Yummy Malaysian vegetable and dhall curry
After 3 months, 6 countries (with 2 more to go!) and 154 meals (a rough guess), we have tried our fair share of South East Asian food. Despite many mishaps and dashes to the loo(!), the whole experience of trying new dishes, getting out of our comfort zones, and finding great recipes we will be taking home with us has been one of the highlights of our adventure away from home. As most people who have visited to Asia will agree, eating in this part of the world is not only enjoyable but also an experience. It’s where different cultures, climates, customs and histories all come together, and sometimes eating at a street-side vendor is just as insightful as spending the day visiting the different sights and tourist attractions. Food is taken very seriously over here with most streets lined with street vendours. In Thailand the very common greeting; “have you eaten rice yet?” sometimes replaces the usual “hello”.
As we are soon to be leaving Asia for our new adventure in Australia I thought I’d share with you some of the best food we have eaten on this trip.
Pad Thai (Thailand)
Our very own Pad Thai creations during our Chiang Mai cooking class
In my opinion Thailand has the best street food in South East Asia, with Bangkok taking the culinary crown. Okay, so most people who have visited Thailand rattle on about Pad Thai and how amazing it is to the point where it almost puts you off the dish. However, at 30Baht a go it was our main meal of choice and tastes the best when purchased from one of the street vendours rather than a restaurant. We were lucky enough to have a go at making this ourselves during our cooking class in Chiang Mai. For something so simple to cook, it seems wrong that it should taste so good. When you’re on a budget as well, the eggy noodles are the best way to fill you up on the cheap. I’ll definitely be taking the recipe back home with me to England.
Pho (Vietnam)
A steaming bowl of Pho
On a 38 degree day, after walking the city streets for hours, the last thing I felt like eating was a steaming soup of noodles in a sweaty restaurant. But amazingly, a big bowl of noodle soup with wierd bits of beef, and a plate piled high with extras to add as you wish (limes, chillies, mint and a strange-looking assortment of weed-like plants) it quickly became my all-time favourite Asian dish. When I get home I will try (and no doubt fail) to recreate it but it definitely won’t be the same as from a Vietnamese street vendour lady.
Fish Amok (Cambodia)
Source: eattheplate.wordpress.com
Amok is Cambodia’s culinary oyster and you’ll come across it on almost all restaurant menus. The national dish (or so it seems) consists of a savoury coconut curry, sometimes served within banana leaf. It’s rich, creamy and very very tasty.
Tandoori Chicken (Malaysia)
Jim enjoying his Tandoori chicken
The minute you set your foot on the ground in Malaysia, you notice how the food is heavily influenced by Indian culture. During our stay at Penang, the ‘pearl’ of Asian cuisine, we made the most of the Indian influences and ate our favourite dishes every night. One of the highlights was the Tandoori chicken ‘set’ which includes a naan of your choice (cheese obviously), a peice of heavily marinated Tandoori chicken, onions and lime, and vaiorus sauces for dipping. At roughly RM9, this is by far the best bargain you can get in Malaysia!
Brit Backpacker 