Kettle Chips

I've had a thing for salty, crispy snacks lately, so I've been trying out all sorts of chips.  It is pretty random, as I honestly think I hadn't had a bag of chips for about 10 years, and suddenly I crave them all the time.

Kettle brand chips show up as the "premium" chips at most delis and casual places around town, so I've tried a bunch of their flavors.  I don't really care for their standard chips, but the Krinkle Cuts and the Baked ones are pretty decent. 

Krinkle Cut™

"We slice our Krinkle Cut™ chips nice and thick, so you get a satisfying crunch in every bite. It’s the perfect chip for dipping, but you don’t need to with all the bold, all-natural flavor nestled into those rich, golden ridges."

I really like the krinkle cut chips.  They are so crunchy and satisfying, my favorite of Kettle brand products.

Buffalo Bleu.

 "From the first, bold crunch, you’re hit with a tangy assault of chili spice. But…wait for it…a hint of bleu cheese comes around the corner and pulls it all together in a supremely craveable, insanely crunchable mouthful of goodness."

These didn’t really seem like buffalo flavor (not spicy as described), nor did they seem blue cheese flavored.

But, I did like them.  They had a sweetness to them, and reminded me of bbq chips.  The crickle cut allowed for maximum coating in the chips.

***+.

Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper.

 "There is a reason they make salt and pepper shakers in matching sets—they go together like no two other spices in the world. We’ve taken that collaboration of flavor goodness to new heights (and depths) by lightly sprinkling them on the rolling ridges of our Krinkle Cut chips." 

I thought that I'd dislike this flavor, since I've had pepper chips before and really disliked them, but these were not bad.  Not my favorite flavor, but, decent.  The pepper flavor was there for sure, but somehow it wasn't strange.  Salt level was also good.

***.

Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (2022).

"This iconic duo has never been so extra. That’s because every Krinkle Cut Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper Kettle Brand Chip holds the boldest amount of salt and pepper possible."

I forgot that I'd tried these before, and I'm really not sure why I picked them, to be honest, as I don't tend to like pepper chips (I use pepper on plenty of things, but on chips, or french fries, zomg, I just hate pepper!  I can't explain it!).

These were ok ... I do like the krinkle style, nicely folded over pieces, and thickness.  The pepper I didn't care for, and they actually seemed overly salty too.  So ... mostly, good form factor, not flavor for me.

***.

Thick + Bold: Dill Pickle.

"Like the Tangy Spears that inspired them, Kettle Brand Thick and Bold Dill Pickle chips leave you with one thing to decide: In your sandwich, or beside? The extra crunchy thick ridge cut chips offer the perfect balance of tang, dill, onion and garlic. "

These sounded great.  I love dill pickles.  And, yes, I was one of those people who always put pickles and chips into my sandwiches when I was a kid.  So, the pickle flavor sounded right to me!

And ... they were my favorite Kettle chips ever.  The Krinkle Cut is wonderful, as marketed, the ridges help catch all the flavor.  The thick chips have a wonderful crunch.  Form factor alone, these are an enjoyable chip to eat.

The flavor ... it really does remind me of a dill pickle.  A little dill and vinegar, but more onion, garlic, and salt than I'm used to with dill pickles.  Still, an enjoyable flavor, and, I'd get these again.

***.

Dill Pickle - Updated Formula 2021.

"If you say yes to chips and a pickle, every time you walk into a deli, then Kettle Brand Dill Pickle Chips will leave you shook. With all the flavor of both made boldly from whole, thick cut potatoes, you really couldn’t ask for more. Except for maybe that sandwich you went into the deli for in the first place. "

A few years later,  I did indeed get them again.  The pros are still the same: of all Kettle brand chips, I certainly prefer the "thick and bold" style of the Krinkle Cut, as they are thicker, crunchier, and just a form I prefer.  So, great form factor.

Second, they really are an extremely flavorful chip.  Bold, as they say.  And they *do* taste remarkably like pickles.

