Wild Ginger

The name intrigued me, but, I didn't take the time to try this place until this past week.  We took the whole family to Wild Ginger for some Chinese food and some sushi.  The restaurant is in a great location, right on University Avenue in Provo, and has plenty of parking in the back.

Inside the restaurant is clean and looks new.  We went on a Wednesday, so, there weren't a ton of people, which suits me fine when I take the younger kids with us.  We were seated immediately by, I believe, the owner, a really nice Chinese man.  While he has a thick Chinese accent, he is easily understood, which is so nice since most people will avoid an ethnic restaurant if they feel they may embarrass themselves or the wait staff if there is a miscommunication.  No problems here.

We were waited on very quickly, and actually needed a bit more time to decide than we were given, the servers kept coming over and asking if we were ready.  It's not a huge deal, we just felt a bit rushed after the third or fourth time.

Evidence of their customer service is in their honest appraisals of the menu offerings.  The owner volunteered that we should order a single order for our two little girls and have them split it.  That was a nice bit of customer service.

The menu is plentiful, and has an authentic Chinese section, that we may try next time around, but, we were really not up for anything adventurous this visit.  We had several sushi rolls, different kinds of soups, and six different entrees, plus drinks.  Be aware, the cups are huge, and they do not have children's size cups.

The soups were good, not crazy amazing, but, tasty.  I would have liked more than one wonton in my soup, but, truthfully it was fine.  Everything was very good, and the entire meal is served family style, so we all were able to share each other's entrees.  For two children and four adults, we had dinner and soups, plus the four sushi rolls for just over $100.   I felt the prices were in line with the quality and quantity.  The owners are very friendly and easy to talk to.

I give this place 3 points for atmosphere, 5 points for menu selection, 3 points for service, and 4 points for food quality.

We will be back to this little gem, and this time, we will try that authentic menu. 

The Shops at the Riverwoods

We took our two youngest with us last Friday night to see the lighting of the Christmas lights at the Shops at the Riverwoods in Provo.  If you have never been there, it's located on University Avenue, just south of the mouth of Provo Canyon.  The shops are all designed with an aesthetic that makes you feel you are in a ski resort town.  There are water features, fire pits, trees, and a large gazebo in the center where live performances can be enjoyed for free.  Add the lights and you have a very romantic way to just stroll around together, warming yourselves by the fire, listening to music, maybe even dancing.  Grab a cup of hot chocolate at the Provo Beach Resort, or a candy apple at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  Maybe a dessert at the La Jolla Grove, there is a bakery entrance on the east side.  There are plenty of places to eat, I personally love Tucano's and The Happy Sumo, but there truly is something for everyone.  Check their website for events through the holiday season and all year round.  We just love hanging out here winter or summer, whenever we just want a chill evening together. 

http://shopsatriverwoods.com/

Guru's Provo

What can I say about Guru's?  It's fresh ingredients, and emphasis on healthy eating just makes me feel good about the place.  I love that you have options like brown rice and fresh vegetables.  I love the Marco Polo on brown rice, but, it's amazing on noodles too.  The sweet potato fries are unsurpassed anywhere, especially with their dipping sauce.  The Muligatawny soup is so good, but, then, so is their tortilla soup.  I've loved everything I've eaten there.

From what I understand, there is Karaoke night every week, along with live entertainment I believe on the weekends. 

This place is great for a budget, too.

Hope Springs

We took in a movie last night, Hope Springs, with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.  It was great, but, not for everyone.  There are fairly descriptive discussions of sex, and some scenes acting out sexual acts, without body parts showing, but, it's pretty clear what's going on. 

The entire movie is based on a couple that have been married for 31 years and have found themselves living side by side, no intimacy, no romance, the spark was definitely gone.  The husband was content in their life, but, the wife longed to reignite the flames, so, she found a marriage counselor, played by Steve Carrell, and booked the two of them for a week long intensive therapy in a little town in Maine, Hope Springs.

We both really loved the movie, and it got us talking about our own relationship, the highs and lows, and the deeper feelings you often forget to share with each other.  Yes, some of the scenes were uncomfortable to sit through, especially in a theater with other people, but, it was well acted and nothing was gratuitous.  I am by far not a prude, but, I don't think PG13 is a high enough rating for the level of sexual content, but, I also do not feel R is appropriate.  Somewhere in between I suppose. 

