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Thursday, June 12, 2014 DAILY HERALD • www.heraldextra.com D7 Eminent front e EATS Café Zupas The new Lehi location of this popular Utah chain features a triple combina- tion of delights with its array of soups, salads and sandwiches. The Wild Mushroom Bisque seemed like a nectar of the gods and the Chicken Enchilada Chili was its near equal. For salads, we enjoyed Nuts About Berries, Superfood Delight, and Piña Colada. Our favorite of the sampled sandwiches was the Honey Bacon Club, with the Tur- key Bacon Club and Honey Cilantro Carnitas close behind. And don’t forget to try dessert — the Salty Caramel Creme Brulee will do nicely. — 3750 N. Thanksgiving Way #A, Lehi, cafezupas.com Cafe 300 We’ve been hitting up a lot of diners lately, and Café 300 in Provo did not disap- point. The diner’s extensive menu is consistently excel- lent, whether it’s a pork chop dinner, a bacon cheeseburger or a breakfast omelet. With so many delicious options to choose from, one visit to Café 300 isn’t nearly enough. Prepare to be full. — 465. S. University Ave., Provo, (801) 691-0218 RECENTLY REVIEWED KEN HOFFMAN T his week I reached out for Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes at America’s No. 1 breakfast bar, IHOP, with 1,627 restaurants in all 50 states and around the world. For years, whenever I reviewed an IHOP delicacy, I’d have to say, “available in 49 states.” Vermont finally surrendered to the franchise monster — with one special rule: Any IHOP in Vermont must serve real maple syrup, from real-life Vermont trees ... not that maple-flavored stuff in the other, less- demanding, long-suffering 49 states. Here’s the Blueberry Can- noli Pancakes breakdown: two of IHOP’s iconic but- termilk pancakes topped with blueberry compote and sweetened ricotta cheese. Served as part of a breakfast combo with two eggs any way you like ‘em, breakfast meat (bacon, sausage or ham) and hash browns. Here are the nutritionals, and you might want to hold on to your hat ... and loosen your belt a notch. Or play it safe and wear your “eating pants” to IHOP. Total calories: 1,340. Fat grams: 83. Carbs: 116 g. Sodium: 2,140 mg. Dietary fiber: 7 g. Protein: 53 g. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price: $7.99. Or you can order four Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes — just the pancakes — for $7.59. Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes are part of IHOP’s lineup of “Summer Signature Pan- cakes.” The others are Rasp- berry & Peach Pancakes, and Strawberry & Banana Cream Pie Pancakes. However you slice them, Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes are a big, fat diet-buster. Low-fat, low-carb, low- calorie — whatever diet you’re trying (this time), this break- fast is on the “No Fly” list. So we move forward cautiously, knowing we may feel guilty the rest of the day. First, realize that this is merely IHOP’s take on can- nolis, the classic Italian des- sert. These pancakes don’t come rolled up like authentic cannolis in an Italian bakery. They are built with sweetened ricotta cheese, so the flavor is similar. Close your eyes and open your mind ... and you’re halfway to Italy with Blueberry Cannoli Pancakes. They’re creamy, sweet and rich. The blueberry compote is packed with lots of berries. The pancakes are standard- issue IHOP, which means they’re delicious. And they come with the traditional breakfast trinity: eggs, meat and hash browns. What could possibly go wrong? Cannoli and Banana Cream Pie sound more like desserts, duh, but this is a breakfast barn that proudly serves Jelly Donut Pancakes. IHOP has blurred the lines between breakfast and dessert so many times that Robin Thicke should appear in IHOP’s com- mercials. IHOP also has three new drinks to quench your sum- mertime thirst: Cherry Blackberry Lemonade, Ice Tea Lemonade and Orange Tan- gerine Lemonade. Wear your ‘eating pants’ for new pancakes at IHOP Jennifer Durrant DAILY HERALD T he flavor combination pos- sibilities are simply endless at HuHot, the fairly new Mongolian Grill in Spanish Fork, beginning the moment you order your favorite beverage. Like most Mongolian Grills, HuHot invites diners to create any sort of meat, veggie and sauce combination that will be grilled to perfection for their entree. But this restaurant, which opened late 2013, also invites patrons to get creative with their favorite drink options, too. For the price of a regular fountain drink you can mix and match Coca- Cola flavors thanks to the Freestyle Soda fountain. Select your favorite soda, like Diet Coke or Sprite, and add a variety of flavors like orange, cherry, peach and more. My family’s sodas of choice recently were the Orange Diet Coke, Cherry Vanilla Coke and my own Peach Sprite Zero. Didn’t like your first choice? Select a new combination for your refill. Before I tempt you with the deli- cious appetizer options, entree combinations and more, I must talk about the decor and ambiance of the restaurant. Walking into HuHot I was instantly impressed with the vast- ness of the restaurant — large, open and welcoming. I was also in awe of the stunning murals that adorned the walls. Images of beautifully illustrated dragons, samurai war- riors, tigers and more, the drawings looked as if they’d stepped out of an award-winning children’s book and