The Tin Drum (Blog Post #2)

The Tin Drum; Dining to a Different Beat

By Michael K. Duke

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Tin Drum is a restaurant franchise that specializes in Asian cuisine. It has five locations over Atlanta and one in Forsyth. Yesterday evening, a Wednesday, I thought I would give the Tin Drum in Georgia Tech’s Technology Square a try. I was in for an interesting experience.

The first time I ate at The Tin Drum I went along with a friend, my roommate, and a complete stranger who had Chemistry with my previously mentioned friend. Before we even got to the Tin Drum I noticed how difficult parking would be. There were a precious few spaces in front of the establishment, but I assume the bulk of the parking would have to be done elsewhere. There were certainly lots not too far away, but a myriad of places to stop and eat rested between all the lots I know of and the Tin Drum. When we first arrived at the Tin Drum, just as the sun was starting to set, I was appalled by the line. While not out-the-door, I was able to lean against it from the inside for the wait. I’ve never seen such a line on a week-night for anything short of the Olive Garden. Fortunately, the wait was brief. Even though there were ten people before us, we waited only six minutes to get to the counter. During our wait plastic menus were left by the door for us to look over. For a fairly small selection, the variety was amazing. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Indian dishes were all represented on the menu. The price-tags that went with it were not extraordinary but they were not cheap either. My party ordered and proceeded to sit at our table, which was located in the very center of the establishment.

Right off the bat I noticed that we were expected to get our own silverware, straws, and even glasses for our drinks. I was slightly annoyed at the inconvenience of this, mainly due to the price of the meal, but the glasses we got made up for it. Rather than most places similar to the Tin Drum in style and service, like Koumi Express or Noodle Bowl, the glasses were just that, glasses. I was thrilled to be drinking out of a real glass rather than a crummy paper, plastic, or styrofoam cup. This pleasure died however when I returned to my seat and got a face full of the setting sun. I glanced around to see much of the same on half of the patrons in the restaurant. You either sat with your back to the sun, or had to stare directly into it for the half hour it took from reaching the top of the window to being covered up by the Klaus building on Georgia Tech’s campus. Squinting, I checked to see if there were any blinds that could be lowered, and was sadly disappointed. Rather than spend the first part of my meal staring into the sun, I chose to move my chair to the side of the table so only have of my face would be blinded. It was then that I truly noticed the next great flaw of the establishment.

All the tables were close enough together that I could over hear what almost everyone in the restaurant was saying. Two sides of the place were nothing but windows, which meant even if you were sitting in the very back of the restaurant, you had a window seat. Now while this is totally preferential, I have never enjoyed other people being able to look in on me while I am eating. At the Tin Drum the only thing that prevents this from happening are the outdoor tables which are placed right by the windows. The outdoor tables were less than grand, and offer the same amount of space as what is inside of the restaurant. Although smoking is permitted outside so it may be a more desirable place to sit for the smoker. While I was noting the not-so spectacular view, I was visited for the first time by our waitress. She began listing off orders in a very crude English and laying dishes down on the table. It took me about five minutes to explain to her that what she had given us was not ours. After she understood, she took the dishes and went to a second table, where it seemed she had the exact same conversation before going to a third and finally leaving her dishes. This was repeated a second time before our food actually arrived.

My friend got her dish first, Cantonese Noodle, and allowed me to try it. Instantly I started to worry I had ordered poorly. The Cantonese Noodle had grilled beef, with rich, earthy flavors I cannot properly describe, over perfectly cooked noodles. My roommate and our fourth guest were not as willing to share, but their Teriyaki Chicken and Pad Thai looked as though they would be equally delectable. Finally my Tikka Masala arrived. In all honesty, I ordered this dish to see if it could compare with the version I myself personally make at home. This was a mistake, because now I do not think I can ever make the meal for myself again without knowing that there is a better version out there. This particular dish was mind-numbing. The creamy tomato sauce, mixed with curry, cumin, cilantro, and other spices I could not identify was drizzled over tender pieces of chicken. White rice was served on the side to compliment the entrée and grant relief to taste buds burning from curry. On a second occasion I was able to try the Japanese Katsu, a very spicy breaded chicken with yellow curry and jalapeño peppers all over rice. While not as delectable as the Tikka Masala, the Japanese Katsu managed to win itself a position as the best spicy plate I have ever consumed. Dinner was very filling, but it was not difficult to push my stomach to allow room for the copious amount of food that the Tin Drum puts on every plate. The sweet tea was to die for, although that comment is coming from a college student who has been too lazy to make any himself and thusly sadly deprived. As I was eating, it became apparent that the price tag that went along with the meal was not for the service or the atmosphere, but for the food. It was worth every penny. By the end of the meal everyone at the table had finished all of their food. But we didn’t eat and run. Trying that might have resulted in an upset stomach, but the primary reason was despite the clutter and close quarters, the excellent meal and laid back atmosphere made us all feel at ease.

The Tin Drum’s poor service and cramped atmosphere are easily outmatched by the quality of food. The start of my meal at the Tin Drum was less than desirable, but the meal was so amazing I would suffer through a thousand other poor waitresses and blinding sun-downs for the chance to get it again. While certainly not a place to take a romantic interest, or a place to host an important meeting, the next time you are in the mood to try something new I recommend The Tin Drum. Just not at sundown. My rating: three stars.