"How's your Gag Reflex?"

Tonight one of my friend Vanilla Bean and I went to one of our favorite restaurants- Tamarind Tree . It is such a great restaurant and this is the second time we've been there (perhaps premature to call it one of our favorites, but the first time we went with a few other people and got to try a lot and it was all fantastic). This time we went I wanted their spicy noodles; however, the waiter told me no. Apparently it's too fishy... I don't know where he got that from, but I trusted him. Even though I was a little annoyed because spicy noodles sounded really good.

So I ended up getting stuffed grilled squid. It was good. Almost an acquired taste at first, but I really liked it. I really wanted dessert though, so when we got the menus I noticed all the great ice cream flavors they have- roasted coconut, taro, black sesame, ginger, pandan, and durian.  I have never had durian before, even though I have wanted to for a while now.  Durian is just so bad ass. It terrifies some people and is banned from a lot of public places. However, since this was my first durian experience I wanted to make sure I would have some other flavor to help clear my palate. Luckily the menu offered a sampling of four of the ice creams. I chose two of my favorites taro and coconut. And I had to get the durian so I picked the ginger to hopefully be strong enough to balance out the durian if needed. It was like my emergency parachute. When I told the waiter what I wanted he looked at me like I was stupid or crazy or both. I don't claim not to be either, but I knew I wanted to try it.

Finally our desserts come and Vanilla Bean happily digs in to her flan. And the waiter tells me that he can't visually tell the difference between the ginger and the durian ice creams and wished me luck. So I poked at the ginger and durian ice creams and sniffed them. No odor, which is supposed to be the worst part about the durian fruit, so already I feel a little less bad ass and a little more thankful. So I took a small bite of one of the creamy white scoops. It was a very spicy ginger and it was amazingly vibrant. So that meant the other one was the durian. I took a small bite and I was waiting for the hit of durian potency. It tasted faintly of vanilla and was super creamy. Then it hit me. The aftershock. Not taste mind you, shock. It was onion and garlic that had been out in the dumpster for several hot summer days. It wasn't candy, but it wasn't the worst taste ever. Except that I feel like it traveled through out my body. It was an odd sensation.

Vanilla Bean saw that I didn't die and wanted to try it to. Of course I would share my durian ice cream with her, I would share durian ice cream with anyone. As she was about to take her bite it occurred to me to ask her how her gag reflex is because it is a little shocking. But she handled it like a champ. Now I gave the durian ice cream the necessary second bite (this time bigger). And it tasted better the more I ate it. This is not to say that I finished it. But I tried because for one thing it was pretty good and for another thing I wanted to prove to the waiter I could handle it. That is such a stupid idea by the way. Anyway I ate almost all of it and swirled some of it with the ginger to make it a bit... smoother going down. And of course the taro was nutty and delicious. And the roasted coconut was perhaps the best coconut ice cream I have ever had. To be honest though, an hour and a half after I'm still occasionally burping durian. But it wasn't that bad. It was a good introduction and I feel a little bad ass now.

Comments

[kevkev]

Yup, the durian choice was a rather misguided option. I have never tasted a durian and I have absolutely no desire to even try a durian-flavored item.

[KitchenScale]

It wasn't misguided, I am glad for the experience and I did enjoy it on some level.