Sweet Lime
Sweet Lime has unfortunately closed
Sushi is traditionally composed of rice and vinegar, topped with fresh fish all rolled into a seaweed. This famous Japanese dish has made its way to the US and other non-Asian countries with the addition of avocado, mango and sometimes, cream cheese. US cities like San Francisco, New York and Seattle have already been swept with the sushi phenomenon and have become top cities with the best Americanized and even authentic sushi. In Atlanta however, sushi is not as popular yet but a certain restaurant in the city’s lively Little Five Points neighborhood is slowly becoming famous not only for its take on the famous Japanese rice roll, but also on other Asian dishes like noodles and rice dishes that the Thais, Koreans and other countries from the Orient are known for, and did we mention that they also serve cocktails?
Welcome to Sweet Lime, an Asian fusion restaurant that serves all kinds of famous Asian recipes from sushi to sashimi to beef, pork, chicken, rice, vegetables, and whether you like it spicy or mild, it has everything you need to satisfy that Asian food hankering – plus a cocktail to go down with it.
Sweet Lime’s exteriors are very low key but the interiors are not over the top either but would still attract guests who are looking for a relaxing and wholesome venue for lunch or dinner with friends or family. The lights are dim but not too dark that you won’t see the menu or what you’re eating. The Chinese lanterns truly create a very zen-like atmosphere with the modern furniture keeping up with the times. The collision of the east and west, and the traditional and the modern resulted in a perfect balance of warmth, coziness and positive vibes in every corner of the place.
As mentioned, the menu consists of varied Asian food choices. For appetizers, the green salad or the very healthy Miso soup is a good choice to warm up those guts for the sumptuous meals ahead. Main entrees include shrimp or fish – cooked or raw as in sushi or sashimi, lean meat – your choice of chicken, pork or beef, Asian food essentials such as rice, noodles or tofu, and to complete your nutritional requirements, mixed vegetables.
Their sushi menu consists of Makimono which is a well-known for having different types of ingredients all rolled together and served in sixes, Nigiri which is composed of rice, pressed and not rolled, with your choice of topping and served in pairs, and Sashimi which is simply raw fish and is served in threes. They have more sushi variations in their menu and they also offer sushi specials like the one-dollar sushi which they offer during weekdays, Monday to Thursday before dinner at 6 PM. Their sushi servings would usually cost you around $15, more or less, but is worth every penny.
Arnie, is the restaurant’s bartender. Upon talking to Arnie, we’ve learned that he actually is a graduate from the University of Georgia with a degree in Statistics nonetheless but also has all the stuff that every good bartender is made of – excellent mixing and social skills. The bar “regulars” find him to be very friendly, and not only because it is what his job entails but because he simply is. As for his mixing skills, he is good in martinis, too bad though that Sweet Lime only serves gins, vodkas and beers. But hopefully the restaurant will expand its bar list to keep up with its well varied menu as well as with the other bars in Little Five Points. As for the restaurant’s kitchen team, we learned that the Souz chef is from Guatemala and is closely supervised by the Indonesian head chef. Sweet Lime also has a very hands-on owner, Joe Buddha, who comes by the place every weekend where the place is jam-packed and constantly checks if things in Sweet Lime are in the up and up.
So if you’re tired of the same old atmosphere of the restaurants and bars in Moreland Avenue – lively yet too crowded and a tad rowdy – then come to Euclid Avenue and sample the Asian offerings – yes a bit westernized but still a “must-taste” – that Sweet Lime has to offer. To-go and delivery options are also available.