J Wong's Bistro

I've been using a few sites to help me find new restaurants and I've noticed a common theme.

Sometimes, in looking for a new restaurant, I'll peruse the comments and ratings of a place to give me a specific feel for it. Any comments on how good or bad the food was, I usually look past. I want to know about service, location and cleanliness. Though, even service is iffy and rarely paid attention to, unless there are major red flags.
These though, are not the common theme (though, they may also be), the common theme of which I speak; I've seen present in the posts of zealots and it drives me absolutely bonkers.

I strongly feel that everyone not only has an opinion, but the right to share it, I'll even on occasion encourage it. However, don't you dare say your opinion is better than someone else's. It's an opinion for cryin' out loud!

"This is the best x in y there is"
"You won't find a better z in town"

It's even more amusing when those reviews are at places I've been to, about food I've had better at other places - my opinion of course. It is definitely a pet peeve of mine, not just in food related arguments, any argument...which is usually just that because someone said in some fashion that their opinion was better than the other's and booom.

Am I innocent of this? No. I may have even at some point in these posts said "best z there is" and for that, I offer my apologies. I have learned a thing or two over the course of restarting this and learning that opinions cannot be better or worse than others... Granted there are exceptions to this, but in general I speak to a healthy, well founded, reasonable opinion.
I've known for a long time tastes are as many and varied as the sands of the beach, they are intrinsic as one's personality, so I speak to my tastes and if in some rights you agree - so much for the better for both. For this I will try to be more cautious in sharing my opinion of a place, and avoid such audacious claims as to have found the best dim sum there is on the planet... coincidentally, "World Famous" claims restaurants make...I just want to tear their signs down. Just because someone was in Japan talking about your food and that person came here for other reasons and found time to try it also, doesn't make it world famous.

Anyway.
I came here to talk about J Wong's I got sidetracked by my own ramblings. I've tried a few Chinese restaurants here and all of them are good, but nothing really to write about. There was one in Bountiful I used to frequent with great frequency, enough so to get (and give) birthday and Christmas gifts from the staff and Owner each year. I loved their food and their service was that of your dear old mum serving you soup in bed when you were a kid, sick in bed...and for one waitress in the whole establishment? That was amazing.
Well, time passes and all good things come to an end - She sold the place and retired, while the service was the same and the food was the same - for a time, it just wasn't "home" anymore. It left a China sized hole in my stomach, and as I said, I've tried several and there really are several by several to try, nothing really filled that hole. Big shoes to fill, you know?
Well, in pursuit of decent Chinese I happened upon this unassuming place coming from some activity and promptly forgot about it. Weeks later I walk by it on the way to try some other restaurant (I don't remember which now) stopped, walked in, called some friends and had a lovely time.

The food was great and the service was decent, they consider themselves "Asian Fusion" so they have more than just Chinese, but since I was looking specifically for it, that's what I ordered.

About three weeks after that I was in the area again and decided I wanted to try something else there. I walk in, this time alone, they seated me and one of the waiters there walks up and asks me if I was in here with my friends a few weeks prior. However innocuous the comment could have been, it was enough to let me know that they were service oriented and I already liked their food, it was an easy favorite place after that, I even took me mum for her birthday, and the rest of my family enjoyed it too.

They find themselves staring to the north, looking at the south side of the Convention Center that has changed it's names almost as much as the Delta Center...or whatever it's called now.
They are on the south side of 200 s a few doors down from the hotel on the corner of West Temple, at 163 w. They also currently offer free valet.

I highly recommend their steamed Sui Loung Bau (pork dumplings), though they take some time to prepare. I also recommend well, everything else on their menu. The serve it family style, and I've yet to have something there I didn't like.
Except maybe the walnuts in the Walnut Shrimp, but the shrimp is amazing and I can't stand walnuts.


-D

Cafe Seoul

There is a cute little Korean restaurant around the corner from where I work; Sooni, the proprietor, does everything herself. She is cooking for you and serving it herself.

