Fork Story Cafe

Ok. So they must have changed the theme and menu a bit since I came here when it first opened. I am writing my review based on a handful of experiences after this place just opened in spring of 2013. When I came here they were exclusively Italian and not Korean-​Italian fusion. I knew that the owners were Korean because they own the (wonderful) Tree Story Bakery and Café in the same shopping center.
I have traveled pretty extensively in Italy and know Italian when I have it. I still have yet to find a decent real Italian (as opposed to New York Italian) restaurant in Atlanta. When I went it looks like Fork Story was attempting to do that but their menu and food came up quite a bit short. It was by no means bad, but it was certainly not real Italian — like I expected based on the quality of Tree Story.
Now, the menu must have changed to Korean-​Italian fusion, and I have not been back since last year so my review may not reflect the current state of affairs here. I hope it is now more in line with the quality of Tree Story.
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅
Sanitation: ⁵⁄₅
Value: ³⁄₅

From the owner of Tree Story Bakery & Café comes Fork Story Italian Fusion Cuisine. Fork Story opened Spring 2013 in the Super H Mart shopping plaza on Pleasant Hill Rd. in Duluth, the same shopping plaza as Tree Story. If you’ve ever been to Tree Story, you can expect the same charming and whimsical atmosphere at Fork Story.
The restaurant is very unique. It’s Italian-​Korean fusion, an unusual, but neat concept and the type of restaurant you’d expect to find in Seoul or New York, not Atlanta. While it’s Korean owned and operated, the business is first and foremost an Italian restaurant. Fork Story took over the old White Windmill space. Some elements of White Windmill remain, such as the hardwood floors and the large, dark wooden ordering counter.
Like Tree Story, I love the design of Fork Story. It’s a nice restaurant, one that makes you feel right at home, and it’s perfect for an intimate dinner or pleasant date. Casual walk-​ins are completely fine too. The interior is a mixture of old school and modern European furniture and décor. Colorful artwork and faux exposed brick make up many of the walls and ornate lighting fixtures hang from above. There’s a variety of seating types from high chairs to cushioned bench seating. The chefs and servers wear traditional Italian uniforms (e.g. berets, aprons).
The menu consists mostly of Italian dishes. There are classic Italian dishes such as Caprese salad, chicken Parmesan, and pastas like fettucine alfredo and linguine carbonara. There are flatbread sandwiches, similar to paninis, gratins (dishes topped with a brown crust), risotto, and interesting tapas (e.g. cod nuggets, shrimp flambé, caramel popcorn, and «tumbleweed»).
Examples of Italian-​Korean crossovers include the bulgogi salad (bulgogi = Korean thinly sliced marinated ribeye) made with arugula, red onion, walnuts, and a soy sauce vinaigrette; ramen pasta (more of an Italian-​Japanese crossover) made with ramen, baby bella mushrooms, and diced tomatoes; and dduk bok ki gratin made with Korean rice cakes, penne pasta, and carrots.
Most dishes are in the $ 8 – 15 range. I don’t think there are separate lunch and dinner menus. Hot and iced caffeinated beverages such as coffees, espressos, lattes, and macchiatos are available.
Every meal is accompanied with a basket of breads (French baguette, Italian focaccia) with olive oil and vinegar and a small dish of pickled vegetables such as pickles, radish, jalapeño, and tomato. It’s different than the pickled veggies you’d find in Korean banchan (side dishes). I think they’re delicious.
I’ve tried a few dishes at Fork Story and thought everything was pretty good. These dishes include:
Arugula and beet salad
Spaghetti and meatballs with housemade marinara sauce
Bulgogi risotto
The presentation here is excellent. Every dish is like a work of art. High quality dinnerware and silverware are used.
The arugula and beet salad was crisp, fresh, and flavorful. Ingredients included alfalfa sprouts, walnuts, fresh cheese, radish, red and golden orange grape tomatoes, and red and orange beets (chopped). The salad was topped with a lemon vinaigrette. Healthy and refreshing.
The spaghetti and meatballs were hearty and satisfying. The dish comes with five jumbo meatballs, alfalfa sprouts, shredded Parmesan, parsley, and marinara. The housemade marinara was good, a classic take. The meatballs had a distinct flavor and texture. I liked them — they were tasty, but the smooth texture and slightly rubbery consistency might turn some people off.
I enjoyed the bulgogi risotto. It was a filling bowl of bulgogi and cheesy risotto topped with alfalfa and parsley. The bulgogi was tender and held its traditional Korean marinated flavor well even after being cooked and mixed into the risotto. The bowl was served piping hot. This Italian-​Korean crossover dish worked out well.
Service is outstanding (thank you, Eunae).
If facing H Mart, Fork Story is located to the left in the same strip as Book Chang Dong Tofu House.

