ramen, so perhaps this was intentional. Either way, if you're hunting for some good classic ramen, this isn't it. But, the silver lining here was our server. He was amazing. Approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly. He deserves 5 stars himself. And, I'll agree- the pork buns appetizer is worth ordering. Very interesting and flavorful take on a classic dish. Its worth the drive up to Buford highway if you're craving something specific. The extra money you'll save in not going to this overpriced spot is worth the gas.
(2)Stephen O.
Makan is a top notch Korean style restaurant with a farm to table concept. The quality of food is top notch, as well as the service! If you have the chance, ask for Sarah as your server. She is a peach!!!
(5)David F.
I had a good experience at Makan but nothing really stood out as outstanding to me. And this may be a function of Korean cuisine and not necessarily the restaurant. I tried the chicken egg rolls, pork belly bun and Korean fried chicken. The pork belly bun was the most savory. Fried chicken was OK and the chicken egg roll was my least favorite. Prices are reasonable, staff was good an ambiance was nice. Parking was difficult but at least it was FREE! Overall a solid establishment to get the night started.
(4)John F.
I've eaten here about 10 times now. The pork belly buns are great, and I usually don't even like pork belly because it tastes like a farm's a$$hole. But in this particular case, it's awesome. The kimchi fried rice is great too. As are the dumplings. The Soju is always fun. I think the pineapple is particularly good. I was also surprised that their cocktails weren't half bad.
(5)Rachel P.
I came here for dinner the other night under the mistaken impression that they specialize in ramen. I found out that that's not true, but I decided to get the ramen anyway. My dinner date got the chicken basil roulade. I was really underwhelmed with their food. The roulade was $14, yet it came out as a few small pieces of chicken. My roasted pork ramen was good, but not mind-blowing. Drinks were pricy too (average $11 for a glass of wine). Maybe I'll try it again in the future, but I just wasn't wowed by the food, especially given what I paid.
(3)Jeff B.
Amazing that we didn't know about this restaurant for an entire year! For our first visit, we stuck with some favorites recommended by other reviewers. The chili oil wontons were really delicious. The pork belly bun was fabulous. It had house made pickled onion and brown sugar on top of a healthy portion of two slices of carmelized pork belly. Wow! Really great contrast in textures and flavors. Cold with warm. Sweet with savory. Just an excellent bite of food. We shared the half naked fried chicken with pickles and fried jalapeños. Salty and slightly peppery, the chicken skin was crisp and clean... Not greasy at all. The meat was tender and very flavorful. With this we got the seafood fried rice. Shrimp and scallops, two each, accompanied the kimchee fried rice. Although very good, this was our least favorite of all the food we enjoyed tonight. The service was prompt, polite and very engaging. Overall we had a great dinner experience for a reasonable price.
(5)Abhi K.
I'm not sure why, but I was not as enthused about this place as everybody else. I have had delicious ramen with 24-hr broth, so I thought I would enjoy this place as well. However, the broth was incredibly salty and almost too rich. I didn't have a hard time finishing the bowl as the portion was a tad small for the price paid. The tea eggs, though, were superb. All eggs should be cooked that well. Perhaps this is a place for advanced connoisseurs of ramen. They're probably really good at what they do, and I am just incapable of appreciating it, but I have a feeling the food will be equally inaccessible to a large portion of other customers as well.
(3)Karen W.
There are so many details to Makan that made me love the place. It had certain elements that made me feel more nostalgic like the dishware and the lazy susans and the wonton soup. I love that you can order family style. Growing up, a family dinner was never complete without a whole fish or whole duck at your meal. But then it also has a modern flare to it with the decor, the tasty cocktails and beer selection, and I loved some of the creative twists on their dishes. I also think it's awesome that they use locally sourced ingredients as I imagine it can be challenging at times when it comes to creating asian food. And they have a family friendly bathroom! This may seem like a small detail but as a new mom who still loves going out for an occasional nice dinner, this is something that I wish more restaurants had. I hope to come back to try some of the other items on the menu. Unfortunately it was cold out when we went but the little patio/beer garden looks like a perfect spot to enjoy a nice beer over lunch when the weather gets nice. Also, the Black Sesame ice cream amazing. I'm still thinking about it.
(5)Kevin T.