She opened this in the least auspicious spot she could, but I suppose opening in a business park with no other restaurants immediately around may have been more genius, than auspicious anyway.
I happened on this place on one of the rare days I ride the bus, it happens to go right in front.

I found that her food probably tastes better because she cooks it in front of you and on her slower nights she chats with you as she's cooking (she does leave you to your meal, however).
She use to be a pianist and has a great love of opera and the crooners, I've occasion to walk in there were she is got Madam Butterfly or the like at the top volume and she's singing in the back.

I enjoy her as much as her food and I've made some efforts to get other coworkers to go over there for lunch or dinner. One in particular is quite entertaining in his own rite, but even more particularly when it comes to food. I really enjoy when I can get people to step out of their comfort-zone a little and try something new, something good. (part of the reason I'm doing this, if you recall).

His conversations when I bring up this restaurant are pretty entertaining. He's a fan of fast food - certainly nothing wrong with that, and he knows I don't like several locations including the joint that touts "real roast beef," a place he really likes.
Today's conversation has me laughing even now.

Me (m)
Coworker (cw)
"Real roast beef" (rrb)

cw: "I have some coupons for you to rrb"
m: "Yeah, no."
cw: "I'll keep offering them, if you keep pushing Korean"
m: "Real food or beef flavored sawdust...ok."
cw: "Delicious food or dog"
m: "It makes me laugh that you actually think it's dog..."
"...it's cat."
cw: "I think it's funny that you think I really believe fast food is gourmet"
m: "It isn't that I believe or disbelieve, you've given me nothing to contrary and that I've seen people like that..."
"Besides, I don't think this korean restaurant is gourmet, when I think gourmet I think Christopher's, Spencer's, Aristo's, Bambara, and Market Street"
cw: "I won't be going to any of those"
m: "If you enjoy eating your food soaked in a chemical bath, I won't change your mind"
cw: "Well your restaurant is gourmet compared to rrb, I admit that"
m: "It's nice you feel that dog food is gourmet compared to fast food."
cw: "..."
"You're so funny"
m: "I'm glad you think so"

Anyway, she doesn't use dog or cat. Go enjoy a pleasant conversation over Pavarotti or Sinatra with a pleasant woman as she cooks your "at home" food. I recommend the Kimchi Cheegae or the Bulkogi (as with Korea House) or be adventurous pick something at random.

Just north of 5300 south, she's nestled in on the west side of Commerce St at 5284 s. Commerce is just east of the freeway. "Turn  north at the Bridge Building"

Nema na cemu

-D

BBQ

There is no simple way to do this, so I'm throwing down two places on this post. I have had both and my preferences lay with one more than the other - and I'll explain why, but they are both really good. Friends and others I talk to will always say one over the other and it's not always the same place. If this isn't enough to make it interesting, well...you have me stumped.

When I was in Texas, I had some of the best BBQ I've ever set my teeth to. I am however, biased. As far as food goes, it is just as much the memory surrounding the food as it is the food itself. Case in point: Comfort food; you eat comfort food to be reminded of something comforting...the food is more or less a catalyst in that memory, no?

Texas while a crazy experience, was one that I loved - I would only go back to visit...maybe.

I fell in love with BBQ and southern cooking in general. One of my fondest memories of first moving there was Beans and Rice for Sunday dinner. It too has joined the ranks for me as comfort food.

In this same time frame, I experienced for the first time "BBQ" now, what we have here in Utah is nice, throw some meat and veggies on the grill and call it a BBQ, I really like it; there? hahahaaa. that's just silly.

Noooo, they smoke the life out of their meat. It has amazing results. 

There is a place in La Marque, or maybe Texas City, or Santa Fe, I don't remember, it was right in that area of gray that I don't recall and it was on the border of one or the other, the place was fairly innocuous, but left quite the impression. It looked as though someone had gutted an old mechanics garage and turned it into a restaurant. They'd just open all the bay doors and you'd eat open aired...I've long thought that if I were to open a restaurant the design would in a sense be quite similar. 

