Pipa

Some of the best Asian fusion I’ve ever had. Super impressive presentation. We had the asparagus, xoxo noodles, tofu wraps, and the avacado rolls. Everything was wonderful!

The Reviews are true, this place was empty at 6:30 on a weekday which is disappointing because the food ranged from good to great. Portions and prices were completely acceptable and in line with other Tapas places I’ve been to. 2 people at 45 dollars for 6 tapas and 2 drinks comes out to about 7 and change for each item.
Cheesy Wontons (3.95) were as good as anywhere else you’ll have them
Potstickers (4.75) were nice and crispy and had a great dipping sauce
Gogi Tacos (4.75) which had a great flavor and mix of sweet and spicy.
Shaken Steak Cubes (6.75) were darkly caramelized and very delicious
Xoxo Noodles (4.50) were unexpected sweet, chewy thick blocks of goodness. A bit much for me but they were still good
Steamed Pork Buns (?) were the disappointment of the night, a bit too much bread and not quite enough filling.
Chances are I’ll be back with friends.

I keep on going back and forth between 3 and 4 stars, 3.5 would probably be best if I have a choice. What push this place to 4 stars for me is the price. I had the papaya salad, the fillet of siamese shark, the gogi tacos, and the shaken steak cubes. The proportions were larger than I expected for tapas… great plus. The papaya salad was made more of a Vietnamese style versus Thai; it was on the sweeter side. The stand out were the gogi tacos and the shaken steak cubes. My only critical comment would be that the dishes were a bit salty.
I also ordered some cocktails, a very impressive list of creative drinks. I would come back again, especially since my wallet approves. All four dishes and two drinks came out to be around $ 40. Not bad at all.

Seriously, if this place were at 900E instead of 900W, I would think people would be raving about it all the time.
Small asian fusion plates in an ultra-​modern, almost nightclub-​like setting (the ultra-​modern-​ness has worn a bit– I think they need to repaint the floors, for example), with Japanese animé showing on TVs all over the place on the wall.
The food ranges from very good to delicious. We particularly liked the Aubergine Stacks and xoxo noodles, but you really can’t go wrong with anything.
The place was absolutely empty when we were there, with two other tables dining at prime time on a weekend night. Come on, Unilocalers, check this place out and keep it in business!

Is this a quaint gay dance bar? In all honesty, the small plates are delicious. Some fun, unique options. The xoxo noodles are wonderful. Love the eggplant. The pork buns were just okay. Asparagus fries?! So good. An attentive server. The ambiance is interesting. I can’t believe we were the only ones there on a weeknight. Go! Where else can you watch soccer and animé at the same time?

As if all of my check ins and quick tips aren’t enough. I can’t say enough about this place. They treat you like family the food is fantastic, good for groups, good for friends, cheap, everything on the menu gets a five star rating. My wife and I come here all the time with family friends, whoever. If you have not tried this place out yet you’re seriously missing out on a gem in Salt Lake City

I went in with my wife, child and in-​laws. We shared 7 dishes. We honestly had a hard time deciding which was our favorite!
The Phở was great. (A little spicy if you’re not into heat.)
The Spicy Pork Tacos were delicious.
The Chicken Lettuce Wraps were refreshing.
The Soup Dumplings, Fried Asparagus, and the Aubergine Stacks were all amazing!
(I personally didn’t eat the seafood stuffed mushrooms, but my family enjoyed them.)
And the Warm Sake was new for me, but hit the spot on a chilly winter evening.
The plating presentation on all the dishes were 5 Star worthy. For a family of 5 to sit and eat tapas, the price was perfect.
Each dish came out fresh and hot, and times perfectly as we finished the previous dish. Our server was on point with clearing the table and providing refills of water. Very attentive.
Thanks again Pipa! I highly recommend this place and will certainly be back with friends!
P. S. — Open another location near Ogden or Layton!