A surprisingly well sized, well decorated, and unique styled fusion italian restaurant. It’s located inside of the Hmart plaza. I tried the green fork salad with this kiwi dressing… it was amaazing. I tried to find the dressing at the grocery store and failed to my dismay. The bread that comes out is delicious! Well baked and generous.
For the entrée, I tried the carbonara linguine and my mom tried the spicy seafood pasta. Both were fabulous. The cream sauce wasn’t too oily and the spicy seafood had a lot of seafood. :) yum.
The waitress was attentive and friendly, but the other staff were pretty callous. When we entered and left, only our waitress genuiously greeted us. The price was pretty decent, but a little on the upper side considering the food.
But overall, we had a good time at the Fork Story and recommend people to try it! It’s a unique menu with a nice interior. Go for it!

My best friend took me here on my birthday (⁹⁄₂₀) and let me tell ya, this was a nice change. I’m used to the usual Star Daepo or Iron Age scene, but this place is amazing! It is italian food with a korean twist. For example, they have risotto, but they also have bulgogi risotto lol. Sounds interesting right? I had the shrimp fettucini alfredo with a glass of their house red wine. Very lovely indeed. I will definately be coming back here =)

This place is AMAZING. the atmosphere is very fancy like and very clean.
I love coming here for lunch with friends because if their amazing pasta. Their style of preparing the dishes is very classy. The taste of the food is great. I love the shrimp with the bread bowl ! Service is outstanding and the employees are very nice. I would give them for than 5 stars if Unilocal allows me :)
Overall my experience at this restaurant was very good and I enjoy every second of it! Give them a visit and see what I mean.

I wonder why this place got such bad reviews? I liked it. Am I crazy?
I ordered the Carbonara pasta, and I thought it was absolutely delicious. The portions are large so I thought the price was reasonable. The pasta was soft, sauce was creamy, bacon was delicious. My friend got the Bulgogi Gratin. It was baked with potatoes, on top of a cheesy topping. I did feel it missed something—
Warning: I’m about to say something real Asian.
I wish the Bulgogi Gratin came with rice.
Okay, Asian moment over.
Otherwise, I thought it was real tasty!
Service was great, food was good.

I was excited to try this place but was ultimately disappointed. I had the jambalaya pasta and was not impressed. My friend had some panini and it was average. We did have the pickled veggies and they were good.
However, my biggest gripe with this place was the staff. When we came, we were the only ones there and the waitress and a cook (?) were just hanging out in the front talking at a table. They weren’t really doing anything but it was a bit weird and awkward…

My friend and fellow Unilocaler, Phuong V., told me about this place a week or two ago so we decided to check it out.
Korean and Italian FUSION cuisine. Ain’t that interesting? Sure is! It’s located off Pleasanthill Road inside the H-​Mart plaza. It’s on the side where the old White Windmill Bakery use to be. Speaking of bakery, I’m pretty sure it’s a sister store to Tree Story Bakery and Café located within the same plaza on the opposite side.
FOOD:
1. Vongole Pasta $ 14 (white clams, diced tomato, and roasted garlic in white wine sauce): It was OKAY. It could’ve been perfect, but here goes my take.
a. Love garlic, but this dish was overwhelmed with so many cut-​up roasted garlic cloves. That’s all you could taste after the first two bites. Pack some gum if you’re planning to try it out.
b.The wine sauce was in abundance along with the oil. My lips were glistening after every bite and I would have to wipe ‘em.
c. The entrée comes with the whole clam, which makes a beautiful culinary accessory. My only concern was to have it cleaned better. The shells were chipping off into my food and imagine them surprising your teeth as you chow down. Not pleasant.
2.Jambalaya Pasta $ 14 (Pan seared chicken and sausage, belle peppers, & onions. Tossed in spicy cajun marinara): This dish was mediocre. Delish aroma being brought out and was tasty, but there was no cajun kick to it. Marinara overpowered the «cajun» added I surmise.
INTERIOR: Very nicely decorated. Modern-​italian décor with bluesy-​jazz music playing to add on to the warm ambiance.
Overall, the experience and service was good. The food was okay, but a tad overpriced considering the portion. I’ll be back to try other entrees on the menu.
**Check out the uploaded pictures**

