Pho Plus Noodle House

About
908 S State St. in Orem, UT - map it!
Tucked in a little business building's parking lot just north of Yamato, Pho Plus is a heartily-welcomed addition to the Utah County food scene. UC has seriously been lacking some authentic, soul-satisfying pho and Pho Plus delivers! When you walk in, your heart knows it's home. It could be the immaculate, tastefully-decorated and open interior, or the inviting aroma of anise, ginger, and cloves. (They are also building a new location in Provo, opening soon. Double the awesome!)

Every authentic pho joint should offer you bean sauce, sriracha sauce, basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts, and limes. These are all a MUST in pho dining. Also, the awesome soup spoons.

Menu - view menu!
Pho Plus offers a good range of authentic pho (tripe and tendon, anyone? yum!) and more for those who may not be satisfied with a hot bowl of broth and noodles (say, what?). They offer noodle dishes, to familiar orange-chicken-type dishes and a great range of drinks (boba tea!) If you are a pho novice, I recommend the steak pho- tantalizing pieces of paper-thin rare steak, dropped in your hot soup right before they bring the bowl to the table. The result is a succulent bite of fresh steak cooked in the beef broth. Or the brisket, a surprisingly tender and flavorful cut. The more adventurous types may opt for the #11, a mix of everything meat-topping-wise. As for me, I'll take the steak, tripe, and creamy bits of tendon every time. The only thing I didn't really care for were the meatballs. Not your traditional meatballs.



Price Range - $6 - 12
Pho will be one of your cheapest and most buck-for-the-bang options, priced at around $7 for a regular bowl. I don't honestly know who could finish a large bowl (a dollar more) as the regular is enough to even have the hubs finish before the bowl's empty. (I foresee a pho food challenge in the future...) Some of the pricier options will be the orange-chicken type dishes, at $12/plate. But as you can see that plate comes with a salad, a heaping portion of rice, and a small bowl of soup (same soup as the pho but without noodles). It may seem a bit pricey at first, but upon trying it, the orange chicken is perfectly cooked and more authentic than you'll find anywhere else. Mm.. tastes like mom's cooking! Hubs did mention that this may have been the best orange chicken he's ever had.




Verdict - 5 stars
Utah County has been missing a good pho joint for so long, but Pho Plus has rightfully won the sole crown of pho king. (Have your laugh..) The staff is super nice and hard-working. Pho Plus is authentic, always crowded (but not in a bad way), and a soul-satisfying meal you'll come to crave in the not-so-distant future, or if you're like me, in the middle of the night. If only they could cater to my pho cravings 24/7.

Kabuki Japanese Sushi & Hibachi Grill

About
461 N Main St  - map it!

Kabuki is located on main street where a Chinese restaurant used to be. They are a hibachi grill, specializing in chefs who put on a little entertainment and conversation while they cook your food on a grill. There is also a sushi bar and several booths surrounding the hibachi grills. There is sometimes a wait, as this place is a popular weekend spot and only hibachi grill in Logan. The food is executed well, but aside from the hibachi grill, which tends to be a little pricey compared to most, but bear in mind this place uses the best ingredients and it is the only hibachi within miles.

Gyoza - not worth it. For a couple bucks more, you can get 50+ of these in a bag at the Korean store.

Russian Roulette Roll - amazing! Could be a bit spicier, but then again I love spicy.

Menu

(right-click and open in a new tab to view larger, sorry for the poor resolution)

If you plan on doing hibachi, call in and make a reservation, these fill up quick and have a long wait!

Kabuki offers basically two groups of food, hibachi and sushi. If you're a fan of neither, there is a small selection of udon and yakisoba (noodle dishes), and "kitchen entrees" where you'll find tonkatsu (pounded and panko fried cutlets) and teriyaki, which both come with miso soup and steamed rice. The sushi menu covers all the basics and features some creative rolls, a good variety for both beginners and sushi lovers.

Pork Tonkatsu - good, wish I had less pork and more veggies.

Shrimp Tonkatsu - also good.