Amazing tapas! Some of the best in Salt Lake. At first glance it looks like a hole in the wall, but don’t judge a book by its cover. Checked it out on a whim and will definitely be back. Highly recommend the xoxo noodles, asparagus fries and gogi tacos. I’ll be back soon!

Greasy, overcooked, shrimp smelled very fishy. Ick. Never going back. No idea why it’s rated so high. The beef cubes were the only tolerable thing — they actually tasted good. But spring rolls, calamari, hot wings=gross.

holy cow. what is this place? an empty lounge with animé. food was horrific, portions were no good. how are you gonna put 5 shrimp on a plate and charge $ 8 for it? i have no clue.
tempura asparagus was good, service was a little creepy and awkward, and the table next to us was an akwardly quiet couple both texting away on their phones. the rest of the restaurant was empty and it felt really uncomfortable.

What can I say? I love tapas, and these were tasty.

I Kinda fell in love with this place.
A group of friends and I went there by recommendation of one the girls that was in the group that had been there before.
It’s a tiny place in the middle of a shopping plaza of one of those small cheap super markets. We go in, and we are wowed by the lighting, the mood, the atmosphere, and mostly… THE MUSIC.
They play electronic music… Some chill house and trance. We were delighted by deadmau5, kaskade, gabriel and dresden, and so many other artist that are just big in the EDM scene, so it was bomb.
The food was off the hook my peeps. Tapas style kind of place. Small plates that are meant to be shared by a nice group of friends. It’s an Asian version of Eva, if you’ve ever eaten there.
Everything in the menu was delicious. There were like 10 of us, so we tried it all pretty much, and every single item was incredible. The wings, the lettuce wraps, the shrimp, and the egg rolls were probably my favorite, but every item was perfect.
They also offer a ton of different sake cocktails that were pretty fun to try. The spritzer was my favorite.
The service was nice and attentive, and we loved every second of this place.
I’m worried they are not getting enough clientele because of their location. PLEASE PEOPLE. The area and the entrance might be deceiving, but it is freaking perfect.

Pipa is now called Plieku as they have expanded their menu and moved to Main Street. Right next to Keys on Main.
Previous Review: I love pipa. From the outside it doesn’t look like much but the food is AMAZING and reasonably priced. They also do pick up orders.

This place was a bit hit-​and-​miss. And while the hits were very, very good, the misses left me wondering what this place is all about. The misses certainly weren’t bad enough to ruin my night, but they definitely affected my overall rating of the place. The highlights were definitely the Steak Cubes (tender and quite flavorful), Steamed Buns with pork (quite exceptional) and Quail (surprisingly meaty). The more middle-​of-​the-​road fare included: Pipa Spicy Wings (seemed more sweet than spicy) and Cheesy Wontons (the usual, what you“ll find at all Chinese places).
And the low-​lights? Those definitely started with the Papaya Salad. Sad too, cause I usually love a good papaya salad. This one had decent pork, but the salad part (papaya, carrot, etc.) was not fresh, was not very flavorful, and was quite off-​putting. The next low-​light was definitely the Asian Fries (asparagus wrapped in a much-​too-​thick batter and fried). And finally, the Avocado Spring Rolls (a much better version can be found at Cheesecake Factory… of all places).
The bottom line is, this place may take a few visits to identify the hits and weed out the misses. Because the good outweighed the bad, I’m sure to go back one of these days. I’ll be sure to just stick to what I know is good, avoid the bad, and perhaps choose a couple new dishes to keep things fresh.