Had an amazing meal and experience here when dining earlier this month with family at Makan. Locally sourced asian comfort food?...awesome. The owners, including Executive Chef Yu, are very passionate about food and what they're doing here. The decor is great, love the wall-art (which is by a local artist) along with the open kitchen. Cocktails well crafted with a list inclusive of old classics (including a Boulevardier!) and new variations. The 2 drinks I had were very tasty and well balanced. The draft beer menu is great too with some exclusive brews from local breweries. Foodwise, everything we had was great. Pork Belly Bun, Wontons, Kalbi are a must. I ate too much and there was much more on the menu I wanted to try. I wish Makan was in Chicago. This is a place I can eat at daily.
(5)Wen L.
This restaurant is only a week old. The decor is very nice and modern. It has traditional chinese and korean food with a modern twist. Let me explain. The traditional korean dishes come out on a dim sum style cart in mason jars. The pork belly bun appetizer, which has great flavor combination of tangy-savory-sweetness, is a twist from the traditional chinese roast pork bun. Cute, trendy idea. I don't think there is a restaurant like this in the area: traditional food in a modern setting, with a good drink list. I came here for a girls night so the girls and I ordered a couple dishes to share. We also ordered the lamb noodles and the beef/ox tail noodles in addition to the two treats mentioned above. The beef noodles was great on first taste, but on second, third and so forth the salt set in...too salty. My friend commented that she wouldn't let her daughter eat this dish because of the salt. The lamb noodles was good though. You can definitely taste the great lamb flavor. My suggestion would be to not get the dishes together if you are sharing because it is the same thick, dense noodles in both. This is the same kind I make myself at home, so I was not overly impressed (I had a mom who loved to make me watch her cook). We also got the salt & pepper seafood dish - which was frog legs. My friends have never had frog legs so it was a must when we figured out what it was. They were not super impressed though. And me...well I eat on Buford Hwy a lot so I knew it was pricey for the amount on the plate. So for my overall impression...if you go to Buford Hwy a bunch you may find this a bit pricey for what you get. BUT if you live in Decatur you will be ecstatic since there are no restaurant in the area that is trendy and has the same type of food! I am confident it will do well in the area it is. Overall, 4/5 for its design, creativity, great service, and drink list. Oh! I do want to mention that the menu was printed on newpaper paper like the old asian newspapers! So cool!
(4)Jen H.
I really liked their pork buns. I tried the black bean sauce Beets which was unique but I didn't really like it. Ramen was really good too!
(3)Jason N.
Love is not a strong enough word. This place is amazeballs!! Pork buns are to die for. Everything we had was absolutely incredible down to the black sesame gelato which was a perfect cap on an amazing meal! I can't remember the last time I felt this satisfied.
(5)Nusrat A.
No flavor. Do not waste your time here you can probably make a better batch of ramen at home. Also make sure not to order Shumai here, these taste like they were bought from HMart and reheated. Overall verdict: Disappointed.
(2)Matthew T.
I went here with a Scoutmob. I spent $20 after the discount and still left hungry. The food is very mediocre, and I doubt I will ever go back. 1. The pork buns are actually very delicious. They were the only thing memorable. 2. The fried dumplings were bad. The dough was break-your-teeth hard, and the filling was bland. The dipping sauce tasted like soy sauce and rubbing alcohol. 3. The beef chow fun was WAAAAAAY overpriced at $14, and was no better than what you could get at any cheap Chinese takeout place. Don't bother going. I imagine this place will be out of business by the end of 2015.
(2)Gina L.
We came here for happy hour and it should have been called sad hour. There was one other soul here when we arrived. (apparently he was waiting on a large party that arrived later.) The drink special advertised was inaccurate. There is no buy one, get one during happy hour. The beer selection is dismal. We ordered three appetizers- only two of which arrived. I'm not sure how with 6+ people working you can mess up a food order for the only couple eating. I did not try the pork bun but the wontons were similar to Trader Joes shumai. TJs shumai is actually better. The veggie roll, which came 20 mins later, was terrible. Fried tofu is not a satisfactory flavor. Where was the sauce? Pickled veggies? Why even charge us after a 20 min wait for an appetizer? Here's the real kicker. They are supposed to validate parking at the hotel for two hours. She put a sticker on our parking pass and yet we still owed $2 for the hour we were there... Will we return? Never.
(1)Wendy G.
