Made in Japan I tend to shy away from writing about franchise and chain eateries, choosing normally to highlight independently-owned, truly local businesses. But now and then I come across a chain restaurant that doesn’t look or feel chain-like, and that is simply too good to ignore. Such is the case with Jinya Ramen Bar. There are currently 27 Jinya locations in the U.S. a … [Read more...]
Japanese-Style Chicken Curry Recipe
When I was young I lived in Japan, near Tokyo, for a few years. During that time, our family was fortunate to have a housekeeper/cook and that’s where I learned to love Japanese-style curry. Japanese curry isn’t much like either Indian or Thai curries. It’s milder, for starters. And, Japanese curry usually incorporates carrots and potatoes into the dish. Here is my version of … [Read more...]
SLC’s Best Restaurant? Takashi Continues to Hit the Highest Notes
When I first reviewed Takashi restaurant back upon its opening in May of 2004, I was very enthusiastic about Takashi Gibo’s namesake restaurant. In fact, I recall arguing that the food there was every bit as worthy of the accolades that Nobu in Las Vegas - which I’d also recently visited - tended to receive. I had first met Takashi when he was a sushi chef at Shogun restaurant o … [Read more...]
Tosh’s Ramen Comes to Holladay
A Second Tosh’s Blooms Although the North American ramen craze has mostly subsided and other eats have become more trendy with foodies (think: Korean BBQ and Nashville hot chicken), here in Utah ramen is still rocking. To wit, even four years after it opened Tosh’s Ramen on South State Street still frequently has a queue for tables, not to mention jockeying for the valuable par … [Read more...]
The Dish: Utah Food Scene Updates
Cafe Niche Cafe Niche chef Andy Morrison is offering a tempting 3-course $30 dinner menu during the month of March. The dinners begin with a choice of daily soup or Niche salad and finish with dessert options: affogato, daily gelato and housemade cookie, or homemade sorbet. The 3-course dinners are available from 4:00 PM Monday through Saturday, with menus changing weekly. U … [Read more...]
Utah’s Top Restaurants
Stanza Stanza Italian Bistro is the newest restaurant in the Main Course Media family and recently opened its doors in the renovated space that used to be known as Faustina. The space is beautiful and modern, but the food and cocktails shine on their own. What is most exciting to me about Stanza is its unique cocktail menu, focused on Amaro (Amari) and Negronis. Amari spirits … [Read more...]