This whimsical preparation of tempura red bean ice cream comes from Asian Avenue and is available for $5. We’ve had our share of tempura ice cream over the years, and it’s nice to see that the ice cream still looks fairly solid. Cutting it into quarters gives it the somewhat sophisticated air of tartufo, which is also a nice touch. But what caught our eye about this otherwise quotidian dessert is the accompaniments. The dish barely has any sweet at all! Red bean is not the sugariest of ice cream flavors, and everything else in the metal pot (totally rad, BTW) is in the savory family - the pretzels are amazing, and we’re really rather taken with the sprig of Thai basil in the middle. We can’t quite identify the pinkish item hiding in the back, but it adds a welcome splash of bright color. Anyway, for five bucks, this is a nice presentation.
Okay, have a good weekend. Rest up, because 2008 starts for real on Monday.
Asian Avenue [MenuPages]
[Photo: its spelled Roda/flickr]