It's hard to keep up with all the new restaurants in Atlanta, but it's definitely a tasty challenge worth taking. So many new concepts are popping up all over town, one of the latest took me to Decatur. Makan, a Chinese and Korean inspired restaurant, offers up a chef-driven menu that features both small plates and family style offerings. For our first visit, since it was only two of us, we opted for small plates. Next time I definitely want to dive into their ramen! Dishes not to miss include the wontons in chili sauce, pan fried dumplings, and the steamed pork buns. Great for sharing and super delicious. We paired our eats with a flight of infused soju - rice wines with fruit flavors. Highly recommend the strawberry. Spacious interior, chef's table, open kitchen, and ample patio seating make for a relaxed atmosphere. Right off the main drag of E. Ponce in the Courtyard Downtown Decatur Hotel, there is free street parking after 6pm on weeknights and free validated parking in the hotel's parking deck. Enjoy a fun date night or a group dinner with friends at this cool new dining spot!
(4)Rob T.
Excellent! At first I was not sure about the size of the "tapas" based on the promotion by our server - but it's far adequate for 4 adults. 5 tapas were plenty enough. The fayre is very good and has taste - for certain. I know my curries and Asian foods trust me - and this was just the ticket. Our server was great too - a canny lass!
(5)David D.
I was excited to see an ITP restaurant that offered ramen, bao and some other fun Korean/Chinese/Japanese snacks. I've been to Makan twice now, once for dim sum brunch and once for regular lunch, and overall I'd say the food is fair/ok. I think I liked the dim sum better than the regular lunch. The ramen is average, at best. The broth lacks the complexity that some of the better establishments offer. I'm sure it's something that could be improved on with some effort. As for other food, the pork belly is prepared very well in the bao. I'd highly recommend that. The congee is also pretty good as were the shrimp rolls at dim sum. The decor is very chic and inviting. The restaurant looks very cool overall, just avoid the ramen.
(3)Pedro T.
Fabulous! This place will knock your ducking socks off! The pork belly buns are retardedly excellent. It's so damn good that I'm shaking & shitting & hissing & spitting. God bless Decatur. And God bless Makan.
(5)Rachel M.
Asian food- be it fusion, Americanized, or authentic- is my all time go to deliciousness. Since moving from the Chicago area 9 years ago, I've been sorely disappointed in the selections near my new zip codes. It gets old having to go to Bu Hi for anything awesome. I was hoping Makan would be the glimmering light in a sea of dull bulbs- but no. This place will be closed by March at the latest. The host, waitstaff, and kitchen have given up. The host(s) were lackluster in their greeting at best. Our server was friendly enough , but nothing to write home about. She greeted us with what they were out of. That's like if you go on a first date and kick off the convo with " I have a weird toothbrush fetish". Really? How about we begin on a positive? Speaking of negatives- the parking is horrific. The building " behind" the restaurant is not clearly marked, and a path from the garage to the restaurant isnt marked AT ALL. It's so confusing that my dining companion parked in the wrong garage. Goodness- are we to the good yet? Oh wait- there isn't any. The Raymun was hysterically bad- it tasted like the noodles were boiling all day. For real- soggy, disgusting noodles. The broth was good, but the noodles were so atrocious that we had to pretend they weren't there!!!! Salt and pepper seafood was so ametuer. Nothing standout at all and almost all calamari bodies- zero tentacles or other " seafood", as the menu states. Seared duck breast was way, waaaaay under- the sauce was good but they failed miserably on the execution. And I like things raw. I get that it's " seared", but it just wasn't seared enough. And for the final insult to our palates- I could've cooked better greens in Xiao hsing - zero flavor. And the atmosphere was ..... nonexistent. No one cares about your experience- this is a fail all around.
(2)Cindy B.
I like that they added a garden section to their menu since first opening. We got there in time for happy hour, which was cool. It's awesome that they use fresh seasonal vegetables from local farmers. We had the black bean sauce with sweet potatoes, and boc choy in garlic sauce. The server wasn't understanding of our dietary needs (we told him we are vegan and asked what he recommends, and he kept recommending meat dishes), we asked about certain ingredients in sauces, and the server didn't know, he told us that the sauces were from the bottle (oooookay). The food was ok. The whole experience wasn't terrible.... just ..... ok.
(3)Ibad K.
If you haven't been to Makan, what are you waiting for? It's great! Lunch is a casual note with rice bowls, fusion-style Korean tacos, and an nice assortment of savory steam buns. Dinner turns it up with an wonderful and diverse menu of shareable entrees and delectable appetizers. The Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) may be the best in the city, the tartare revelas itself to be fusion-y with a touch of scallions and sesame seeds, the spicy ramen is wonderful during the cold nights, the wontons in hot chili oil are slightly spicy but very fragrant, and the veggies are fresh and locally sourced as well. For brunch, expect a nice spread dim sum style via a pictorial menu with steam buns, dumplings, su mai, shrimp balls, beef meatballs, duck spring rolls, etc. etc. I haven't even tried the late night menu yet (served Friday and Saturday night between 10 pm and 2 am)! Highly recommended! Truly a great addition to the Decatur/Atlanta chef-driven restaurant scene.
