Blue Mango - GO!

Sushi and Thai? In one restaurant? Am I in Heaven?

Discovered a fantastic little hole-in-the-wall sushi/Thai place called Blue Mango next door to Trader Joes on Coleman. When I say it's next door I mean it's in the same strip-mall complex and the two share a wall. Apparently, there is a more established Blue Mango location on Winchester but it doesn't serve sushi, which is too bad because I've eaten A LOT of sushi around here and after 3 visits in just the past two weeks alone, this place is clearly becoming one of my top sushi spots - not to forget the Thai!

My favorite combination for 2 is ordering the Titanic Roll, a large Tom Yum Soup, and Pad Thai Chicken. Shrek is a Tom Yum connoisseur and he thinks this is some of the best around. I heart their Titanic Roll.

My favorite: The Titanic Roll

I haven't yet had a chance to try their desserts because I'm always too full, but the photos and descriptions look quite promising. I've got to try to remember to save room next time! To view Blue Mango locations, menus and pricing, visit their website here.

Root Canal Survival 101

I survived my first root canal. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for my bank account. I kid, but man, those suckers are pricey!

Per my usual, I waited until the pain was unbearable to schedule the root canal - about a month after my dentist recommended the procedure. I guess an old filling had cracked and created a monstrous cavity that my dentist attempted to fix with another filling, but to no avail. I needed the more extreme remedy. (For what this remedy entails, visit this link.)

Prior to, I had no idea that root canals were performed by root canal specialists, called Endodontists. For extreme cases like mine, these are the guys to see. Dr. Jeffrey Krupp on Bascom Ave near the San Jose/Los Gatos border was recommended by my regular dentist and is fantastic. Not that I have anyone to compare him to, but I was put so at ease throughout the entire process thanks to Dr. Krupp and his team that I if I absolutely have to get another root canal, I'll go back to him.

It helped that Dr. Krupp appeared seasoned and to know what he was talking about. My consultation involved several x-rays of and a review of the work already done on my tooth. With the x-ray in front of me, I could follow along as he explained exactly why this was now a necessary procedure and what it would involve. (Later, as I was "numbing" I heard him tell another prospective patient in for a consult that they didn't needed a root canal at this time and why, which earned my respect. I'd heard of some dentists getting patients to agree to unnecessary work just to bill your insurance. No red flags here, though!) Dr. Krupp also assured me that he would do his best to ensure my comfort before, during, and after the procedure.

He stayed true to his word.

1. As I reclined, a pillow was placed under my knees as well as another to support my neck. Clearly I was going to be here for awhile...
2. Several iPod Shuffles were available for patients to borrow, though I came prepared and brought my own. I asked if they were available so that we (his patients) can't hear drilling. He said no, it's so we can't hear him cuz he's a talker. Ha! P.S. Tunes totally help pass the time and drown out the drilling.
   
3. I was offered a blanket if my feet were cold due to the air conditioning
   
4. I was invited to could kick off my sandals if I wanted and told, jokingly, that the foot rub and pedicure would commence shortly. "We're building a wall to hold rows of nail polish to select in the waiting room!" he joked as my mouth was swabbed with numbing gel.
   
5. A glass of cold water (okay, it was in a Dixie Cup but still much appreciated!) was offered to me after my first round of novocaine. (I had two rounds to ensure I was completely numb.) Speaking of...
   
6. Dr. Krupp administers novocaine super...super...super...slowly. Under any other circumstance I would describe it as "painfully" slow, but there really was no pain as was his intention with the slow administration. At first I was startled when the needle was stuck in the back of my mouth and just left there. I'm sure he saw the terrified look I had, eyes wide, transfixed on the needle because he quickly assured me it was for my own comfort. It reminded me of acupuncture.
   
7. I got a prescription for Vicodin for any discomfort I felt after the procedure

A few other details to note:

1. The procedure is really long. Well, mine was. Two hours for one back molar from the time numbing gel was applied to receiving my prescriptions and paying. I know because I sent Shrek a text right before I got numb and checked the time as I walked to billing.
2. My jaw was seriously sore and majorly stiff from keeping my mouth open for so long.
3. The procedure is seriously pricey: $1300 for a molar. That's if you don't have insurance. Actually, for "being such a good patient," Dr. Krupp threw in a $300 permanent filling at no cost, so my work actually totaled more like $1600. ...Not to mention the permanent crown I still need to protect my root canal, which is standard procedure for a molar. These babies run $1000-$2000 a piece! I am so thankful I have Dental Insurance! Even if it only covers 60% it's better than nothing.
   
