A recent find (introduced to me by Joe), Phở Green Papaya has become my absolute favorite Vietnamese restaurant. The ingredients are fresh, the atmosphere is classy, and the service is impeccable. There is an incredible variety of selections on their six page menu. Although I have by no means tried them all, everything I have tried has been top notch. Their prices are reasonable too — my most recent meal, consisting of tea, an appetizer, and a large bowl of phở, came to less than $19, including a generous tip.

When you go, start with an appetizer. Though not typical Vietnamese fare, their chicken satays are fantastic — coconutty, lightly sweet, moist and tender. I like the fresh spring rolls (Gỏi cuốn), but their crispy, deep fried rolls (Chả giò) are also excellent.

If you like tea, they have a broad selection of green and black teas, as well as a couple of herbal tisanes, all served in a cast-iron tea kettle. I am a big fan of green tea, and I always order a pot when I’m there. I especially love Chinese jasmine pearl tea (Dragon Pearls), jasmine scented green tea leaves and sometimes a jasmine flower, hand rolled into small pearl-sized balls, and was delighted to find it on the menu. If you like teas, try it — you won’t be disappointed.

The first time I went, I had the Bún bò Huế — a mildly spicy soup noodle soup originating in the town of Huế, in central Vietnam. This soup, although a Vietnamese noodle soup, is very different from phở. For starters, the broth much more substantial, red, and flavored with lemongrass and shrimp paste, rather than star anise, cloves and ginger. The noodles are different too — thicker and closer to spaghetti or soba noodles. Finally, the meats served in this soup are much different than what you would typically find in a bowl of phở. Typical ingredients include marinated brisket and slices of various Vietnamese sausages and meatloaves. Phở Green Papaya does it right though. To the usual assortment, they add a pig’s knuckle (ham hock to the Southerners) some cakes of coagulated pig’s blood, and a couple of other meats. I’m not much for the blood cakes, but the rest of it is truly fantastic. This is real comfort food.

The second time I went, I had the phở. I ordered their house special version, which included rare steak (it’s put into the bowl raw, and it cooks by the time you eat it), both lean and fatty flank, brisket, beef meatballs (bò viên), tendon and tripe. This was far and away the best phở I’ve ever eaten in a restaurant. The broth was clear and clean, with a heady aroma of star anise and other spices. The meats were perfectly prepared, with the tripe being cut into thin, lacy shreds and the tendon cut into nice, thin, manageable strips. Words (at least my words) just can’t express how good this soup was.

Needless to say, I will return again and again. If you are looking for some good Vietnamese cuisine, Phở Green Papaya is the place! Even if you are a little timid, you should try this place. Order the phở tái bò viên — phở with steak and meat balls. This is an exceptional soup, with no ingredients that would be intimidating to an American palate (such as the tripe or tendon in my soup). This is my four-year-old daughter’s absolute favorite food.

–Jason

Although located in “The Monstrosity”, in downtown Orem, Pizzeria Seven Twelve is a truly wonderful place to eat. Based upon the concept that “We don’t need to be hip foodies or cool cats to eat well. All we need is a little time and a good place to sit.”, Pizzeria Seven Twelve serves only what is fresh and in season. Because of this, their menu is prone to change from time to time, but there are some staples that are always there.

While a “Pizzeria” by name, they are not by any means just a pizza joint. Besides the pizzas, they also serve fantastic panini, salads, soups, and fresh desserts. The pizzas they do serve are not your traditional heavy, American-style pizza. They are thin crusted, light, and not greasy. They come topped with ingredients such as hand-pulled mozzarella, house-made sausage, La Quercia prociutto and speck, goat cheese, and a house-made ricotta that is just amazing.

Once your pizza is assembled, it is baked to perfection in a wood-fired brick oven right in full view of the restaurant. Panini are also finished in this oven, after a quick grilling on their panini grill. The flavor and texture that the wood oven imparts to the food is just wonderful.

If you are a tea drinker (Black, Green or Herbal), you’ll definitely enjoy their tea service. They serve teas from The Republic of Tea. The tea is brought to your table in a steaming Japanese-style iron tea pot, accompanied by a bowl containing a few chunks of unrefined sugar, for those who like their tea sweetened. If you are new to teas, or want something light to go with your meal, try the Morrocan Mint. It is a blend of green tea and mint leaves that has a very fresh and spicy aroma, and a smooth flavor. A perfect compliment to the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere at this fine restaurant.

We’ve eaten here seven or eight times by now, and have sampled almost everything on the menu. I firmly believe that it is impossible to go wrong there. Top your meal off with one of their desserts, and you just might think you’re in heaven. I know that I usually do.

–Jason