(5)Ann L.
Maybe I am just missing something here, maybe I didn't pick the right dishes, but this was overpriced, culturally-confused food. The restaurant itself is very cute and has a nice outdoor seating area. BEWARE: if you sit outside, watch for the pestering bugs!!! It was a particularly humid evening, so they were everywhere. Regardless, it was still tolerable -- just a bit of a nuisance. The server was very informative about the menu selection, however was not fully confident on what dishes were completely gluten-free. The menu does label what dishes are gluten-free, but I would not fully rely on that if you have a gluten allergy as some of their dishes are not COMPLETELY free of gluten even if it is labeled as such. We ordered the kimchi and pickles which came in little jars. The kimchi is not like traditional Korean kimchi, which was a delight to my surprise. Their kimchi is not very sweet at all; it was mostly just sour. I would pass on the pickles as they were not as delicious. For starters, we got the watermelon salad and sweet potato fries. The watermelon salad wasn't anything special, so I would pass on that as well. It was mostly just sour with no interesting textures. As for the fries, we were informed that the sauce is not gluten-free even though the appetizer is labeled as such on the menu. Although, I am quite confused as to why the sauce is not gluten-free unless it contained soy sauce, which it tasted like it didn't. The fries themselves were not very notable, but they weren't bad. For the main dishes, we ordered the miso ramen, the spicy Korean ramen, and the five-spiced chicken. The miso ramen was okay. Honestly, ramen is traditionally Japanese, but it was nothing like Japanese ramen. The ramen contained sun noodles, one poached egg, two slices of pork belly, and one seaweed. Honestly, the seaweed threw me off... like it's just this soggy slice of seaweed floating around in the bland broth. Our ramen bowls were $14 a pop. That is expensive. There are ramen places in Buckhead that are cheaper and way better. The broth for spicy ramen was so bland; we had to pour salt in there to make it taste better. I know this restaurant doesn't specialize in ramen, BUT if you are putting ramen on the menu, and it's not remotely tasty or authentic, then maybe it should be cheaper. The server rated the spice level as 8/10, but I would give it a 3/10 for spiciness. The chicken was okay. I liked the skin but it was not worth nearly $18 -- maybe half of $18. Also, the sauce for the chicken was not gluten-free according to the server, however their menu labels the entree as gluten-free. Overall, it was just WAY too expensive for the quality, so I guess happy hour would be a good time to go (5-7 on weekdays I believe), but we went after 7. The restaurant was not busy, and it was a Friday night. People, lower your prices or revamp your menu items. I am also very misguided as to why the restaurant insists on being inspired by Korean and Chinese cuisine. The dishes that I tasted were nothing like traditional Chinese or Korean food. I would like to come back and try the dim sum and dumplings and wontons and buns, but from the food that I tried, it is just a big, bland mess. On a last note, I know that it is not common for Asian cuisine to incorporate gluten-free dishes, but I am glad that this establishment at least tried, although I wish they were a little more knowledgeable. I am not gluten-free myself, but one of the persons that I dined with is very sensitive to gluten, and I am glad the staff took initiative to accommodate us.
(2)D L.
For being a place inside the Courtyard Marriott, I really enjoyed Makan! A few friends and I came here around 9pm with no reservations. Mike, a co-owner saw to it that we waited no longer than 5 minutes. Unfortunately, a private party had booked the entire bar, but we still tried some of the drinks. Drinks: Chinatown Tea - bourbon infused and served chilled, this pairs nicely with pretty much anything on the menu. There's enough in the pot for 3. Appetizers: - Pork Belly bun - worth a try if you've never had it. Well executed. - Chicken Roulade - pulled dark and white meat, pounded, and rolled in chicken skin. DELICIOUS. Top 2 if not the best thing on the menu. Entrees: We were hoping to try the duck, but the table just ahead of us got the last one. Call in early if you want to try this. They only serve 2 per day. - Pork shank - Think Chinese BBQ pork, but made by Fox Bros BBQ. This was delicious as the meat fell right off the bone. The potatoes paired very nicely. - Mustard Greens - I enjoyed this since it was served Chinese Broccoli style. - Salt & Pepper Cuttlefish - don't let the name scare you. This was perfectly fried and seasoned just enough to eat by itself or with rice. No MSG sprinkles were found (unlike most chinese places). Dessert: Toffee cake served with soju gelato and apple slices. Perfect ending to a great first experience at Makan. I'll be back for the Duck and drinks at the bar for sure.
