Dinner out for 2 under $20

Everyones life is better for a little eating out of the home from time to time. While its true that nothing is as good as homemade, I believe that venturing out to eat opens our world to a host of new tastes we may never experience otherwise. Eating out has always been an opportunity to discover tastes of other origins that are not readily made in my American home. I have discovered a love of Indian, Mexican, Nepali, South African, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Caribbean, German, Argentine, Spanish, Peruvian, French, Greek, Ethiopian, Dominican, Vietnamese, and Thai foods. It has broadened my scope into the world of vegetarian, vegan, organic, raw, macrobiotic and various types of food preparation. Oh, how my life is one worth living because of what my taste buds have experienced!!!

I must give proper credit to the source of most of my amazing food experiences, living in MANHATTAN for 3 years! Surely, if I had been writing this blog at that time I would have had a new post at least weekly of a fabulous new cuisine I had discovered, not to mention desserts! Among my absolute favorites for those that visit the city anytime soon, you must try:

Hampton Chutney Company, Dosas, South Indian

Souen Macrobitic, Macrobiotic, Asian and Vegan

Saigon Grill, Vietnamese

Zoma's, Ethiopian

Malecon, Dominican

Crepes on Columbus, French, American

The Hummus Place, Middle Eastern

Kashkaval, Cheese bar, fondue, mediterranean

There are so many more, and that is partly the intrigue of the city, it is overflowing in amazing food. And amazing food does not have to be expensive, most all the restaurants above range from $7-13 a person, some do not require a tip. For the best food on earth please visit NYC at one point in your life. And if you could honor one request in honor of the food Gods, please, please, please venture out of Times Square for your dining! Do your homework on a restaurant you have always wanted to try, utilize review websites like yelp.com. Be adventurous and willing to travel off the beaten path. Restaurants in NYC that are in the thick of Times Square and Theater District are generally overpriced and under quality given the hoards of tourism in that section. Ok, so now I will get off my NYC soapbox, and come back to my present situation: Bountiful, UT.

I have yet to find quality sushi, a dosa, or Vietnamese restaurant that exists in Bountiful. While the population is a bit more homogenous they don't veer away much from the norm of traditional american dining. We can travel a bit to SLC for more international options, however given our often late night hunger and procrastination of a dinner out decision often leads us to a Bountiful option given the close proximity. The vast majority of restaurants in Bountiful are chains, that said after some trial and error we have found 2 NON CHAIN RESTAURANT IN BOUNTIFUL, UT we trust and love! They both offer a mom and pop feel, stellar service, consistent food, the right price, international taste, and most important within 2 miles of our house!

Every time we walk out is is just barely over or under $20 WITH A TIP, and drastically less for lunch. Sometimes if we aren't as hungry, have a coupon we walk out for about $17, a great feeling for a dinner out.

So what 2 restaurants do it for us in Bountiful:

Joy Luck Restaurant

566 W 1350 S, Woods Cross

http://joyluckwc.joyluckfoods.com/

The best lunch value in town next to Vito's: they feature their lunch special for only $5.00, that's right $5.00, you get an eggroll, silver wrapped chicken or cheese wonton, and a soup or salad with the entree of choice. While the entree is smaller than dinner it is the perfect amount, and a screaming deal. The dinner menu is about $8.25 for the entree only, but more than enough food, and awesome if we have their $5 off $15 coupon they frequently send in mailers. With the coupon we walk out for $16 with a tip!

Amongst my favorite dishes: Sa Te (chicken or beef), General T'sao's Chicken, Mango Chicken, Tangerine Chicken, Almond Chicken, Moo Shu. So if you can't tell they do the Sweet really well of Chinese cooking (or perhaps I just love the sweet stuff!)

El Matador

606 S. Main Street

http://elmatadorbountiful.com/

Ok, so I have to be honest, it might have been love at first visit because Micah took us here on my first trip to visit him in Bountiful during our courtship. I will be honest, the food is a bit on the Americana side, and not the greatest tortillas, but they do a few things better than other Mexican. First, the WARM SALSA with CHEESE. I know it sounds crazy and richly american, but something about it is addictive. The cheese used to always come, now you have to order it, but so worth it. It is finely shredded so it melts right into the salsa.

