Drunken Kitchen — Restaurant in South Salt Lake

A little over a week ago, as I was scrolling through my social media feeds, an intriguing advertisement caught my attention. Without hesitation, I clicked on it, eager to learn more. The ad introduced Drunken Kitchen, a newly opened Asian restaurant in Salt Lake City, founded by two brothers from Taiwan and China. The promise of authentic, traditional dishes paired with their engaging and visually captivating social media presence made it impossible to resist. Within moments, I was texting a group of friends to set a date for what I knew would be a culinary adventure.

The day finally arrived. One by one, we pulled into the parking lot, bundled up against the chilly weather as we made our way to the restaurant’s entrance. The moment we opened the door, an intoxicating aroma greeted us—familiar and deeply nostalgic. It awakened memories of my childhood and made our already growing appetites even stronger. Having obsessively revisited the ad over the past week, I knew exactly what I was going to order.

The interior of Drunken Kitchen is spacious and neatly arranged. While the decor leaned more toward a casual, cafeteria-style vibe than a formal sit-down restaurant, it had a warm, inviting energy that felt comforting. I appreciate fancy dining establishments, but there’s something incredibly satisfying about a cozy, family-style place that serves food made with love.

Between the three of us, we ordered a variety of dishes. Two of us chose noodle-based options, including my pick—the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup—while our third companion opted for the Three-Cup Chicken served with rice. Before our mains arrived, we started with appetizers. The fried frog legs were a delightful surprise, completely transforming my childhood memory of how frog legs should taste. The pork pot stickers, on the other hand, were massive—reminiscent of the generous portions you’d find in Asia.

As we chatted and laughed, the food became the star of the show. I couldn’t stop marveling at my bowl of beef noodle soup. The beef was exquisitely tender and bursting with flavor, while the daily handmade noodles were perfectly al dente—just like the ones I grew up eating in Hong Kong. Every element of the dish was thoughtfully crafted and cooked to perfection, exuding the warmth and care of a mom-and-pop kitchen.

While the food was undeniably the highlight, Drunken Kitchen offers more than just exceptional dishes. Their full beer bar adds a fun and lively touch to the dining experience, making it a perfect spot for catching up with friends or enjoying a laid-back evening. Just a quick tip: they do check IDs before seating patrons, so ensure everyone in your group is of legal age.

I’m thrilled to have discovered this gem of a restaurant. Drunken Kitchen has quickly become a favorite, serving up a taste of Asia with authenticity and heart. Salt Lake City just got a little...

I think when people think Chinese food, they need to start thinking authenticity, and this place is IT. The real flavors, the hand made dishes, and of course the scratch noodles are what make this an incredible restaurant, 4.8/5!

Quick tip, it is located inside a brewery, so you will need ID, 21 and over only 👍

Each and every dish is so unique and you could get something new each time and be impressed. The #1 highlight are the Dan Dan Noodles. Perfect chew on the noodles, amazingly cooked, and pairs perfectly with the spices, meat, and textures. Real spices and flavorings, chili, and you can adjust your spice level accordingly. 2-3 is perfect. More flavor!

The Bao Buns are awesome, but the Pot Stickers are equally there. Soft buns, maybe a TINY bit drier, but incredible filling and you can tell it's fresh pork and ingredients. The Pot Stickers are seared right in the Woks and you can taste and see it. Again, filling very similar to the Buns and huge sized too. Great little crisp and chew on the wrap.

The Taiwanese beef noodle soups are very well made, a lot of craft and flavor, but just not for me. The combination of big whole tomatoes, beef broth, and tomato juice just isn't the right pairing. Made it weirdly sweet with an umami and deep beef broth. The tomatoes were also maybe not totally in season, so threw off that part of the freshness too. The noodles were great, and the beef very flavorful and insanely tender. I think the dish objectively in an incredible dish, but again just not the right flavors for me. Just as tip, the $24 noodle soup does NOT have the big bone rib, that will be the $34, both amazing.

Service amazing, met one of the owners and was able to help us out with a promotion we found, very generous and kind, but very deserving of the prices they have. Will be back for more noodles and to try more appetizers, which I would go for...

This is some of the best food you can get in Salt Lake City. I tried the fried chicken and the pork buns. I was astonished how good this food was. I have tried food all over the world. In many different countries. And this is very far up on the list of delicious. I will absolutely be getting more menu items in the days to come. The only reason I didn't get anything more was because I did take out and intended to eat it in the car. So I got the easiest items to eat in the car. Every effing thing was perfect. I usually do not really like fried chicken. This fried chicken was S tier level god mode fried chicken. Those pork buns tasted like some loving family members made them in front of me and delicately balanced each and every flavor for my happiness. The meat you could immediately tell was fresh and bursting with delicious flavors. This restaurant is a ten out ten. A almighty cathedral of flavors for you to explore and love. Please try this place. Give them as much money as possible so they can continue to grace us with their delicious dishes for years to come. I NEARLY FORGOT: the mango sticky rice. Absolutely delicious and was the perfect thing to balance out the flavors of the fried chicken and pork buns. And the SAUCES that came with the pork buns and fried chicken: absolutely perfect. The fried crunchy bits in the pork bun sauce and the dense packed flavors that escalated that pork bun to a nearly divine level of gastronomy. Then the red sauce with the fried chicken. My god man. I happily dipped those flavorful crispy drumsticks into that red sauce like it was the key to immortality. Spicy but not overwhelmingly so. Balanced. Effin delicious. And they gave me chopsticks. EVERYONE forgets to give me chopsticks. BONUS LEVEL: they even threw in some delicious melon candies at the bottom of the bag. I couldn't ask for more. Go...