(5)Christine F.
We dropped into Makan on Mother's Day and although they were booked with reservations, there were seats at the bar. I'm glad we ended up there because the bartender made us some tasty cocktails and recommended some good beer and food. The plates we had were delicious and we were served just the right amount portion-wise. The menu was prix fixe because it was Mother's Day and we ended up getting a five course meal for $24. Great food and a good deal!
(5)Sam M.
IGNORE THE LOW RATINGS! This place is awesome! Decatur, neigh the entire Atlanta metro area, is desperate for a joint like this: great craft cocktails, chic ambiance and excellent Chinese food (okay, it's Asian fusion). We had the pork buns, dumplings and the wontons and tried two different cocktails on the very roomy outdoor patio this eve. Our service was excellent and knowledgeable and I could have easily had 2nds of every one of the appetizers and the drinks but I was driving and trying to leave room for the fried chicken entree. The fried chicken was excellent - juicy white meat and crispy skin. I'm not a fan of the star of anise spice, but it's a personal taste and it wasn't overwhelming.
(5)Tina D.
New hip Korean fusion restaurant in downtown Decatur. Tried the Ramen noodles, pork belly buns and chicken quesadilla. Liked the texture of the ramen noodles and the pork belly is melt in your mouth goodness. Broth is rich but very bland. Really liked the pork belly buns and the pickled purple onions adds a kick to it. The chicken quesadilla needs more chicken and less cheese and I feel like it's missing some sort of kick to it. Will I be back? Only for the pork belly buns.
(3)Mark W.
Makan served up some amazing Chinese and Korean comfort food to me and my family last weekend. It was great to taste all those familiar favorite dishes upgraded with better ingredients. With everyone ordering a few different items, we were able to try almost everything on the menu, and everything was pretty much awesome. The Pork Buns really are the best I've ever had, and that's in comparison to Momofuku, Ippudo, and the slew of other NY hot spots. All the noodle soups we had were great too, and you can even taste that the noodles were high quality and hand-drawn (seriously, you can taste the hand-drawn-ness if you eat as much noodles as my wife and I). The highlight of the meal was definitely the Duk Bok Ki. I've never had that dish quite so delicious with bacon and sweetbreads. Some crazy creativity went into that dish, so kudos to the chef. That said, the only disappointment to the meal was when I got out-voted for ordering another serving because "it was too much food." I mean, c'mon...is that even a thing? Cocktails were great, but if you're like me then you prefer your bourbon w/o anything but a large spherical ice cube, which they totally have. That plus some sesame balls and black sesame gelato for dessert finished off a near perfect meal (not perfect because I got denied my second serving of Duk Bok Ki).
(5)Rob K.
Some potential clients asked me to meet them in Decatur for lunch, so I suggested we try Makan. There was a good crowd there for lunch, but not so many people that we weren't seated immediately. Quite importantly for a business lunch, the staff did a great job of giving us time and space when we were going through paperwork and even a demo on my laptop, but prompt with the food, water, and anything else we needed. We ordered a few of the pork buns and an order of the spicy dumplings to share. The dumplings were an absolute hit, and with 6 of them in our order, ideal for sharing. The pork belly buns disappeared quickly and took the edge off of our hunger. I ordered the pork belly rice bowl, and my guests both ordered the lamb. The rice bowl was served bibimbap style, with the different components each nestled on top of the rice and ready for mixing. The pork belly was superb, with the fat nicely rendered and a crisp first bite. The sticky rice egg, and veggies were a great supporting cast. My guests both devoured their lamb and declared that they would be back. I would not hesitate to schedule another prospective client meeting at Makan, and hope to be back for dinner.
(5)Helen Y.
I love the back story they have on their menu! Too cute! Their pork belly buns/ bao are so goooood! I dream of them! we had a large party, and did a lot of sharing of plates which was awesome. The wontons were delicious as well. We also had the fruit infused soju which was interesting but not bad. Definitely try it for yourself
(5)Jiann Yi Liu L.
Excellent handmade noodle great service dishes are overall good but it tends to be on the salty side. The banchan are way too expensive.
(3)Virgie B.
Prices have gone up and service down...waited over 30 minutes for an order of dumplings....waiter brought dish to table that was not orderd
(2)Howard C.
