It’s all about the food

Smell and taste teach as much about a place as what you see.

One of our favorite aspects of travel is food. The preparation, presentation and flavors, even how you eat, say a lot about a country and its people. That said, Southeast Asia is an amazingly appetizing smorgasbord of cultural experience!

Our stays in various countries ranged from three to 30 days so this is by no means a complete or authoritative guide to Southeast Asian cuisine. It’s simply our tasty compilation of grazing moments . . .

Japan

We were delighted to find that Japan is much more than rice and sushi . . .

Let’s begin with, what else? Sushi!

Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world.

Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market

Fresh tuna at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market.

Takoyaki or octopus balls are a popular snack.

The island of Miyajima is famous for its grilled oysters.

Tempura shrimp and vegetables

Udon are thick white wheat flour noodles. They are mostly served hot in a bowl of broth, but can also be served cold.

Hakata ramen features a smooth, milky broth with green onions and char siu (boiled or roasted pork) with thin noodles.

Soba are thin brown buckwheat noodles. Like udon they can be served hot or cold. If you order zarusoba, the noodles and the broth will be served separately.

Udon are thick white wheat flour noodles. They are mostly served hot in a bowl of broth, but can also be served cold.

Kaiseki is Japan’s elegant and elaborate multi-course gourmet cuisine.

Kaiseki is Japan’s elegant and elaborate multi-course gourmet cuisine. This is a breakfast version served at a traditional ryokan.

Many restaurants specialize in one type of food. Izakaya are casual and pub-like, offering tapas style cuisine.

Izakaya dinner (tapas style) at Ueno Yaamachan

Tebasaki (Japanese chicken wings)

Yakiniku or Japanese barbecue restaurants often feature a small grill in the center of the table.

Japanese hot pot: Seafood Nabe or Nabemono

Bento boxes are handy one portion takeout meals.

Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) bento box

Okonomiyaki is a savory version of Japanese pancake, made with flour, eggs and shredded cabbage, often topped with tofu or shrimp. It’s often referred to as Japanese pizza.

Another version of okonomiyaki or Japanese pizza.

We did not see a lot of western-style restaurants but sometimes you just need a taste of “home.” We discovered a wonderful Italian restaurant in Hiroshima that made an amazing Neapolitan pizza. If you’re in the city, Pizza Riva has wonderful food and a great staff!

We were delighted and awed by the department store depachika/gourmet food halls.

Matsuzakaya Department Store depachika or food hall

Matsuzakaya Department Store depachika or food hall. Prepared food is marked down 60% at 6pm and customers go wild!

Western style bakery is very popular.

Japan has embraced breads wholeheartedly!

The Japanese love their “food on sticks.” Yakitori is bite-sized pieces of grilled chicken on skewers. Yakiton is the pork equivalent.

Shioyaki is salted fish threaded on the skewer to look like swimming fish.

Dango are chewy Japanese rice dumplings. They are often grilled and served at street festivals.

Choco banana, or a chocolate-dipped banana on a stick, is one of the most popular Japanese food on sticks at street festivals.

Manju – sweet steamed rolls often filled with red bean paste

Panda manju filled with chocolate – num!

There are always long queues for Rikuro’s cheesecake in Osaka. The cake is fluffy, light and delicious!

There is no shortage of desserts in department store food halls. They range from traditional Japanese to fancy European pastries. These egg shells filled with pudding were a popular choice.

During Cherry Blossom season, stores featured floral themed treats.

MiLKS in Tokyo – custard served with your choice of two liqueurs

Matcha ice cream

At Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Temple), we enjoyed Matcha tea and a traditional Japanese sweet (Wagashi), which had gold on it!

Sake is Japanese rice wine.

Empty sake barrels, or komodaru, are often found at shrines.

On a foodie side note, there is a whole industry based around plastic food. Most Japanese restaurants showcase menu offerings  in outdoor display windows and cases. They are eerily realistic!

Thailand

Thai food has always been one of our favorites. We were fascinated by the floating food market/food court outside Bangkok.

We enjoyed one especially good dinner at Bangkok’s Tealicious restaurant.

Appetizers: Deep fried prawns wrapped in noodles and Golden moneybags (minced chicken, sweetcorn and Chinese mushrooms)

Matsaman Curry Chicken (front) and Pud Thai (top)

Cambodia

Fish Amok – fish in a savory curry sauce served over sticky rice.

Singapore

The food scene in Singapore is much more ethnically diverse than other Southeast Asian countries we visited. As mentioned in my previous blog, Singapore is multi-racial and multi-cultural. Their cultural goal of “integration, not assimilation,” is deliciously evident in their plethora of food offerings.

