Update: As promised, here is more information about Mangosteen, the upcoming pan-Asian restaurant.
Original post: Food should be playful, so here's a little game.
Somewhere in this post are nine clues to something new in the Valley's food scene.
Play along by leaving your guesses in the comments. When someone comes close, I'll dish.
[photo source: David Karp, The New York Times]
Lychee ice cream?
"I'll dish." Niiiice.
Actually, lychee ice cream is a part of the dessert bar.
The 'hivers should thank you for that additional clue.
I give all credit to Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern for introducing me to foods I've only seen/heard of on TV.
are you telling us the Purple Mangosteen is coming to a dessert bar located in an Indonesian or Malaysian restaurant here in Fresno?!
Ah, Jason, I commend you for identifying the fruit in the photo.
The rest of your guess is not quite right -- at least for now.
nija like on my part though... I checked the properties of the picture for what you named it ;-)
You're such a cake-tease. Is it that some bay area pan-Asian restaurant is opening in Fresno?
JOan,
Is this a hint about the new place that is opening on Shaw and Fresno?
Smells like garlic.
Mangosteen from SF is opening up a place in Fresno?
just kidding bout that last one... but my guess is that some pan asian dessert chain from the bay is coming to fresno... like pinkberry from la or something to that effect
The restaurant at Shaw and Fresno is called Mangosteen something, no? Is that a dessert? I thought it made you skinny.
Wow. You guys figured that out quickly!
Kristina and Kristy nailed it. Mangosteen is a new restaurant taking over the old Kim’s Vietnamese at Fresno Street and Shaw Avenue.
I'm still gathering menu details, but I can tell you that it is pan-Asian (not Asian Fusion). In other words, the restaurant will serve its version of popular dishes from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Mangosteen owner Douglas Huynh moved from Vietnam to Fresno in the late 1970s. He grew up here, then left for the Bay Area to work in information technology. But with his mother getting older, he says he moved back to Fresno to be closer to her.
Huynh's still going through the city approval process. He hopes to open Mangosteen on April 24. Hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays.
The answering machine isn’t hooked up yet, but Huynh tells me the restaurant's new number is (559) 229-8300.
I'll post more details in a future column -- and explain how Mangosteen fits into a trend of Bay Area restaurateurs making their mark in the Valley.
Last Thursday we returned to the "site" of one our favorite restaurants in Fresno (we live in the greater Los Angeles area) and were pleasantly surprised that...drum roll...it was even better (like MUCH better) than the last time we ate there (2006). The totally new pan-Asian menu is to die for both taste- and variety-wise and Jennie, our server, was without a doubt one of the kindest people -- and best servers -- we've ever met. We only wish there was a restaurant of this quality closer than 200 miles!