An evening of cultural experiences

Last night, we went to a dim sum potluck at our friend Miya's house. It turned into quite the culinary experience where we sampled some really special concoctions. The highlight of the evening was definitely the Chelada... apparently the folks at Anheuser-Busch thought it was a good idea to recreate a Latino favorite in a 24 oz. can. A Chelada is a tasty mix of either Bud or Bud Light (we had the light version) with Clamato Juice (yup... clam and tomato) seasoned with a delightful mix of salt and lime all premixed for you. Apparently this combination is a big hit in some circles, but it did not go over well with our crew. It was disgusting.... think carbonated tomato juice that starts off with a nice bud light flavor and ends with a hint of clam. I can't imagine it is going to sell well. Another highlight in the beverage category was the imported tomato vodka from Japan. It tasted like a liquid tomato with sugar dumped on top...also gross, thought not nearly as bad as the chelada. At least the label was cool. We also sampled Absolut New Orleans which is vodka flavored with black pepper and mango. Sounds strange, but it actually got good reviews from the crowd. Luckily the food was slightly less adventurous and much more tasty. Miya cooked up some homemade chicken dumplings, and some hibachi style steak, tofu, and veggies. It was awesome.