The Mongolian Grill

Address:


484 S 1750 W Suite G
Springville, UT 84663

Price Range:


Under $10

Craig and I are fans of Mongolian Grills. A few years ago we were looking for one and found this was the closest one.  We decided to try it and as far as we were concerned this was one of the better ones (Craig has been to some bad ones apparently).

Menu:


What else? Mongolian BBQ! When you order the BBQ you get a choice between hot and sour soup or egg drop soup and a spring roll with sweet and sour sauce and your choice of brown or white rice.

Now if you know me, you know i'm not a fan of buffets. At all. But with Mongolian BBQ it's different. The food is set out buffet style but the meat is frozen (and stays that way) and the noodles and vegetables are kept cool on ice. They have a variety of meats ranging from lamb to crab and everything in between as well as a large variety of vegetables and sauces.

They serve Chinese food as well but we've never tried it because we've been so hung up on the Mongolian BBQ.

The service is nice but I would say they aren't the quickest. The hostess that brings your drinks and takes your initial order has always been timely but when we're doing the Mongolian BBQ sometimes the cook isn't there and it takes a little while for him to get out there and warm up the grill so there have been times when we're standing there waiting for them to get to the grill. When there's a lot of people they'll already be there but if there aren't that many customers the place seems quite empty.

In all, the place seems to be a quiet and clean restaurant with fantastic Mongolian BBQ. It's super cheap so if you're looking for another cheap date, try the Mongolian Grill!

The Chocolate

Address:


212 S. State St.
Orem, UT 84058

Price Range:


Individual Servings Under $5
Whole Cakes $15-$45

Website


Dessert Cafes and Specialty Dessert shops have become quite popular around the United States. I can see the novelty and The Chocolate is not an exception.

Order:


Caramel Brownie: Craig ordered the Caramel Brownie and if described in a word, I would say: Rich. Compared to most brownies it was very dense and sweet. I would expect a caramel brownie to be very sweet, however dense? I'm not sure if I'm a fan of dense brownies. If that's something that tickles your fancy, however, you may have found your brownie place.

Berry Trifle: I got the Berry Trifle and it was just delightful. The berries were fresh which is a pretty rare thing during the winter months and the Bavarian cream was actually quite light. The yellow cake they used was a perfect compliment to the dessert. It added a needed weight that if the cake wasn't a little on the heavy side, the dessert may have just floated away.

The Chocolate is indeed a delightful little place run out of an old house that's been gussied up to look charmingly vintage. There are couches to sit on which gives it a very casual ambiance. Upstairs there is an internet cafe for those that want to bring their computers to get some work done. Because of it's casual feel,  It allows for patrons to get as comfortable as they want which means that maybe louder behavior is tolerated there. That may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what kind of person you are. Craig and I weren't too impressed by it because even when we went upstairs we could still hear the group down in the front room. They also provide complimentary water with lemon on each floor.

It truly is a charming place to be experienced, although they do provide take out orders for those that want to enjoy their sweets at home. If you're looking for a fun dessert cafe, The Chocolate is a lovely place to relax and enjoy a sugar rush.

Osaka

Address:


46 W Center St
Provo, UT 84601


Price Range:


Under $10


We decided for our date this week we would go get some Japanese food (not sushi). We chose Osaka off of a recommendation from my sister and were not disappointed.


Order:


Each of our orders came with the choice of a salad or miso soup. We both got the miso soup and it was pretty good miso soup, once it gets cold, though, i wouldn't recommend it, so eat it quickly!

Gyoza: We started with an order of Gyoza which is basically a Japanese potsticker. They're steamed dumplings filled with pork and vegetables and served with soy sauce that's been mixed with rice vinegar. They were fresh and soft and definitely a good way to start the meal.

Gyudon: I ordered the Gyudon which is a Don-Buri (a meat over rice in a bowl) served with beef and onions with sweet soy sauce and sesame seeds. It had a light, sweet flavor to it which would be best for those that have sensitive palates (aka known picky eaters).

Ok, I realized after I ate it that I had forgotten to get a picture...but the picture to your right is more or less what it looked like (minus the pickled ginger on the side)

Beef Sukiyaki: Craig got the Beef Sukiyaki which was a dish that was brought out hot in a small frying pan looking dish. Beef Sukiyaki consists of thinly sliced pieces of beef, tofu, onions, cabbage, and jelly-like noodles in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. It's flavor was more bold and obviously soy sauce, compared to mine, but it wasn't strong enough that it was off putting. For the adventurous type, I would suggest any of the sukiyaki on their menu.

The service was very prompt, polite and intuitive. It was a quiet restaurant, but from their wall of celebrity thanks, seems very popular. I was told they have rooms where you can kneel and eat your food, per the traditional fashion, however, Craig and I were too shy to request the room so we were happy to accept the booth we were given. If you're looking for something new to eat and enjoy your restaurants to be very quiet and reverent, I would suggest Osaka.

El Salvador Restaurante

Address:


332 W Center Street
Provo, UT 84601

Price Range:


Under $10 (Papusas cost about $1.50 each!)

Order:


With El Salvadorian food, there's only one thing you should really be getting: Papusas. They're fantastic. A papusa is basically a corn pancake/tortilla filled with either beans, cheese, pork, or all of the above. They're served with a mixture of cabbage, carrots, basil, and hot sauce with additional hot sauce on the side for those that can handle the heat. We love them. I think ordering two papusas a person would be enough for a meal.

We've ordered plantains there once as well, however, I found them to be sweet but a little on the tart side. Craig loved them as they reminded him of the time he spent in Mexico, but they were served with cream and beans and he adored them.

Warning to those that are not familiar with El Salvadorian fare. Rice (spanish or otherwise) is not part of their diet. So don't try and order rice there because they won't want to say no and it'll take forever for them to find some rice for you. How I know this? We took some friends there and one of our friends decided she wanted some rice anyways and asked. They, of course, wanted to be obliging but were scrambling to find a way to satisfy their customer. Luckily the friend changed her mind before they went to the store and ordered beans instead.

This situation, though, is a testament to how fantastic their service is. They are seriously the nicest people in the world and work really hard to make you feel at home there. Also, for making the papusas fresh ( I know, right!) they get it done quickly, even on a busy night.

So if you're like Craig and I and love dates for under $5, I would suggest getting some delicious papusas from El Salvador Restaurante!