jumped onto the restaurant’s walls. A great ambiance, fitting for a delicious meal. Now, on to the food! We decided to start with an appetizer combination called A Taste of the Bounty — eggrolls, krab rangoon and potstickers served with a thick sweet and sour dipping sauce. Not overly greasy, this tasty trio was a great comple- ment to our Asian meal. While my husband, Steve, and I were eager to scope out the meat and veggie options at the food line, our 15-year-old, Courtany, decided to try the Chicken Teriyaki Salad for her entree. The salad was a huge hit, packed with oodles of teriyaki chicken, toasted noodles, almonds, toma- toes, mandarin oranges, broccoli and scallions, all tossed with mixed greens and a sweet and tangy Asian vinaigrette. Delicious and refresh- ing on a hot summer evening. Steve and I headed over to the food line where we were presented with dozens of meat, seafood, noodle and veggie options. With so many choices, how can you pos- sibly fit all your favorites into one bowl? Such a dilemma. Good thing it’s all you can eat! While Steve gravitated to the krab and various sausages for his meat options, I loaded up my bowl with beef, chicken and pork. The only thing lacking from the options was shrimp and scallops — one of my Mongolian combina- tion favorites. The vegetable options seemed endless and featured Asian favor- ites like bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. I also loaded up my bowl with plenty of pad thai noodles, cilantro, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions. Once my bowl was filled to the brim I found the sauce portion of the food line. This is always the most difficult part of a Mongolian Grill restau- rant for me. What sauces should I use and how much? Luckily our waitress, even before we loaded our bowls, instructed us to drizzle at least five ladles of sauce on our food for maximum flavor. Now the only problem was choosing which sauce. HuHot’s cleverly named spe- cialty sauces were labeled with full descriptions of ingredients and degree of spiciness. My choices, from the 12 tempting options, were the Samurai Teriyaki — traditional soy sauce combination with sugar, sherry and sesame oil — for two ladles and the Black Thai Peanut — a creamy blend of peanuts flavored with coconut milk, mild chilies and hints of lime — for three ladles with a bonus ladle of lime juice for good measure. With my bowl practically burst- ing with food, I made my way over to the rotunda of the restaurant and the giant metal griddle where my food was cooked to perfection in front of my mesmerized eyes. I find it so entertaining watching skilled grill masters preparing my food. Digging into my creation, I was quite satisfied. The combination of meat and noodles blended perfectly with the sauce and veggies. And everything was grilled wonderfully, including the onions which were caramelized just right. Although we were all so very full and satisfied with our meal, I decided we all needed to at least try one of the dessert options on the menu. The winning vote went to the Cheesecake Rangoons. Drizzled with our choice of white chocolate sauce and served with a scoop of ice cream, these fried won tons filled with decadent cheesecake were a surprisingly delicious treat and a great conclusion to the meal. Overall, HuHot was an unex- pected surprise. From its cool decor to its deliciously fresh food, this restaurant is sure to get many repeat visits from my family. Flavor combinations at HuHot Mongolian Grill are no put on GRANT HINDSLEY PHOTOS, Daily Herald HuHot Mongolian Grill’s claim to fame is its custom, build-it-yourself noodle dishes, along with various soups and appetizers. The restaurant is located in Spanish Fork. HuHot Mongolian Grill features a giant grill where chefs prepare patrons’ custom-picked dishes. Review HUHOT MONGOLIAN GRILL Where: 693 N. 920 East, Spanish Fork Hours: Lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner Sunday to Thursday from 4-9 p.m., Friday to Saturday 4-10 p.m. Prices: $3.49-$12.99 Info: (801) 798-5528, huhot.com heraldextra.com/2tickets DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN EVERY THURSDAY L’elisir D’amore The Elixir of Love Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Felice Romani Directed by Lawrence Vincent Orchestra conducted by Abraham Myler Performed in Italian with English superscripts Wed & Thurs, June 11-12, all tickets $6 Fri & Sat, June 13-14, all tickets $10 7:30pm, de Jong Concert Hall Oscar Wilde’s The Selish Giant Adapted for the stage by Teresa Dayley Love Directed by Jennifer & Nat Reed June 11-13, 7pm Matinees: June 13, 14, 2pm $8-12, Pardoe Theatre T HE SELFISH GIANT MAY 30–31, JUNE 5–7, 11–13 | 7 PM MAY 31, JUNE 5, 7, 13, 14, | 2 PM PARDOE THEATRE OSCAR WILDE’S ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY TERESA DAYLEY LOVE DIRECTED BY JENNIFER AND NAT REED PUPPETRY COMBINE IN TH ABOUT FRIEN AND T TRAN w For tickets, visit BYUarts.com or call the BYU Ticket Ofice at (801) 422-2981. Visit BYUarts.com for a complete performance calendar including free events. C e lebra ti n g 5 1 Y e a r s i n Pro v o ! NEW LOCATION NEW TEMPTATIONS (801) 375-9690 el azteca 46 E Bulldog Provo, utah every tuesday from 3 to 9 pm the best & biggest taco tuesday in town! T H E B E S T OF UTAH VALLEY 2014 R E A D E R S ’ C H O I C E A W A R D S D A I L Y H E R A L D discover