Price Range - $8-$35
The "kitchen entrees" are very filling and moderately priced. The sushi is very fairly priced and they definitely don't skimp there. Lots of fresh fish and thickly cut slices on the rolls. The hibachi grill tends to be a little pricey compared to most hibachi grills, but the quality of the ingredients are phenomenal; NY strip, filet mignon, and lobster for hibachi? This place is doing hibachi right.

Chicken Teriyaki - okay, but got sick of it halfway through. Doesn't come with veggies.

Verdict - 4 stars
I've eaten at tons of hibachi grills, and while Kabuki is the new kid on the block (and our hostess didn't know what or how to say hibachi- forgivable, it was her first day), they are certainly very detail oriented and meticulous about their food. If they could lower their hibachi grill prices by a teensy bit and put a little more effort into their other entrees, this place is certain to become a permanent hotspot in Logan. I'd definitely go back for the sushi, though.

Happy Sushi

About
20 W 400 N - map it!

Happy Sushi is located in a tiny, gray building in downtown Logan. Hubs and I were a bit hesitant our first time there, but we know some of the best gems can be in the most unlikeliest of places. Repeatedly one of the highest reviewed sushi restaurants in Logan, Happy Sushi is a clean, tastefully decorated sushi joint that rarely disappoints and always delivers on the freshest fish in Cache Valley.

Menu
view menu!
Happy Sushi offers a variety of Japanese classics such as teriyaki, katsu, tempura, donburi, and udon, but its specialty lies in sushi. It boasts a large variety (and I mean a large variety- its menu rivals some of the more expensive sushi places in SLC) of nigiri, sushi rolls, and sashimi options. Everything is meticulously made and delicious. 

image via Yelp: Double-Dash C.

Lunch Special: Spicy Tuna + Chef's Choice (image via UrbanSpoon: Chip Royce)

Price Range - $10-$15
The prices are pretty fair for sushi and the bento boxes are a good deal. Happy Sushi is always fresh and you don't have to worry about sketchy sushi with cheap cuts and questionable shelf life. Nigiri is a little pricey, the rolls are delicious and filling, and the lunch specials and non-sushi entrees are the dishes to order to get the most bang for your buck. Hubs usually orders a dinner box or an entree and we share 2 rolls (1 if we got an appetizer), and I get a bunch of different nigiri. It usually runs us about $50 (incl. tip) a night out, but I love sushi, and when we go I splurge a little.

Verdict - 4.7 stars
Happy Sushi is a great place for a sushi fix and higher quality than a lot of sushi joints I've eaten at. They have a certain appetizer made with halves of jalapenos stuffed with minced tuna, deep fried with tempura and topped with this amazing teriyaki sauce (or is it eel sauce?) and finished with nori. I can't for the life of me remember the name, and it's going to bug me forever. If you don't know what to get as an appetizer and don't mind a little spicy, I highly recommend that.

Korean BBQ & Market

About
111 S Main St - map it!
Korean BBQ & Market is located next to the Italian restaurant Gia's on Main St. It's a tiny, family owned spot that doubles as an asian market on one side and a small Korean restaurant on the other. Despite the BBQ in the name, there is no actual grill on any of the tables, common with most Korean BBQ places. Everything is cooked in the back and brought out to the front. Service is a little lacking, but do remember that it is a family owned joint with quite a language barrier so it's difficult for the owners, but they are super nice and appreciative of their customers and do what they can.

Jeyuk Bokkum. credits to google (sorry, I was super hungry! I will take my own photos next time)

Menu
view menu!
The menu is limited but carries the basics of Korean cuisine without being too intimidating for Logan, UT. It doesn't sacrifice it's authenticity (such as Americanizing dishes) and each dish has a homemade taste presented neatly. Each entree comes out with rice and a spread of 5 or 6 small side dishes meant to accompany the meal. The entrees are big, traditionally for a family style type serving. You can easily order another bowl of rice and share an entree with another person.

Kimbap. credits to google.