Despite being one of the most expensive city/countries in the world, one can find good, inexpensive food if you know where to look. Frank and I had some of our best cheap eats within the ethnic conclaves of Little India and Arab Street and at hawker centers (open air complexes housing inexpensive food stalls).  In fact, the cheapest Michelin rated restaurant is still located in a Singapore hawker center!

Food is best when shared with fun people. We tossed Lo Hei (fish salad) in celebration of Chinese New Year with Tod and Hany and their friends and family.

Tod and Hany took us to Little India for breakfast. Paratha (Indian flatbread)

Indian Masala Dosa is made from rice, lentils, potato and spices and is served with chutney and sambar.

Indian rojak. Rojak means a mix.

Tekka wet market in Little India

We went into the wet market to check out the fish heads(?!!) and other fish and meat.

Blue crabs at Tekka wet market

Once in a while, you will see a Silkie chicken in Asian grocery stores. They are black-pigmented right down to its bone and don’t taste any different than other chickens.

Hawker stall

Nasi Goreng Paprik Seafood (Malaysian)

Gulai Ayam or chicken curry (Malaysian)

Malaysian Mee Siam (thin rice noodles in a mix of spicy, sweet and sour gravy)

Ramen (originally Chinese)

Festival food: Japanese pizza

Festival food: corn dog

Festival food – Sharkfin soup (but no real sharkfin, thank goodness!)

Festival food: grilled squid on skewers

Festival food: fried soft shell crabs

Festival food: World burger

The cheapest Michelin rated meal is in Singapore.

This chicken and rice dish is the cheapest Michelin rated dish at just $2.

People either hate or love durians — but no one likes the smell! They are banned on public transport and in many buildings!

Durian-flavored products

We had a fancy Malaysian restaurant near our place called Violet Oon, which we visited twice. Shown are Beef Rendeng, Meatless Meatballs Rendang and Dry Laksa

Violet Oon made this dessert, Mini Kueh Salat, which I came to crave. Steamed pandan custard is layered on glutinous rice. Just the right amount of sweet. Love.

When we craved western comfort food, we went to the Clinton Baking Company, where Frank would get banana pancakes.

I went out of my comfort zone to try chicken and waffles and it is seriously one of the best combinations I have ever eaten!

Malaysia

Singapore was part of Malaysia until 1965. Malays make up 15% of Singapore’s population and we enjoyed a lot of wonderful Malaysian food while we were there. When early Chinese migrants married local Malays, they also wedded their culinary ingredients and spices to create Nyonya cuisine. It’s aromatic. It’s spicy. It’s delicious. Many of those dishes (i.e. Rendang, Laksa, Mee Siam) were featured in the Singapore section above. We visited two Malaysian cities, Melaka and Penang, where we discovered a few more standout dishes.

Nasi Lemak is often called Malaysian’s “national dish.” The rice dish is made with coconut milk and pandan leaf.

Our Singapore driver told me we had to try lok-lok. We went to a local restaurant and, unfortunately, no one spoke English so they couldn’t tell me what was on the sticks.

It was cheap, 70 cents a stick. You cooked the raw food in a spicy hot pot. Since I had no idea what most of the meat was, I stuck with vegetables and what I thought was chicken. Frank chose to pass!

I wish I would have tried lok-lok at this place. Labels are good.

Nyonya food on a stick

We found this place via a random conversation and it was amazing! Fresh fruit is mixed and combined with liquid nitrogen to create a delicious individual serving of ice cream.

Liquid nitrogen strawberry ice cream – fewer ice crystals, less sugar. Frank chose coconut with caramel sauce, which was served in a coconut!

A friend in Singapore told me to find this shop/restaurant that made the dessert I craved, kueh salat. This small shop down an alley specializes in the dessert and makes it for weddings.

I crave this – Kueh Salat

And the award for best food goes to . . .

Vietnam

What can I say? We loved everything we tried here!

So Hanoi, and Vietnam in general, is a place you can NEVER leave hungry!

Nem ran: Deep-fried spring roll

Food tour bonding

Frank assisted the chef with spring rolls during our Halong Bay cruise.

Traditional dinner at Mai Chau home stay

Banh cuon: steamed rice pancake

Nom du du: green papaya salad

Bun cha: Grilled pork with rice noodles

One of our favorite dishes was Cha Ca. It’s made with fish and vegetables cooked in a pan on your table.

Cha Ca is served over rice and is delicious!

Banh mi: Vietnamese sandwich

Egg coffee from Cafe Trung

Green sticky rice ice-cream from Kem xoi

On to the next adventure . . .

Southeast Asia was an amazing area to visit. How can we ever top this latest adventure? Come find out as this blog closes (due to space constraints!) and the next one begins at Waltzing Wanderers 4.

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