Delectable Dining
HuHot - 693 N. 920 East Spanish Fork Phone: (801) 798-5528
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” In the case of HuHot, the chefs conspire to make your dinner happen.
Normally I review items ordered from a menu. Those dishes are created by the restaurant and meet a standard of predictability in a good way, as in, you order it again because you know it’s delicious. Or someone has recommended it to you.
At the HuHot, the dishes vary every time. And that’s where the excitement begins.
Part of the fun is learning how to HuHot so I won’t spill those beans. Your server will give you the rundown or you can follow the “How to HuHot” card.
Choices, choices, choices. Not a calamari fan? Don’t pick the squid. Beef lover? Lay it on. There are colorful veggie and soft cooked noodle choices too.
You start at a menu board with 30 recipes that rotate from about 100, according to Alex Cousineau, manager. You don’t have to pick a recipe – they are just there for guidance. Get your bowl and start choosing.
The sauce step is probably the most important because your choices will determine the flavor you end up with. Too spicy? Your fault. Try again the next go around. Perfect? Great job! Remember what you did.
“I like the depth of the black pepper sauce,” said Riley Nelson. It’s one of many sauce choices, not too mild, not too spicy.
The cooking part is sheer minutes of entertainment. The large flat grill accommodates many dinners and the chefs keep orders straight, handing out steaming bowls of hot deliciousness very quickly. How hot? HuHot!
“Watching them cook it makes you anticipate it more,” Rona Jurgens said. Jera Parker agreed. “It’s part of the experience,” she said. “You stand there salivating, waiting for the end of the cooking process.” After trying her first combination she happily noted, “the flavors blend and burst all at once.” Rona evaluated her first bowl. “I did the Thai peanut, garlic and ginger,” she said. “It’s very good. I need to do more mild though.”
That’s the beauty of HuHot. You learn what works for you, then go again for a new batch of food.
She was also impressed the chefs don’t overcook items.
“I like how the vegetables come out crispy,” she commented. “And the asparagus is tender, not woody.”
We also experimented with noodle choices.
“The white Pad Thai noodles are very good,” Dave Parker noted. “And with the zucchini – I just love zucchini!”
Jim Jurgens had noticed an enticing aroma as we entered the restaurant.
“It smells so good,” he said. “And it’s clean and inviting.”
Our server told us she lives nearby and her husband loves living downwind. It saves her making a lot of evening meals.
“If I lived near this it would be bad,” Jera said. “I’d be here all the time!”
Alex told us there are gluten free choices and if someone is worried about someone else’s peanut sauce getting too close, the chefs take special care to clean the grill and block diners’ foods from touching.
We all agreed this is a place for everyone – young, old, vegetarians and meat eaters. Kids can pick their favorite vegetables, even if they only like one or two. Vegetarians would love skipping the meat counter and fixating on garden offerings. Meat lovers are in heaven with piles of beef, pork, chicken, calamari, salmon, sausage and more.
But keep in mind this advice my friend Jim gave:
“Don’t be in a hurry, take small portions each time and don’t be afraid to experiment,” he counseled.
If you haven’t gorged yourself on dinner, have a dessert like the tantalizing Khan’s Cake.
“It’s delightfully densely decadent,” Jim said. A nice end to a tasty, healthy, entertaining meal.
Kaye Nelson, Restaurant Reviewer, grew up in Springville and is a true Red Devil. She knows good food and pays attention when restaurants entice customers with something out of the ordinary.