I’m going to go ahead and disagree with myself on my first review when I said this place isn’t for me. I’ve been here a few more times since and the tapas thing is starting to grow on me. I’ve realized that the more people you have in your group the more different creations your likely to try. Tonight we went with:
Edamame: Warm, soft, seasoned just right, served in a wine glass, overpriced at 4.50
The Tinny Phở bowls: There is no hyperbole when they say «tiny», the 3 bowls aren’t much bigger than a shot glass leaving no room for sprouts or jalapeño slices which is a problem, so next time I’ll ask for a separate bowl because the phở is really good!
Steamed Siamese Shark: Very good, not at all fishy tasting. This is my lone spawn’s favorite food on the planet and is what has kept us coming back.
A beef teriyaki dish served with veggies and pita bread, the actual name escapes me: Nice, but not worth getting again.
Shrimp Spring Rolls: Pretty good but I did not like the dipping sauce it came with, too sweet and rich.
Gyoza: I’ve had better at TGIF if that says anything but still good. Once again dipping sauce was a little sweet and didn’t have that vinegar tang like gyoza sauce needs to have.
XoXo noodles: Thick and mushy, a little strange, first and last time I’ll order them.

What a fantastic find in SLC! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and the service and cool ambiance couldn’t be beat! Our new favorite SLC restaurant! Highly recommended! The owner is so very nice and took time to chat with us… made us feel right at home! A+++

Don’t come for the location, but come for the small plates.
Fried asparagus in wontons — yum
Calamari with cucumber sauce — good
xo noodles — my favorite
lemongrass pork — nice take on oink
eggplant stack with dumplings — great presentation
shrimp ball — anything shrimp is good
ramen mini cup — only thing to skip

Pipa has a hip «ultra-​lounge» vibe, vibrant Asian-​Fusion menu, and generous portions for the price… all the ingredients for a nice time out. Recommend the spring rolls with mango/​papaya and the eggplant w/​black bean sauce dish (don’t remember the name). Will definitely come again.
Recommend if…
A) You like trying multiple dishes and are a fan of exotic, forward-​thinking food that’s not overly thought out.
B) You like sake bombs, great specials & a few different kinds of sake.
C) You dig eating in a hip setting, but sitting in a chair from a Bingo Hall (I’m sorry).
D) Are a dim sum fan… which Pipa will give you a nice little fix late at night.

Ooh, Pipa! I just like saying that word. Pipa!
Alan and I were trying to decide what to eat this past Saturday night, and lo and behold, we were actually feeling adventurous! So we decided to venture into this Rose Park strip mall, based on the many positive reviews we’ve seen here.
First impression? Perfume. Lots of perfume. It was that smell that you get a whiff of when you’re at the mall and you walk past Abercrombie as somebody opens the door. As soon as the momentary headache went away, I was able to better take in my surroundings. They’re definitely going for the hip ultra-​lounge thing here, and they’re *almost* there. Two things would push it over the top for me: 1) chairs at the tables that aren’t those generic ones you find at every hole in the wall restaurant and 2) a floor that wasn’t white. It kind of gave off this «What, is this a dance studio by day, restaurant by night?» vibe. But I loved the lights, the music, the combination of basketball and animé on the TVs, etc.
We sat down and checked out the menu. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed by the sake selections. For a place calling itself a sake bar, they didn’t have a whole lot in the way of variety. Momokawa, a couple of Tozai varieties, Ty-​Ku, and the prices were more expensive than you’d pay at a place like Takashi or Sapa. There were many types of sake drinks, indeed, but that’s not when I was thinking when I heard «sake bar.»
Anyway, this review is starting to sound pretty negative. Let me get to the good stuff: the food. The food was excellent so really, all the other stuff is secondary. We started with the chicken pot stickers, because we heart pot stickers like nobody’s business, and these were super good. A little more on the fried side than at some other places, but there was great flavor in both the dough and the chicken filling. Also, the pot sticker sauce was spot on.
The calamari was the next to arrive. This had a great tempura-​esque batter, very light. Along with the squid, there were also onions, green peppers, and jalapenos. The jalapenos definitely had a kick to them (yay freshness!) so that spicy taste with the taste of the batter was a highlight. This had a tasty wasabi sauce on the side for dipping. I think, though, they need to put the sauce in something bigger than a shot glass in the future, as it wasn’t quite wide enough to fit some of the pieces in.
After that, we sampled the pork sliders, which were solid. Very pulled pork sandwich-​esque, but I’m not complaining. They did come three to an order, which is something that has always perplexed me about some tapas joints. Don’t most people go to a place like this in an even numbered group? But I digress.
The crab and artichoke dip was very good as well. Nothing mind blowing or super original here, but just tasty. This was served with fried wontons instead of the usual bread or pita. I dug that.
We saved MC Free’s favorite, the Aubergine Stacks, for last. Easily the most inventive dish on the menu, this was a great way to end the meal. Black bean sauce always brings me back to my single digit years, eating take out at the hole in the wall place by our house when we lived in New York. It’s a great feeling. In that sauce they put generous slices of lightly breaded eggplant and some veggie pot stickers. They call them raviolis, but don’t be fooled. They are so, so good.
Though the sake prices are a bit jacked up, the amount you pay is quite reasonable for both the amount and quality of food you get. Service was on the slow side (especially since they weren’t that busy), but we weren’t in a hurry.
Mad props to this place for bringing some fusion cuisine to the west side. I’ll definitely be back.

