Mango Ice Cream from Antico… Really nice. A bit understated for my taste, but no worries - some freshly-cut honey mango pieces helped it achieve true greatness.
Nectarine Shortcake from Clementine (Century City)… Terrific summer treat! The perfectly ripe nectarine, the crumbly shortcake and the whipped heavy cream all tie together for sweet and luxurious bites.
Dinner take-out from Marino Ristorante… Sal and his very able crew are quietly (or not so quietly?) cranking out some of the best and most consistently solid Italian fare in the city. Do not be too shy to ask for crudos with your order. The tomatoes right now pretty much all come from Sal’s own garden. Marino offers a “Wednesday Tomato Dinner” series during summer.
Sapp Coffee Shop (Thai Town)…
Their Jade Noodle keeps calling to me. It is beautiful to behold, even in a take-out box (double-order pictured). Mixing all the goodies up and indulging in that first taste is always, always like re-living a marvelous voyage to Thailand!
Pandan alert! Their off-menu Pandan Leaf Drink is probably the most refreshing thing to drink right now. With full ice, it becomes a sort of an exotic Southeast Asian slushee. But next time, I think I’ll order it “easy ice” for an even greater blast from the pandan!
Shrimp Fried Rice with Yellow Curry Powder… I could not stop eating this rice. The flavor of the complex curry here is not overpowering, and so evenly infused into each fragrant grain. I used a bit of extra sliced cucumber (黃瓜) from my own backyard veggie patch to prolong the ecstasy…
Sen Chan Pad Pu (rice noodles with chili garlic, crab meat and egg)… “Khawp khun khrap!” for the recommendation @JuneKeetBao! The daring use of tamarind and chili garlic was gorgeous. After this, I don’t think I can ever have plain Pad Thai again…
