Thyme & Seasons Restaurant — Restaurant in North Salt Lake

Never in my life have I discovered such a gem. It’ll be quite a challenge to write a sufficient enough review to capture its originality, but here goes nothing.

First thing is first, as you enter the restaurant please leave all expectations at the door. Forget all your assumptions about what a restaurant should be, what it should do, how it should look, etc. This is not your run of the mill place. In order to truly appreciate what this spot offers, one must be willing to surrender themselves to a new experience. There is in fact no menu, it honestly looks like a sketchy/hole in the wall store with some tables thrown in, the owner is intense, and you don’t know how much dinner will cost until you pay the bill. But it’s more than it seems. Truthfully, many of these things may be off putting for some. If that’s a no go for you, then perhaps this restaurant isn’t the right fit. If that’s fine, then I’ll discuss how it works.

The routine is quite simple: you come in, grab a drink, grab a seat, and then the owner tells you what protein options are available and what sides he’s offering. But the catch is your food will always be a surprise no matter how you approach the ordering process. Yes you can choose your meat and side, but how it’s prepared and to what extent it’s seasoned and/or dressed will only reveal itself after the owner delivers your plate.

This restaurant is all about trusting and believing in the chef. Much like riding on an airplane or having a surgery. You let them lead and hope they get you there safely. Well at Thyme and Seasons, you place your trust in the chef; you hope he delivers you a spectacular meal. It can be quite intimidating, and I wouldn’t recommend for the faint of heart or for picky eaters. But I am so happy I let him lead. He surprised us by bringing out two huge plates of delicious food. Each plate contained a large, perfectly cooked, deliciously seasoned, juicy fish steak that was either accompanied by hearty, sweet, and savory squash curry with purple rice or red pasta with vegetables. For dessert, we had complementary mini cupcakes with real whipped cream. Everything was exquisite!

I have to say I really enjoyed the unconventional concept. Never have I ever been so excited for dinner! For me, the money thing honestly wasn’t an issue. Instead of worrying about a dumb material object, I shifted my focus to enjoying this man’s quirky experience, humble food, and good company. You only live once.

What really sets this place a part, and why you just have to go with the flow is the level of quality and authenticity this restaurant offers. The owner really knocks himself out with how much work and effort he applies to his cuisine. You’re eating produce from his damn garden for crying out loud! He also goes as far as having fresh fish flown in. The level of quality is second to none! The way I see it is he’s literally sharing his art with you, which is such a treat to be part of. He’s also got the biggest personality and energy. He’s so proud, for good reason, and will spout or boast to whoever will listen. To me it’s blaring obvious that this restaurant is loved, and that’s precisely what I want to see when I dine out. Sure you can eat somewhere else and pass this place entirely, but by doing so you forfeit the stories that could’ve been if you chose to eat...

Don't go here if you have issues with heartburn/food textures.

The staff seemed very nice, but the head chef/owner was not.

The first and only time I went here, I went with my parents, with no former knowledge on what the restaurant had besides fish.

I asked the chef/owner if I could get my fish without his seasoning (which he puts on every dish and promotes constantly), because at the time I was having intense heartburn problems. It was stress-induced heartburn, and it was so bad that anything entering my stomach was enough to trigger it; so much as taking a pill made it act up. So needless to say I didn't want a spice rub on my fish, as it would no doubt leave me miserable the rest of the night.

At first, when I asked, he started going on about how it wasn't that spicy, and he seemed so insulted by the request that I tried to explain my heartburn problem. He said he had heartburn too and didn't have any issues with the fish, and insisted the fish would be incredibly bland if it didn't have his rub on it (which I didn't care about- at that point I just wanted something that wouldn't make me suffer). I had bad social anxiety at the time, and was so uncomfortable from this whole thing that I just agreed when he suggested a light coat of the rub.

The rest of the night was very uncomfortable. At one point he started mocking me and saying I should become Amish if I want my food so bland. To ask me if he had put enough of the rub on it, he came to my table, dangling the raw piece of fish in his hand, and put it close to my face, asking if it looked too seasoned for me.

I was so uncomfortable that as soon as I finished eating I waited in the car for my parents to finish. He wasn't remotely understanding and made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. His food has very little substance outside of his spice rub, and if you have any sort of food problems that might require accommodation, do...

Not quite sure how to review this place. The food was good— just not sure it was good enough to warrant its price (which isn’t known really until the bill arrives) or the atmosphere.

The place is a bit messy. I guess there’s some charm to it. I don’t know. But it was a mix of a dining area, unorganized market, and kitchen. Stacks of seasonings and pots/pans and styrofoam clamshells are everywhere. The staff all seem to be dressed in whatever suited them at the time. The chef— nice guy— seemed more akin to a customer than an owner. Nice people but just be aware when you arrive.

We were seated immediately. The chef took our order which was a bit odd. The menu is written on the north wall, but the key is that you can only order what’s currently available. Although a lot of meats were listed, I could only choose between the chicken or lamb. The rest? Gone I guess. We had to get our own drinks from a fountain style soda machine.

My wife got the Thai chicken curry. Her food was good, just kinda soupy— watery. Lots of liquid in the bottom of the bowl. But it was good.

The lamb was good. It came with a side of mashed potatoes and a salad of some kind.

The chef told us that he seasons everything with this Asian spice which he sold by the bag to willing customers. And he even said he gets the lamb for some cheap price and all he does is cook it with this Asian spice. So immediately I thought— where’s the culinary skill in that? Without knowing the price before ordering, I kinda suspected I’d pay for a culinary experience without the culinary experience.

Again, good… just not THAT good. Our bill was $90 before tip. Just seems like a lot for...