Ok so it was a birthday celebration in the office today and the birthday girl wanted to try Pipa. Off we went on our tapas adventure! We did our homework in advance and found their menu posted on
, I don’t think they have their own website. It was a good thing we looked it over in advance because we never would have been able to read the menu in the low, ambient light of the restaurant.
We were a large group of 7. We each wrote down our top 3 picks from the menu and then ordered the ones that had 2 or more votes. We ended up with 10 selections and our total bill came to just over $ 60 plus tip. Not bad.
The mood was dark and contemporary with a funky vibe. As I mentioned above, the lighting was very dim, almost too dim for lunch, but perfect for a night out. There were fun and funky LED lights (big flat circle disks) that changed color in sequence.
Service was a bit slow, considering there were only two other tables in the restaurant and one table looked like they were just enjoying the Saki bar… hey it’s Friday.
So here’s what we ordered:
Shrimp Hadouken: A+ shrimp that was mashed and then fused together into a crisp «fireballs» and served with a light sweet and sour sauce. Yummy! These were by far the table favorite. They came out with 2 big servings on a plate, we should have ordered 5 more. The shrimp is really fresh and clean tasting and it is wrapped in crunchy wonton strips and then fried. Not spicy as «fireball» would suggest.
Garden Spring Roll: B rice paper roll filled with veggies and shrimp. Nice fresh shrimp again and the rice paper was soft. Maybe a little bland, tasted like it was missing something.
Corndog Lollipops: B+ just what they sound like… mini corndogs on a stick… although the hot dog is a «chicken dog» and it tasted pretty good. the + is for presentation. Ketchup in a martini glass with cute mustard dots on the plate.
Cheesy Wontons: A these were one of my personal favorites. Fried wontons stuffed with cream cheese and served with a nice thick sweet and sour sauce in a martini glass. Yummy!
Potato and Potato Fries: C a ho-​hum mixture of regular and sweet potato fries. Nothing fancy. Just steak cut fries and ketchup.
Tempura Vegetables: A– another one of my personal favorites. Tempura was light and crispy and the sweet and sour sauce was perfect. I absolutely love the asparagus and zucchini cooked this way. this could have been an A+ if they had a few more veggies thrown in the mix… just asparagus, zucchini and carrots. Where were the onions or sweet potatoes?
Crab Artichoke Dip: A+ another table favorite. It was super creamy and served with crisp wonton triangles. It had a nice smokey and cheesy flavor, almost like they used smoked Gouda. Oh it also came in a martini glass. super cute and yummy. 2 more please.
Sweet and Sour Chicken Bites: C average tempura chicken with sweet and sour dipping sauce. Nothing special.
Chicken Lettuce Cups: B+ lettuce wraps with a chicken mixture served with a peanut sauce. Nice portion size. Not quite as flavorful as PF Chang’s.
Can’t wait to go back. I want to try the Sugarcane skewers and Lobster salad on cucumber crisps.
Can’t wait!