Trader Vic’s Part II:

One of my favorite soups at Trader Vic’s, actually anywhere, is Bongo Bongo soup. This signature dish is a spinach and oyster purée topped with a dollop of lightly whipped cream. If the thought of puréed oysters makes you gag, fear not, they add just a hint of wonderful background flavor and do not overpower the soup at all. You’d probably just think it was salt, but they give the soup that necessary rich, smooth, creamy texture.

Bongo Bongo Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 10 oz jar of fresh shucked oysters (or shuck ‘em your bad self)
1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach (we’ve used fresh and it works quite fine)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup clam juice
4 cup half-and-half
1 tsp A-1 Steak Sauce (I know, weird, but add it)
A dash of Tabasco sauce
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
2 tsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tsp cold water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, lightly whipped, for garnish

Combine butter, oysters, spinach, garlic and clam juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once at a boil, turn off heat and set aside to cool.

In a separate saucepan, heat the half-and-half, but do not allow to boil.

Blend the cooled oyster mixture until smooth, then stir into the warm half-and-half. Add the A-1, Tabasco, Worcestershire and salt and heat thoroughly. Slowly mix in the cornstarch mixture and whisk constantly until soup thickens. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Pour into bowls, garnish with a dollop of lightly whipped cream. If you’d like, brown the top under a broiler. Makes approximately 4 cups.

This is also a fun soup to serve in tiny shot-sized glasses as an hors d’oeuvre.

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It’s time for a tiki party!

Every now and then we love going to Trader Vic’s in Palo Alto. If you are unfortunate enough to have never frequented this legendary establishment, then put it on your list. Trader Vics’ are swanky Polynesian restaurant/bars that make you feel like you went back in time and found yourself on a tropical island. From San Francisco to Dubai, Trader Vics’ are complete with all sorts of tribal gear, tiki heads, jungle flora and a plethora of other carefully coordinated tropical decór. Bartenders sporting Hawaiian shirts mix up fruity rum and other potent cocktails that at once curl your hair and knock off your flip-flops.

Our favorite concoction is the “Suffering Bastard.” And let me tell you, more than two of these and you will be a suffering bastard, so make sure you load up on the pupu platters. This beverage makes a Mai Tai seem like amateur stuff.

Suffering Bastard

2 ounces dark rum
1 ounce silver rum
3 ounces Trader Vic’s Mai Tai Mix
1/2 ounce lime juice
Cucumber slice for garnish
1 sprig of mint for garnish

Put ice in a shaker and add the rums, Mai Tai Mix, lime juice, then shake. Without straining pour liquid into chilled double old-fashioned glasses. Slice the ends off of a cucumber, preferably English, then cut lengthwise into quarters. Scrape the seeds out and score the pulp side in a criss-cross pattern. Garnish each glass with a quarter slice of cucumber (half if it’s a small cuke) and a sprig of mint.

Stay tuned for another of my Trader Vic’s favorites: Bongo Bongo soup.

Drink slowly…

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