For the purposes of this discussion, spring rolls are the ones that AREN'T fried.

I like them a lot, unless they have too many onions. I've always liked them. Letty's going to think I'm asking this to pick on her, but I'm not. Some new woman at our work tried a spring roll the other day and she disliked it so much, she made a big production of spitting it out. My kids never wanted to try them, but then they did and they liked them. (They just spit out the lettuce, because God forbid they should ever eat lettuce.)

Do you like them or not? If you've never had them, I guess it's okay if you name another food that some people seem to hate for no reason.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

Answers

There is a Vietnamese restaurant (Bolsa on Mira Mesa for any San Diego folks) that makes *the best* and cheapest spring rolls in the world. I always get the shrimp ones with peanut sauce, yum, yum.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

I love any springrolls, but my favorite are the ones i make...i'm so picky.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

I do like them, except for this one odd herb in there that I really don't like. I wish I knew what it was.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

I love them. I used to know a Vietnamese woman who made them for office parties, and they were to die for. I also had good spring rolls at a Thai restaurant in Minneapolis - Sawatee, or something like that. Mmmmmmm.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

Bingo on shrimp with peanut sauce! Mmmm. There's a restaurant here called "Crazy Asian Cafe" that also has what they call asian summer rolls (they are not fried) - they come with shrimp and a peanut sauce topped with coarsely ground ginger. I like the sauce so much I eat what's leftover with spoon. :-)

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

spring rolls are vegetables & meats wrapped in condoms.

-- Anonymous, May 09, 2001

So, Ann, I'm guessing you *don't* like them?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I'm obviously a big bumpkin, because I have no idea what a spring roll is. It sounds yummy, though. Who wouldn't love a meat and veggie filled condom?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I'm Big Bumpkin II. Never had em. Gimme a cheeseburger and Diet Pepsi, and I'm good. Burp! Scuse me !

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

Yes. I'm all over spring rolls.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

Oh Ann, they taste soooo much better than condoms. Oops, was that too much information :)?

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

My dad went to a reception here in Austin where they had spring rolls, and he thought they were some kind of enchilada. Once they were explained to him, he made fun of the spring rolls in a good-natured way. Well, he's from New Orleans.

I like some spring rolls. If they have some flavor in them, like a meat or interesting spice, I like them. If they taste like rolled salad, no.

I've heard that there's some Vietnamese restaurant in Houston that has the best spring rolls on the planet, but I can't remember the name.

-- Anonymous, May 10, 2001

I really, really don't like spring rolls either. I wouldn't spit them out, I'd just take the wrapping off. That wrapping is gross to me. I don't like a lot of the dim sum stuff either, because of the wrappings. I like the fillings though.

p.s. dining tip: it kinda annoys the people at dim sum if you unwrap everything. Just thought I'd let you know.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

My first taste of a rubbery roll was just that...rubbery. I remember turning to my boyfriend and telling him it tasted like a nasty cold condom. I've actually had a few since then and some have been quite tasty...spring rolls, that is....

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

They are sort of latexy when they're too dry. In that case, I just use extra sauce.

Jette: It would rule if you could remember which one. Out of the five or so Vietnamese restaurants I've tried since I've been here, I'd have to say Mai's has the best. Or maybe Mo Mong. But Nit Noi (Thai place) has better spring rolls than all of them, in my opinion. Theirs have shredded chicken, cabbage, and almost no onions. I hate it when they have too many onions.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Forgot... has anyone tried Bangkok Palace on Westheimer?

I need to get more Houston peeps in this forum, dang it.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2001

Gwen, in all of the time I spent running up and down Westeheimer, I don't think I ever once ate anything there. Of course, I was a teenager and I lived off of Skittles and pot.

Does the Dream Merchant still exist? That was the most wonderful, beautiful store. And if you ever get the chance to visit the store called Gateways-it's a metaphysical bookstore-just do it, don't think about it or ask questions, just do it. The vibe there is worth any amount of road time to get there.

This babble has been brought to you by the super sleepy brain of Robyn. Now back you your topic.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

Dream Merchant is something else now. I can't remember what -- either a head shop or a club.

Gateways -- okay, got it.

The Thai place on Westheimer is Bangkok Place, not Bangkok Palace. It's right next to the Exotic [Whatever] and across from Copy.com, where you can now SEE ONE OF MY POSTERS IN THE WINDOW. Woo hoo! They put one of my posters in the window! I rule!

Ahem. So, yeah.

-- Anonymous, May 12, 2001

What kind of poster?!?

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

One I made for my work, for a performance we had. If anyone drives by, it's the orangey-brown one with five blue petal-looking things containing female Mexican archetypes. And it has yellow/gold letters. It's to the right of the door, near the bottom of the window.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

hey gang. long time no chat. i've been HURLING with morning sickness for the past, oh, three months. so, that's a good thing. But i've missed yous. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME. So do all of your spring rolls incorporate fresh mint leaves? b/c they seem to, out here (Seattle) and I love love love them.

-- Anonymous, May 14, 2001

I'm indifferent to them. I don't ever crave them or egg rolls. Sometimes I take a bite or two.

But a good one sure is tasty.

-- Anonymous, May 15, 2001

Fu Kim (don't ask me how immature people pronounce that) has mint leaves in their spring rolls.

I'm going to change the topic name to "Do you like sushi? Yes or no?" when I get back from work. And I'm going to make the topic responses go top-to-bottom again. I forgot that the reply button was way at the bottom all the time.

-- Anonymous, August 28, 2001