I am a chronic over-orderer. I love dessert, but never seem to budget for it. So it was only last weekend that I got to try the creamy goodness of Tamarind Tree’s homemade ice cream (outside on their patio, surrounded by braziers). We were recently talking about top things we ate in 2006, and these just squeeked in. Pandan Leaf: The flavor is subtle, and the ice cream tasted somewhere between green tea and vanilla bean, with a little citrusy zip. Ever see those slices of green cake at the Banh Mi shop? Probably flavored with pandan leaf, it’s used in cakes, custards, and sweets (as well as savories) all around Southeast Asia.

Black Sesame: Strangely delicious and my favorite color, greyish purple. The flavors were nutty, but not as strong as a tahini or a halvah. In dim sum, black sesame paste is used as a filling for sweets and can taste very fruity, but this ice cream had a soft fruitiness more like what you taste in some chocolate bars or cocoa nibs.All of Tamarind Tree’s ice cream had an uber-creamy texture leaning more toward gelato, which in the case of the ginger and roasted coconut flavors knocked me out. You can even sample one scoop of four flavors of your choice. They also have Durian ice cream, but you can’t get me to do that again, ever. But if you’re game, make sure it comes in its own bowl is all I’m sayin.