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SALT LAKE METRO ■ JANUARY 20, 2005
Thursday, january 20 Eccles 6:30pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Eccles 9:45pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Friday, January 21 Prospector 8:30am Pura Lengua SHORTS Eccles 9:15am Happy Ending PREMIERS 11:30am Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Library Ctr Holiday Vlg 11:30am Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 11:30am Small Town Secrets SHORTS Racquet 11:30am Loggerheads DRAMA Sundance Vlg 1:00pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Egyptian 3:00pm Con Diva SHORTS Sundance Vlg 4:00pm Saving Face AM SPECT Library 5:30pm Rize AM SPECT Egyptian 6:00pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS 6:15pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday Vlg Broadway SL 6:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Broadway SL 6:45pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Sundance Vlg 7:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday 7:00pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 8:30pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Broadway SL 9:00pm Ballets Russes FEATURES Eccles 9:30pm Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Sundance Vlg 10:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Saturday, January 22 Egyptian 9:00am Con Diva SHORTS Library 11:30am Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Eccles 12:00pm Loggerheads DRAMA Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Prospector 2:30pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS 3:00pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Broadway SL Trolley SL 3:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday Vlg 3:15pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 5:30pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Library 5:30pm Saving Face AM SPECT Trolley SL 6:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Trolley SL 7:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Trolley SL 9:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Tower SL 9:30pm Inside Deep Throat PREMIERS Holiday Vlg 10:00pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Trolley SL 10:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA 11:00pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday II Egyptian 11:59pm Rize AM SPECT Sunday, January 23 Prospector 8:30am Saving Face AM SPECT Egyptian 9:00am Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Trolley SL 12:00pm Con Diva SHORTS Broadway SL 12:00pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA 12:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg Braodway SL 3:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 5:30pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Prospector 5:30pm Rize AM SPECT Peery’s Ogden 6:30pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Holiday VLG 9:15pm Con Diva SHORTS Eccles 9:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Peery’s Ogden 9:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Tower SL 4:00pm Saving Face AM SPECT Broadway SL 9:45pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Monday, January 24 Eccles 9:15am Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Library 2:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Sundance Vlg 4:00pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Prospector 5:30pm Saving Face AM SPECT 6:00pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Broadway SL Broadway SL 9:00pm Rize AM SPECT Tower SL 9:30pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Library 11:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Tuesday, January 25 Racquet 11:30am Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Eccles 3:00pm Heights FEATURES Library Ctr 5:30pm Being Bad SHORTS
Peery Ogden 9:30pm Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Tower SL 9:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Holiday Vlg 11:30pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Wednesday, January 26 2:30pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Prospector Library 2:30pm Heights FEATURES Eccles 6:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Racquet 8:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Peery Ogden 9:30pm Con Que La Lavare SHORTS Prospector 11:30pm Being Bad SHORTS Thursday, January 27 Library 8:30am Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Holiday Vlg 10:00am Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Library 11:30am Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Egyptian 12:00pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Racquet 2:30pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Holiday Vlg 2:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Holiday Vlg 5:30pm Ballets Russes FEATURES Prospector 5:30pm Being Bad SHORTS Eccles 6:00pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Trolley SL 6:00pm Heights FEATURES Holiday Vlg 6:15pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Holiday Vlg 6:15pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Sundance Vlg 7:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Trolley SL 9:00pm Heights FEATURES 9:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg Sundance Vlg 10:00pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Friday, January 28 Racquet 11:30am Forty Shades of Blue DRAMA Holiday Vlg 1:00pm Ring of Fire DOCUMENTARY Library 5:30pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Broadway SL 6:00pm Being Bad SHORTS Trolley SL 6:00pm Dying Gaul, The DRAMA Trolley SL 7:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE 8:30pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Prospector Eccles 9:30pm Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Trolley SL 10:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE 11:30pm Education of Shelby Knox, The DOCU Holiday II Library 11:30pm Loggerheads DRAMA Saturday, January 29 Yarrow 9:00am Ballets Russes FEATURES Eccles 9:15am Pura Lengua SHORTS Trolley SL 12:00pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT 12:15pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg III 11:00pm Billy’s Dad is a Fudgepacker SHORTS Holiday Vlg II Library 11:30am Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Eccles 6:00pm Happy Ending PREMIERS Broadway SL 6:45pm Joy of Life, The FRONTIER Broadway SL 6:45pm Small Town Secrets SHORTS Trolley SL 7:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Peery’s Ogden 9:30pm Lackawanna Blues CENTERPIECE Tower SL 9:30pm Mysterious Skin PREMIERS Trolley SL 10:30pm Jacket, The PREMIERS Broadway SL 10:30pm Pura Lengua SHORTS Library 11:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT Broadway SL 11:59pm Reefer Madness PREMIERS Sunday, January 30 Holiday Vlg 10:30am Ballets Russes FEATURES Holiday Vlg 1:30pm Strangers With Candy MIDNIGHT THEATRES, PARK CITY Eccles—Eccles Ctr for the Perf Arts, 1750 Kearns Blvd. Egyptian—Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main St. Holiday—Cinemark Holiday Village Cinemas, 1776 Park Ave. Library—Library Center Theatre, 1225 Park Ave. Prospector—Prospector Square Theatre, 2200 Sidewinder Dr. Racquet—Park City Racquet Club, 1200 Little Kate Road
THEATRES, SALT LAKE CITY Broadway—Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. Broadway Tower—Tower Theatre, 876 E. 900 S. Trolley—Trolley Square, 602 E. 500 S. THEATRES, SUNDANCE Sundance Vlg—Sundance Institute Screening Room, North Fork, Provo Canyon THEATRES, OGDEN Peery’s—Peery’s Egyptian Theater, 2415 Washington Blvd.