They had really good BBQ, but not the best. That was in Victoria, "Brothers BBQ" on the southern tip of the town. Everyone down there that knew how to BBQ smoked it, but they were the best and I've only had one place here come even close.

Now, to explain to you how ...intense... people were about this, and for just reason, one man I knew wouldn't serve brisket unless it had smoked at least 18 hours...at least 18 hours. Did it need that long? I don't know, but it's some of the best I've eaten. It melted in your mouth and the flavor was spot on.

That's fairly normal I suppose. This however was not, and I'm surprised people did it, let alone were allowed.

Trailer hitched smokers. See, the more airflow you have for your smoke, the more you can smoke with it right? well screw using common sense and building a fan! Abandon all reason, throw it to the wind. hitch that sucker to your truck and drive it, burning embers et al, down the interstate going 80 and light the country-side on fire! Yes, I witnessed this and even helped put out some of the brush fires before they got too out of hand. 

Well, that didn't happen too often, but that it happened, surprised me that people weren't banned from said practice due to safety issues.

Anyway, when first I moved back I pined over the loss of good BBQ and had considered having a friend make me a smoker out of an old steel drum...I may still have them do it...I searched high and low for a decent restaurant. Enter Pat's BBQ, it has the "Garage" feel and the "Brother's" taste to it. I really enjoy their food, on occasion, it's fairly rich and it's almost all meat, but it's so good, and it's smoked!

They hang out near the 21st south Trax station on a weird side-road that isn't always easy to find. You cannot get to Commonwealth St from the west, thanks to Best Buy and Trax, but if you were to be on West Temple, you would traverse the short road heading west to find this place on your left (on the south side of the street facing north). Good luck finding parking though, during their open hours, I've never not seen a line of cars or people.

The other place that deserves as much praise, but doesn't remind me as much of my "texas" sized memory, is Sugarhouse BBQ, their food is just as good as the arguments you will hear about them being better than Pat's. I will not entertain that argument here, since taste in food always varies. I may have enjoyed Sugarhouse more had they had the right feel for what I remember, but they don't. 

If you want to experience the "garage" feel go to Pat's, if you want to experience something a little more...I'm chagrined to say "classy" but I can't think of a better word..try Sugarhouse. If you just care about good BBQ, experience both and make your own decision.

Sugarhouse BBQ can be found on the east side of 700 e hangin' out just north of I-80 at 2207 south, which is the easiest way to approach this place (coming from the south that is) since it may not have a left-turn entrance if you come from the north.

Nema na cemu

-D

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

This is the last from the column; sadly it didn't last long, I had a lot of fun with it though and plan on continue on with the tradition here.

Now, before the debate starts regarding what pizzeria is better than the next, it is important to remember the differing styles of Pizza out there. This particular restaurant follows the tradition that started in Napoli over 200 years ago. This isn’t a Chicago style, a New York style, or Californian style pizza; comparing them isn’t going to do any of them justice.

These guys wood fire your personal pizza that economically serves two people with an appetizer.

The appetizer I had was Involtini di Prosciutto, a salad of baby arugula, and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto. This is a slightly bitter dish, but when it is topped with their balsamic reduction, it is pretty amazing.

The pizza that I chose (I had to go for the namesake) was The Settebello.  I’m grateful that I did, everything down to the crust tasted wonderful.

This place is on the West side of 200 w, just South of RedRock Brewery their addresses:

260 South 200 West

Salt Lake City, UT 84101

(801) 322-3556
http://www.settebello.net

Korea House

I guess this was my first article written for the column, instead of African Market. Oh well.

Over the last few years I’ve started losing interest in eating at chain restaurants.  There is nothing bad about them, just…there are so many other local options out there worth eating that there really is no point anymore; I will spotlight some of them here.

First being: Korea House

Growing up eating Bulgogi (or Pulgogi), I have an affinity to this style of BBQ, regardless of its unusual flavor. Good Pulgogi will taste sweet, a little salty (from the soy sauce), and be nutty from the sesame seed oils used; theirs did not disappoint my childhood memories.

