As fall break quickly approached I began to wonder what restaurant I wanted to review and how I would review it. I knew that I probably wouldn’t go to a restaurant over the break because I was flying down to Florida to visit family and friends throughout the entire break. So I decided that I wanted to choose a place that was near the GA Tech campus. I wanted to review one I could visit frequently if I enjoyed the meal I had. The only problem was that I had no idea where to find a decent restaurant. I could have reviewed a few fast food restaurants I knew of, but I wanted to eat a decent meal. Then on Wednesday, as I was walking between classes, I saw Tin Drum. I had plenty of time between my classes to get something to eat. So, I decided right there that I would review Tin Drum as a college student that wanted something to eat between classes.
As soon as you walk into Tin Drum you see a picture on your left. In the picture is a white male that is fairly nerdy looking. He has glasses and is wearing a suit and tie. While looking up the restaurant I somehow saw this picture. I remembered how out of place it looked in the Asian restaurant. I decided to dig a little deeper and find out what this picture was. I now know that the picture was by Andy Warhol and is an album cover for an album called Tin Drum. This album cover, although it looks out of place in an Asian restaurant, is actually very relevant. The man eating could represent a stereotypical nerdy GA Tech student. And the fact that the album was called Tin Drum is enough to make it relevant to the restaurant. After seeing this picture you immediately walk up to the register to order your food.
In Tin Drum, you pay for your food the minute you walk in. Being a college student and feeling as if I always have something to do in the near future, I found it very convenient that you order your food so quickly. The only service you will see at the Tin Drum is when you first order and when your food is brought out to you. So don’t go expecting to be waited on. You must get everything yourself except for the food. If you pay for a fountain drink you must grab a glass and fill it yourself. Everything from getting a fork to getting the box to take your leftovers home is left for you to handle. This in no way bothers me since most of the time that I would eat at Tin Drum I’ll be between classes and eating alone and don’t really mind that little extra work before I sit down at a table of my choice. And also since I’m between classes I usually want to eat quickly. Rather than having to ask a waiter for a box for my leftovers I can go get it whenever I feel like leaving.
Tin Drum has a fairly large menu. I decided to order the first thing that jumped out at me; Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry and a fountain drink. The order came to $9.40. Not a super expensive meal but considering that a lot of the serving is done on your own I found it a bit much. I paid and moved on to getting my drink. There’s not a huge variety of fountain drinks but there is most likely something there that will please everyone. I decided to get the normal Coca Cola, grabbed a straw and a fork, and then went on to find a seat. There is seating on the inside or outside of the restaurant and I personally like getting a window seat inside. Tin Drum is not a huge restaurant, but it wasn’t very crowded and seats were available at the time that I ate there. Unfortunately all the window seats were taken. So, not wanting to feel cramped in a corner, I settled for a table near the center of the room.
I didn’t have to wait long for my food. Once the food was in front of me I knew why the price seemed a bit much. There’s a huge amount of food served to you. Most of the meals I saw around me were served in oversized bowls, and mine was no exception. The large bowl was filled with food that looked very appetizing. The first bite I took was of a piece of the chicken. It tasted very good. There was not too much breading like I see far to often on most breaded chicken I have. This chickens breading coated it evenly and the chicken inside tasted great. I noticed I didn’t taste much teriyaki though.
I tried some of the rice next. The rice was where all the teriyaki went. I could see on the edges of the bowl that the meal came with white rice, but when the top layer of food was moved I could see that the rice had the brown tint that teriyaki gives it. I’m not sure if they pour in the teriyaki before or after adding the top layer of meat and vegetables, but most of the teriyaki was in the rice. Although most of the teriyaki may be in the rice, the teriyaki does not overpower any of the foods natural flavors. There’s not so much of the teriyaki sauced poured in that it pools at the bottom of the bowl under the rice and the food is not completely soaked in it.
I then began eating all of the vegetables of the top so I would be left with only the rice and chicken. I like to eat meals that have chicken and rice a certain way. I pop a piece of chicken into my mouth then quickly follow it with a forkful of rice. So to enjoy my way of eating I started to clear out the vegetables that would get in the way. Most of the vegetables in the bowl were crunchy kinds. This included celery, which I’m not a big fan of eating when I have rice. The flavors of the food were still in my mouth, but after eating a piece of celery and its watery tastelessness, my taste buds felt like they reset. I would rather have broccoli in place of the celery. In my opinion the broccoli would go much better with the chicken and rice.
After eating the meal and getting very full, I realized that I wasn’t going to finish. I grabbed a to-go box, put the rest of my food in it and went on my way. I left the bowl and drinking glass there along with a decent tip for whoever was lucky enough to clean my table. While leaving I was very satisfied with my meal. I was able to get some good food while under a time limit, being in and out in roughly 30 minutes. This left me plenty of time to do some schoolwork in the library before my next class started. Tin Drum was definitely set up for college students that simply want a quick meal that tastes delicious. It could be compared to a fast food restaurant, but having much higher quality food. If you do ever go to Tin Drum, keep in mind you shouldn’t expect being served and treated like royalty. You should go simply expecting good food, which is what they will give you.
Tin Drum: Three stars.
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