An Over the Top Evening

A couple of Fridays ago we dined at Osaka on Huguenot Road. I always enjoy their sushi as well as the yellow tail sashimi. This time I even tried the tobiko (flying fish roe) - out of this world. Osaka also offers lovely wines at fairly reasonable prices.

For this post, I want to rave about a dish from the chef's entree selections - Grand Marnier Shrimp. Jumbo shrimp, lightly battered and fried, glazed with Grand Marnier sauce. The shrimp are succulent and perfectly fried. The sauce is rich and decadent. The presentation is stunning. A feast for all of the senses.

To top off our evening of overindulgence, we headed over to Shyndigz on Patterson for dessert. The Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream. Oh baby! Yes, this takes decadence to a new level.

And while hubby ordered the traditional version as pictured, I ordered the Cake Shake version - a Vanilla Milkshake with the Salted Chocolate Caramel Cake mixed in. When I was growing up, we always had the traditional cake and ice cream for every birthday party. The Duncan Hines box mix of your choice with chocolate or vanilla ice cream (if you were really lucky, the ice cream was Bryer's). I always wanted a thin slice of cake and a few scoops of ice cream on top. Once the ice cream softened a bit, I mixed the two together into one big mushy, cakey mess. Joyous memories. As soon as I learned what the Cake Shake was - an over the top version of my childhood favorite - I had to try it. Yummy!

But beware: Over the top evenings can lead to beached whale sightings once dessert has finished.