So, I recommend it for mature audiences, with the warning that if you are offended by explicit sexual discussion, you may not like this movie.

Spicy Corea in Provo

(See updated review----)

 

After being convinced by our daughters that this was authentic Korean food, we decided to give it a try.  Right up front the restaurant is very unimpressive and seems more like a run down cafe.  The front door step had a loose board, and the front desk had advertising and local newspapers, which did not make us feel that we were in an establishment that was focused on a quality dining experience.

We stood for a bit, passed by the server several times as she was the only one working the front, and was also waiting tables.  Finally we were given a table and had a look at the menu.  The titles of the dishes were in translated Korean with English descriptions.  We ordered the Bulgogi per our daughter's recommendation.  I also ordered the ginger tea.  The waiter appeared to also be the owner, and spoke very broken English.  Much of what we asked about the food he couldn't answer because he didn't understand the question.  This would not ordinarily put us off, but, it was not easy figuring out what to order when we are not familiar with Korean food to start with.  In the end, we muddled through and thought we did a good job.



The food took a very long time to come out, and our drinks took nearly as long.  We were very hungry and thirsty, with nothing on our table for probably a half hour.

Once the tea arrived I was very pleased, it was wonderful, fresh ginger steeped and then sweetened.

The food took around 45 minutes or more, and we were less than impressed.  It was okay, but, not the amazing food we were expecting, and not at all spicy.  We were never checked on, never offered refills, and had to go to the kitchen to ask for our check which took quite a while to get.  Once we had it, we went to the counter to pay.

All I can say is, we were both wishing we had gotten Indian food instead.  I cannot recommend this place, but, as I have not eaten at a Korean restaurant before or since, I can't say that it was or was not authentic or even a good representation of Korean cuisine.  My daughters still love it, so, I guess to each his own.  We won't be going back.

(updated)
I gave this place a second chance, and was pleasantly surprised in some areas, but just as disappointed in others.  The service is still very slow, and the language barrier can still be a problem when asking questions.  The food is much better, even superior to what it was on our first visit.  The prices are still a bit high in my opinion for what you get, but, it's location probably drives the price.

India Palace

I know, I've posted about this place before, but, we just can't get enough of this place, so, here it is again.  Hands down the best Indian food in Provo.  We just love the lamb dishes and the tomato coconut soup.  The lassi's are yummy, and the iced tea has indian spices in it.  You can taste the cardamom.

You can't beat the price, and the quality of the food is excellent.  They are continuing to upgrade the decor, and it's really looking nice.  As this place sits so close to the Nuskin development, the new Provo convention center, and the soon to be Provo Downtown LDS Temple, it is primed to be a busy establishment, so, go while you can get a table without a long wait.  Once all those places are running at the same time, the owners of India Palace might want to consider expanding, perhaps upstairs.  Either way, it's a great location, and a great value without feeling cheap at all.  Love it love it love it.  I give this place a 3 for atmosphere (lose the fake flowers and add in more authentic decor or just leave it without to give it more of an open feel), a 4 for service (sometimes the language barrier can be difficult with the servers), 5 for food quality and menu selection.  This is one of our favorite restaurants, hands down. 

We Bought A Zoo

Took a long hiatus from the blog due to Andy breaking his collar bone in a mountain bike wreck, so, didn't do any date nights for a month. The first chance we did have to get out, we took in a great movie that I can highly recommend for any date night, We Bought A Zoo starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansen. What a great movie! I originally thought this would be a sugary sweet or a sappy movie, with little story and no character development. Your basic filler movie during the off season.

Let me just tell you, I was wrong.

While some of the storylines were predictable, and the acting wasn't oscar worthy, the foundational story itself, and the fact that it's based on a true story, made up for it's minor faults. The animals are not used as props, and do not do cutesy or unrealistic tricks. They are just real animals acting the way real animals would. That is just what made this movie a keeper for me, and the interaction between the humans and the animals was so much more heartfelt, and sometimes intense to the extreme.

The sum up of the movie, it's moral so to speak, touched me deeply. Go. See this movie. You'll feel great afterwards, and have something to actually talk about with your significant other.