Makan is one of the most exciting restaurants I've ever visited. Let's get the usual Yelp-y things out of the way: There's a really awesome outdoor patio. Service was friendly. The inside is really cool, and there's a neat bar of seats where you can sit and watch the action in the kitchen. I ordered a ramen, which was perfect. The broth was rich and flavorful without being overly salty. There were three large pieces of pork, which was barbecued perfectly. It came with roasted corn, very obviously cut off a cob, a poached egg, and some kim chi. The noodles are sourced from Sun and perfect. My roommate had a kalbi, in slices of a thick cut without bone, and kept red in the center. It was amazing. It came unexpectedly on a bed of collard greens, but which tasted exactly like it was sauteed how my (very Chinese) grandmother might do it-- except, of course, she wouldn't use collard greens. There was also, unexpectedly, a stalk of snow pea tips in the exact way my grandmother *would* do it, and it came with a bowl of rice and some of that Korean red sauce. We closed out the meal with two Hong Kong style egg tarts, which actually wasn't quite HK style-- the crust was thin, almost a shortcake, and the layer of egg on top equally so. I ate one, and promptly wanted at least twenty more. Those things were addictive in the same way that traditional HK egg tarts aren't-- light, not too sweet, and just eggy enough to leave you craving another. We got the usual stuff out of the way. WHEW. Why is Makan one of the most intriguing restaurants I've ever eaten at? Everything I described isn't quite authentic per se-- the collard greens with the kalbi is a good example. Yet, this isn't a place trying to do fusion or Americanized Chinese food or the weird Atlanta-style pan-Asian (a-la-Doc-Chey's). Makan is aiming for something very different, an interpretation of traditional dishes through the eyes of second generation Asian Americans. Everything is recognizable, yet derivative. It's reinvention just on the edges. I had the chance to ask one of the owners about this (Mike?), and I was struck by his answer. "Authenticity is just a moment in time," he said. "We actually debate this every time we try a new dish." He's quick to point out that what's authentic is constantly in flux, as "traditional" cuisine in Korean or Taiwan or China continue to evolve, even after our parents have come to this country. He offers as example, "Here in Atlanta, I can't buy duck locally. So I'm going to use quail, which is local and costs you six dollars less, and is arguably better." Is it authentic? Probably not. But it's better. "What we won't do," he adds, "is change the flavor profile." There's no Americanization of dishes, no General Tso's or Orange Chickening of anything. And that's why Makan is so exciting-- the vision is to not offer soondubu or beef noodle soup in the same way you'd find on Buford Highway, but offer something of higher quality, locally sourced, and evolved. The prices reflect this fact, and I had some sticker shock and some gripes that the banchan wasn't complimentary like it should be up on Buford. But, at least with what we ordered, the prices reflect something done incredibly well. The food is authentic, yet interpreted in a way that somehow feels right. Everything is obviously fresh, and not overly salty or MSG-heavy. You can taste the ingredients in the exact way you can't at a cheap Buford Highway place. Makan is offering traditional Asian dishes, but through the eyes of second-generation Asian Americans without diluting things down to an "American" palate. For me, personally, it strangely feels like a homecoming. My parents are both immigrants, and there's no doubt that it's their food-- but it's how I would want it made. It's delicious. FIVE BILLION STARS
(5)Shann M.
Makan opened only a few days ago, and I had the good fortune of being introduced to this phenomenal Korean eatery tonight; and I must say, everything was absolutely impeccable. The service was on point throughout the evening. Every time I turned around, my water and soju glasses were topped off. We had the wonton and pork bun appetizers and they were both incredibly delicious. I especially loved the pork bun; the flavor combination and textures are just incredible. For the main course, I opted for the pork bowl. The pork was flavorful and melted in the mouth. It was mixed with rice, a sunny side up fried egg, cilantro and sliced peppers. For dessert I tried the rice and sesame seed gelatos. Both were excellent! There are several delectable dessert options, and I know I'll be back to try them all. The atmosphere is great for gathering with friends, either inside or on the patio. The drink menu looks phenomenal, with hilariously titled specialty cocktails. Be sure to check it out online. The only way the evening could have gone any better was if 80's music were playing in the background...oh, wait...it was.
(5)Briana L.
