Stranger things in Georgia: The Consulate global restaurant lets locals pick new menus
Would you like to try food from Cambodia, New York, Hungary, and Cuba? These are all on the menu at the Consulate.
The hidden gem of Atlanta has a little bit of everything on its resident menu like lamb chops from Greenland, shrimp from Papua New Guinea, and jollof rice from West Africa. These and more delicacies can be enjoyed in a formal, colorful dining room covered in equally-multicultural decor.
But while there are other restaurants that offer food from around the world, the Consulate features something else that's very singular. Every 90 days, the restaurant has a new country serve as the star of the menu and offers cuisine from that country. How do they decide which one to highlight? Co-owner Douglas Hines explained their unique method.
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"The first Friday of the new quarter is usually when we have what we call a 'spin night,'" he said. "We give out raffle tickets to everybody in the restaurant. Around 8:30 or 8:40, we put all the tickets into an ice bucket, mix them up, and start drawing numbers....Once we announce that number, that person will then follow me to the lounge where we have a giant globe. That person spins the globe as hard as they can, close their eyes, and point. Wherever their finger lands is the next menu."
The new menu is crafted by chef and co-owner Mei Lin, who is also Hines' wife. Between menus, Lin takes the 90 days to carefully study and experiment with the country's culture, cuisine, and cooking style.
"I do a lot of research online, I read a lot of the background, history, stories, and also watch a lot of chefs from the country," she said. "What's the most popular dish from that country? What techniques and spices do they use? I watch a lot of videos until I have all of the information and then I implement them in my kitchen."
If a country is picked that has already been highlighted, they do it again. Over the last eight years, the activity has become a fun tradition for the restaurant's community of regulars. Hines and Lin are very proud of their love and continued support, holding close to five stars on multiple review sites. Here's what some recent Yelp reviewers said about it:
"The variety of beers was amazing and a welcome change from the typical beers found within the vicinity. The Hungarian menu was super good....Would definitely come back at least once every three months when the menu changes."
"So good! Great service, such a creative idea. I love the ambiance of this restaurant and menu switch around the globe every 90 days. Great place to take parents when visiting!"
"This is a gem. The ambiance, the food and the service is everything. We celebrated my boyfriend's 60th birthday and they treated us like VIP. Eric was our server and he was absolutely amazing. This is a definite 10 out of 10!
"I frequent this place because of the global rotating cuisine and customer favorites on the menu. Best chefs in town! Don't miss out! Get you a reservation ASAP!"
The Consulate is located in Midtown at 10 10th Street NW. It's open 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, go to theconsulateatlanta.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: The Consulate in Atlanta has customers pick food from around the world