So, all that is good.  But for me, the flavor isn't quite what I want - I love pickles, but these are a different style of pickle flavor than I prefer, which is kinda impossible to really describe, but, it is what it is.  I was glad to try them again, but I don't think I'd get these again.

***.

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Cheddar and Sour Cream (Retired Flavor)

Decent cheddar and sour cream flavor.  Much better than Ruffles.  Very crispy, I really like the form factor.  ***+.

Preview review notes: Super crispy, delicious cheesy flavor, I really like these. Nice and crunchy.

Classic Kettle Chips

"Our classic Chips are made from the whole potato and seasoned with authentic recipes. Cut thick and flavored just past the point of bold, they’re extra in a good way."

This is their original, and namesake kettle style line of products.  My least favorite of their offerings, generally, just thin, standard kettle chips.  They do have some creative flavors though, I'll give them that.

Sweet Chilli and Sour Cream.

"There's nothing like Thai Cuisine for its wonderfully complex balance of flavours. We've added our own twist to the authentic spicy sweetness by combining with the coolness of sour cream."

These are available in Europe only.

When I saw these, I had to try them.  When I lived in Sydney, I became a bit obsessed with potato wedges served with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.  To this day, I still do not understand why we do not have them in the US.  I was interested to see them made into chips.

The chips were basic crunchy kettle chips, nothing remarkable.  The sweet chili flavor was a bit lost though, they tasted more like bbq to me, except bbq crossed with sour cream and cheddar.  Interesting, but, nothing like what I wanted them to be.

**+.

Sriracha.

"Our flavor experts have done it again. This bold flavor is everything you love about the hot sauce on a chip. The combination of chili, garlic, and vinegar creates the authentic taste of the real deal".

These were actually really quite good.  Did they taste like sriracha?  Well, no actually.

Like the sweet chili chips, they reminded me of a bbq chip.  The initial flavor was actually sweet.  They did have a kick to them that came in on the finish.  Really a fun chip to eat, since it evolved from sweet to spicy.  But sriracha?  Nah.  Particularly tasty with some dip.  ***.

Update: I had these again months later, completely forgetting that I had tried them before, and without re-reading this review.  I again liked the flavor, but found that it didn't taste like sriracha at all.  And, again, I enjoyed dipping them in a dip (this time, chive creme fraiche), but I thought they were fine plain too.

Maple Bacon.

"This natural flavor match combines the deep smokiness of bacon, the rich sweetness of real maple syrup and the subtle spice of chili pepper for a nostalgic, comfort food combination. "

These obviously sounded like winners.  Who doesn't love maple and bacon?

Alas, like many other flavors, they really just tasted bbq-esq to me.  BBQ isn't a bad thing, but I really didn't taste anything maple nor bacon about these.  Really, just standard bbq-like kettle chips. ***.

Jalapeño.

"Jalapeño Kettle Brand® Potato Chips have a zesty, south of the border flavor. Striking a perfect balance between fresh, well-rounded flavor and the clean, spicy bite of jalapeño peppers, these all natural chips are easy to eat with a satisfying burn that sneaks up on you. " 

Again, standard kettle style chip with a decent kick from jalapeño.  Crispy, decent.  ***.

Update Review: Nice kick, good flavor.

New York Cheddar.

"When cheese grows up, where does it go? The big city, of course. Sophisticated, bold, confident, and brazen. Comfortable in the penthouse or the subway, this chip is going places. Sometimes we think we’ve gone just a little bit crazy over this chip thing, but big city flavor’ll do that."

I really did not care for these.  They weren't cheesy at all.  I honestly did not taste any cheddar at all.  They were very oily.

Update Review (2022): I've had these before, but it had been years.

I was really in the mood for something cheesy and crispy, and I had visions of the Ruffle's Cheddar & Sour Cream I used to love growing up.  I knew these wouldn't be that, but I did expect to taste some (fake) cheese.  The ingredients do list both cheese and sour cream.

I was very disappointed.

As always, I just don't really care for this style of very crispy, very fried, kettle chip.  I love the assorted chip sizes, and some bent over and some not, but, eh to the actual taste.

