Meal Number: 2

Selection: Him Ma Parn with Pineapple

Price: $9 for vegetarian or tofu/$10 for chicken, pork or beef/$12 for shrimp/$13 for seafood


It's time for meal number 2. The menu description for this is:

Cashew Nuts Stir-Fry, sauteed in sweet chili paste, onions, bell paper, water chestnuts, cashews, carrots, pineapple and green beans

It sounds nummy, and it's very popular (in fact, I think it's the best seller after Pad Thai) but I didn't pick it. I took my life into my own hands. I told the chef to surprise me during a dinner with my roommates who came to the restaurant and this is what she made me.

Again the portion size was fantastic, and it was served over a pile of perfectly cooked rice noodles (it's usually served over rice, but rice and I aren't friends, and the chef remembered, which is sweet), topped with veggies and chicken in a sauce.

The sauce wasn't spicy at all, it was very mild and sweet, and it complemented the veggies and pineapple perfectly. I know some people find cooked fruit, or just cooked pineapple to be a turn-off, but combined with the veggies and stir-fried nuts it was very well matched.

Again my veggies were cooked just how I like them, and the chicken wasn't completely lost in the flavor of the sauce.

I enjoyed this dish and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for an alternative to normal cashew chicken from a Chinese restaurant.