It was the tofu tower that started my culinary journey over the course of my vacation. Arriving on foot to my hotel was a taxing and arduous journey with only a near dead phone to guide my GPS (and to that end myself) to a place I could rest my feet. My body, however, had other plans for me. I could already visualize all the different possible experiences in my head, and so charging my fairy godmother I set out. It was clear within the span of a few short minutes, though, that I underestimated the distances to many of the higher end restaurants in town. I could not conjure a car, and with my feet heavy, I decided to detour into an Asian Fusion restaurant. The inside was dark, with lacquered wood as the primary decorations. My booth sat adjacent to a roaring glass fire as I was given the menu. Of course, talking to the waiter, my eyes slowly wandered to a specific dish; The Flaming Tower of Buddha.
Minutes later (and with the guidance of my waiter to pick out the rest of my meal) there it was. Red chili-oil and sesame drizzled down the tower, its structure sound and hard to topple. Each beam of fried tofu was hot and the perfect kind of crisp; A slight crackle of crust before the soft exposure of firm tofu overtakes it. Yet it was the heat that was the main star. Try as I might, I could not quell the flames as it lapped upon the beams , the oils running slowly down onto my fingers. Sesame and basil fought on my tongue, warring between the all but brief nuttiness and the shocking heat of the leafy spice. These combined with the fuel of the chili to bring the heat that forces the consumer to keep going, eyes wide but the smile even wider. To placate that experience with the mango chutney chicken pastry was simply icing upon my fusion experience.
The fact that this was simply one of many delectable delights already forces me to maintain composure, for fear of leaving to inhale my fridge in a desperate attempt to appease the memory of delicacy. I hope instead to placate it by revisiting, for if I can spread this hunger to others, perhaps mine will lessen. Please be sure to prepare for the journey.
Writing in C Major 