But I was in it for the cheese factor.  Except ... these had none.  Seriously, none.  I had far more of the bag than I wanted, hunting for cheese.  It was never found.

What was the flavor?  Uh ... grease and salt?  Really.  I tasted nothing remotely cheesy.

Did not like, and would not get again. *.

Korean Barbeque.

"Remember that time you tasted a sweet and savory mix of plum, garlic, and hoison on a potato chip? No, of course you don’t. Because Kettle Brand Korean Barbecue Chips are a one-of-a-kind flavor flex from the other side of the globe that you never saw coming."

Ok, I may be a bit "meh" on Kettle brand chips but ... how amazing did these sound?  BBQ chips are my favorite, and Korean BBQ sounded even better (and, unique!).

They let me down.  They actually were a fine chip, but, I certainly didn't get the Korean bbq aspect of them.  They had a slightly smoky taste actually, more like a mesquite bbq, and had a sweetness, like Lay's BBQ chips.  So, not bad, and in the bbq department, but, not really the "korean" flavor I was hoping for.

***.

Honey Dijon.

"Kettle Brand Honey Dijon is extra tangy and extra sweet, all at the same time. So extra, extra, read all about it, if you’re looking for thick-cut chips that layer flavor on flavor, these are all you."

Wow, what a fascinating flavor.  I am pretty sure I've never had a honey mustard flavored potato chip before.  It never occurred to me to seek out such a flavor.  But I do absolutely adore dipping french fries (particularly sweet potato fries) in honey mustard (or sweet and sour, or barbecue sauce), so, potatoes & honey mustard is a natural combo for me.  I've just not had it in chip form.

Anyway, I really liked the flavor.  It was tangy like mustard, but sweet (not that it tasted like honey, but, there was a sweetness for sure).  Almost like a barbecue-mustard.  Really a fairly complex and interesting flavor, and for some reason, these chips didn't seem quite as fried either.

Overall, definitely winners, and I'd get them again.

****.

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• Backyard BBQ: "Everyone loves the flavor of Backyard Barbeque® – smoky, spicy, tangy and sweet. ".  Tasting notes:  They were just a standard kettle style bbq chip.  Ok bbq flavor, good crunch, but nothing standout.  Good dipped in greek yogurt! [ Standard crispy bbq chip. Good crispness, but nothing remarkable here ] [ Standard, crispy, kettle chip.  Not special, but not bad. ] [ Not great bbq flavor, crispy, but I don't like them ]
• Salt & Vinegar: "The perfect balance of zesty sea salt, a hint of tongue-puckering vinegar and satisfying crunch". Tasting notes: These were quite flavorful chips.  I really appreciated both the saltiness and the strong vinegar.  But ... again, the thin style, oily kettle chips just weren't for me. [ Yup, great vinegar flavor, but thin and crispy, and meh ]
• Sea Salt (Europe Only):  "Sometimes less is more. Thick, full-flavoured slices of carefully selected potato are brought to life with just a sprinkling of sea salt - simple. ". Tasting notes: Just greasy standard kettle chips.  Meh.

Baked

"Kettle Brand Baked potato chips are made from REAL sliced potatoes, unlike many other baked chips you've tried. We take real potatoes. Slice them. Cook them to a crunchy perfection. Then season them with fresh, natural ingredients."

The baked chips also aren't bad.  They clearly don't go too far in the "healthy" direction, still keeping them satisfying.

Baked Chips.

Sea Salt: 

"Only three ingredients in this classic chip: potatoes, oil, and sea salt. Why mess with simplicity? The pureness of a whole potato, thinly sliced, cooked to golden perfection and seasoned with fresh sea salt delivers undeniable flavor and crunch."

Salty, nice flavor, but I got bored quickly.  Full slices of potato, skin on.  Good when craving salty.  **+.

Update review:  Pretty tasty, particularly given that they are so much healthier!  Very good dipped in yogurt, reminds me of a baked potato with sour cream.  ***.

