Have you ever taken a food-trip? Not like eating a mushroom and tripping out, but a literal trip to another place in order to experience a food not common to you. This spring break, I did a little tripping through the great state of Alaska. I traveled with a peer and two of my professors throughout "the last frontier" experiencing new sights, many plane rides, cold temperatures, and my favorite part: GREAT food.
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| My ever appropriate selfie at Denali National Park. |
My favorite food experience happened at a small "mom and pop" Thai restaurant in Fairbanks, Alaska. Titled "Lemongrass," this establishment held aromas that reflected the title perfectly while inviting you to nestle into a table and prepare for a feast. I am not familiar with Thai food, although I have always been curious to try it, and am a fan of curry spice. The combination of it's geographical location, cultural vibe, and food genre made it the perfect place to deem my "food-trip" of choice.
The menu for this place was massive. We only were able to eat at this restaurant once while in Fairbanks, but if were up to me, I would've eaten there for every meal upon our stop in that city. The menu was over 5 pages long, but after careful deliberation, I chose a pad Thai with seafood. You can't come to Alaska without eating fresh seafood, so I settled on an appropriate culture mix.
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| This dish... honestly, I crave it daily since I have eaten it. I took this picture before digging in. |
The pad Thai with seafood was incredible. Peanut sauce, curry, scallions, scallops, prawns, grilled fish filet, noodles, and peppers... need I say anymore? As if this feast wasn't enough, we ordered dessert, and split a very tasty pumpkin custard and F.B.I (Fried Banana and Ice Cream (homemade coconut ice cream)).
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It seemed strange to serve pumpkin dishes outside of "fall" season, but in Alaska, pumpkin is a staple ingredient year round. I took this photo as my mouth was watering profusely.
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I left the restaurant that night VERY full, but harboring a different kind of hunger: a hunger for trying new things in new places. This Thai restaurant, and trip to Alaska, is only a tiny taste of what I hope to experience in my lifetime in regard to food-trips. Spring break 2017 was full of adventure, including adventures served on a plate.
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| Alaska awaits! The scenery, photographed by myself. |
Till next time. -AR
