After grabbing some terrific drinks at Anvil, the bar where the sun does NOT rise and set (thanks, Edgar), my husband and I decided to walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Sometimes, we like to abandon our vehicles and pretend we once again live in a pedestrian-friendly city. Sigh.

I was tempted to try newcomer El Real but had promised to try the puffy tacos a few nights later with a friend. Then I saw Mo Mong. As it is the site of my department's recruitment dinners, I associate Mo Mong with making small talk with strange scholars (ahem, I mean, "scholarly strangers"), sharing one bottle of inexpensive wine between five people, and most importantly, eating some kick-ass spring rolls.

Specifically, the Salmon Spring Rolls, which I ordered that night for about the zillionth time. Stuffed with crisp bean sprouts, lettuce and fatty pan-fried salmon, the spring rolls are filling but not overwhelming, even when you dip them liberally into the accompanying rich wasabi cream sauce. Granted, they're not cheap: ten dollars is indeed a lot to pay for a few ounces of fish and a mess of vegetables. However, the "two" spring rolls are about 1.25 inches in diameter and are served in four large pieces, which makes the price tag (and sharing them with an equally hungry spouse) more acceptable.