Another update review:  I really like these, particularly when dipped in mac and cheese! So much potato flavor, crispy, good!  My favorite baked style, bar far.  ***+.

Salt & Vinegar:

"We've paired a splash of bold and tangy vinegar with a sprinkle of fresh sea salt to give these chips boatloads of flavor. Whole natural slices of our select spuds are cooked into crunchy, golden curves of pure potato, and then brought to life with a spectacular tart, salty finish. ". 

Nice and crispy, good potato flavor, tangy from vinegar, gladly would eat these. 

Update review: Really crispy, nice tang from vinegar.

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Hot Cookie

“Where our cookies are as hot as our customers.” 

Turns out, flattery *does* get you somewhere.  As does a cutesy name, a flashy sign, a prime location, some signature items ... all of which Hot Cookie, a cookie shop in the Castro, has in spades.

I've known of Hot Cookie for years.  If you ever walked down Castro Street in San Francisco, it is pretty hard to miss, with a very bright sign in front, always illuminated.  When they call themselves a "Castro icon", it is an appropriate title.  It has been around since 1997.  Much like Insomnia Cookie, which I reviewed recently, the aroma of freshly baked cookies drifts down the street and draws you in.

Hot Cookie's most infamous items are of course the penis shaped cookies.  I haven't been inside the shop myself, but apparently the music is thumping, the staff are dancing, and the vibe is as vibrant and cheerful as the signage.  They now have a second location on Polk St as well.  I was able to try some when someone brought them to my office.

Sadly, I found them very mediocre.

Cookies

"Our homemade cookies are a San Francisco tradition, mixed and baked daily. The cookies and treats are made from quality ingredients and are scooped and baked fresh by our Hot Cookie crew throughout the day."

In addition to the signature penis (or vagina) cookies (dipped in white or dark chocolate, $11 each), Hot Cookie offers regular cookies, available in nearly 20 flavors for $4.25-$4.50 each (some vegan or gluten-free as well), and minis (4 flavors only, 1 vegan) are $0.99. 

Even though I'm not a huge cookie person, I of course wanted to try, and was able to try all the minis.

Sugar Cookie (mini). $0.99.

"Rainbow sprinkles on a chewy moist cookie baked right under the Castro flag."

I'm a little kid at heart.  No question about it.  When I saw the sprinkles I was all in.  Given the tiny size of the minis, I didn't hesitate to grab two.

That said ... these cookies were not great.  They were fine, soft, decent chew, slightly crisp edge, and loaded with sprinkles, but, they really seemed no different than a generic slice and bake sugar cookie, that just happened to benefit from a dunk in a sprinkle bowl.

I appreciated the sprinkles, and that they weren't overcooked, but ... really, not anything special.

***.

White Chocolate Chip (mini). $0.99.

"Betty White would have been 100 years old on 1/17/21. In addition to being a ground breaking actress she supported Animal welfare, LGBTQ rights and racial equity. Hot Cookie is renaming our Baby Whites to Betty Whites on what would have been her 100th birthday to honor her."

Saddened by the sprinkle cookies, I went back for more, this time taking only an unclaimed half to try.  I opted for my second pick: white chocolate chip.  Much like sprinkles, I just kinda adore kid's things like simple sweet white chocolate.

I eagerly bit in, only to find I really, really did not like this cookie.  Yes, it was soft, and although a bit more brown around the edges than the previous, it certainly wasn't overbaked.  But the flavor ... I did NOT like the flavor.  I'm not sure what it was, and I took a second bite to confirm, but, wow, I just did not care for this in any way.  It had a very acrid taste.  Did NOT like.  I repeat, did NOT like.

*.

Gingersnap (mini). $0.99.

"Aromatic, spicy ginger adds a special flavor to this vegan cookie for those not into meat."

Next up, I went far outside my normal cookie stomping ground, and tried the gingersnap, a vegan cookie.  I have nothing again vegan goods, and, in fact my favorite cookie from Insomnia Cookie is a vegan one, but it is actually gingersnap that I tend to not care as much for.