4. This is for the ladies. It was a surprise to me when I received a prescription for antibiotics that I would have to take for the following 6 days. The reason? To quell any further infections. The real bummer? It interferes with the effectiveness of the pill as a form of birth control, so be warned.
   
5. This is for anyone. Antibiotics also interfere with the good bacteria in your stomach. I ended up desperately seeking probiotics to keep my "stomach" in check. I picked up Sustenex, a probiotic in capsule form, at the local Walgreens for $19 and it worked wonders! I was back to my regular (har har) self within 24 hours.
6. Advil is your best friend

To sum, after my wisdom teeth extraction and this root canal, I feel like specialists are the way to go. Even though they are a bit more pricey, they get in, get out and get the job done. And, in minimal time and with minimal (if any!) pain.

If you're interested, Dr.Krupp is at

3994 S Bascom Ave
Suite 5
San Jose, CA 95124-2663
(408) 371-1444

Though, you may need a referral slip from your dentist to see him.

Cake-fate

I tried to hold out until at least after I returned from my morning workout, but once I loaded these photos it was over: I HAD to have a bite (or a few!) of last night's leftover banana cake.

Special ordered this from Sweet Passions Bakery in San Jose on a friend's recommendation. (And persistence!) Though I loved what I taste-tested at their cupcake stand in Valley Fair Mall (in front of Restoration Hardware and J. Crew - Go! They give free samples of mini cupcakes and sell full-sized ones for $3.50 each), I was going to have to pass simply because their bakery and storefront closes at 2 p.m. daily. It just wasn't possible for me to get over there from work in time to pick it up from the bakery and drop it off at home before returning to work. Without missing a beat, my friend graciously offered to pick the cake up and drop it off at our apartment. Such service! (And friendship!) However, there was also an issue of space - being I didn't have enough in the fridge to store a 7" 7 layer banana cake. Again, my friend stepped in and offered to pick the cake up and store it in her fridge until I could pick it up after work. 

In the end, she did end up delivering the cake to our apartment. That's how much she believed in this cake. ...It also helps that she's in between jobs (on her whim, not her employer's!), the bakery is 5 minutes from her house, she just got back from vacation the night before picking up the cake so her fridge was empty and she just happened to have a dentist appointment at an office 3 blocks from my apartment the afternoon we needed the cake and Shrek could meet her during his lunch. Obviously, it was cake-fate.

I was slightly apprehensive about how the cake was going to go over. Though Shrek and I loved it, we were dining with two kids who may or may not like bananas + 6 adults "on diets." Plus, we'd just stuffed ourselves silly with our favorite Chinese food. (To blog about later). 

Silly me! The cake was perfect and drew awesome reviews. With real bananas, whipped cream and the spongy cake part made out of banana bread it was pleasant and light and we had no trouble eating it up. I was pleasantly surprised that everyone ate their entire slice and that the layers stayed put when I served it onto plates!

Will definitely be ordering other future cakes from this place. Check out their website here for their location and contact info, menu, prices, and to order online. Shrek's 7" 7 layer banana cake with fresh sliced bananas and cream was $35 and supposed to serve 15-20 people. I think in the end it served about 10, including our neighbors who received half of our leftovers. No one else would take any home because they complained they'd eat it all! :D

Tee Nee Thai Serves Up Big Taste

I've had the pleasure of eating a lot of fantastic Thai food since moving to the Bay Area seven years ago. My first taste was at New Krung Thai while checking out Santa Clara University as a prospective student still in high school and I've been hooked on the cuisine ever since. Case in point, these are the Thai places I could come up with just off the top of my head at which I've dined: Thai Pepper and Jasmine Fine Thai, both in Santa Clara's Franklin Square. Amarin Thai in Mountain View. Thai Spice Los Gatos. Osha in SF. Thai Cafe, Banana Leaf, Coconut Grove, all in Milpitas. Blue Mango and House of Siam in San Jose. While some are better than others, New Krung Thai on Winchester at Forest Avenue is still one of my favorites. And it's quite reasonable, too. Shrek and I can get 1 cucumber salad side, 1 large Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, Yellow Curry, and Rice for 2 for about $45. Pretty good considering the large Tom Yum is $13+ alone. And we always have leftovers - plenty enough even for a full meal the next day. (Or a snack a few hours later.)

