Peng's Palate

900 South 248 West
Salt Lake City
(801) 326-8376

It’s been two months. I’m back! Here is my first stop back after a long break from Peng’s Palate

Quick, convenient, and tasty. That best describes the wonderful bun and pocketed delights at Johnny Kolaches.  According to the web site, ” Kolaches are a traditional Czech pastry, popular in the immigrant communities in Oklahoma and Texas. Pronounced ko-lah-chee (or ko-lah-key), kolache is the plural of kolach. The individual pastries were originally made with a fruit or poppy-seed filling baked into an indentation in the center of a fluffy, sweet, yeast-risen dough.”

Think potato bun  or roll filled with anything from Cheesburger, philly cheesteak to pulled pork. The bun concept reminds me of Chinese Baozi or BAO which are steamed buns usually filled with a pork mixture or BBQ pork in hybrid areas of the US such as Hawaii. They’re steamed instead and are usually white buns. Kolaches on the other hand are baked from handmade dough.   For my visit I had the cheeseburger and the philly cheese steak. The cheeseburger Kolache was a bit dry but the philly was exceptional. It’s only a buck eighty for one and the Kolache fills you up but you could easily eat 3-4 (well I could) in one sitting.  With something as fast and convenient as this I like to compare it to a food product of equal price. The challenger? A regular cheeseburger at In and  Out.  Now I know that many of the Utahns who pack In and Out’s new franchises would swear by their dead ancestors that In and Out is God’s gift to the obese and drugged. But my bias’ aside the winner is Kolaches. The bun is light but had a smooth and simple taste that isn’t overpowered by grease, oil, or fat.  But once you bite into the bun, the flavors compliment the bread perfectly. It’s a simple snack that’s more portable and most certainly healthier (not that it’s a big concern). I enjoyed Kolaches because it was a comfort food and there was no hassle about it. I would suggest the philly cheesesteak for any first timer. It’s a win.

Friend Meter: Tony, Elisa, Preston, Spencer, Justin

theblueplatediner.com

2041 S 2100 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84108

It’s been a few weeks and I’m seriously behind on my last two visits. I apologize for the handful of folks who have been visiting this page. Anyhow, let’s jump right into this installment of Peng’s Palate.

As many Utahns know, New Moon has been released in theatres this week. For those unfamiliar with the film, the movie is based on the best selling Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers. While I have never read the book, I’ve seen the movie at the bequest of my fanatic friends.   The book is an international best seller and when the first film came out, many reactions were mixed. Some were ecstatic while some disappointed. The general consensus though was “You have to see this movie!” After having seen the movie though, I was disappointed. So much hype and anticipation ended up in providing me with a different experience than many attested to. The film was decent but nowhere near the build-up. This was much like my visit to the Blue Plate Diner.

I’ve had many friends swear on their ancestors grave to the great taste and value at this local dining spot. I’ve read many reviews of how amazing the breakfast, milk shakes and experience is. I’ve even seen my favorite Food Network star visit during an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dive. But my experience with the Blue Plate Diner was decent but nowhere near the buildup; much like it was for the Twilight movie.

Their milk shake brings all the folks to the yard, and they're like, its better than yours, damn right its better than yours,

This is in no way disparaging the eating spot. I felt the portions were hefty and the value was good but to make breakfast truly stand out, it takes a lot of effort than to provide the usual common eats that are easily done at home.  Perhaps it’s my bad luck in not visiting a diner during its “best” hours or trying out the “best” it has to offer but with the way this place is incredibly hyped by publications such as the City Weekly, Salt Lake Magazine, CitySearch Reviews, and the two rival newspaper corps, it’s hard to not expect grandiose breakfast and food.  When the milk shake is the highlight of the meal for a person who is lactose intolerant, it says a lot.

Will I try out the Blue Plate Diner again? Yes. In fact, I’ve been given a few suggestions as to what I should order. I’ve been told they also have some great Vegan options so that’ll be on my upcoming Vegan/Vegetarian week. But enough of the explaining

And now more to the actual meal. The servings are definitely huge and you get your value for every buck you spend. I ordered the Benedict Omelette which comes stuffed with honey pepper bacon, cheddar cheese and topped off with hollandaise sauce. There was enough bacon to feed me many times over and the eggs were prepared well and were fluffy. The homefries were solid but nothing spectacular. Overall this was a good omelette and a unique twist.

Simplicity

You can expect another review for this diner in the future.