Is there even Asian Food in Rexburg?

You may be a fellow Rexburg resident if you’ve asked yourself this question from time-to-time. Most of the time when you ask locals for food recommendations, you’ll get the classic push to go to the “best barbecue spot in town.” (see our first post) 

                                                                                        Photo by Vinicius Benedit on Unsplash

On our end, we’re from the Bay Area. We’ve grown all-too accustomed to having the best Asian cuisine right in our neighborhood, and for a great price. Rexburg has its fair share of Asian food, and this week we were pushed to try them out. 

If you’re new here, we will NOT be discussing Panda Express or any other chain restaurant. We WILL be discussing local restaurants here in Rexburg in these five terms:

1. Price Range

2. Food Quality/Taste

3. Restaurant Location

4. Restaurant Accommodation

5. Menu Diversity

 

Dong’s Sushi

Dong’s Sushi is a sushi bar right by Costa Vida and Fat Cats Theater, making it a perfect date night spot. We walked into the store fully expecting a Japanese restaurant with some of their advertised “Japanese food cuisine” ads, but the place is strictly a sushi bar. 

1. Price: Sushi starts at $7.00 for the basic rolls and ranges all the way to $14.00 for specialty raw rolls. The hack to getting affordable sushi is to go during lunchtime, where their specials significantly bring down the price. 

2. Quality/Taste: We were served a monstrous-sized crunch roll, and it was gone in a matter of minutes. The roll contained tempura shrimp, avocados, cucumbers, crispy onions, spicy mayo, and eel sauce, a perfect combination of crunchy and soft, dry and wet textures. If you aren’t a fan of spice, the ‘spicy mayo’ is not in the least bit spicy. 

3. Location: Dong’s is 2.3 miles from campus, making it a significant walk from classes. 

4. Accommodation: The restaurant itself is all in one room, with some room divider screens. The main kitchen is located in a separate room, but the main bar is out in the open. The tables and chairs are not placed with the most strategy, so if the restaurant is at full capacity, it would feel even more crowded. If you’re an anime fan, they even have a framed anime poster on their wall.

5. Diversity: Sushi is the main dish at Dong’s Sushi, but sides like tempura shrimp and veggies, miso soup, and green salad are also served. 

Website: https://dongsushirexburg.com/

“We were served a monstrous-sized crunch roll, and it was gone in a matter of minutes. The roll contained tempura shrimp, avocados, cucumbers, crispy onions, spicy mayo, and eel sauce, a perfect combination of crunchy and soft, dry and wet textures.” ← Click to Tweet this!

Adam’s Mongolian Grill

Just a few doors down from Dong’s Sushi is Adam’s Mongolian Grill. This spot has been opened for a few years, and can always find itself packed with dinner guests. 

1. Price: There are a few things to consider at a restaurant like Adam’s. It is a place where customers purchase their meals by the bowl size and assemble their own meal. Although there is a ‘check your height’ station, it looks like customers play food Jenga to try and balance as much as they can in their bowl. Bowls range from $7.00 to $14.00+ depending on size and meat vs. vegetarian options. If you play your cards right and stack your bowl strategically, you could be eating three times for around $12.00.

2. Quality/Taste: With a restaurant like Adam’s, the taste of the dish comes from what you put into your bowl. Combining different sauces may take some expertise, however the restaurant includes a cheat sheet with recommendations. Although people can assemble entirely different sauces, the dishes are cooked on the same grill, infusing a generic taste into every meal. 

3. Location: While being a couple of door down from Dong’s Sushi, Adam’s Mongolian is still about 2.3 miles from the heart of BYU-Idaho campus. 

4. Accommodation: Customers walk through the bowl assembly line, then are ushered to a sit-down table with attentive waiters and waitresses. Two different waitresses came by our table area about five times during our stay. 

5. Diversity: With 6 meat options, countless veggies, 17+ sauces and 8 types of noodles, customers get entirely unique dishes at every visit. Tempura, rangoons, and drinks can be ordered as sides.

Website: https://adamsmongoliangrill.business.site/

Tell us your favorite sauce combinations in the comments so we look like pros next time we go in!

Original Thai Restaurant

This Thai place has been open for decades. Nestled in the center of main street, students and families go for some pad Thai or curry. 

1. Price: While the menu is pretty big, customers can get more than a meal’s worth of pad Thai for about $11.00. 

2. Quality/Taste: While the portions are large and the sauces are tasty, the meat has the taste that comes from a dirty grill. While being a local favorite, we got sick immediately after eating here. 

3. Location: Located right on main street, Original Thai restaurant sits 1.1 miles from campus.

4. Accommodation: Customers can sit inside the restaurant with mood lighting from paper lanterns and watch the chefs cook. The inside of the restaurant leans to being on the cold side. 

5. Diversity: This Thai restaurant offers classic Thai dishes as well as Indian cuisine. 

Website: https://m.facebook.com/Original-Thai-Restaurant-145386615495273/

Mandarin Restaurant

Mandarin Restaurant seems to hide in town and step away from the limelight of food competition in Rexburg. 

1.Price: If customers want the most bang for their buck, order one of their combo meals for about $10.00. Over the past few years, prices have risen, but $10.00 can buy you three dishes and the accompanying sauces. 

2. Quality/Taste: We went on a rainy day, making the hot Chinese food the PERFECT thing. Their take on chow mein is different than we’ve ever seen before. The noodles are crispy and served separate from the mix of sauce and veggies. After eating, something about the way it made us feel couldn’t bring us to eat the leftovers. 

3. Location: Right across the street from the North Great Scotts location, this restaurant resides a whopping 6 miles from campus. 

4. Accommodation: Customers are welcome to sit inside and have a traditional restaurant experience, or take their food and go. 

5. Diversity: Similar to other local Chinese restaurants, the traditional menu includes lots of different items and dishes with combo specials. 

Website: With no website or social media page, the best thing we can link you to is their menu online --> ​​https://www.zomato.com/idaho-falls-id/mandarin-restaurant-rexburg/menu

 

What’s your take on these local stops? What would you like us to review next? Comment down below to let us know!

 

Other Reviews Online: 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g35583-c11-Rexburg_Idaho.html

https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Asian+Food&find_loc=Rexburg%2C+ID+83440

https://restaurantguru.com/chinese-Rexburg-c20

 

Other restaurants to try out nest time:

New Fongs

Kainoas

Da pineapple grill

Kebab hut

 

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