Rice King

I'm back in Provo and have eaten at a new restaurant you must try. Rice King is located on center street in Provo and is probably my new favorite restaurant. The thing I love about Rice King is their customer service and low prices. All that for some great tasting food as well.

I tried the the Kung Pao Chicken and was pleased with the portion size and the overall great taste of the food. I went with three of my best buddies and we agree that Rice King is the place to eat.

Rice King is the kind of restaurant where if you go more than once the help there will remember who you are and your favorite dish. Also, they'll throw in an extra scoop of rice for free if you're willing to ask for it!

I remember being impressed about how fast the food came out of the back and how hot it was. They also do take out.

Eat HERE!

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

My entire family just returned from a marvelous dinner at Bubba Gumps Shrimp Co.. If you have never been to this restaurant, I would only recommend it if you enjoy seafood. There are a few options for those who do not like seafood, for instance, burgers and chicken dishes. I have sampled the Cajun Chicken Burger and thought that it was great, a little spicy. One of the appetizers my family experimented with was the Cajun Shrimp. They tasted awesome, especially with a little lemon juice, yummy.

As far as the price goes, I would say that it's pretty typical. On average about 8 to 12 dollars a meal. My dinner tonight was sponsored by my father so I exercised no restraint on ordering too little. The tip you should take away from that sentence is, "always eat with someone who might pay for you."

Huli Huli Sauce

This week I am blogging from Hawaii. It's beautiful, especially compared to how cold and dark Provo is at this moment. I've spent all day at the beach and couldn't be anymore relaxed. The reason I'm blogging now, before the due date, is because for dinner I ate chicken with Hawaiian huli huli sauce. That sauce is amazing!

This sauce at first glance looks just like soy sauce—I'm sure they're related. I figure the main difference is that huli huli sauce has brown sugar and ginger. Once I tasted this sauce I couldn't get enough, same with everyone around me. The sad thing is that this sauce is only sold on Hawaii, though you might be able to find it on the internet somewhere and have it shipped to you.

There are plenty of amazing tasting things on this island, but seriously, huli huli sauce has caught my attention the most!

Gecko Grill

This weekend was spent in Arizona, so I'm sad to report that I didn't go to any interesting places in the Provo area. You'll only appreciate this blog if you visit Arizona. In a city called Gilbert there is a delicious restaurant called Gecko grill.

I tried the corn tamale and the chicken burrito. I thought that this was definitely one of the better Mexican restaurants I've eaten at. All the food items were made fresh and the service was prompt.

Alright, the news is I don't have anymore information on this place because I was just a quick visiter. I'm in the airport so I have to run. Next weeks blog might be a little more useful. Well, maybe.

Costco

This weeks entry is on the cheapest meal you can find in Provo. You can only get into Costco if you have a membership, or if you have a friend you will lend you theirs. If you're interested in getting a membership they're offering student cards and they're worth it for the following reasons.

Costco's food court is the cheapest I've seen in my life. The hotdog and drink combo is $1.50, that's the combo I want to highlight. The hotdog is good, but aren't all hotdogs! If you're planning on eating at Costco it better not be for the food quality, it has to be for the price.

On the topic if price, you can eat plenty at Costco for free. Their food samples are awesome and no one cares if you're there to free load. The average person who is reaching for a sample isn't thinking, "Maybe I should by this?" They're thinking, that's food, it's free, I'll eat it."

Happy Halloween Taco Bell

You've all been to Taco Bell. The main thing that I want to mention is their new pepper jack taco. Oh my GOSH! It's great and it tastes even better when you realize that you only paid 89 cents for it. That's the thing about Taco Bell, you can't beat their prices. In fact, being halloween, and if by some miracle you're reading this today, you should know that the pepper jack taco is free tonight only. Show up there and they'll give them to you just for coming, that's my kind of restaurant.

If you ask me, I would say that at Taco Bell you shouldn't look past the value menu. Another food item that should be mentioned on the value menu is the nachos. They're just as cheap as the black jack taco and so tasty.

Anyway, happy halloween!

You can find a Taco Bell, you don't need me to put their info down.

Random Thought for a Class Assignment

This weeks blog is going to be a little different that the normal restaurant review. Instead this week, for one of my classes, I'm blogging about something random. Maybe not so random to some of you, being nice to people for no reason.

So when was the last time you did something nice for someone, a stranger, with no reason to actually be nice. This past week I was asked to do something nice for a stranger compulsively. This is what happened...