The pasta here is a bit asia fusion in my own point of view. The egg cream source one is very tasty, not too heavy, not too light, just about right. Definitely coming back. The price is reasonable, but not very cheap.

Came across this restaurant when we were eating at the Tofu House next door. We were so curious and intrigued about the Korean– Italian fusion, we decided to try it out for dinner the next day. We were initially expecting a cute cafeteria type establishment, but to our astonishment this place was so well decorated and the atmosphere so warm and inviting. The food came out and we were again blown away, this time with the presentation and with the burst of flavor of every dish. To top it off, the staff were very very nice and accommodating. Overall, a unexpectedly flawless experience. We will be coming back for sure and spreading the word about Fork Story!

Um. I was very excited about this place but it wasnt as I excepted. It was over priced for a italian fusion cuisine. sweet tea was BAD water was tap water that smelled bad. Service was great but food was not as good as what I paid for. Not sure if I would go back. Btw I think it’s ok to just try out but won’t enjoy going there all the time.

Exploring our new home and looking for the little «mom & pop» local places to try.
Great Euro/​Italian fusion menu with a hipster vibe. Place is decorated nice, staff was pleasant, attentive, and the food was excellent.
We’ll be going back to try out other menu items.

«An Italian restaurant in a Korean shopping plaza? Probably not that great and costs a lot.» That’s what I thought and thought wrong. You need to try this place. The chicken Parmesan is the best I’ve had!

Enjoyed a relaxing dinner at Fork Story last night with friends and came away very pleased. This was my first visit and thought the variety of the menu terrific an infusion of cultures from Asia to Italy. The staff warm and welcoming from our server Jenifer to a table side visit from Executive Chef Tony and Sous Chef Seth ensuring or satisfaction. Great food and good value. Will be on my rotation of places to enjoy.
One thing I should add, this restaurant closed for about a month to remodel and spice up the menu, it is no longer «counter service» it is now full service with a new menu. Check it out!

It is always fun to drop into a new business and experience it in its infancy. The way this place is setup, you order at the counter and they will bring you your food and drinks. The food tasted great and was high quality. This place is a little more expensive than expected when walking in the door. The portions they give you seemed a little small. I was still decently hungry after finishing off the spicy jambalaya fettuccine. What surprised me is that close to the end of the meal the chef on duty stopped out to see how we liked our food. After giving him what we thought, he claimed he will look into making some changes. For me I’ll give this place another try down the road, but if nothing has changed you can get more food for your money elsewhere.

I stopped in randomly the other day after grocery shopping because I was really hungry, and it was a new place so it caught my eye. Went in with no expectations, but wow~ It was so good. First of all, the place is really nice inside. Very clean. I ordered the chicken cordon bleu panini, and it was delicious. Chicken was crispy, bread was perfectly pressed, and the sauce was something amazing. The sandwich came with chips and a skewer of pickled vegetables. The skewer was great. Reminded me of kimchi, which is always a plus =) The real highlight though, (and this is probably going to sound weird,) were the CHIPS. I’m not normally the biggest fan of potato chips, but these were AMAZING. I don’t know if they make them at the restaurant or have them delivered, but they were these incredibly crisp potato skins with parmesan cheese or something sprinkled on them. And somehow, they are really fluffy and airy. It’s insane, but they were the best potato chips I’ve ever had, and I want to know if I can just buy a bagful the next time I go. And there will absolutely be a next time because I plan to bring friends here =)