Avocado Shake (Sinh To Bo)

When I was working in NYC, I would frequently take the Chinatown bus to Hartford, CT (Whew! Lived to tell about it!) for the weekend bussing tables and helping out at my aunt and uncle’s Vietnamese restaurants. One of my task was to make the sinh to (fruit shakes). They have a variety of fruit flavors from durian, strawberry, pineapple, soursop, but my favorite is avocado. Sinh to is a very common dessert in Vietnam and with the abundance of fresh, exotic fruits, it’s no wonder you can find sinh to stands at almost every corner.
Sinh To Bo (Avocado Shake) (makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe
- 1 large, ripe, avocado
- 3 tbs of sugar or condensed milk (start with this amount)
- 1/2 cup half and half (or you can use regular milk)
- 1 cup of ice (the more ice you use, the thicker it will be)
- couple drops of vanilla extract (optional)
Ripe avocados should be firm but will yield to gentle pressure when held in the palm of the hand and squeezed. Color is not always accurate. Slice lengthwise and split in half. To remove the pit, place the avocado on a cutting board and with sharp knife, strike the pit–knife should now stick to the pit for easy removal. Combine ingredients in blender and puree until it thickens. Taste and make final adjustments on sweetness or consistency by adjusting amount of ice/half and half. So rich, yet refreshingly delicious!

Okay, shameless plugs: If you happen to be in Hartford, say hello and tell them Hong sent you. My uncle’s restaurant is an institution there, over 25 yrs
Pho 501501 Main St
East Hartford, CT 06118
(860) 569-3700
and my aunt’s who coincidently opened her first resturant in 1988..
Pho 88
1999 Park StHartford, CT 06106
(860) 233-1928