Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Something I won't be trying

I won't say there is a shortage of sweets/desserts in Singapore, at least in the areas that I frequent. That would be far from the truth. I haven't had any trouble finding sweets to sample. Some are pretty good, some aren't worth eating again, and very few are the stuff that dreams are made of.

To my dismay, I've found that there are quite a lot of vile creations masquerading as sweets. Apparently, some Asian cultures have a thing for beans in their desserts. All I can say is, "Huh?" I know, I know... to each his own, right? Well, thank you very much but I will stick to my own beloved favorites that do NOT includes beans, that is unless they are of the espresso bean or cocoa bean variety.

Speaking of beans, you guys all know of that happy little place called "The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf?" It's the home of the "Original Ice Blended" line of drinks. Back in the U.S. I'd sometimes treat myself to a "black forest ice blended" - iced mocha with espresso beans and maraschino cherries all blended together. I've tried it at The Coffee Bean here. I can't put my finger on it but it just doesn't taste the same. Last time I went to The Coffee Bean, I was presented with a new variety to consider. I think I'll stick with a latte but would any of you care for a
Red Bean Ice Blended Drink?

5 comments:

  1. oh beans, beans the wonderful fruit!...

    what, don't tell me you're not a fan of bean-paste, either??

    a friend just got back from your part of the world, and had an incredible avocado shake, it sounded incredible. Have you seen any of those around?

    I love the photo!

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  2. I think I can get an avocado shake/smoothie at any hawker center but not sure. I'll have to see. I'm not sure I could drink that. I can eat guacamole but eating avocado straight makes my lips and throat tingle, kind of like a mild allergy.
    Yeah... the photos was me trying to overcome the feeling of "I'm such a dork taking a picture of this poster. I hope no one is looking at me." I couldn't figure out a way to eliminate the glare completely but you got the gist. That's what's important.
    As for bean paste... another big, fat NOPE! I actually tried something once when we came to visit SG in May that had bean paste inside. (I thought it was chocolate!) I had to spit it out. Oh so embarrassing!!

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  3. I'm with you Starlene-red bean ice blended drink GROSS! Steve might like it though. He's truly a beaner. He eats beans at least 3x a week for lunch. He even had a bean pie before!

    Monica

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  4. LOL about the bean pie, Monica. Haven't heard of that before. I like beans, too, but maybe not as much as Steve. Even so, there's just something about beans in my dessert that sounds too strange to me.

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  5. Well, I have a little experience with these bean desserts. As a matter of fact, I had some Friday at my friend Grace's house. It was like a dumpling filled with the bean paste and another dumpling filled with crushed peanuts (not for those allergic to peanuts!) and all served in a bowl of a very sweet clear liquid. I enjoyed it because it was different, but it really is VERY DIFFERENT from Western desserts.

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