2.09.2012

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.

Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar on Urbanspoon

2.07.2012

Cafe Sabor

About
600 W Center St - map it!
Cafe Sabor is a mix of American and Mexican, resulting in crave-able flavors and generous portions of satisfying Tex-Mex food. The complimentary homemade salsa is very addictive and you'll find yourself wanting to put it on everything. The restaurant itself is located in an old train station and is well lit and spacious as well as interesting.


Burrito Supreme - marinated meat, rice, and beans, covered with amazing sauce.
Menu
view menu!
The menu is vast; from spinach and artichoke dip and table-side guacamole to fish tacos and Baja chicken pasta, the menu encompasses hearty and healthy foods for every palate. They've got salads, burritos, pasta, seafood, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, and chicken dishes.

Fajita Burrito - marinated meat, grilled onions, bell peppers, and zucchini, covered in red sauce.
plate size perspective by soda glass and free chips n salsa!


Price Range - $6-15
The pricing is very fair and the portions are generous. Chips and salsa are complimentary and our server always refilled when they got low. They have different specials for several days of the week, so call in advance or go check it out! And if you have a Utah State Brainy Joe card, Cafe Sabor offers a "Buy an entree, get a fried ice cream free" deal.

Verdict - 4 stars
The portions are well sized for day-later lunch or a big appetite, and the food is definitely soul-satisfying. Hubs and I sometimes crave Mexican-but-not-Mexican food, so this place hits the spot! Open til 10pm on weekdays, this place is nice to go to for those pesky late-but-not-too-late night cravings.

Cafe Sabor on Urbanspoon

11.15.2011

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.

Happy Sushi on Urbanspoon

11.10.2011

Le Nonne

About
129 N 100 E - map it!
Le Nonne is a cute little house right around Center St. It's a tiny, authentic Italian restaurant that brings a little class to Logan. The chef, PierAntonio Micheli was born and raised in Tuscany off the northern coast of Italy and learned to cook from his mother and grandmother. With an impressive culinary background like that, you just have to try Le Nonne. ("leh noh-nay" - "grandmother" in Italian) If you want some helpful tips on how to pronounce basic Italian dishes, this website is pretty handy. [Basics: "ch" is our "k" ("Bruschetta" = "broo-SKETT-ah"), "cc" is our "ch" (Carpaccio = "car-PAHCH-ee-oh"), always pronounce the e's at the end of a word ("penne" = "PEN-nay"), and "co" is a long e (like "oh"), not a short e.]

Handmade Crab Ravioli - amazing.
Menu
view menu!
The menu is carries a lot of basic Italian dishes, components that are rarely found in Logan but recognizable. I had the Pollo ai Funghi, Chicken with Champignon Mushrooms in a Marsala Wine Sauce. So delicious and even better the second day. I also ordered the Bruschetta con Mozzarella but it had more of a grill/charred taste than I like and the bread was a bit soggy from the fresh tomatoes. Hubs had the Ravioli di Pollo alla Marinara, Chicken Ravioli in a Tomato Sauce which was really good, considering I'm not a big fan of tomato-based sauce. The olive tapenade they serve you is to die for and I literally ate it by the spoonful when I thought no one was watching. Caesar salad is hard to do wrong, of course and I've heard really good things about their Spinach Ravioli and their Beef Gorgonzola. I've recently had the Pollo al Limone e Capperi, Chicken with Lemon and Capers- so good. And hubs had the Ravioli di Granchio, Stuffed Crab Ravioli in a yummy cream sauce, although it wasn't very filling. The food is always cooked with care and precision and those homemade raviolis are so addicting!

Chicken with Lemon and Capers - good, but a bit too lemony. Good to order once.

Price Range - $10-$20
The price is a bit on the expensive side, averaging around $12-15 a plate, $20+ if you want to go fancy. The dishes are generous and could feed two with an appetizer if you want to split a plate for an additional $2. Although it is pricey, I would say Olive Garden is just as pricey for lesser authentic Italian cuisine. It's definitely worth a try, if not for lunch, then for special occasions. Our bill always comes to around $30 before tax/tip.


