Very basic Mexican fare…read more I've sworn I've written a review for this place. Eh, all well. I use this place as a barometer for Mexican food. What you get here is the bare bones stock version of Mexican cuisine. Not bad, but usually with lots of cut corners and inferior quality dishes. It's not that they don't try. They do season their microwaved rice and doctor up their cans of refried beans to bring some flavor to the mix. Their chips are warmed and their salsa has some extra spice added in. It's the type of Mexican cuisine suitable for the older generation. Not offensive, basic flavors and comfortable. The price point reflects this, and it's relatively affordable for what you get. This isn't a place I go to expecting great food. This place I go to for that one step above a fast food taco place, and it meets those expectations. If you need a place to take a family to, or you have parents and want to get them something they can handle spice wise, then this place works.

Went for a much-needed girl's night last night. The service was amazing! Our waiter was so…read moreattentive and friendly. Brought our drinks out so fast! Filled up our chip basket too. We never really had to ask for anything because he was so great. We started off with queso and table-side guacamole. Queso was good, but the guacamole was amazing. I got in the car and told my husband about it immediately. We are definitely coming back just for that. Drinks were good, but I think the bartender had a light hand. I had two and I didn't feel a buzz, which is unusual for me. I'm a lightweight lol. I ordered the 3 enchiladas, one beef, one cheese, one chicken. It was good, not great. But don't overlook this restaurant, come at least for the table-side guacamole! It will change your life.

I'm back! The restaurant is located at 415 Hartford Tpke, Vernon, CT. It's been about four months…read moresince I was here. This is a family run, laid back place. The music is Classical Japanese. For our first drink. We are having a French Martini made with Grey Goose vodka, Chambord and a splash of pineapple juice. This taste great! They don't use garnishes here and I don't really care. It's well balanced! For our first item, we're having the House Salad. This is made with iceberg lettuce snd a little tomato. This ginger dressing is the best! I love this stuff! For out next item, we ate having an "Oki salad." A traditional Samurai Salad is a Japanese-inspired dish featuring grilled firm tofu, mixed greens, and a pungent ginger dressing. Key ingredients include firm tofu, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, grated fresh ginger, sesame seeds, green onions, and tomato slices. It is often garnished with toasted sesame seeds and served with a soy-ginger vinaigrette. Well, whatever it is! It's quite good! Wow! For our next item, we are having the miso soup. Miso soup is a traditional Japanese staple, combining savory, umami-rich miso paste with a dashi (fish or kelp) broth, typically featuring tofu, seaweed (wakame), and green onions. It is simple to make in under 20 minutes, offering a nutritious, comforting side dish known for aiding digestion, high protein, and mineral content. This is nice and hot! Huge bowl too! For our next item, we are having edamame. Edamame is an East Asian dish prepared with immature soybeans in their pods, which are boiled or steamed, and may be served with salt or other condiments. It is consumed in many world regions. Edamame is a common side dish in Chinese cuisine, Japanese cuisine and as an appetizer to alcoholic beverages, such as beer or shōchū. As an ingredient, edamame is used in both sweet and savory dishes, such as takikomi gohan, tempura, and zunda-mochi. These are steaming hot! Nice and salty too! Well, put comes the complementary Tuna Tataki. This thinly sliced seared tuna with ponzu sauce. This is fantastic! Wow! For our next item, we are having the Blackened Salmon which is sliced with ponzu sauce. This is spicy! Add soy sauce! This is great! For our next drink, we are having a Melon ball made with Midori vodka and orange juice. This is well balanced! No garnish as normal here! It tastes great! For our next item, we are having Ikura. Red caviar, also known as salmon roe or ikura caviar, is a popular seafood delicacy that comes from salmon and trout roe. It's known for its bright orange color, medium-sized eggs, and thin shells. Red caviar is a staple of Russian cuisine, often eaten during holidays like New Year's. It's high in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, and is considered a good source of nutrition. Different types of salmon roe have unique tastes, colors, textures, and sizes. A "taste of the ocean." What's better than that! For our next item, I'm having the Spicy Eel and Shrimp Hand Roll. A hand roll (temaki) is a cone-shaped sushi item featuring seasoned sushi rice, fillings (sashimi-grade fish, seafood, vegetables), and a crisp, toasted nori sheet wrapper. Assembled by hand and eaten immediately by hand (without chopsticks), it offers a customizable, crunchy, and easier-to-make alternative to traditional maki sushi. These are good! Sushi snow cones! For our last drink, we are having the Caribbean Joy. This is made with Bacardi rum, pineapple and lemon juice. This is good! It's the rum version of the last drink! It's quite good! For our entree, we are having the Volcano Roll made with peppery salmon, gently fried, spicy tuna and red/hot sauce. Look at the presentation! OMG! For dessert, I have no idea what's coming out! Oh yeah! This is the bomb! OMG! The surprise of the night! Tempura ice cream! What better than this!!!!

Always stunning always seem to be surprised. And always welcome. I post with Gratitude!read more

Before covid, Joy and I used to make the trip to Vernon to dine at Utsav. I posted a review back in…read more2016. Once covid hit, we didn't go out to eat anymore. Since covid restrictions lifted, we've resumed dining out but somehow forgot about Utsav. We remembered yesterday and last night we finally returned. I am very pleased to report that Utsav is still as great as ever! The food is still exceptionally good and the service is still excellent. We were the last couple left in the restaurant and rather than try to hurry us out, one of the owners and chef, Thankachan Joseph a/k/a Joe, came out of the kitchen and joined us in engaging conversation about Indian cuisine and his restaurant. It truly was a most enjoyable dining experience! If you haven't dined at Utsav or if you just haven't gone recently, you owe it to yourself to go and enjoy delicious Indian cuisine, in delightfully colorful surroundings with excellent service. If you're lucky, maybe you'll even get to meet and talk with Joe.

We tried Utsav a few months ago for carry-out. Got to the restaurant at the appointed time, then…read morewaited an additional 25 minutes for my food. I wasn't thrilled but decided to give them another chance. This time dine-in. Service was good, food was decent, but I thought the prices on the menu were a bit high for a small place with minimum ambiance in a strip mall in Vernon. What really shocked me was that the prices on my bill were not the same as the prices on the menu. Entrees were $1.50 more and sides were $1.00 higher. No mention of it on the menu, by the server, or posted anywhere in the restaurant. Not huge differences - 6 to 15% increases, but I feel a bit ripped off to be shown one price and charged another. I know the restaurant reserves the right to change prices at any time without notice. I reserve the right to go somewhere else.