News You Can Eat Tasting Intown: A review of Le Colonial

Afundamental concept of ancient Chinese philosophy is the idea of yin and yang. The general principle is that no thing exists without some opposite. Yin and yang contradict but are also inseparable equals. Harmony is achieved through their balance. This is how I finally resolved the question of why Le Colonial is needed in the Shops at Buckhead, when you can walk a few blocks and find Chai Yo just down the street.

I reviewed Chai Yo very favorably in this publication last winter. Even then, like many citizens of the metropolis, I questioned why anyone would go out in cold weather for Asian food when there is a wealth of excellence on offer for delivery. In the case of Chai Yo, I concluded that you must occasionally leave the house for premium ingredients and quality service. Those same judgments apply to Le Colonial, but how they should we decide between two equally good places that are just a stone’s throw apart?

We should start with a foundational fact: Chai Yo is Thai and Le Colonial is Vietnamese. A lot of people have no sense of the culinary differences between these two cultures. Both are rooted in strong Chinese influence, but then Vietnam was eventually colonized by the French and Thailand remained relatively neutral amidst the territorial squabbles of the British and the French. The extent of French influence on the food in Vietnam is a matter of some debate, and Le Colonial purports to represent some part of that influence.

You can mostly leave that conversation to the history buffs or seriously niche foodies, but it’s fair to say in general that a people subjugated by a foreign power necessarily develop a sense of humor that can fly under the radar. This slight cheekiness is everywhere on display at Le Colonial, from the pepper garnish pointing out at you from the top of the spicy lime cocktail to the decidedly more relaxed and modern approach to service. You can go to Chai Yo to be mothered by more traditional waitstaff, whereas at Le Colonial you are more likely to share a joke with your server.