I also grew up with my Dad bringing home Kimchi, and I had to try their Kimchi soup.  This was what sold me on this place for Korean cuisine.  It was some of the best Kim-chi I’d ever had; Salty, tangy, and spicy cabbage with beef, pork or chicken - I recommend the beef or pork and to pour the rice right on top, you will be quite satisfied indeed!

Korea House is on the East side of State St on the South end of the strip-mall there; their virtual and physical addresses:

1465 s State St

Salt Lake City, UT 84115

(801) 487-3900

http://www.koreahouseslc.com

Navajo Hogan

Another from the Greasy Woot

Sometimes I wonder why I like trying new food so much. There is plenty on my palate that would allow a lifetime of experience and yet, I still have to try something new.

I guess I find it silly to limit myself to what I’m comfortable eating, though compared to some, even that isn’t very limiting. I am supremely grateful to parents that told me I had to try the new dish they made for us before I told them I didn’t like it. Rarely could I say I didn’t like it.

On a Monday, after a particularly rough day at school (I was not the brut I am now) I came home to my mother stewing some tomatoes and heating the oil in the deep fryer. The smell was overwhelming and so welcoming; the spices in the air caused my senses to dance and tingle.

I immediately forgot the rotten day.

When I saw what she was making, I was perplexed. What I thought were going to be scones were flattened and thrown in the hot oil. From there she instructed us to put on some taco meat, some cheese, that tantalizing tomato sauce, and various other taco related toppings; sour cream, avocado, olives, and the sort.

I was in heaven! To this day, it is still my favorite dish she makes.

While Navajo Hogan is nothing more than a cinderblock building with a cafeteria style dining area in a neighborhood that has seen better days - the smell was the same, the food just as good.

If the salt lake valley were a chest cavity, this would be found on the right side of the left lung about half way down.

Since it isn’t, you’ll find it here, on the North side of the street:

Navajo Hogan

447 w 3300 s

Salt Lake City, UT 84115

Royal India

This one was written in follow-up to the article for Thai Delight:

Because of the wonderful experience at Thai Delight, it re-ignited my enjoyment of this delightful spice, curry.

My first experience with Indian curry was through another friend who was living here, in from England. He came over one night and told me that he wants to cook for me, food in hand. I don’t remember the specifics of what he made; just that I liked it and that I wanted to find a good restaurant that offered more of this fare. This experience went out of mind for nearly five years and would have been lost to the annuls of my memory, had the food at Thai Delight not dredged them from the depths. I was recommended to Royal India in Sandy, and eventually made my way down there. I tried several dishes, including their curry, sadly, I wasn’t impressed. However, trying the different dishes my friends had ordered convinced me. Everything else was fantastic!

The next time I went, I ordered the Lamb Boti Masala with Garlic Naan...I devoured it.

I had never had anything so good.

I had to have more and caused quite the scene, when half-way through my first order, ordered a second (to go, of course). The look on the waiter’s face was priceless. “What? You want what? Is there something wrong with this one?!”

I don’t order the dish twice anymore, not because of the reaction, but because it gets expensive and I can only eat so much before I feel like exploding. I could die…happy.

Go burst a few buttons at either location:

10263 s 1300 e

Sandy, UT

801-572-6123

Or

55 n Main St

Bountiful, UT

801-292-1835

http://www.royalindiautah.com/

The Sandy location is on the south east corner of the intersection, in yes, a strip mall.

I’m not clear on the exact location for the one in Bountiful. Many apologies.

Don’t consider them for Lunch though, they don’t open until 4:30 pm. Sad, I know.

Thai Delight

More from the Greasy Woot:

One year for Christmas, a co-worker (knowing that I liked to cook) gave me a present and a challenge; She said: “Come up with a dish that involves my gift.”

She had given me lemon, cinnamon and crushed red peppers, so I made a mole. It was pretty good, though I don’t recall anything else about it.

