Southeast Asia: Philippines

First stop, Manila!

We decided to take a short break from the nonstop traveling and took a couple days eating and relaxing. We went to the malls to get a break for the dreadful humidity and it just seemed to be never ending. I was amazed how we don’t have any malls like that here in America. When one ended, another began.

One of the first places we ate was a restaurant called Sentro. They specialize in modernizing traditional filipino food.

f=”https://miniaturebites.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/img_0405.jpg”> Sinigang with corned beef[/capt

Sinigang is a a tamarind based soup, known for sour flavor. The corned beef was a perfect addition to this soup….I’m not really sure why I haven’t attempted to make this at home yet!

The Philippines is definitely known for their beautiful white sand beaches! One of my favorite experiences was going island hopping near Zambales! Who can resist that clear blue water?!

One of the most unique places during our visit was Vigan. It’s a historic town and also a UNESCO heritage site! You could just see the Spanish influence in the cobblestone roads and the beautiful architecture. Where else can you ride around on a horse drawn carriage without it being weird?!

These were my favorites during my stay.

Irene's Vigan Empanada — /miniaturebites.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_0925.jpg”> Irene’s Vigan Empanada

[/caption]These freshly made empanadas were some of the best I ever had! The crust was flaky and light and the there was the perfect amount of filling.

iaturebites.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/img_0878.jpg”> Tongson Royal Bibingka

[/caption]Bibingka is a type of chewy rice cake, made from sweet rice flour and coconut cream, typically topped with cheese. I don’t typically eat bibingka because everyone that knows me knows that I hate cheese! Somehow, I managed to eat these. It was the perfect balance between salty and sweet and the right amount of chewiness.

And this concluded our 2 1/2 month adventure! After a few extra days, we hopped back on a plane back to America and it was magical being able to sleep in a real bed again!

Southeast Asia: Singapore

Singapore may be an island, but it’s one of the most developed countries in Southeast Asia. It’s insanely clean, which was refreshing after months of traveling. It was the closest thing to America that you could get. The streets were full of tall towers, people, and streets of fine dining and shopping.

There are hawker centers, which brings you back to Southeast Asia. Each hawker center consists of numerous vendors, similar to that of street food. It gets extremely busy, especially during peak lunch or dinner hours as people will take a break from work to eat at these vendors. To know what the best stalls are, you follow the locals and stand at the longest lines! Seating might be a little tricky but fortunately we had one person save seats and one person to stand in lines.

Below are two of the most popular dishes that Singapore has to offer; Hainanese chicken rice and Singaporean chili crab! They may not look appealing in photo but they are well known for a reason!

Singaporean chili crab is packed with flavor; it’s salty, sweet and spicy all included in a slurp worthy soup!

The chicken rice might look plain, but it’s perfectly simmered and perfectly cooked! The rice itself has plenty of flavor on its’ own, full of garlic and garlic. This is one of those dishes where you use everything! The broth from simmering the chicken is also served as a side soup. I have attempted to make this dish many times since this trip, and I love using the broth to cook the rice. It adds even more flavor and definitely makes it more filling!

Last stop, Philippines!

Southeast Asia: Bali

Bali is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been! There’s a lot to do, a lot to see, and a lot to eat! When we traveled to Bali, we did it a little differently. We stayed with this family that included transportation which was great because we didn’t have to worry about how to get around. The only downside is it’s harder to remember what the places are called and where they’re located. I believe it’s a couple hours worth of driving to see the whole island, but it can be hard to do when you’re used to using a metro system! It’s full of beautiful beaches, interesting temples, and lots of scary monkeys!

We were lucky enough to find this remote black sand beach! It was incredibly beautiful!

After seeing what seemed to be hundreds of temples throughout SE Asia, I found that the ones in Bali were the most unique. It’s located on a rock cliff and there are performances of the Kecak dance as the sun sets.

We woke up in the middle of the night to hike up a volcano to see the sunset. I was hoping to score a cool shot of the sunset, but unfortunately it was very cloudy that day.

I absolutely loved Balinese food. There were so many components and layers to the food. A key ingredient they had was sambal; a chili and garlic paste that you could put on almost everything.

Now, onto Singapore!

Southeast Asia: Malaysia

Malaysia was one of my FAVORITE countries! The food is too good not to share! The first stop was Penang. We stayed on a street where we had Chinese food on one side and Indian food on the other. By sunset, the street food carts came out and so did the people.

Our first day, we ate dimsum. It was one of the first things open that early in the morning and they served just about everything.

We got lost in Little India, and were there exploring for a few hours. The flavors were so different, but so bold!

We managed to save our appetites for nighttime and ate an extra meal whenever the food carts came out. My favorite was the wonton mee, which includes a little bit of all flavor profiles. It had the salty, sweet, and sour.

Another restaurant worth mentioning is Kapitan which is famous for its’ naan bread and tandoori chicken. The chicken was surprisingly not dry and had great flavors from the tandoor!

Before I forget, if you visit Penang, you must do the art walk! There’s also tons of metal artwork almost on every main street. There is so much history to Penang and you get the feel just by walking down the streets.

We traveled to Kuala Lumpur, which is the capital of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has more of a big city vibe and there is a lot to see, including the famous Petronas Towers. There are plenty of street vendors and we came across this dish called Ikan Bakar which is a version of barbecued fish that’s grilled.

Be prepared to eat several times a day as there is so much to eat in Malaysia!