My favorite dishes include:

Chile Verde Bowl, holy crap, only $5.69 and a huge bowl of slow simmered pork with tortillas to enjoy, this will fill you up quick.

Guac or Chicken Tostada, $6.49, a little bit of everything you want when eating mexican but not too much food you feel sick.

My husband loves the Cheese Burrito Smothered, basically a flour tortilla with tons of cheese, enchilada sauce, and more cheese on top. Nothing makes him happier with a coke right along side it.

So that's it, food in Bountiful is simple, but we keep to our favorites, and we are never disappointed. Happy dining to you!

The Kathmandu - Indian/Nepal Restaurant

A restaurant is a deep ingrained memory – an experience to reminisce, an escapade to cherish, a secret to smile over. A certain restaurant somewhere has always served the purpose of catering pleasant memories. You recall, you talk, you laugh, and you cry, you ponder – you face a whole range of emotions over that “particular incident” in that “particular restaurant.” The Kathmandu Website

I love Indian food, I mean really, really LOVE indian food. I love Indian food as much as I love yoga. I am not sure why it speaks so deeply to my soul, but I have always had a flair for ethnic food, particularly asian since my youth. As I have gotten older, I have realized that the flavor and variety of Indian keeps my tongue well pleased. I love the spices that Indian food possesses, spices of the gods - cardamom, ginger, coriander, anise, cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, cumin, allspice, saffron, cloves, mint, mustard seed, garlic, onions! I love them all, each and every one! I have always been fond of a high ratio of flavor in my food, and the rich sauces of Indian food speak music to my heart.

As you can imagine, finding a fabulous Indian restaurant is like finding a $20 bill in the pocket in the back of my closet from 3 years ago. It just doesn't get any better, and it makes my whole day! As you can imagine, I couldn't have been more thrilled to have stumbled across such a gem after not having experienced great Indian since NYC. "The Kathmandu" is not just Indian but also Nepalese food, making it all the better. I have been 3 times now, and every time I want to lick my plate clean to savor the flavor. I realize this would embarrass my dinner partners so I resist the temptation, but let this be a sufficient forewarning should we ever have dinner together at "The Kathmandu".

But seriously run, don't walk to "The Kathmandu". They are open everyday from 11:30-10:00pm, and they offer more than just great food. With their decor, linens, attire, and Nepali artwork, you feel as though you have entered a Nepalese Oasis, right in the heart of SLC. Owned and run by a Nepalese family it offers the hospitality indigenous to their culture, and food that tastes like you were in their personal home.

To me there are 3 criteria for judging a restaurant, in the following order of importance: 1)Food taste & quality, 2)Service & Price, and 3)Atmosphere & location.

The Kathmandu wins on all 3 accounts. Amazing food, among my favorites:

Appetizer, Katmandu Samosa Chat

Soup, Vegetable Noodle, Tomato

Main Dish: Nepalese - Vegetable Chow Chow, Chicken Chow Chow, Chicken Chili, Chicken MoMo, Everest Chicken

Indian - Butter Chicken, Chicken Coconut Korma, Chicken Vindaloo.

All the main dishes come with Naan and Rice, no need to pay extra. If you order bread, I recommend the Kathmandu Special Naan (sweet and flavorful).

If you are really hungry, splurge on a Mango Lassi - an amazing Yogurt Drink!

Most restaurants I go to I have 1-2 items on the menu I order over and over, because they do it well, and its a safe bet. At "The Kathmandu" I want to try all the dishes, because I trust the chefs implicitly to make every bite a success. They bring the sacred back to eating.

For an authentic Nepalese/Indian experience, you must visit "The Kathmandu".

thekathmandu.net

Located on 3142 S. Highland Dr, SLC

M-Sun, 11:30am-10:00pm