Summer Rolls Restaurant

A friend and I were looking for a place to eat some lunch. We weren't sure where to go, and I wasn't feeling anything too heavy or greasy. Fortunately, he had the brilliant idea to suggest some spring rolls! Although he said the place was a little far and a little pricey, the idea sounded perfect so away we went!

We ordered two things at the restaurant, and the first thing was a dish called banh beo. It consisted of small plates of steamed rice cake, topped with dried chopped shrimp, scallions, and croutons. We poured fish sauce on top, and scooped it out of the dish with a spoon. It was a little bit salty for my taste. We couldn't figure out what it was that was salty, but it was still delicious! The fish sauce added a little bit of sweetness to the savory dish.

As we were working through the banh beo, our spring rolls arrived! The rice paper came with hot water for soaking, so that it would become pliable for the rolls. The plate of veggies consisted of lettuce, cucumber, carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro, mint, chives, and Asian basil. The meat came grilled and skewered, and everything was ready to be assembled!

We dipped the rice paper in the water, and assembled a little bit of all the veggies on top and added some meat as well. I remembered a YouTube video I watched on spring rolls (linked here), where the girl instructs the viewers to roll "gently but tightly, the way you hug your sweetheart." Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the finished rolls because this was a hands on process, but the spring rolls were fresh, light, and incredibly appetizing! I would definitely recommend this restaurant, and would return for another visit :)

~Tiffany

A Good Day

Yesterday was one of those days that made me happy to be alive.  The trees were budding, the air was warm, the sky was blue, and I felt happier and springier than I have in a while!  I decided to brave the dog park with my Jack Russell Terrier- a feared feat by the owners of this feisty little breed-but I am glad I did!  There was nobody else there so my two little dogs ran like crazy chasing birds, tennis balls, and me until we were all dirty and worn out.

So much dirt!

Then we took an excursion to Kabob Je Rotisserie and Grille for a feast of falafel, hummus, fattoush, mujaddara, tabouleh, and pita.  Without exaggerating, it was the best Lebanese/Mediterranean food I'd ever had!  I stuffed myself and very happily carried home a plate full of leftovers.  The staff was nice enough to allow the dogs on the patio and even brought them a dish of water!  They were stunningly well-behaved and drew lots of compliments.  I felt so proud.

The day continued with a trip to the garden store with my mom (the expert gardener) where I picked up some salmon-colored double impatiens and white verbena, which will be potted as soon as the threat of frost goes away.  These flower names are too technical for me...I prefer to call them pink and white flowers.

I ended my day with a slice of lemon cake and a mug of earl gray tea.

Sometimes it's nice to forget about your big deadlines and demands and just focus on the little things.  It really is the little things like a spring morning in the park, a good meal, pretty flowers, and a cup of tea which make it all worthwhile.

~Ashley

Thairama

Hi everyone! :) Today's blog post is a restaurant review of a Thai place in Glendale. This cute restaurant has mainly take out orders, but over my sisters spring break we decided to sit in and try a few dishes. And it was definitely a good life decision!

The restaurant is called Thairama, and the link for anyone who is interested is here :)

The first dish is the pineapple fried rice. This rice is absolutely delicious, and is my favorite! There is curry seasoning, pork, onion, cashews, egg, tomato, and of course--pineapple! A definite must have.

The second dish is orange shrimp. The shrimp is crispy and glazed with a slightly sweet sauce, and served over crisp lettuce. Also very good!

Since we came to a Thai place, we had to order curry :) This is their Panang curry, and it's literally an explosion of flavor. It's making my mouth water just thinking of it! The curry is savory, sweet, spicy, and it has chicken, green and red bell peppers. The taste can be almost overwhelming if you're not used to it, but my sister said, "this is a kind of dish I would crave on a random day," and I definitely agree with that statement.

Lastly, we ordered lard na which is a noodle dish served with chicken, broccoli, and lots of sauce. This dish is my moms favorite!

Thairama in Glendale is small and charming, and is very well-suited to takeout. When picking up the dishes, they are always piping hot, and retain their heat well for the trip home. I wouldn't necessarily recommend eating in for a glamorous experience, but I did enjoy going there with my sisters!

The food here was absolutely delicious with no disappointments in flavor. Thank you Thairama for being awesome! :)

Tiffany