Mom's Visit Day 1 - Asian Tapas at Pipa in SLC

Asian Tapas at Pipa in SLC - Asparagus Fries, Aubergine Stacks, Avocado Egg Rolls, Brava Potatoes,
Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites (for Andrew), and Garden Spring Rolls

Mom flew in today. Andrew and I picked her up from the SLC airport at 4:30pm and decided to go out to eat while we were still in Salt Lake. After discussing some vegan options like the Vertical Diner, Omar's Rawtopia, Organic Manic, Sage's Cafe, Cafe SuperNatural, and the Union Street food cart (which we were too late to go to), we decided to not go so extreme. I think Andrew was relieved, although he was too nice to say anything.

We decided to go to Pipa, an Asian tapas place. Andrew and I have been there before, but it's been a while. The atmosphere is kinda interesting. There are colored lights on the walls, paper parasols hanging from the ceiling, and TVs showing a mix of anime and sports all in a dimly lit dining area by the sake bar.

I guess in China it's called a pipa, but we'd call it a loquat
Wish that was used as an ingredient in some dishes!

The food was decent. Andrew doesn't like cucumber water (Mom and I do), which is what they serve you if you ask for water - just a heads up if you feel like Andrew about your water. Here is how we felt about each menu item we ordered:

Asparagus Fries (wonton wrapped asparagus with garlic aoli) - Yum, would get these again! The asparagus was cooked just right.

Aubergine Stacks (eggplant rounds and veggie dumplings drizzled with savory black bean sauce) - Not as good as the last time we ate at Pipa's, but okay. They were our favorite last time.

Avocado Egg Rolls (filled with tomato, avocado, and red onions) - They were good, but not very memorable.

Brava Potatoes (potatoes topped with an Asian tomato sauce) - These were a hit we all liked them a lot!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites (bite sized white chicken strips) - Mom and I didn't have any, but Andrew said that they were not what he was expecting and that he could have done without them, but they weren't bad.

Garden Springrolls (fresh rice paper rolls with mango and green papaya) - Mom and I both agreed that we could make better at home.

See a copy of the menu after the break: