My Birthday Food Fun, 2012

Yesterday was my birthday, so in keeping with posting on places to eat, I'm including the restaurants that we went to to celebrate.  To be even more helpful, I'm including the actual addresses of the restaurants, just in case you make the drive.  :-)  My daughters also made my cake, and my mom made a pudding pie, mmm-mm.

 The first restaurant is Andy Nguyens (2077 Broadway, Sacramento) that is a Buddhism-influenced vegetarian restaurant.  My mom took me there on Friday for lunch to start the eatin' early.

We started with a simple soup that the waitress described as "broth with vegetables."  She really sold it with her vibrant description, don't you think?  My mom held the spoon up for your viewing pleasure.  There was some basic soft seitan in there as well.

Next came the Treasure Rolls, which we thought looked beautiful.  To make it vegan, they subbed out the veggie ham for veggie shrimp.  It had a nice peanut sauce to go with it.

This is my mom's dish, Supreme Wisdom, which is so apropos.  It was was seitan and veggies in a coconut milk broth.  The jasmine rice was on the side.  When I asked about the side salad that was mentioned on the menu, we were told that the pot stickers were the salad.  So now you know: pot stickers are salad.  Inside it appeared there was mashed tofu with some indefinable veggie.

My dish was the Limitless Compassion, which is true if you have a good story.  I didn't bother showing you the "salad" again.  My dish was mock beef and veggies in a spicy sauce.  I have no idea how the peppery substance got on the plate.

All in all we liked the food.  The restaurant has changed since the last time I was there about five years ago, but it's still similar to what it was.  I was not overly impressed to the point that I wouldn't investigate our other vegan Asian treasures around town.  But, it was satisfying.

For dinner on Saturday night, my parents took us to Thai Takieng (4400 San Juan Blvd., Fair Oaks), the same place we went for G's birthday last year.  I like this restaurant, and every time I go, I like to try something new off the menu.

 

I started with a bowl of Tom Kha: Artichoke Soup.  And artichoke soup it was!  Can you see them floating there?  Besides artichokes, there were button and straw mushrooms in a coconut milk broth,  And that was about it.  It was very simple, but for a girl who loves artichokes, mushrooms and coconut milk, it was great.

My main dish was Pad Kra-Prao:  Chili and Thai Basil Stir-fry.  I had my choice of tofu or mock meats, and I chose mock chicken.  I wish now I had just stuck with tofu to soak up the flavors more.  Without sounding boastful, I like my own seitan: I can flavor it just right, and most restaurant versions are kind of bland.  The sauce and veggies here were great, and it was just spicy enough.  G and I shared brown rice to go with it.

 

Here is my birthday cake.  SR made the batter for the cake, and GR made the frosting.  It was delicious!

Here is the chocolate peanut butter pudding pie that my mom made.

Er, my dessert plate shows my fondness for pudding pies.  Ahem.  I loved my cake, though, too!

Hope you enjoyed the food tour of my day.  G's turn comes up in two weeks.  And, as usual, for two weeks he says I'm too old for him.