This cookie, much like the sugar cookie, was "fine".  It was soft.  It seemed fresh baked.  It did have generous spices.  It was, well, a gingersnap, and just not something I gravitate towards.  It didn't taste noticeably vegan in any way.

Another cookie that just was not remarkable, and seemed like it could have been baked by anyone's mother and thrown onto a holiday cookie exchange patter or bake sale table.

**+.

Chocolate Chip (mini). $0.99.

"Our classic chocolate chip… for those who know that size isn’t everything."

Getting desperate, I moved on to a simple classic: chocolate chip.

After all those not so good cookies, well, I finally found one that was decent enough.  It wasn't great, but it was considerably better than the others.  Soft, nice chew, lightly buttery and sweet flavor.

***.

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Lao Table

Update Review, 2021 Visits

After several years of not visiting Lao Table, despite walking by regularly, I finally decided to give it another try when they reopened mid-pandemic.  While I got takeout, I was drawn in by the outdoor seating they set up on the sidewalk to accommodate diners while indoor dining was still closed.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of takeout and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes for free money!

• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Seamless ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Nextdish: ($10 off your first order) [ Delivery only ]
• Uber Eats ($20 off - use code eats-lejw5 at checkout) [ Pickup or delivery ]

I just got some simple items, but, everything was fresh and well packaged, and I'd definitely consider going back again.

Fresh Vegetables. $5.

I had no idea what this would be, but, I had a free $5 credit on Seamless, so decided to get some "fresh vegetables" and see what happened.

Fresh Vegetables. $5.

The fresh vegetables was ... a big pile of green leaf lettuce, herbs (basil, parsley, dill, mint), and carrot sticks.  So random.  Mostly herbs, not vegetables ...

But this was actually great.  

The green leaf lettuce was super fresh and crisp.

The herbs I used in all sorts of ways - the Thai purple basil I used in my own Thai red curry (I had a can of red curry sauce in my pantry, score!), the mint went great chopped on top the Mendocino Farms  Marinated Red Beets & Quinoa salad I had just picked up (review coming soon!), the dill I threw on top of some potato salad.  All really fresh and it was fun to randomly have herbs to use.

The carrot sticks made for a nice snack with ranch dip (from The Melt, love their ranch!)

Entirely random, yes, but worth it. ***+

Fresh Vegetables. $5.

I had so much fun with the random fresh vegetables that I got them another time, when I was actually planning to make more Thai curry, and pick up more of the beet salad.  I knew my dishes would be much better with the Lao Table fresh herbs!  

I was thrilled to see the consistent batch of fresh veggies and herbs, exactly what I had the previous time, and just as fresh and crisp.

***+.

Steamed Vegetables. $5.

I had really liked the steamed veggies when I dined at the restaurant before, so I couldn't resist ordering them for takeout during Covid too.

Again, not the most exciting mix, just carrots, broccoli (American), and cabbage, but I appreciated the juicy cabbage in particular (I had it alongside some spicy Korean food).  (The broccoli paired nicely with my favorite Trader Joe's Butternut Squash & Sage Mac and Cheese (Seasonal), and the carrots I threw into my own Thai red curry).

Simple, but fine, not too mushy.

***.

Original Review, April 2018

I've somehow never reviewed Osha Thai before, a fairly well known mini chain of Thai restaurants in SF, besides, uh, the dessert my co-workers brought me one day.  Osha is a reliable, easy choice for slightly upscale modern thai food, has a location near our office, and generally is easy to get a last minute reservation at for groups.  So, we go fairly often.  It is always good, but, nothing like the much better Thai food in Sydney!

They recently converted one location to a new concept called Lao Table, more focused on Northeastern Thailand and Laos, where the head Osha chef is actually from.  I was excited to check it out, and see if the focus on more personal cuisine pushed Lao Table a step above the still disappointing SF Thai scene.

It didn't.  It was worse.  Far worse.

Lackluster Meal.