Since I was a kid, finding different spice combinations was just something I did. Some worked out well, some…not so much. The spice that I found that I liked the most was Curry… I first experimented using Madras Curry with mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, and a few others I can’t recall, but the combination made an amazing stew. (One that I wish I had remembered the recipe.)

My new found love of this spice naturally led me to try Indian and Thai food.

Sadly, my first experience with Thai was enough to thoroughly destroy my taste for it.

I swore off the cuisine and wouldn’t be bothered trying it again because it was just that bad.

Enter Thai Delight.

It was another Co-worker that introduced me to them; their food truly is a delight.

One of my friends is intolerant of gluten, and curry (at least Thai curry) is typically free of gluten so she would eat it quite frequently and at several different places. She took me out to dinner at one of her favorite locations and I told her that it was ok, but I knew of better - far better, but she wouldn’t have it. She didn’t believe me at all, she said “I’ve been to most of the restaurants in Salt Lake and I’m sorry, this is one of the best.”

“Trust me.” I tell her, “Humor me at least.”

She was convinced I was up in the night, but she was willing to give them a try. She craves it as much as I do now. I recommend from them the Red Curry with Beef, the Yellow Curry with Pork and the massaman with either. Start with the Tom Ka Gai, and finish with the Mango Rice. You’ll be full and have leftovers, which are worth eating, too.

She has two locations now:

1407 w 9000 s

West Jordan, UT

801-878-4399

And

6271 Dixie Dr

West Jordan, UT

801-968-7626

http://www.thaidelightutah.com

The one on Dixie is in a strip mall on the east side of the street that is shared with Ream’s on 6200 south. North, almost duly is the 7-11 that you would pass coming from Bangerter.

The other is on the south side of 90^th and also in a strip mall. I prefer this one as the Lady that started the restaurant is over here and her son, while as great as she is, manages with his less than personable wife. The food is great but her service is hit and miss (the daughter-in-law).

African Market

So, I found the articles I wrote for my work; a column titled "The Greasy Woot" so the format is slightly different than what I will normally be writing in, but I promise nothing.

This was one of my first for the column and with these, I won't be changing what I said, so some of the information may feel redundant...mostly because it may be. heh.

A while back I had the privilege of being introduced to Ethiopian food through the fares of African Market and Restaurant.

Food here was unlike any I had previously experienced. I’m familiar with a style of eating that I picked up from some of the immigrants in Texas, where you eat your food with your fingers. You tear pieces of your tortilla and eat it that way. The style of eating is much the same but the flavor is truly unique and yes, wonderful.

The recommendation the first time you go would be to get the combination platter. It serves about two people comfortably, and if you don’t like a particular fare, let your friend eat it.

The combo plate is served on a large flat-bread called Injera. This bread is strange, it is spongy. It is good. Akin to a crepe, a tortilla and a…sponge, the taste is similar to sourdough bread made with buttermilk with sour added just to sour; it is not the least bit overwhelming, at least it wasn’t for me. With your food piled nicely on the injera, you get another piece or two to eat it with, yes – much in the style I just previously explained. No forks or knifes, no spoons…you have to ask for a straw if you want it for your drink. (Okay, you may not have to do that)

If you’re looking to impress your spouse, your friends, or your mom with your cultural awareness and taste savvy taste-buds or just looking for something other than the homogenized offerings of chain restaurants (I’m really not bitter, I promise); I recommend you try this place. If you’re looking to branch out and try something new and not thoroughly regret it, this may not be the place for you. (But I still recommend it.) The food here was so different that it was exciting, but if you don’t tolerate “new” food well, then maybe pass on this one and try the Chilean Deli.

As far as finding this diamond in the rough, you will see it on the west side of Redwood rd just a stitch south of 18^th. This store shares an odd companionship with Standard Plumbing Supplies, which you may see before you see this place.

The GPS location is:

African Market & Restaurant

1878 s Redwood Road

Salt Lake City, UT 84104

(801) 978-9673