I am very pleased about this new addition to Decatur's dining scene! First of all, the ambiance was great. The restaurant was bustling, but its open floor plan kept it from feeling cramped. Before my friend arrived, I started with the "Farewell my Concubine" cocktail. It was a floral gin drink, and while delicious, I recommend what I had for my second (and third) cocktails- the "Shiso Fresh and So Clean." Wow, that is one of the tastiest cocktails I've had in a very long time. Drinks are on the smallish side, but very well crafted and full of booze. We started with silken tofu and tea eggs. Both were delicious. If you like soft boiled eggs, please try the tea egg. My dining companion and I could have eaten these all night. While I don't eat pork, she raved about the pork bun. We also had the chop chay, which was complimented by pops of roe and buttery uni. The texture of the appetizer was delightful. The seafood pancake, another app, was delicate, not a bit greasy, and perfectly seasoned. We split the seafood stew, but found it to be a bit bland compared to the bright flavors of everything else we were eating. However, this was where service really shined.The owner came over to check on us, and when we told him about the stew, he promptly whisked it away and replaced it with the fish appetizer. The fish, sliced thin and meant to be wrapped in a shiso leaf and eaten like a taco, was phenomenal. The owner chatted with us for quite some time, and really topped off an extraordinary dining experience. Note that portions are small, so order many different things. With a start this strong, I am very excited to see where Makan is going!
(5)Thomas B.
Fantastic service, food and saturday night vibe. The ramen, which was served red, was legitimately spicy (and I love spice) and rich. Fried rice was life-altering like quit your job, move to Australia and travel around the outback in a van. I'll be back next time I'm in Atlanta.
(5)Brandon E.
Me and my girlfriend wanted to try this new spot. Too bad we only had the appetizers because of the shift changes but the food was still amazing and fresh of course! Nice environment and theme.
(4)Mark F.
Had lunch here yesterday and came away very impressed. The interior is cavernous but nicely done with a large outdoor patio. The service is friendly and knowledgable and the managers and staff seem eager to know your opinion. When I was less than positive about the lack of spice in one dish the waitress told me she'd tell the chef and did so! I began with the won ton appetizer which was perfect. The dumplings were served in a small bowl with a flavorful spicy sauce/broth. The dumpling wraps were some of the lightest most delicate I've ever eaten. The meat filling yummy. When they say spicy with the won tons they mean it. The lamb noodle stew was a bit disappointing. All the more because the lamb was perfectly cooked, tender and juicy. The noodles perfect again with very fresh crunchy greens floating in the broth. The broth was the problem . . . The dish was described as spicy but it was bland because of the broth. Fix that and you've got 5 stars!
(4)Fate Z.
This review is definitely swayed by the "ramyun" It's $15 but good ramen is worth it. You're feeling open-minded. As you wait the excitement builds at the possibility of a great ramen option other than Umaido. The bowl arrives, the broth looks thick and promising. You can forgive the slight extra oily-ness. You want to jump into those sun noodles. Quickly stirring in the yolky egg you take that first sip. Uh-eh-where's the "MmMmmmMmmmMm it's soooo goood" thought? As you work on your bowl, you just wonder what is missing and you make excuses that it's not so bad once you stir in that egg, maybe add a little sriracha, yes yes admire the wonderful chewy sun noodles. Your bowl is empty...but damn what was missing? Ambiance:nice, service:great, chef:cool. Okay I accept it as a hip Decatur type restaurant but wasn't snagged by the ramyun.
(2)James S.
If this restaurant was in my neighborhood, I would be fat as f@&$. Go for the pork belly buns and the wontons in chili oil.
(5)Pete S.
The Makan Dim sum brunch is great! Lots of choices and all good stuff. Favorite are the duck and pork buns. Dumplings are very yummy as well.
(4)Ralph W.
Waitress was very sweet and very attentive. Outside seating was lovely in the early evening and will be great in summer. Having said that - I will never go back. It is waaaay to expensive for what you get. My kids split a ramen and we had 3 apps and 3 drinks (beer/wine - not fancy cocktails). Came to nearly $90. Yup .... Not like the awesome ramen bars that are cheap and filling like those I am used to. Shame, really wanted to love it.
(2)Drew C.
The Korean Ramyun is hands-down the best Ramen soup you'll find in Atlanta. I recently re-located to Atlanta from NYC and have not been able to find good Ramen here. The wontons, dumplings and fried chicken are fantastic. The spice level was perfect if you like spicy food. That delicious sauce that comes with the dumplings is on another planet. The place just has a great vibe, they clearly have a sense of humor (see the "beers for the kitchen" option). 5 / 5.
(5)Ju H.
Must include an addendum after a second visit: SESAME GELATO.... just do it.
(5)Megan O.