I won this t-shirt, brand new, still wrapped. I decided this could count as something nice to give away so I turned and handed it to the nearest stranger. She looked at my as though what was happening wasn't real, and I just repeated the word, "here," over and over again. It doesn't look right grammatically, but phonetically it sounds well.

Anyway, I think giving people things feels great. There's nothing better than trying to do something out of the ordinary and having some look at you like you're crazy.

Try it out...

The Cheesecake Factory

I had to try The Cheesecake Factory because of the Madeira chicken. That might not mean anything to you, but to me, that is the name of a little island of the coast of Morocco. It was there I spent a portion of my mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I went not knowing if this chicken had any connection to the island, and the truth is, I still don't know. :) I'll tell you what though, I loved the meal.

The food was served quickly and tasted wonderfully. I think one of the things that pleased me the most was the portions served. I felt as though I received bang for my buck! I read some reviews on some other sources about this restaurant and I was surprised to see so many complaints about the food quality and environment. I enjoyed the environment and thought that is was fitting. As far as the food goes, it's as a said, delicious.

Obviously you should try some cheesecake while you're there. If you ever meet someone who did not enjoy a cheesecake there you know that: 1) they're weird 2) and they're unaware of what they enjoy. I say that because there is a huge list of different cheesecakes to choose from, so if you can't find one thing that you'd enjoy, I wouldn't want to eat with you.

INFO:

6223 S State St
Fashion Place Mall
Salt Lake City, UT 84139

(801) 266-9100

www.thecheesecakefactory.com

Hours:

Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Salsas y Sabores

Salsas y Sabores is brand new! They've been officially opened for about two weeks and pretty soon I think it'll be well known. I'm not sure if you can tell by the name but this place is authentic. At this point it's run by one man from mexico, trust me, he knows what he's doing.

While eating there I was amazed by the quality of the food and the taste! Wow. I tried the Gringa, which is a quesadilla with pineapple and pastor meat, I loved it! The buddies I went with were also satisfied with there meals and had no complaints.

Since this place is brand new, and so authentic, you can only pay with cash. I should mention also that since there is only one man running the show I would expect the fastest service in the world. To his credit though, I was amazed at how quickly he prepared the food and how kind he was as our server.

This is the kind of restaurant where you can build a friendship with the chef/owner and he'll prepare for you whatever you want. The other thing that was awesome was that he had a few different salsas for us to snack on while we were waiting for the food. The salsas were his creation and were also delicious.

Here's what you want:

283 E 300 S,
Provo, UT 84606

note: this is actually the address of Thai Kitchen but salsas y sabores neighbors it.

Tucanos Brazilian Grill

If you haven't been to Tucanos, you need to go. The food taste delicious and you're exposed to some food groups you might not otherwise try. There is a salad bar full of typical brazilian foods and you can eat as much as you want. Once you're in your seat, servers circle around with meat on skewers and shave slices right onto your plate. What's wonderful is that they'll keep serving you meat until you can't eat anymore! In my opinion the best tasting cut is the garlic sirloin, mmm, it's so good.

Dinner is a bit more expensive than lunch. Lunch is 12.95 and dinner is 19.95, you're paying for what you get though. The restaurant has an awesome atmosphere and is an enjoyable place to be. While you're there you should try everything. You can just take a bite and leave the rest to be cleared. The waiters are super friendly and more than willing to make sure you have an excellent experience there.

Here's what you need to know:

4801 N University Ave Ste 790
Provo, UT 84604

(801) 224-4774

Panda Express

Alright, this review is on Panda Express. I know you think you don't need to hear anything about it; which means you might not realize the importance of reading this review. The news is-I know a few tips and tricks- and they'll make your Panda Express visit more satisfying and a little more affordable.

At Panda Express you're not there for the BEST chinese food around. You're looking for selection and fresh quality, served to you quickly. Panda has that, and they'll give you the time to sample everything you want until you find the thing you would like. So... this is where my tips come into play.

Always say that you're ordering "to-go," even if you're planning on staying in the restaurant to eat. Why? Well, if you tell them you're planning on eating in, they'll serve you on a plate which holds less food than the "to-go" box and portion sizes aren't very generous. Then again, if you're on a diet that plate might help with portion control.

The other tip that you need to remember is that on the back of all their receipts are offers for a free entree if you complete their survey. Sounds boring, there's no escaping that. Online the survey takes a minute or so and on the phone it varies. At the end of the survey they'll give you a number which you write on your receipt and boom, free entree. It's worth, that's the bottom line.

