Top 5 favorite Utah restuarants.

[Gameface]

My top 5 isn't really a list of the best 5 restaurants. Just some sentimental selections.

#1 Red Iguana. This restaurant is about a mile from my childhood home. It's also the first place I took my wife out to eat after we officially started dating. We made a habit of eating there every Friday for the first few years we dated. There was one old lady server who was there all the time, I figure she was family of the owner. Anyway, her section was usually right up front as you walked in the door. She was usually the one who sat people. My wife and I are pretty good tippers. We've both worked as servers and both our mom's have been servers and we go out to eat all the time. So this lady would snatch us up (and correct my pronunciation of amarillo every time), but she'd also seat us the second we walked in even when it was busy. Back then it was busy, but not like it is now.

#2 Sakana. This is a sushi place within walking distance of my house that actually has good sushi. The owner is a woman who is usually there and who usually talks to every table. The first couple years they had some consistency issues. I noticed a chef who seemed to be a moody prick. Well, he vanished and they have been extraordinarily consistent ever since. My wife actually complained about the ginger (they had pink stuff that tasted like window cleaner) and shortly thereafter they had natural looking ginger that had a much better flavor.

#3 Dodo. My wife's mom worked at their original location and was personal friends with the owners. I think the owners made better friends and they lost touch, but it's a nice place. I don't think the same people own it. Their BBQ turkey comes with a very interesting thin, vinegary BBQ sauce, and their gazpacho, when they have it, is really good.

#4 Fiddler's Elbow. Was within walking distance of the first apt. my wife (GF at the time) and I rented. Pitchers of decent beer, pool tables, a nice patio, right next to the original Wizard's and Dreams and Blue Boutique. Kind of a grungy area when we lived there. I've heard it's gotten a lot nicer since we left...lol

#5 The New Thai Cafe. This place is very surprising. It's just another Thai place. So it isn't like it's going to be something entirely different, but these guys make the most tender Satay Gai I've had anywhere and it's been super tender all of the several dozen times we've ordered it. Their Nam Tok is so good my wife and I both order it now every time no matter what. I can tell that they like that we order it, too. They are very proud of their food.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Black Sheep cafe in Provo is damn good
Best Korean in Provo area is Sam Hawk
3-4 good indian restaurants in the area that mostly got named and all seem to stem from Bombay House as their origin
Thai Evergreen in Orem is pretty Solid
Ginger Garden cafe in Springville is pretty good food if you want to eat vegan or vegetarian
The new Sweeto Burrito truck that just opened in Provo is good (these are all around the US)
The barbeque sauce at ABG's is pretty good, so they have a solid burger and fries (one of the bartenders makes it)
Shoga Japanese restaurant is my favorite Sushi in Provo/Orem area
I am sure there are others I really like but those are the first that popped in my head

 

[LogGrad98]

Takashi has the best sushi in Utah.

Disagree. This distinction goes to Sushi Yah. Takashi uses salmon shipped in chloride and is way overpriced. The last 2 or 3 times we ate there the tuna was mealy (sign of being thawed then frozen again), the salmon was bathed in chloride. For the record, fresh salmon should have a very light almost buttery taste and a little oily and sweet with just a hint of salt in the fish. If it is noticeably salty or smells like the ocean they packed it in a chloride solution. Takashi does a good job with specialty fish, like black sea bass, roughy, and I think they had uni there once that I can remember...which is my all-time favorite piece of sushi to eat. But they are way overpriced for what you get and the service is usually not that great. I wouldn't have eaten there much if it weren't for vendors and sales guys taking me to lunch there.

I liked Happy Sumo, mostly for their hamachi kama.

 

[LogGrad98]

I am a sushi fiend. I eat it at least 7 times per week. None very good in STG.
I hate AYCE.. only because I hate any rules.
Will hit yall up for some recs when I head up to SLC.

You need to come to Reno. Or go to Sushi Yah in Salt Lake (it is actually a transplanted Reno place that was called Aloha Sushi here, go figure). No rules for the AYCE and it is almost always awesome. When it isn't awesome, it is just great, or fantastic. But mostly awesome.

 

[franklin]

Yikes. Scary that the bolded made a top 5 list.

Considering I'm in UTC and pretty much all we have are chains, all the other restaurants aren't even comparable to Carraba's. It's in a class all by itself as far as chains go.

2. Manuel's El Burrito (Clearfield)

Best chile verde in Utah, maybe in the west.

Not hard to beat since most Utah places dump canned green chili's into a blender and nuke the dog puke.

I only hate AYCE sushi because it has sucked every time I've had it.

Only done AYCE sushi once, and wasn't a fan.

Good places can give you quality for about $20 since most people can only eat 2-3 anyway. AYCE has to be the same quality as a la carte or they're running off customers.

 

[Dr. Jones]

You need to come to Reno. Or go to Sushi Yah in Salt Lake (it is actually a transplanted Reno place that was called Aloha Sushi here, go figure). No rules for the AYCE and it is almost always awesome. When it isn't awesome, it is just great, or fantastic. But mostly awesome.

If I come to Reno.. can I buy you some sushi?

 

[Dr. Jones]

My faves;

Unagi
Tako
Super White Tuna (you guys familiar? Holeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)
Uni
maguro

I'll tell you a good one that I bet no one here has had.. Wahoo.
Anyone ever had it? Beware, it's a trap.. be careful your answer.

 

[LogGrad98]

My faves;

Unagi
Tako
Super White Tuna (you guys familiar? Holeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)
Uni
maguro

I'll tell you a good one that I bet no one here has had.. Wahoo.
Anyone ever had it? Beware, it's a trap.. be careful your answer.

I know wahoo is a sports fish (ono in hawaii). But even google doesn't talk much about it being used for sushi. Maguro is good, for some it would be a texture issue (sorry was thinking of toro, tuna belly, maguro is more firm), but that is the same for uni, which is like eating a creamy oyster. Not a fan of unagi. In some rolls it's ok, but not as nigiri. Black sea bass is very very good. Had it first at takashi then again in San Diego and every time I can get it since. And if you are referring to mackerel as super white tuna, yeah not a fan. At least not a fan of what most places do to it.

Anyone had hamachi kama, grilled or otherwise?

 

[Dr. Jones]

Hamachi (yellow fin tuna, right?)

AWESOME!

Wahoo... I have had it only about 5 times.. must go out in a boat, catch and filet to eat sashimi immediately.. The best. I had some fresh conch and wahoo on a Bahamas fishing trip...

I am depressing myself.. these threads today will lead me to move..

 

[LogGrad98]

Next time you go out for sushi, ask if they have hamachi kama. It is the collar or cheek of the yellowtail, sometimes grilled or broiled and can be served raw. I think it has a great flavor, and if they bring the whole collar or cheek it is fun because you are picking pieces of fish off of the fish head. Cool!

 

[Dr. Jones]

Next time you go out for sushi, ask if they have hamachi kama. It is the collar or cheek of the yellowtail, sometimes grilled or broiled and can be served raw. I think it has a great flavor, and if they bring the whole collar or cheek it is fun because you are picking pieces of fish off of the fish head. Cool!

Yes.. this... love it.

ALso, ask for the deep fried heads of the shrimp. srs

 

[Ron Mexico]

That definitely would have been #6 on mine. Come to think of it though, I can't think of much I don't like around that University/Center cross area. There is a lot of good stuff there.

It has become really nice food busy area these days. I am sad that soon after they started serving alcohol Spark shut down. Not the best but okay and anywhere that serves boos in Provo is a fav of mine.

The Banana Leaf down the road is good as well.