Nathan N.
Yelp
Thạch Chè Hiển Khánh is a staple of my childhood during my weekend trips to Little Saigon spanning back to whenever I was sentient. Chè is perhaps one of the first Vietnamese words a child born in the US may learn; perhaps I am projecting. It was always my favorite thing to see the different chè behind the glass: all the different colors and visual textures made it seem like I was at the aquarium, witnessing the beauty of our world. Sometimes, it was a game of I Spy, when trying to see my perennial childhood favorite was there: chè khoai môn, affectionately dubbed by me as "chè green" on account of the sticky rice colored green (probably by pandan leaf extract).
I always remembered waiting a long time in line at this place as a kid (though when you're a kid, any amount of time feels too long since you haven't been alive for relatively as long as, say, present-day me). Today was no different, unsurprisingly, as it New Year's Day, and Vietnamese folks are probably trying to feed their families and friends the good stuff. My family is no different. The line was so long, my aunt and I started playing separate games on our phones. I might have even opened up Yelp.
This business's offerings range from chè, xôi, bánh bò-- basically anything you can do with glutinous rice. My aunt insisted I try so many things, and I only have so much real estate in my digestive tract. I opted for xôi sầu riêng (durian sticky rice), bánh bò (honeycomb cake), xôi mặn (savory sticky rice), chè đậu (bean chè), chè bắp (corn chè), chè chuối (banana chè), etc.
I have just tasted the xôi sầu riêng with coconut milk and it was delightfully duriany. I also just ate a bánh bò, and it reminded me of why I worry about my sugar intake. Bánh bò is one of my favorite desserts ever, and I'm glad they only have two per boxed portion. Thankfully, money is a limiting agent in my life.