Korean, German restaurants add ethnic flavor to Cary

Looking to spice up your restaurant routine? Then head to Cary, where you'll find a couple of new dining options unlike anything else in the Triangle.

S Mart (1000 Ryan Road, in Cary Village Square; 469-0559) isn't the first Asian supermarket in the area, and the counter service eatery in the corner of the store isn't the only local Korean restaurant. But the combination is unique and reinforces Cary's growing reputation as a worthy destination for authentic ethnic fare.

According to operations manager Hans Choe, the location of the S Mart restaurant inside the store aims to capture the feel of food vendors in the markets of Korea. But don't let the food court appearance fool you. This is not fast food but the real deal, much of it made from scratch using fresh produce and seafood from the store's live fish tanks. Choe warns that it may take a while to get your food if the place is busy.

Your patience will be rewarded with a wide assortment of authentic fare, from the familiar bibimbap and barbecue beef (bulgogi) to handmade noodles and exotic dishes such as soon dae gook, which the menu describes as "soup made with slices of hand-stuffed Korean sausage and pork," and which Choe says is "not for beginners." S Mart is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

You'll have to wait a couple of weeks before putting on the lederhosen and setting out for Bavarian Brathaus (6464 Tryon Road; 859-5299; http://bavarianbrathaus.info/ ). The restaurant isn't open yet, but owner Paul Hoffmann hopes to have bratwursts on the grill and pilsner flowing by the end of the month. What's a couple of weeks, after all, when we've been waiting for a traditional German restaurant for decades?

Those brats, by the way, are homemade. So is pretty much everything else on the menu, according to Hoffmann's partner, Calvin Cotton, who runs the original Bavarian Brathaus in SanfoRoad And by "everything else," we're talking about an extensive offering that covers the spectrum from sauerbraten to schweinshaxe (ham hock, Bavarian style) to nine variations on the schnitzel theme. Naturally, entrees are accompanied by hearty sides such as spaetzle, red cabbage, potato dumplings and locally baked German-style breads. And if you can squeeze it in, there's strudel for dessert.

Greg Cox is the restaurant critic and food writer for The News & Observer. He can be reached at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Read the Epicurean blog at http://blogs.newsobserver.com/epicurean.