A Family Meal at Wan Lai

By Tom Maicon at December 30, 2009 | 8:19 pm | Print

When readers email for family-friendly restaurant suggestions, I like to point them to ethnic restaurants. “Not my kids!,” is the usual response that travels back through cyberspace.

I’m baffled. Is it really the kids my fearful cyber-friends worry about? Truth be told, the little gremlins just might enjoy the experience more than mom and dad. Our 17-month old daughter, Ariel, generally does. She’s as happy, if not happier, eating adventurously along the Buford Highway corridor than anywhere else.

The genuinely friendly staff at most of these eateries, seems to adore children—even mine.
As for the food, well, that’s the easy stuff. I’ve never encountered a little one—as finicky as they are at the dinner table—who turned his nose up at noodles or dumplings. And I’ve yet to step foot in a non-Americanized Asian restaurant that doesn’t offer at least one version of either.

With this in mind, we hit up a family favorite, Wan Lai (4897 Buford Highway, Suite 104, Chamblee Tel: 678.530.0633), over the holiday weekend.

To start, three-dumpling soup arrives with delicious soft-skinned, kid-friendly dumplings—and warm soul-soothing broth to appease mom.

I would have no problem putting away two bowls of this soup without family assistance, but I always manage to refrain. In part to keep Ariel blissfully content, but mostly to save room for beef chowfun. It’s practically greaseless, with house-made noodles, succulent strips of tender beef, and yes, probably a few too many bean sprouts.

Ariel and mom dig in to a healthy order of mopu tofu, a plate of silky tofu, mild white sauce, and snappy shrimp. Thrill-eating Ariel acquired a taste for tofu at six months old and never looked back. I’ve come to realize she can—and will—devour her weight in tofu and then beg, uh, I mean scream for more.

Shrimp: she has a thing for that too.

My eyes make their way around the table rolling over a happy family, all gathered at a table on Buford Highway enjoying a tasty meal.

Mom glances down at our harmonious hum-with-every-bite young daughter—brown-stained chowfun noodles swing from her chubby little chin.

Mom cracks a smile.

Tom Eats Wan Lai