I'll sum this one up easily.  Underwhelming.  Lackluster.  Forgettable.  Most dishes weren't bad exactly, but weren't very good.  One was awful.  I will not be returning.

Service was also not good.  In the first 20 minutes, our water glasses were aggressively refilled.  But after that?  Totally ignored.  We had no water while actually eating our food.

Everything is intended to be shared, yet we were not provided serving utensils for most dishes.

And our server spent more time trying to upsell us and make us add on more dishes than I've ever experienced anywhere before.

Revenswood Zinfandel 2015. $13.

I was really, really craving a nice glass of red wine.  Something not too tannic.  I went for the Zin, and I appreciated that they offered a sample first when I hesitated in selecting a wine.

It wasn't great, but I didn't have the energy to try something else.  A drinkable table wine, with a price tag that didn't match the quality.

Appetizer: Grilled Calamari. $14.95.

"Chargrilled whole calamari and sweet chili-lime topping."

There is one dish on the menu that Yelpers all rave about.  The whole grilled calamari.  It was *why* I bookmarked Lao Table in the first place.  I love really well grilled calamari/octopus.  I insisted we get this.

When it arrived, I smiled.  Presentation was stunning.  Laid out on a wooden board.  It looked well grilled.  We were provided with a real sharp knife to cut it (but no serving utensils).

That knife ... wasn't even enough to cut through it.  The cook on this was horrible.  It was incredibly chewy.  Rubbery.  Impossible to cut.  It had no char, no smoke, nothing redeeming.  Really, really, really not good.

Strangely, it was served on top of a few chunks of celery.  Underneath it.  No idea why.

The spicy sauce on the side however was good, it had some real heat to it.  I enjoyed the sauce, just not with the calamari, at all.

We all tried a few bites, trying different parts, but, there just was literally nothing good about the calamari itself, and we threw it out.

Side: Papaya Salad. $10.

Our server and her upselling worked.  At last minute, another diner asked to add on a side of papaya salad.  It came right after the first appetizer, also with no serving utensil.

It was ... fine.  Standard Thai style papaya salad with a base of shredded green papaya, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and peanuts.  Decently spicy sauce.  The cherry tomatoes were entirely flavorless.

The menu has a papaya salad as a regular salad, for a whopping $21.95 as well.  Which seemed a bit crazy.  Sure, it has pork sausage, pork crackling, and prawns but ... wow.  The $10 price on this seemed a bit high for the small side dish size.

Side: Steamed Vegetables. $5.

After we ordered, our server kept insisting on more things, so I said that maybe we needed vegetables.  Of course she wanted us to get more entrees, but I just went for the simple side of steamed veggies, even though the others were like, "eh".  I guess I was craving veggies.

I didn't really know what the mix would be, but it was carrots, broccoli, and green cabbage.  Simple and steamed.  It arrived with the papaya salad right after the first appetizer, before the second appetizer, and long before the main.   Not quite what I intended, flow-wise.  It came with a spoon on the side to serve it with, I guess?  A single spoon, which, as you can imagine, didn't exactly work.

It was, literally, the only savory dish I liked.  And I didn't like the broccoli or too mushy carrots.  Really, the only savory element, of the entire meal, that I thought was good was a bite of plain steamed cabbage slathered in the hot sauce from the calamari.  I guess I'm glad we got it.

Appetizer: Miang Foie Gras. $23.95.

"Seared duck foie gras, coconut-tamarind reduction, fresh berries with lemongrass smoke."

Ok, foie gras might not be a normal thing to order at a Thai or Laotian restaurant, but, seriously, how do you resist foie gras, particularly seared foie gras?

We should have resisted.  This too came with no serving implements.

"How did they manage to make foie gras so ... boring," is what I uttered after trying this dish.  I literally don't understand how they made it so entirely lackluster, mediocre, and forgettable.

Was there anything *wrong* with the foie gras?  No.  But was it good?  No, not at all.

Backing up.  The presentation, that you can't see here, was the only memorable part, as it came under a dome, that was ceremoniously removed in front of us, and smoke came out.  Ok.