Tried Makan for the first time last night and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Parking is a little tricky the first time - they offer free validation for the hotel deck (the restaurant is basically in the Decatur Marriott) but the deck is tucked away behind the hotel. Once we made it in, everything was smooth sailing. Very helpful and knowledgable server, decent drink menu with some nice local beers on tap, and a good variety on the menu. The pork buns are a must-try - fresh and fluffy buns with a generous helping of perfectly cooked pork belly. We also had the ramyun and roasted quail. My ramen experience is limited but this was one of the better versions I've had. The quail was small for the price but excellent. It took a bit of time on the quail - although we barely noticed, the staff apologized profusely for the delay and comped us on splitting our ramen into 2 portions. So the attention to detail definitely is there. We'll be back, if for nothing else than a plateful of buns!
(4)Ray S.
price high food little, still hungry....we had to go to twains and eat again. Quail is good, but too pricey. You can go to Buford highway and get the same thing for half the price. Verdict: Asian food for Americans too lazy to go to Buford highway.
(3)Jenny K.
Service was bomb, the food was amazing! this take on Chinese Korean fusion is pretty damn good. interior is rocking. I highly recommend it. Only downside is parking but I believe you can park at the hotel and get a voucher since Makan has a deal w them?
(4)Jon C.
Please do better Makan. It's not about the coolness, it's about the food.
(2)Ashley B.
The pork belly bun and kimchi were delicious. If you like spicy check this place out! The owners are so nice and welcoming, local to Decatur which makes me want to support them even more. Great restaurant!
(5)Billy P.
I stopped by it some friends on the night before Thanksgiving. The game plan was to have an appetizer and drink and then move on to other Decatur restaurants. Well...the best laid plans! The pork buns were so good that we moved on to ordering something else and then 3 hours later and many menu items later, I have found a place in which I will be back. The kimchi fried rice with bacon...WOW! Pork Buns....WOW! Fried Chicken wings...WOW and I don't really like spicy and they were great!
(5)Dawn C.
So my daughter and I have tried Makan now 4 times. The previous 3 times were probably about 3-4 stars, but today for lunch...yuck. One star and we will NOT be returning. Although we had a pretty great server (who was also working as the bartender), the food left MUCH to be desired. My daughter ordered the shredded chicken soft taco and bulgolgi fries and I had the cucumber salad and bulgogi fries. After her first bite into her shredded chicken taco, she almost spit it out. She said it, "tastes like a farmer's market." and she didn't mean that in a good way. After she removed the parsley and pickled carrots she got through another two bites and ended up leaving the rest. She conned me into trying it too and I literally had to spit it out. It tasted disgusting. When I ordered my cucumber salad, I was hoping for a nice, light vinegar dressing on my cucumbers. Instead, they were drowned in a thick vinaigrette that had no business covering a cucumber. The cucumbers, themselves, were good, but I had to wait about 30 seconds for the vinaigrette to drain off before each bite. Previously, we've both really enjoyed their bulgolgi fries - so much so that we each made them our entree today. Mistake. The bulgolgi beef, instead of being shaved very thin and being tasty, was thick, fatty and gristly. We left big hunks of the stuff on the side of the paper containers they're served in. They also come with pickled onion and I think I had an ENTIRE ONION - WHOLE - NOT SLICED, sitting in the middle of my fries...which also made it to the side of the carton to be thrown away. My daughter had literally the entire side of one potato thickly sliced off and made into a 'french fry'...thick and hard and more like a slab than a fry. On the positive side, the waitress probably knew we were not thrilled by the amount that we sent to the trash and ended up giving us $5.00 off our our entire bill of $17.00...which really was not enough. We've wasted enough of our time and money giving Makan try-after-try. We will NOT be going back.
(1)Tania M.
We loved it! We've been looking for good ramen in this area and Makan hit the spot. When we arrived we were seated immediately. The waiter was quite attentive and made some great recommendations. I got the watermelon mint soda which was delightful and my husband got a Georgia mule. He's ordered that drink many times before and the concoction at Makan is undoubtedly the best. They use fresh ingredients and it makes all the difference. We got a few orders of pork belly buns (delicious), dumplings (really good) and potstickers (decent). We also got the spicy ramen to share. The ramen was phenomenal. Reminded us of when we were in Singapore. The lowlight of the meal was desert. We ordered pineapple bread pudding which comes with ice cream, and it was dry and tasteless. Oh well, the rest of the meal was great. There were a LOT of families with small children so it's more of a family spot than a romantic spot.
(5)Virginia H.
Tried pork belly sandwich and ramyun. Both failures and would not eat again. While they are edible (if it was between starving or Makan, I would choose Makan...), the food simply had no flavor!! So two stars...one for being edible and one for the fact we had a BOGO coupon that made the cost less ridiculous for what we got.
(2)