Natalee Thai

Dining Companions: Karen S, Crystinue C

Date: 5-3-09

Girls' Night.  My place.  Be there or be square.  :)

So, two of my best girlfriends from college (sorority sisters) came over to do a girls night in my backyard.  We hung out with my dog, relaxed in the hot tub, and drank grapefruit mojitos.  I couldn't find a recipe in either of my bartending books for mojitos and didn't feel like looking it up on the internet so I just approximated the recipe based on the large number of mojitos I've had out at bars (recipe below).  We also had some champagne but the bottle was a bit old and a bit corked (we finished it anyway!!!).

We sat in the hot tub and gossiped until the Thai food from Natalee arrived.  When the food came, we all got out of the tub, laid out our beach towels on the back deck and picnicked.  California Curry (classic curry with coconut milk over potatoes, carrots, and chicken), Pad Thai (mmmm, very egg-y, I love it!), spring roll appetizers, and beef and chicken satay (with spicy cucumber slaw and peanut sauce).  We also ordered some white rice for the curry which we didn't finish (my dog was happy to help eat it).

The California Curry is so good.  It has a very full body for a curry sauce which I would attribute to the coconut milk.  It gives it a really interesting dimension.  You could almost eat it just as a soup.  It has a creamy, nutty, with a tiny bit spicy flavor that complements the potatoes, carrots and tender chicken.  The chicken comes in large pieces.  One thing that can make a curry bad is chicken pieces that are not quality pieces or are too small and get overcooked.

For dessert I made bumbleberry blossoms and we ate them in the hot tub again.

* Free Delivery * Online Ordering * 

998 S. Robertson Blvd. 10101 Venice Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90035 Los Angeles, CA 90230

http://www.nataleethai.com/

MY Grapefruit Mojitos

Take equal parts water and white sugar and add a few leaves of mint (make sure to wash them first!) and put them in a microwave safe glass.  Microwave for about a minute until all is combined.  Microwave times and strengths vary so just keep an eye on it.  The mint will infuse from the heat into the simple syrup.

Take grapefuit juice (preferably fresh squeezed) and add the simple sugar and rum to taste. Drop fresh mint leaves into the glass as decoration.

Natalee Thai is located in the bottom of a mini mall on the corner of Olympic and Robertson. There's another location in Culver City.