On May 17th when Real Salt Lake takes on the Portland Timbers, the Club will be celebrating its third Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Night, honoring members of the AAPI community in Utah. Since 1990, the U.S. government has designated the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States
A great way to support and honor the AAPI community in Utah is to get a better understanding of their culture, and what better way to do that than recognizing some of their amazing restaurants along the Salt Lake Valley.
Takashi
Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Takashi offers its guests a world class sushi bar experience. Owner Takashi Gibo’s guests can enjoy a large selection of specialty sushi rolls made with creative techniques, textures, and combinations. Ranked as the best restaurant in Salt Lake City by Tripadvisor, Takashi is a first stop destination for anyone in the downtown Salt Lake area looking to grab a bite.
Chabaar Beyond Thai
Having grown up in Thailand, owner Anny Sooksri has always had a passion for Thai food which later translated into cooking, thanks to her grandmother. She recalls the Thailand street food she ate as a little girl and her grandmother’s homemade food from scratch as the spark of her passion for cooking. Chabaar specifically offers a variety of different Thai foods including traditional stir-frys, barbeque, currys, salads and chef specials. Chabaar’s food is all made in-house with only the freshest ingredients and no artificial additives or flavors.
Doki Doki Dessert Cafe
Consistently ranked as one of the best dessert shops in Salt Lake City, Doki Doki offers a wide and unique assortment of delicious decorated Japanese desserts. Irie Cao and her family moved to Utah from Vietnam in 2013 and opened Doki Doki in February of 2018 after discovering Japanese crepes on a trip in Los Angeles. Beyond their famous Japanese crepes, every Doki Doki menu item is made to order which includes a variety of Japanese style cream puffs, cakes, ice creams and sweet drinks.
Hong Kong Teahouse and Restaurant
Located near the Gateway Mall, Hong Kong Teahouse and Restaurant has been a Salt Lake City Chinese staple for over 20 years. While the teahouse and restaurant offers lunch and dinner menu items, the main attraction of Hong Kong Teahouse and Restaurant is known by restaurant goers to be their Dim Sum menu which is available until 3:00 PM. The Dim Sum menu is primarily Cantonese, headlined by steamed buns, pan-fried potstickers, fried shrimp balls, and barbecued spareribs.
Montauk Bistro
Found on the north end of Fort Street in the Utah Town Center neighborhood of Draper, Utah is Montauk Bistro, a small, friendly restaurant with a “historic-chic vibe”. Having grown up in a farming household in Southeast Asia, Montauk Bistro owner Phayvanh Lang incorporates techniques and ingredients from her homeland in Montauk’s menu while adding a modern American twist. Southeast Asian favorites like banh mi, pad thai, pho, and curry rice bowls can be found on Montauks menu, as well as other American style items such as their rib eye burger.
Oh Mai
Oh Mai, a Vietnamese style sandwich kitchen, is known around the Salt Lake valley to have some of the best sandwiches around. Starting from a simple vision of a mother’s gift, Oh Mai offers “fresh, fast, and quality Vietnamese food”, including its own special blend of family recipes, marinades and sauces, making every dish very unique. Oh Mai also offers a variety of delicious Vietnamese style soups and salads to pair with one of their 12 different sandwich options.
