Mangosteens!
After all of our posts of late about strange meats and speed eating, I thought I’d toss one to the veggie crowd. Walking along the Venice Beach boardwalk moments ago, I stumbled across a little hole in the wall called the Fruit Gallery just off Oceanfront Walk at One Westminster Ave. Waiting inside like a gleaming chest of treasure was a bowl full of fresh mangosteens, priced at $2 a piece. I haven’t eaten the sweet and delicious fruit since I was in Thailand in 2005. The U.S. just dropped its ban on mangosteen imports last summer, and this is the first I have seen of them since then. Despite being a bit pricey for a single piece of fruit, I must admit I gasped with glee and ate one on the spot. (The shell was hard, but the owner was gracious enough to cut it open for me. Memories of lying on the beach in Koh Phangan immediately ensued.) The Fruit Stand also sells smoothies, juices, salads, wheatgrass and ginger shots, as well as vegan desserts. The acai smoothie with granola was refreshing and wonderful, but nothing can beat the mighty mangosteen! – Jenny
They don’t have a website yet, but you can call the Fruit Stand at 310-452-3034 or e-mail fruitgallery@yahoo.com.
Hello!
I too love the mangosteen. I have spent lots of time in Thailand and Asia, and I agree that it is wonderful. However, I must contend the simple Acai smoothie (like the recipe I posted, no frills, not too complicated and thick) is amazing, but I have an even more favorite Asian fruit: The Durian! Have you ever tried it? Most people don’t know how to open it, but my friends in Chinatown here in New York City open in for me and spoon it onto trays. It tastes like custard! My mother is from the Philippines, and there are some other sort of arcane fruits I’ll have to ask her the names of…
I can’t recall trying the durian, although I had a lot of fruit in Thailand and Cambodia that I couldn’t identify. Can you find them in the U.S.? I’ll have to look out for them.
You guys are in LA right? I know you can get them here in NY, where there are tons of them! They are the huge, spikey fruits. I don’t remember seeing any of them in Cambodia…
By the way, have you ever eaten at Rawvolution? I was in Santa Monica recently for work, and ate there. It’s all raw vegan. If so, what do you think of it compard to other Santa Monica restaurants? I didn’t have time to explore too much…
Yes, we’re in LA. I popped into Rawvolution but didn’t eat there. I need to try it. I’ll report back when I do. If you ever need Santa Monica recommendations, let me know. We live nearby.
I have tried durian fruit — aka The King of Fruits. I bought on at an Asian market in Springfield VA, where I’s taken my krewe of kidlets on a field trip. The lady at the check out raised her eyebrow at me this Anglo lady buying this fruit — which was going to cost me $8. I assured her that I was up for adventurous eating — in fact the children and I were planning to enjoy it with our other Pan-Asian treats as soon as we got home. She was really skeptical, “Ohhhhkayyy…just smells very strong. Open your window.”
Only when we got it home and cut into it did I understand her doubt. It smelled like a combination of filthy socks and vomit. Surprisingly, about half of the kids ate it happily and declared they loved it. The other half were outside with me on the deck, gagging from the odor.
OMG, that’s hysterical. Now, I have to try it. The curiosity is killing me! Anyone know where to find them in LA?