Spinach Ravioli - amazing. I could eat this again and again.
Angry Pasta - good, better the next day, huge portions.

Verdict - 4.5 stars
I love Le Nonne, and would like to try all of their offerings. Unfortunately hubs is not a big fan of Italian so I don't get to go as often as I'd like. It's definitely the closest you're going to get to authentic Italian around these parts and once you've tried it, Olive Garden just won't be the same anymore.

Le Nonne on Urbanspoon

12.09.2010

Stroganoff



About
Stroganoff is creamy and peppery and hearty - all of which soul food should be. We love this recipe, as it allows a lot of wiggle room for creativity and adjustments. Stroganoff would be good served with cut corn, green beans and cottage cheese, or a simple salad.

Recipe

  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1/2 pkg of egg noodles
  • (1 small can of mushrooms, drained)
  • (1/4 of an onion, finely chopped)
  • (2 cloves of garlic, minced)
  • black pepper
Boil 6 cups of water in a medium sized pot (or fill it halfway). Add the egg noodles in and keep on medium-high heat until tender. Meanwhile brown the ground beef on medium-low heat. When noodles are done (about 8-10 min) drain and set aside.When the pink color of the meat is almost gone, add the onions and garlic and simmer until meat is thoroughly cooked through (10 min). Add in the can of mushroom soup, sour cream, and mushrooms (if you want them). Add in generous amounts of black pepper to taste (at least about 1/4 tsp). Stir until heated through and serve! 
(While the onion, garlic, and mushrooms are not necessary, we find that they improve the flavor of the stroganoff a lot, so if this isn't just a quick meal for you, I'd definitely use those if you have them.)


Price Range - $4.00
This is a serving for two without sides and maybe one plate left over, so I'd say it costs about $2/person to make, less with the more you make (the more you buy in bulk) of course. We both had 2 big plates each with another plate in leftovers, so with side dishes, you could stretch this to a 4-5 serving meal.

Verdict - 4.5 stars
We love stroganoff and love even more how easy this meal is to make. It takes 10 minutes and uses ingredients most people already have around. Hubby and I used to eat the Pastaroni kind until we realized how easy and painless it really was.

12.06.2010

Grandma Kelley's Waffles


About
Apparently Grandma Kelley is renowned for her cooking prowess: Grandma Kelley's this, Grandma Kelley's that. Her recipes don't do her cooking justice as she has that magic touch and it can never be replicated. I've always thought that grandmothers were excellent cooks and Grandma Kelley having 12 kids and who knows how many grandkids, I guess that makes her a super-grandma. Anyways, I found her recipe for waffles digging through Braden's parents' kitchen cupboards and wanted to try it out.

Recipe

  • 2 c all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 c milk
  • 7 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp salt
Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Place milk, eggs, and oil in a blender (don't really have to, just whisk furiously for a minute or two), then add to dry ingredients and bake in a preheated waffle iron. No greasing of the iron needed unless you wash it regularly (then just give it a quick spray of Pam or wipe it down with some veggie oil on a paper towel, getting into all the crevices). When the steam comes out the sides of the iron, it's almost ready, or bake until it's golden brown.


Price Range
Since it's from ingredients you should already have in the pantry, I'd say this cost nothing to make or if you really must know, probably around 2 or 3 dollars, if even. Makes around 10 waffles, or two batches and then some in a 4-square waffle iron.


Verdict - 4.5 stars
These were great! All the waffles we've previously made were just alright. These were fluffy, light, eggy, and delicious. And the best part? No buttermilk needed for that wonderful childhood reminiscent waffle flavor and texture. We had ours with lots of butter and Mrs Butterworth's syrup and homemade strawberry and Grandma Kelley's homemade pear jam. Of course the hubby had his with cinnamon peanut butter. We might get creative next time and add in chips of fresh strawberries or blueberries.


This is what we use in our kitchen.
We got it as a wedding gift and it's fantastic to have.
But any waffle iron should be good for this recipe.

11.29.2010

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.

Korean Bar B Que on Urbanspoon