dining guide the kung pao chicken. It’s all good. 512 W. 750 South, Woods Cross, 801-298-3626.
Hong Kong Tea House & Restaurant
Authentic, pristine and slightly weird is what we look for in Chinese food—Tea House does honorable renditions of favorites, but it is a rewarding place to go explore. 565 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-531-7010. GM DINING
2014 AWARD
J. Wong’s Asian Bistro This
is one of the only elegant Chinese restaurants in town, but that doesn’t mean lunch—Chinese or Thai—isn’t a good Hall OF deal. It’s a great deal. Note the specialty ChiFame SLMmenu: Don’t miss the ginger whole fish. nese Call ahead for authentic Peking duck. 163 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-350-0888. EGM
FRENCH/European
Bruges Waffle and Frites The original tiny shop on Broadway turns out waffles made with pearl sugar, topped with fruit, whipped cream or chocolate. Plus frites, Belgian beef stew and a gargantuan sandwich called a mitraillette (or submachine gun). The new, slightly larger Sugar House cafe has a larger menu. 336 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-3634444. 2314 S. Highland Dr., 801-486-9999. GL Café Madrid Authentic dishes like garlic Chef Toshio “Tosh” Sekikawa
soup share the menu with port-sauced lamb shank. Service is courteous and friendly at this family-owned spot. 5244 S. Highland Dr., Holladay, 801-273-0837. EGM
Noodle House
The Ramen Ranger of Salt Lake City Chef Tosh's Ramen Maybe you remember the finest food movie of them all: Tampopo. The 1985 Japanese comedy was billed as a “ramen Western” (as opposed to a “spaghetti Western”) and told of the quest for perfect ramen by a widowed noodle house owner and a mysterious truck driver/ ramen savant. It has always seemed to me that Chef Toshio “Tosh” Sekikawa should have had a role in this movie. He’s been an evangelist for great Japanese food in Utah since his days at Latitude’s Mikado where he set a standard for sushi. He helped pioneer fusion at Hapa Grill and he continued his ornery insistence on excellence at Naked Fish where he convinced owner Johnny Kwon to invest in an authentic yakitori grill that cooks at a temperature that approaches the surface of the sun. Now he’s opened his own place, Tosh’s Ramen, a straight-up, no-nonsense noodle house. The austere strip mall space is small and intensely focused on ramen, although rumor has it Tosh is planning to get his own yakitori wonder grill, which will flesh out the menu considerably. Meanwhile, you can lose yourself in a bowl of deep-flavored, long-cooked (overnight) broth. Ramen is one of those foods, like beer, chili, barbecue, wine and tea, that inspires serious geekdom. I am not one of these. To me, Tosh’s ramen is simply, miraculously wonderful. You can taste the amount of time invested in the intense broth—time that few kitchens can afford to devote to a dish that costs less than ten bucks a bowl. We loved the traditional tonkotsu with its surprise sweet mushrooms, and the karai with its rich color and spice from the pork sausage. There’s also shoyu and curry ramen, and even a vegetarian broth with vegan yam noodles. Start your meal with Korean wings or plump gyoza. End your meal with a full belly and a soup-satisfied soul. 1465 State St., SLC, 801-466-7000
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2014 AWARD
Finca The spirit of Spain is alive
and well on the plate at this modern tapateria. Scott Evans, owner of Pago, and chef Phelix Gardner translate their love of Hall OF Spain Fameinto food that ranges from authentically to SLM impressionistically Spanish, using as many local ingredients as possible. 1291 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-487-0699. EGM – N
Franck’s Founding chef Franck Peissel’s influ-
ence can still be tasted—personal interpretations of continental classics. Some—like the meatloaf— are perennials, but mostly the menu changes according to season and the current chef’s whim. 6263 S. Holladay Blvd., 801-274-6264. EGN
Paris Bistro Welcome the return of true French cuisine via escargots, confit, duck, daube and baked oysters, steak and moules frites and a beautifully Gallic wine list. The Zinc Bar remains the prime place to dine. 1500 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-486-5585. EGN
Indian
Bombay House This biryani mainstay is sublimely satisfying, from the wise-cracking Sikh host to the friendly server, from the vegetarian entrées to the tandoor’s carnivore’s delights. No wonder it’s been Salt Lake’s favorite subcontinental restaurant for 20 years. 2731 E. Parley’s Way, SLC, 801-581-0222; 463 N. University Ave.,