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It's not too often that a restaurant just completely bowls me over. I mean, there are lots of good restaurants here. But very few have the ability to make my jaw drop like the new restaurant in the Gateway called Butterfly.
This is San Francisco chef Rob Lam's second restaurant venture. Lam was named a Rising Star Chef in 2003 and I'd have to say his star isn't rising anymore. He is a star. His 8,000 square foot restaurant is eye-popping - you'll just have to take my word for that. But what makes dining at Butterfly a completely sensual experience isn't just the décor, but the amazing cuisine.
The food at Butterfly has a bit of Asian influence. So a whole fried snapper is served with Korean kim chee, pepper and sausage chow fun, and spicy black bean sauce. Smoked salmon carpaccio at Butterfly comes with whipped crème fraiche horseradish and wasabi crackers. The tea-smoked quail with Chinese garlic-seared long beans is bathed in a delightful soy and orange reduction sauce.
And then there's the dish that impressed me the most, called tuna poke tarter. It consists of small diced morsels of sushi-grade tuna marinated in sesame oil sauce and served with a zippy wasabi blini, sieved eggs, and a salmon belly quenelle.
Of course, dishes that creative and of such high quality don't come cheap. And Butterfly is not an inexpensive restaurant. But then, I don't mind paying for superb service, second-to-none ambiance, and some of Utah's most outstanding cuisine.
So the next time you're looking to step into another world of dining, or perhaps trying to find a little piece of Frisco in Salt Lake, Butterfly is the place to land.
