Bangkok Grill Orem Utah

Dropped by Zurchers today and as it was lunch time we decided to give the little Thai restaurant (Bangkok Grill) next door a try for lunch.  I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that a little hole in the wall place in a strip mall would have such delicious food.

First off the decor is very lacking, I wouldn't even call it minimalist, just almost non existent.  The only other customers were a small family of four and the place felt a bit dark.  The ceiling is industrial with pipe work and girders exposed, and the lighting was definitely more modern than Thai or even Asian for that matter.  Everything about the place just screams of a restaurant that is struggling to stay open.

We sat in a booth, and were immediately attended to by a very friendly server.  For drinks we ordered watermelon lemonade, which was nice, refreshing, not heavy at all, and not too sweet.  We started with Thom Ka Gai (coconut soup) which was amazing, I couldn't stop eating it.  It comes in a turnine shaped like a bundt pan with a flame in a spoon underneath.  We scooped up bowl after bowl.

We ordered separately for entrees, my daughter ordered Pineapple Curry and I ordered the Pad Priaw Waan (sweet and sour stir fry)  Both dishes were served with rice, and both were so delicious.

Thai Drift Restaurant in Orem

http://www.thaidrift.com/

Follow the link to the Thai Drift website.

This restaurant was recommended to us by our daughter's friend who lived for two years in Thailand and said this was the most authentic Thai food she has found in Utah.  I whole-heartedly agree.

The food is amazing, delicious, and very refreshing especially when compared to other Americanized versions of Asian cuisine.  Instead of the heavy, starchy, gloppy food often promoted as Asian, the ingredients are respected and the recipes are reasonable.

The menu itself is large, and varied.  Each of our eight person party ordered something different, so we had a pretty good cross sampling of the menu's offerings. We also shared a large bowl of the Galanga Coconut soup, usually called Tom Kai Gai.

The prices are reasonable, the service attentive without being intrusive.  My one suggestion would be to silence the doorbell they have going off in the back.  It's annoying and distracting.

La Dolce Vita Italian Ristorante- Provo

I started eating at this little place when it first opened 30 years ago, and loved it then, still love it today. The owners are from Naples, and have retained the family recipes since the beginning.  I've eaten at La Dolce Vita for lunch and dinner, and I have to admit that there are just a few things I would prefer they changed.

First, some of the decor really needs to be updated, especially the fake plants here and there.  When seating guests, having them in the back room by the kitchen isn't the best ambiance when you have a perfectly nice outer room that feels more like a special seating area.  Why use that back area unless you are already out of space in the main dining room?

Second, the toasted bread served at the beginning of the meal is badly in need of a change.  Serving the bread on aluminum foil just looks tacky, and to use sliced white bread loaded with oil rather than using a lovely, rustic bread served hot with the oil on the side is just a poor choice.  We never eat much of the bread.

The italian sodas are fantastic, love them, don't change a thing.

I usually order either the Gnocchi Combo or the Canneloni.  Both dishes are amazing and delicious.

My daughters' love the pizzas, and usually choose a different one each time.

Everything is so delicious.  Can't say enough about this place.  No it is not on the order of the old Ottavios, but, if you love good Italian food then you won't be disappointed. 

Iron Man III

Loved it!! Just loved it. 


Sequels are often tired and not much more than a retread of the original.  Not so with the Iron Man series, and the third installment did not disappoint. 

Tony Stark is just a witty, dry, and arrogant.  Pepper is actually more interesting than in the first two movies because her character was a bit more fleshed out, but, she did not overshadow Tony, which I was a bit concerned about when I saw some of the previews.  Without giving away the substance of the movie, I will say that I hope the ending is indicating a fourth in the series, but, the popular opinion is that the Iron Man series is done after the next Avengers movie. In my opinion, at least one more story could be told, but, who can say if the actors and creators would be up for it.

As for this particular movie, I found the story to be compelling, the action amazing and thrilling, the cinematography fantastic, and the finale satisfying.  There were a few surprises, not too many.  Oh, and if you stay until after the credits, which we always do, you will be given a little fun treat.

The PG13 rating is well deserved, mostly for the realistic effects.  You do not need to see it in 3D to enjoy it, which is great for those of us that just cannot watch a 3D movie without getting dizzy. 

Iron Man III, see it.

