During the dinner we discovered that at the table twenty-two different languages and dialects could be spoken. They included Mandarin, Cantonese, and quite a few other Chinese dialects. Bahasa (both Malaysian and Indonesian forms), Tagalog from the Philippines, French, German, Spanish, Hindu and other Asian languages. The one language we all had in common of course was English. Thank goodness for that!
Following dinner a small group of us went for dessert. One of the more popular types of dessert throughout Asia consists of shaved flavored ices piled high and surrounded by flavored pearls similar to large tapioca. This is then topped with fresh fruit and syrups. These desserts are a wonder to look at and just as wondrous to eat.
I chose the mango one pictured above. Mango is one of my favorites. Over the past two years you have heard me mention durian. The durian is a hard brown fruit somewhat like a large coconut with spikes all over it. But the most distinct feature of the durian is its aroma (read horrible smell). I liken the smell to a natural gas leak. The taste of the fruit is not bad at all. Its texture is gooey and creamy. People either love it or hate it. Since we had some new recruits, most of the group ordered the durian flavor. (I knew better.)
The reactions when you could smell the desserts long before they hit the table were priceless. And the eating methods were unique.
All in all it was a fun expedition. Lots of giggles and some tasty treats to enjoy as well.
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