But then we had this.

Not very hot, not very well seared foie gras, two slices.  Assorted not ripe fruit.  A big pile of random salad greens.  Shredded coconut on top.  Perhaps a drizzle of the coconut-tamarind reduction.  Nothing really paired here at all.  No brioche or other carbs, perhaps we were supposed to ... roll it in the lettuce?  And the mediocre raw fruit didn't provide a nice sweet pairing either.  The only texture came from the shredded coconut.

Seriously, the most boring, not well composed foie gras I've ever had.

Entree: Panang Lamb Curry. $23.95.

"Thick coconut milk curry, lamb stew with cucumber salad. Served with jasmine rice."

I was not very hungry, and happy with a meal of foie gras, octopus, and the side veggies/salad, so I told the others to pick whatever curry they wanted.  They selected lamb, which, I'd never pick, since I don't like lamb.  I didn't care though, as it wasn't for me.

Like the other dishes, presentation was nice.  The portion of jasmine rice it was served with however was laughable.  Not enough for one person, let alone two people to share.  Our server, who tried to upsell us on sooo many things, didn't mention this, which was surprising.

The cucumber salad I did try, and it was pretty boring, not much flavor.

The curry sauce I also tried, it was fine, pretty standard panang curry.  The portion of lamb was ok for a single person to have as an entree, but a bit meager for a sharing dish, particularly for the price.  The others who ate it both agreed it was the best dish they had though.

Side: Sticky Rice. $4.

Since the rice quantity was entirely insufficient, we also ordered more rice, and went for sticky rice just to compare.

It was fine.  Warm.  Served in a plastic bag, inside a wooden basket cup.

Dessert: Khao Tom Mudd. $13.

"Sweet coconut sticky rice + red bean in a banana leaf W/ coconut ice cream in a whole young coconut."

For dessert, we had to rule out 3 of the 5 items immediately, as they all had caffeine (thai ice tea, chocolate, or espresso).  Which left two sticky rice based options: mango sticky rice or this.  Since you can get mango sticky rice at any Thai restaurant, we decided to go with the khao tom mudd, even though we had no idea what to expect.

And even once we got it, we had no idea what was going on.  Breaking it down ...

The coconut ice cream really was just served in a young coconut, exactly as the menu said.  No frills.

But it also turned out to be the highlight of the meal for me.  I wonder if they make it in house, or purchase from somewhere.  It had some texture from coconut bits in it, was rich, creamy, and just really enjoyable.  Perfectly melty too.

Serving it in a coconut was a bit strange perhaps, but I liked that too, as I was able to scoop out all the young coconut flesh, and add it to my ice cream.

While the cabbage with spicy sauce was the best savory item, I didn't really *enjoy it*, whereas the ice cream, I did truly enjoy.  That said ... $13 for a scoop of ice cream with a little sticky rice seemed high, like everything else.

Khao Tom Mudd: Inside the Banana Leaf.

But what about the rest of the dish?  That was the unique part.

It was two banana leaves, each with steamed sticky rice inside, as we expected.  Very hot, lots of steam escaped as we opened them.  The sticky rice was ... fine?  A bit boring.  But nice to have the warm sweet rice with the cold ice cream.

The red bean turned out to just be a few red beans scattered inside.  They were cooked fine, but didn't really add much.

Khao Tom Mudd: Inside the Sticky Rice.

But ... there was more.  Inside the sticky rice was ... something else.

We literally had no idea what we were eating.  The menu description didn't say that there was anything but beans and sticky rice inside the banana leaf.  The substance was a strange pink color.  I thought it must be mashed red bean, but ... it clearly wasn't.

After repeating, over, and over, "I have no idea what I'm eating", I figured it out.  I think.  Banana.  But, red banana?  I don't understand.

I ate a full one of these just trying to figure it out, but it wasn't actually good.  The warm sticky rice was nice with the coconut ice cream, but, the red beans were just eh, and that banana was pretty awful.

Next time ... I'd just get a side of coconut ice cream!

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