What you need to know:

494 University Pkwy
Orem, UT 84097

(801) 235-1828

-find a receipt before you go

PF Changs China Bistro

PF Changs has a lot of hype. The environment there is classy and the help is on top of it. It seems like everyone makes a trip there for a friends birthday or some other special occasion. The point is everyone has been there. If you haven't gone yet, you will soon. Let's get on to the food.

I will admit that the Chinese food at PF Changs is Americanized. If you're looking for authenticity PF Changs is not the right stop. That said, the food there is great. I've had a variety of their dishes and was pleased. All food at PF Changs is served in family portions and that means that there is plenty to pass around the table for all to sample.

At my most recent visit to the restaurant I tried the honey chicken, Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian beef, and Changs' spicy chicken. The dish that surprised me the most was the Mongolian beef. The beef was packed with flavor and was delicious. The honey chicken is the "safe" dish there. I have the feeling that's what their average customer gets, and it taste great. The Kung Pao chicken was what I ordered to share with all and I was surprised at how many people were sampling and preferring the Kung Pao over most other things there. Lastly, the spicy chicken was good, but not spicy.

Before ordering your meal the must have appetizer are the lettuce wraps, they are wonderful. When the group I was with ordered one of these, it was only minutes until the first order was gone and we were requesting a second order.

First glance at the menu prices seems intimidating for the college student but you have to remember that those dishes are made to share. The prices average at about 13-14 dollars. I would really recommend going there with three or more people who don't have a problem sharing. :) For the environment and the helpfulness of the staff, you're getting what you paid for.

Here's the info you'll need:

575 University Pkwy
Orem, UT 84097

(801) 426-0900

-they take reservations

Thai Kitchen

Another restaurant, another review. Thai Kitchen, formerly call "Thai Pepper" is a place to go if you're looking to try something you've never had before. The menu is full of exotic things that some might find enjoyable; e.g., catfish. Before I posted this blog I talked with all of my friends about what they thought about this restaurant; what I heard I'd agree with. The overall quality of the food is probably lower than that of your typical thai restaurant. Not that it doesn't taste good, it's just not amazing. That noted, the price you pay for the food may not be worth it. Food averages about nine dollars a plate and so it's left to you to figure out about what your wallet will allow for.

I was chatting with a friend a moment ago about her experience there and she mentioned that she requested the bamboo shoots to be taken out of her food, which weren't. I mention that but we have to remember two things: (1) people make mistakes (2) one mistake doesn't mean it happens every time. I haven't had an issue with the staff there and I find them kind. When it comes to food it's been enjoyable minus one dish that I experimented with. The green curry to me tasted too sweet and there was an overpowering leaf that was added that basically overpowered the taste of the whole meal. The peanut curry is delicious. I haven't heard anyone complain about it. I have also heard good things about the yellow curry. Here's the info you'll need:

-Rice is $1 - unlimited

283 E 300 S,

Provo, UT 84606

(801) 370-9894

Saigon Cafe

Saigon Cafe may not look like much from the road side, but inside there is some delicious food at an excellent price. The problem at Saigon cafe is that if you don't know what to get you might not end up ever going back. First, let's start with the only part of the menu you should look at as a student... the specials. For 5 bucks they'll start you off with egg drop or hot & sour soup. The egg drop is what the help always recommends, and it's just fine, but the hot & sour is an acquired taste. The good news is, it doesn't take much to acquire the taste, maybe 2 or 3 bites. After a seemingly short wait your plate comes out piled high with rice and edged with an egg roll. I can assure you this part of the meal always tastes great. The part where your Saigon experience may be in jeopardy teeters on what special you decide upon. The Kung Pao Chicken is the best but that doesn't mean all the chicken there is good. General Tao's chicken doesn't have very much flavor and isn't enjoyable to eat. Other specials that I've tried and enjoyed are the Mongolian Beef and the Lemon Chicken.

Don't miss understand this blog. I seriously love this place! You just have to know how to navigate through the menu and who to show up and eat with. Eat here with your buddies and do it at lunch time. All your friends will leave satisfied, even if it's just in the price they all pay. Bring a date here only if your trying to show her that you know how to find a DEAL.

Here's what you need to know:

-the "host" is not too enthusiastic... you'll see what I mean

-you can pay with a credit card

-show up wearing anything you want

-they do take-out

-can't make reservations

Address: 440 W 300 S

Provo, UT 84601

#: (801) 812-1173