Friday, May 9, 2008

Top 10 Ethnic Restaurants

As many of you know, I love lists and love going out to eat. So when I saw that my friend Leslie made a Top 10 cheap restaurants on her blog I just had to create my own! Here's my Top 10 ethnic restaurants in no particular order. Enjoy!

Top 10 Ethnic Restaurants in Salt Lake City

1. Aristos
My favorite thing: spanikopita! On Thursdays there's a barbecue on the patio and they have a great Greek wine list.

2. Mi Lai Cai
Good mix of Vietnamese and Chinese food so even picky eaters will find something good here. If you're feeling brave...try the fondue for 2. The mussels won't disappoint!

3. Ichicban
Everything is good here! My favorite rolls: Funky Charlie, Utah and Death. Lots of different kinds of sake too.

4. Cafe Shambala
Tasty Tibetan food with Indian and Chinese flavors mixed in. Great for the vegetarians and vegans in your life. If you're feeling adventurous, try the Tibetan tea. Read about my last Shambala visit here.

5. Settebello
Yummy thin crust pizza made from ingredients straight from Naples! The Margharita pizza is my favorite paired with the caprese salad.

6. Cafe Madrid
Going to this place is an experience. Make reservations and plan on being there for at least 2 hours. Excellent wine list and the best sangria in the state!

7. Bombay House
My favorites: paneer masala, bhindi aloo and chicken tiika. Be sure to try some naan too!

8. Koko Kitchen
Nothing fancy here in this small corner restaurant, but the sushi chef is amazing and will make rolls to order. They also have great teryaki bowls! Bonus: it's right across the street from the Virgin Mary tree so you can get in your penance while getting some good eats.

9. Red Iguana
You absolutely have to try the mole when you go here. My two favorite moles: pablano and amarillo. There's almost always a line, but it's worth the wait. Good margaritas too!

10. Cedars of Lebanon
Be sure to go on a weekend so you can see the belly dancers! Weeknights are pretty quiet and there's also a buffet at lunch. Start with the meza appetizer and don't forget the Turkish coffee to finish off your meal. Legend has it you can read the coffee grounds and see your future!

Honorable Mention: Little World, Ginza, Mazza, Takashi, Sawadee

7 comments:

Jabortnik said...

You forgot the Austrian/German's!! You need to try Vienna Bistro on Main St. It's fantastic!

Leslie said...

Love the list! I went to Cedars of Lebanon with Conor Gill for senior year inagural ball! The belly dancers were all over him and it freaked him out a little! Fond memories of that place:)

Jessica said...

I am now craving pablano mole. Where is Conor Gill these days? He was always an interesting character. He and I actually even went to elementary together.

Jessica said...

I just drove past Mi Lai Cai. It is one of those on State Street that I would never dare eat at unless someone gave it the thums up.

Jessica said...

I have no idea where Conor Gill is these days. I'm pretty sure he didn't go to the reunion. But I did got see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade with him. Ha ha!

Yeah, Mi La Cai looks ghetto on the outisde, but the food is delicious! If you think that place looked scary don't even drive by Little World.

Anonymous said...

what in the devil? where is my vietnamese place? are you crazy?

Jessica said...

Oh girl, I'm sorry! There just wasn't room for Cafe Trang on my elite list. But don't worry, I'll take you out for lemongrass tofu when you're here in less thatn TWO months...