A Food Sampling: Viet Citron, Elm St. Sweets, Tous Les Jours, & Baba Sushi

Over the last couple weeks, I've enjoyed some delicious food and wanted to compile some of the highlights here. What dishes have you enjoyed lately?

Việt Citron, in Burlington, is one of my regular lunch spots and I've previously reviewed the restaurant a couple times. They commonly offer seasonal specials, and I generally order these items, trying something new. Recently, at limited times, they have been offering Xôi Bắp (Ma Homie Sticky Rice), which is composed of "Fragrant hominy corn steamed w/ sticky rice, topped w/ crushed mung beans, fresh fried shallots, and sesame sugar."

In Vietnam, this is a popular breakfast dish although it is also served as a dessert. Some people also enjoy it for lunch or dinner. This was a hearty rice dish, with sweetness from the corn, and a nice crunch from the fried shallots. It comes with a side of sesame sugar so you can choose how sweet you want to make this dish. Without the sesame sugar, it's more of a savory dish, and with plenty of sugar, it becomes a dessert. I can easily see why it makes for a good breakfast dish too. Get yourself to Việt Citron and enjoy their delicious Vietnamese cuisine. 

Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar is well known for its pies and desserts, and those items are now available from the new Elm Street Sweets in Somerville. You can order online a variety of pies, cakes, cookies and other desserts and pick them up later at Rosebud. Options include items like Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Blueberry Crumble Pie, Pecan Carrot Cake, Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies, and more. 

A second location of Elm Street Sweets has also just opened this week at 158 Great Street, Bedford, next to the second location of Posto.  So, now there's a suburban spot to obtain their desserts. They even have a counter where you can see all of the treats, and pick and choose which you'd like to buy. 

I received a media sample of their Banana Bourbon Cream Pie, which is made with a nilla wafer crust, dulche de leche, fresh bananas, banana bourbon custard, vanilla whipped cream, and white chocolate shavings. Aesthetically, it's appealing and very different inside from the traditional Banana Cream Pie, with a darker color inside. It's delicious, with a prominent bourbon flavor, plenty of creamy whipped cream, a rich banana flavor, and a crunchy crust. This would be an excellent choice for the holidays, to adorn your Thanksgiving or Christmas table. Or just for a Friday night treat.

At the H Mart in Burlington, there is the Tous Les Jours, an Asian-French bakery, which is definitely one of my favorite bakeries. From Sliced Pan Bread to Pastry Doughnuts, Garlic Twists to Cornet Pies. They also sell a line of cakes, including the Strawberry Cream Cake (about $36), which I recently bought for a special occasion. 

It had a light sponge cake with layers of sweet and silky whipped cream, as well as thin slices of fresh strawberries. And it was topped by strawberries, raspberries and grapes. I prefer this lighter style of cake to some of the heavier and sweeter cakes with their thick frostings. You can find a variety of cream cakes at this bakery, as well as some special design cakes, such as shaped like a bear's face or a pig. They also carry Buttercream and Mousse cakes. The next time you need a cake for a special occasion, or just a Friday night, check out Tous Les Jours.

Last week, on a trip to Worcester, a friend and I stopped at Baba Sushi for lunch. They have three locations, in Worcester, Sturbridge and Bristol. It's a small spot, with take-out, delivery and inside dining. And based on this lunch experience, they have excellent food and I'd definitely return again. 

The Fried Shumai ($6) were fried just right, with a more tender interior and a nice shrimp taste. 

The Gyoza ($6) were also quite good. 

The Chicken Tori ($7) were two skewers of marinated and broiled chicken pieces, topped with a homemade teriyaki sauce. The chicken was tender and moist with a pleasing teriyaki, with just the right amount of sweetness.

The Beef Tori ($8) also had chunks of flavorful beef topped by their teriyaki.

The Sushi was exceptional, fresh, tender and ample. For Nigiri, there was Maguro (Tuna/$7.75), Hotate (Scallop $7), and Unagi (Eel/$7.75).  All were delicious, and definitely some of the better sushi I've tasted in some time. Their menu has an extensive list of Maki rolls too, from a basic Sweet Potato Maki ($5) to a more complex, and very tasty, Dragon Eel Maki ($13), made with tempura shrimp, cucumber, eel, masago, and kabayaki sauce. Baba Sushi certainly excels with their sushi, and I'd like to try more of their menu too.

If you're in Worcester, you should check out Baba Sushi.