Price Range - $6-$20
The price is a bit pricey, as with most Korean restaurants, but it is meant for family style meals (that means grab your friends/family and make it an event!). You'll find prices range from $7.95 to $19.95 an entree. Lunch is definitely the cheaper option if you're trying it out or don't want to share entrees. Hubby and I ordered two entrees and a side of Kimbap, a small snack, really, and it came out to $24. We were stuffed and couldn't finish our meals (and we were starving before we left the house!)

Soondooboo Jjigae. credits to google.

Verdict - 3.8 stars
Since I can make all the Korean staples at home (like Kalbi, Bulgogi, Kimchi Jjigae) we were in the mood for something authentic we couldn't make. Hubby had a Jeyuk Bokkum which is a dish consisting of spicy, marinated then fried pork with onions, bellpeppers, mushrooms (and some other veggies, I think I covered most of them) and I had the Soondooboo Jjigae, a spicy tofu stew popular in the winter seasons and an order of Kimbap, a kind of Korean sushi consisting of imitation crab, cucumber, yellow pickled radish/daikon, and carrots. The Jeyuk Bokkum was delicious and tasted homemade and the Kimbap tasted just like my mom and I make back home. The Soondooboo Jjigae was lacking in flavor, not as flavorful in depth as it should be and I definitely wouldn't order it again. Usually it is rich and has seafood and/or meat, but it only had tofu and mushrooms. The side dishes were delicious and the kimchi is good (you can usually judge a good korean restaurant by the kimchi). We had a good time and were satisfied, but not the best Korean I've had, but for Logan, it's alright. For your first time trying Korean, try the Kalbi, Bulgogi, Doejibulgogi, or the Jeyuk Bokkum.

Pounders Hawaiian Island Grill

About
473 S. Main St - map it!
Pounders is a casual Hawaiian joint that is open Mon-Sat 11-9. They serve up the good old rice with meat combo. They range from chicken cooked in various ways to traditional Hawaiian Kalua Pork, smoky, slow cooked pork and Locomoco, a hamburger patty on white, sticky rice with two eggs and smothered in brown gravy.

Menu
view menu!
The menu is split in half by meats + sides entrees and Pounders Originals. The meats + sides are combos of your choices of one, two, or three meats ranging from Kalua Pork to Papalani Chicken (a must try!) and a side of macaroni salad and rice. They also have burgers and other meat-lover-heaven goodness. The food is hearty and comes in large portions. I love that they have a balanced menu filled with "safeties" and more intriguing traditional Hawaiian food.

Price Range
The price ranges from $4.95 to $24.99 (but that's for like, 5 people). Kids can eat there for $2.99. I would say it's a bit pricey for what it is, unless you're willing to bump it up and share. Extra meat comes in a heaping to-go box, so that is totally worth it. For a meal for two, you can expect somewhere around $20 with drinks. Single person, anywhere from $7 to $12 with drinks.

Verdict - 3 stars
Hubby went out on a Friday night to grab Pounders to go and waited an HOUR for one order. There were groups there that came after him that got their order before he did. That definitely dampened our mood. We had the Kahuna, (an order of 3 meats, a side of rice, and a side of macaroni salad) with a side order of extra meat and extra rice. The Kalua pork was pretty dry and bland compared to the ones I've eaten before and the macaroni salad tasted strongly of bulk macaroni salad, the one eerily similar to the one that we served at Honeybaked Ham, scooped out of a huge white bucket and very mayonnaise-y. The rice was disappointing because there were so much meat but a tiny scoop of rice (like literally 3 tablespoons of rice) so if you're ordering for one, definitely get an extra scoop of rice (even though it's super pricey at $1.50 for the amount they give you). The Papalani Chicken was definitely our favorite- so flavorful! They were sold out of Kalbi and gave us two Teriyaki Chickens instead of the Pounders Chicken we ordered alongside the Kalua pork. So with a screwed up order, an hour of standing around wait time, and two tiny scoops of rice with bland Kalua pork later, we give it 3 stars for the Papalani Chicken alone. We'll try Pounders again sometime after the initial shock wears off.