The Chef's Table - Provo

The Chef's Table in Provo

Review by The Date Night Critic

 Now, don't get me wrong, the food is great, the presentation is a cut above many others, and the service is professional, but, and yes there is a but, it isn't to the level I have experienced in so many other restaurants asking the prices that the Chef's Table is asking.

I'll start with the reception desk area.  There isn't a lot, I suppose, that can be done about the noise from the very busy street right outside the front door, but, perhaps that wouldn't have bothered me so much if the reception desk wasn't so cluttered, including papers, an umbrella, and some other personal items behind the desk, and clearly visible on the floor.  It was a poor first impression, but, the food could have redeemed this restaurant, so, I was willing to look past that.

The hostess asked if we were out for a special occasion, and as it was our 30th wedding anniversary that night we happily offered that and thought perhaps we might get a great table because of it.  She stated she would have the best most private table set for us, and we were asked to wait.  Once it was ready we were taken to what she called the tower.  It is a small alcove, next to windows completely obscured by bushes and trees, no view at all.  That might not have been a big deal, had it not been for the fact that we chose that particular restaurant because of the view it offered from it's dining room of the entire valley.  Instead, we had no view, and it didn't feel very private because it was open to the rest of the dining room.  Still, I had high hopes for the food, so, I just went with it.

Then the menus arrived.  I was expecting higher prices, so, while it seemed pretty steep to me, $12 for a scallops appetizer, I was hoping the value would be in the food itself, because the ambiance was very lacking.  I'll get to more of that later.

I ordered the Pan Roast Parma Scallops, my husband chose to pass on an appetizer.  When it arrived, there were a total of two, count them, two scallops wrapped in parma ham, sitting on top of a thin piece of crostini, and surrounded by white beans.  The scallops were divine, but, I was left wanting more, and disappointed that all my money bought was two scallops.  Still, they were lovely, so, I was looking to the rest of the meal to make up for it.

Both my husband and I ordered the Squash soup that was listed in the soups as Butternut Squash with Maple syrup.  Well, let me tell you, the maple syrup was at least half the ingredients, because the whole thing tasted like a bowl of syrup with some squash in it.  I couldn't finish it, barely got a few bites in before I gave up trying to like this soup.  My husband liked it, oddly enough, and he ate both of our servings.  That was about $12 each bowl.

Now I'm getting pretty hungry at this point, oh, and the only bread we were offered was a slice of Ciabatta each, with olives baked inside.  They were very small slices of bread, and not very tasty at all, actually quite dry.  Left me wishing for some olive oil to dip it in.  My husband usually eats all the bread, but, he took one bite and passed on it.  I took a few more, because I was starving, but, couldn't finish it.

For entrees I ordered the Duck Breast at $35 and my husband ordered the Short Rib Shepherds Pie at $28.  The duck was nicely presented, although swimming in sauce, on a bed of overly cooked spinach, and topped with mandarin oranges that seemed to have come straight out of the can.  It was fine, the duck was nicely cooked, but, nothing amazing about it.  The sauce was so heavy and sweet that I had a hard time finishing it, not because I was full, by any means.   My husband's entree was more to his liking, but, there were several bites of fatty meat he had to pick out.

Overall the ambiance was almost there, not quite, as it was overwhelmed by the noise from the street and the kitchen.  At one point something was being pounded loudly in the kitchen.  We asked our server what that was all about, and he said it was a to go order being packed up.  Hmm, okay.  The music was barely loud enough to know what was being played, either turn it up so we can hear and enjoy it, or turn it off.

For desssert I ordered the creme brulee.  Now, I love creme brulee, love eating it, love making it, but, the presentation at the Chef's Table was disappointing.  Very little creme brulee topped with a bunch of fruit and pastry swirls they called cinnamon crepes.  $8 for very little creme brulee and it seemed pre-made.  Perhaps it wasn't, but, I just didn't feel the love for this dessert in the result. 

The entire bill was $121 including drinks, and to be honest, we both agreed we would not be interested in going back.  That's pretty disappointing to a foodie when you think you have found a possible Mecca just to realize it doesn't hit the mark.  If you are looking for pretentious implications, this may be your place, but, if you want high quality in your dining experience, you may want to look elsewhere.  For me, I am still on the hunt for a true foodie haven in Utah County.