Recently, however, I have been frequenting a little place on the Alameda called Tee Nee Thai. A lot. I can count three times in the past month we've been, and that's saying something as 

1. There are a lot of awesome dining options around here, and

2. Shrek and I were only first introduced to Tee Nee just a month ago by our neighbors (who, to our delight, like food almost as much as we do!) I always enjoy dining out in a larger group, especially at places that encourage family-style dining because it means you can try so much more but for the same or less price than going by yourself or with just one other companion.

We ordered our standard plates (Tom Yum Soup, Cucumber Salad, Yellow Curry, Pad Thai, sides of rice...) and I can honestly say that I've never had them taste SO GOOD before. Now that's a statement because, as you saw, I've tried them at a lot of places! (I realize I should be a little more adventurous when it comes to ordering, but at least this way I can truly compare dishes at different restaurants when I order consistently.) 

If you go to Tee Nee Thai, here's what I would keep in mind:

1. Watch how spicy you order your dishes, because we order "medium" each time and it is still pretty darn spicy. It's just the way we like it but it is equal to other restaurants' "hot."

2. We made the mistake of ordering Tee Nee's "sticky rice" the first time we went and the rice was the consistency of rubber. It was very difficult to tear apart and didn't allow dishes such as the curry to soak into it. Now, I always enjoy steamed white rice when I go there.

3. It's pricey for Thai, but the flavor, quality, and service is excellent. We went just last weekend and ordered our favorite plates, of course, minus the Tom Yum but +1 beer and it totaled about $45 with 18% tip. (P.S. I love the Check Please Lite Iphone App. Sooo helpful) Tee Nee's Pad Thai is $10+ where I usually see it closer to $7 at other places, but check out the casserole-type dish it's served in. It's pretty monstrous and we always have leftovers. (Though, not as much as when we go to New Krung Thai...)

4. GO!

*Note: All the photos were taken at Tee Nee Thai last week with my iPhone. 

Pho For All Seasons

Despite the temps soaring into the mid 90s this weekend, Shrek was craving Pho on Saturday. Though I thought he was nuts for wanting a steaming hot bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup, there is no denying a Pho craving. 

We arrived at our favorite Pho place, Pho Viet at Trimble and First, and were immediately ushered to our usual table, as we have quickly become regulars. 

"Same thing?" our server asked as we took our seat. I've dined here for lunches and dinners on all days of the week (except Sundays since, unfortunately, they're closed) and the same guy's been our server each occasion. Typically, Shrek and I share an order of spring rolls (pictured second) and then each get a regular number 11, pho with rare steak (pictured first). But this time I was feeling BBQ pork and shrimp over noodles (pictured last). 

I don't know how they do it, but all the pho places I've been to provide lightning fast service. This one, however, takes the cake. Especially if you come during the lunch rush as they are quite popular being in the midst of all the Silicon Valley tech companies. For lunch, servers punch your order into a handheld device as they take your order from your table. This electronically sends it straight to the kitchen so your order is brought out to you once the server moves on to take the next table's order. Even so, I prefer coming during off times which are evenings and Saturdays. The wait isn't too much longer. Right after we ordered, water and a little chopstick/napkin/spoon pack was dropped off followed by our fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. I always mix hoisin in my peanut sauce and Shrek likes, no, LOVES, Sriracha. Before we'd had a chance to finish the rolls, out came the pho and my bbq plate. I'd say in total we waited 4 minutes for everything to come out and mmmm, was it delicious! 

I love coming to this place due to its consistent fast, friendly service, cleanliness, and the food is the freshest around. (You must try their spring rolls if you go!)  Sorry to all who love Pho Thanh Long on El Camino, but the food, cleanliness, and friendliness just doesn't compare to Pho Viet's. Incidentally I ended up wanting pho the very next day but Pho Viet was closed so we had to go to Pho Thanh Long. Their spring rolls were limp and had a funky taste, the peanut sauce wasn't nearly as good as Pho Viet's and the pho was super salty. Since the prices are about the same at both places, 2 plates or bowls + spring rolls = about $20 before tip, I'd definitely head over to Pho Viet if given the option. After writing this up, I'm already anticipating going back for more!