VANESSA CHANG
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL QUEER PICKS
Shabu by Vanessa Chang vanessa@slmetro.com
Address: 333 Main St. (Main Street Mall), Park City Phone: (435) 645-SAKE Hours: Mon-Thurs 5:00pm-10:00pm Fri-Sat 5:00pm-11:00pm Reservations recommended All major credit cards accepted Handicap accessible
When waiting for a table at Shabu’s cramped bar with a fruity saketini, one thing is evident—Shabu is quickly earning a reputation as the place to eat in Park City. The food, touted as “Asian freestyle” spans a good portion of the continent and the menu is impressive in its range of technique, showing off Executive Chef Robert Valaika’s formidable background cooking in the kitchens of Charlie Trotter and Nobu Matsuhisa. Famished from two saketinis and good half an hour wait, I quickly ordered the Samurai Shiso ($12) and the duck confit salad. Fresh shiso leaves encased a mixture of raw sea bass and mango, then was tempura dipped and fried to a heavenly crunch that gave way under the tooth, while the micro daikon greens and julienne vegetables lent a fresh spicy bite. Unfortunately, as beautiful as the concept was, the sea bass proved too delicate for the mango and the accompanying sauce. On other nights, different fish make up the filling and the thought of unctuous tuna underneath the sheath of shiso and armor of delicate tempura is tempting. The salad with velvety strands of confit was nicely balanced and the texture ideal. Perfectly dressed greens and the right amount of meat. We licked the plate clean. The pace of the courses allowed for sufficient people watching. Red walls accented with copper, natural wood, fixtures, and the dimmest of mood lighting lend a swank vibe to the dining room.
It’s a beautiful space for beautiful people. Beautiful people in turtlenecks to be more precise. Despite the blizzard like conditions outside, the restaurant was teeming with diners whose conversation at times drowned out the live musician. I cannot recall how many cell phones rang that night. It could be interpreted as pretentious. On some nights it was. But the consistent presence of the locals makes me think that its endearing qualities go beyond its hip veneer. As for the cuisine, I admit I am always suspect of places that tout “fusion” as part of their concept. But Chef Valaika executes it well with great technique, and presentation. The architectural Beef Tenderloin with Asian hash ($27) is a testament to that. The menu also showcases stir-fries, noodles, tempura, sashimi and sushi, and the Japanese hot pot, shabu shabu ($20). The former boasts a tableside gas fire that heats a deep flavorful veggie or coconut broth into which you swish your choices of meat with a selection of fresh vegetables that arrive in an elegant lacquered box. Everything on the plate is a work of art, you almost feel bad deconstructing it with your fork to let your tongue savor it. One complaint that I do have was that everything that I managed to order seemed overly sweetened in a teriyaki sauce, ponzu sauce, hoisin, pad thai sauce, what have you. From the shiso on visit, to the panko fig stuffed pork chop ($26) on the next—the textures worked, but the flavors didn’t reach their full potential. But I’ll take solace in the fact that Shabu is still quite young and filling out its breeches. The service is professional and friendly, headed by the chef’s brother Kevin, and the menu’s concepts are creative and hip. And after all, any place that offers an assortment of cold and warm sake and specialty saketinis like the “Come On I Want To Lay You” is worth serious consideration on your next sojourn to Park City.