Pho and Vietnamese iced coffee

I discovered this as one of the finest meals in existence a few years ago. The sweet, icy goodness of the coffee is a nice complement to the glasses-steaming deliciousness of the pho.

I'm not sure there are many dishes as customizable as pho. While you're eating, the same bowl can take on multiple characteristics. My usual progression is this: I start out with a stock bowl--one of these days I'll get the one with tripe and meatballs in it but I usually stick with the brisket, flank steak, and other goodies. Then after a baseline has been established, I start to mess with it by adding the basil, chiles, sprouts, and as many limes as they will give me.

Hoisin, chili paste, and fish sauce also make guest appearances. By the end, the once-pale broth is several shades darker and much more spicy. But the temperature has cooled enough that my lenses don't steam over anymore.

I also tend to save most of my iced coffee to the end. It's sweet with a lovely coffee finish, cutting through the fire left by the chiles. If you're lucky, the restaurant will give it to you with the grounds straining over your cup and you can make it yourself. The only way that it could be better is if it had booze in it.

Been acquiring a lot of media lately. The last doubleplus special edition of LotR movies, three (yes, THREE!) Eddie Izzard concert films, and now a package from Kevin arrived with the first two Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex DVDs. Sweet.

As an added bonus, he threw in Arrested Development as a loan. I know what I'll be doing this weekend.