Red Bean Shaved Ice

KAKIGORI? PATBINGSU? BAO BING? SNOW CONE? Foumami’s done it yet again. Amidst the countless identical soup-salad-sandwich places frequented by countless identical suit-tie-loafers businessmen looking for a rushed “artesenal” BLT or “country-style” white bean soup sparkles this singular gem of clean, simple, super-flavorful (?Pan-)Asian lunch alternatives. Their sandwiches are made with fresh Shao Bing bread, crispy out chewy in and are filled with beautifully delicate ingredients (thin slices of seared-steamed chicken breast or chilled braised brisket, kirby cucumber, scallions, etc.). Their salads are imaginative and satisfying (in particular, the Sesame Noodle with Buckwheat noodles, egg omelet, bean sprouts, kirby cucumber, carrots, scallions, cilantro, sesame peanut dressing in particular) and their steamy hand-made Wonton Soup is perfect medicine for the cubicle-trapped soul. But who would’ve thought they’d come out with a kick-ass dessert as well? I didn’t. Foumami’s version of red bean shaved ice, ubiquitous in Asia, is the perfect blend of textures and flavors on a hot summer day. The delicate shaved ice comes in 3 different refreshing flavors -plain, melon and strawberry- (I had the strawberry) and is sprinkled with tons of fresh fruit, chewy sweet cubes of mochi and candied orange slices that blend with the flavor of the ice magically. Sweet, nutty, dense red bean goop caps off this delicious dessert and provides a wonderful, mushy, comforting texture which contrasts with the cold, sweet and sour shaved ice perfectly. A bit of condensed milk trickles down from the top and gives a creamy texture to the ice.