Top 5 Things to Eat in South East Asia

Hello Wonderful People!

 

As a vegetarian travelling South East Asia I was worried what kind of food would be available to me and if there would be much variety. It turns out I was massively spoilt for choice and turned into a little pig, snaffling everything I could get my little trotters on. I was slightly disappointed when I first arrived in Asia, as I completely lost my appetite due to the heat. I literally didn't eat anything all day, and forced myself to munch on a few spring rolls in the evening just to get some food down. After a few days of none eating, I seriously started to worry that I was never going to crave food again, and be forced to live a life of tiny, forced meals to suit my appetite, sob sob. But fear not, after a while my body finally acclimatised to the heat and I was free to stuff my little face again with exciting new foods. Yay for me and yay for food. Nom nom nom, I love food. P.s. Apologies to meat lovers, this is a veggie post, but try them out anyway and feel good for saving an animal. Peace out lovers. 

Spring Rolls

This may seem like an obvious and boring choice, but my oh my I do love a good spring roll! And when you can get 10 from a street stall for around 50p, you really can't complain! You can either have fresh spring rolls, made right in front of you, or have them fried (my preferred option, yum) and they give you the most amazingly hot chilli dipping sauce. If you fancy a quick snack, small bite for lunch or a tasty starter, make your choice spring rolls (apologies, this sounds slightly like an ad campaign, but I love them)!

Noodle Soup

Another simple yet amazing Asian dish that is always a little bit different where ever you eat it. It usually consists of noodles (duh) and a selection of Asian vegetables in a watery mix. It doesn't sound too appealing, and God knows what herbs and spices are put in, but it is always full of flavour and super filling! You'll also find that noodle soup is one of the cheapest things on the menu, which is always a bonus; from memory I'd guess you could get a bowl for around 40p.

 

Street Food

If you've never been to South East Asia before, then street food is a real novelty when you fist arrive and is a must try (especially if you are backpacking on a budget)! You can get the widest variety of Asia cuisine for pennies at the side of virtually every street in Asia. Ok, this may be a slight exaggeration, but street food stalls are literally everywhere. You can get pretty much anything from a street stall; rice, curries, spring rolls and even sandwiches! The majority are cooked in front of you, however I would urge a certain amount of caution when eating street food. They don't enforce the best (cough, any) hygiene procedures and some of the food is left out in the heat all day. However, as a veggie I never had any meaty street food, and never had any problems, unlike a few friends who had a few issues (hello poo poo).

 

Thai Green Curry

Again, this may seem like a standard dish to try in Asia, but they really are amazing and nothing like what you get back home in bonny old England! If you aren't a huge fan of spice then don't be fooled that a Thai Green will be mild as it 100% won't be. It is one of the more mild curries that you'll find in South East Asia, but it doesn't lack a good old kick of spice. Most restaurants will also ask how spicy you want it, so if you aren't a massive spice lover, just ask for no extra and you should be fine. The curries are packed with flavour, are always humongous and are full of amazing Asia vegetables and tofu. If you are a meat lover, never fear as you can get a Thai Green with numerous different meats! 

 

 

Pad Thai

This is a traditional Thai dish and proved to be a staple meal while I backpacked around the country. I actually ate so much Pad Thai, that I eventually became sick of the sight of it and had to gorge on a pizza to make up for it., haa! But it still remains a firm favourite from my time travelling around South East Asia. Pad Thai is a common street food dish and can also be found in the majority of restaurants. There is also a very similar dish in Vietnam called Pho, that is equally tasty! It consists of stir fried rice noodles, egg, fish sauce, tofu and often chopped peanuts. You can also get meaty/ fish versions (boo, hiss), don't do it! 

And to wash down all of these amazing foods, try a local beer and you can't go wrong!

 

S'laters people!