Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Curb

(From my experience in late November and early December 2011. On 12/23, Sumner posted on Twitter that The Curb would be on hiatus from 12/24/11 to 1/9/12)

The Curb is an espresso-on-wheels truck that opened in August 2011. Headed by Sumner (Sumo) Ohye, his signature items include iced coffees (cold-brewed for 12 hours), various flavored iced teas, Italian sodas, and the "Oxymoron Chocolate," a frozen version of hot chocolate featuring four different chocolates (two of them being the famous Ghirardelli chocolate).

I saw The Curb at November's Eat the Street, but decided a coffee item was just not in the cards that night. But I vowed to return the next chance I got -- two days later.

Right by the UH-Manoa campus

Sumner whipping up a drink for a customer!
In the foreground...his various flavored syrups!
Menu (December 2011)
Seeing Sumner's plain blue truck on University Avenue next to Yogurtland and across from the UH-Manoa campus (trust me, that's a perfect spot for this truck, if not on the campus itself), I ordered the "Oxymoron Chocolate" ($5). Cocoa powder and nonfat milk (2%, whole, and soy also available), chocolate sauce, and ice start this chocolate extravaganza, topped with whipped cream, milk chocolate chips, and sliced strawberries.

"Oxymoron Chocolate"
(The Curb)
What can I say...sinfully delicious (and yes, it made me kick myself for not ordering from him at Eat the Street). The Oxymoron Chocolate is really a thin chocolate shake tailor-made for the chocoholic. Sumner did an amazing job on presentation, and I swear I attracted a lot of people when holding this in my hand (OK, note to self: this is how you attract the ladies). A nice portion for $5, considering how decadent this treat was! In all seriousness, this is a must-try menu item.

A few days later, I returned and ordered two more menu items. I saw a sign and some photos on the truck this time, making them a bit easier to spot. First up, a small Iced "Chai-ya-Latte" ($4): a lovely blend of green tea, black tea, Rooibos chai tea, milk (I got nonfat), cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, ginger, and ground cloves.

Small Iced "Chai-ya-Latte"
(The Curb)
A unique combination here that hit all the taste buds. The enjoyable kick of the cayenne zapped my throat in a pleasurable way. An assertive, unique tea blend. I would recommend toning down the use of the ginger and the clove, since those are extremely powerful spices that can easily overpower the other flavors. I may also consider not having as much ice put in the drink, as the ice will melt and water the tea down over time.

I also got an iced coffee for my father: a small coconut iced coffee with cream ($3). Four pumps of coconut syrup went into iced coffee (which had been cold-brewed for 12 hours).

Small Coconut-Flavored Iced Coffee w/Cream
(The Curb)
This was a very smooth coffee. No bitterness that other coffees may suffer from. The cream brightened up the iced coffee and provided some sweetness. I didn't catch too much coconut flavor, but perhaps the cream's presence had something to do with that (I would have gotten my coffee black, but hey, my dad likes cream in his coffee, so I can't complain here). Again, probably will go light on the ice for my personal tastes.

Regarding popular combinations, chocolate mint iced coffee has proven to be the popular, along with peach or raspberry-flavored iced teaOh, and don't forget about those Acai bowls!

Thanks, Sumner. I'm now even more addicted to caffeine. I'm back in Oregon now, and I already miss this truck. Keep up the great work! 8/10

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