Southeast Asia: Cambodia

Following Laos, I crossed the Cambodian border by bus and made a stop at Phnom Penh. It was great to be back in a large city, especially coming from Si Phan Don (4000 islands). Streets were always filled with people and chatter and there was so much to see and do. One of those places was Central Market, a yellow dome shaped building that you can’t miss. Inside the building held goods like jewelry and clothing and outside had food stands and flower shops.

Central Market is the best place to go for a quick meal! There are plenty of stalls selling all types of delicious food. Many of them won’t have a menu, but it’ll be clear what they offer!

Eating this porridge with the fried dough (youtiao) was perfection. It softens as you dip it into the porridge, getting to the perfect texture!

There are many restaurants surrounding the neighboring streets of Central Market as well! My friend took me to this restaurant that served a sandwich similar to banh mi.

I also went to two restaurants that support the youth and offer training for their future: Friends the Restaurant and Romdeng! It was a nice surprise to see the servers, hosts, and chefs so young and learning to do something they’re interested in. The proceeds and donations from the restaurants go back to the programs.

From the two restaurants, Romdeng had a more adventurous menu…

Crispy tarantulas served with lime and pepper sauce — Crispy Tarantulas Served with Lime and Pepper Sauce

Kampot Rice Noodle Salad with Dried Shrimp in Coconut Milk Vinaigrette

Stir Fried Red Tree Ants with Beef and Holy Basil

My next stop in Cambodia was Sihanoukville, a small beachy town. It only cost $10 a night to stay beachside! Be sure to grab some grilled scallops and clams by the beach while watching the sunset! One place that served some authentic Cambodian food was Grand Kampuchea. When I went for lunch, I was the only table but I absolutely loved the food!

This was the most memorable dish from the restaurant; the curry was spicy and creamy and had the great aroma of coconut!

Kep is by far one of my favorite places in Cambodia and I cannot wait to go back! Upon arrival, I stopped by the crab market and there were so many people picking out crabs, buying steamed crabs, or eating at one of the restaurants.

This was the first meal I had in Kep and it was so delicious! Cambodia being known for their kampot peppers, it added a slight spiciness to the crab. It was so messy to eat but well worth it!

You really can’t go wrong with choosing any restaurant that offers a crab dish. I ate at another nearby restaurant and ordered more crab dishes to compare.

The crabs themselves weren’t extremely big, but they were full of meat. Each dish costs about $6 and what you get out of it sure beats the expensive Singaporean chili crab!

If you have extra time in Kep, visit Rabbit Island! It was nice to go somewhere with no electricity to really relax!

Up next was Siem Reap! All I did there was visit temples and it was definitely tiring! Hit up Pub Street for Cambodian barbecue or wood fired pizza.

This barbecue included kangaroo meat, alligator meat, and ostrich meat which tasted like pork, chicken, and beef (respectively).

For a fine dining experience, I ate dinner at both Viroth’s and Wat Damnak. Wat Damnak had a tasting menu for $26 and included 5 courses, which is superb compared to the tasting menus in America!

Before the first course, I actually got an amuse-bouche which consisted of a sesame chicken and greens.

Grilled marinated beef salad with Ratanakiri avocado

Fresh rice flake pancake with mango and crispy duck

Barbecued green papaya soup with Mekong langoustine and Ceylon oak fruit

Pan fried Sanday fish with wild mushrooms and black sticky rice porridge

Chocolate and holy basil light ganache with rice praline and salted caramel sheet

I also got this additional dish and it was a great way to round off the dinner! The meal was well worth $26!

Has anyone been to Cambodia? What was your favorite part?

Southeast Asia: Laos

After two days down the Mekong River, I finally arrived in Luang Prabang in the evening time. Luang Prabang was filled with cobblestone sidewalks and French influenced architecture. It’s a place where you can rent a bike to explore the city without worrying about a heavy car population.

For my first meal, I ate at Tamnak Lao Restaurant. Having tried Laotian food only a couple of times before, I ordered things that I’ve never had.

I started with the salad which was served with an egg based dressing.

Laotian sausage (left), sticky rice (top), and fish wrapped in banana leaf (right)

For the main courses, I had fish wrapped in banana leaves and some Laotian sausage. The sticky rice was eaten by hand, rolled into little balls and accompanied the entrees.

Looking for a good breakfast option, I came across a small shop on the side of the road serving noodle soups.

For a little under two dollars, I was given a big bowl of noodle soup, served with various vegetables on the side. The soup itself had a little sourness from the addition of tomatoes.

One of my last meals in Luang Prabang, I ordered the Adventurous Lao Gourmet menu which included many exotic ingredients. This was one of the rare restaurants that didn’t try to westernize their menu.

Jiro mushroom (top), [going counterclockwise] fern, pig skin with rice, flour, stinkbugs with chili, bamboo shoots, egg rice noodle mint roll with peanut sauce, banana flower, young jackfruit and mixed vegetables (center)

Pickled garlic (left), [going counter clockwise] pork floss, 3-4 day fermented fish, ant eggs, bat, 5-6 day fermented fish, intestine wrapped around lemongrass, eel, beetles, 1 week fermented fish (center)

The dinner was rounded off with a pumpkin coconut custard (not pictured). The meal was filled with different scents, textures, and tastes. The owners change their menus every so often so it’s definitely worth a try!

The next stop was Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It rained most of the time I was there, but luckily I got to try out a good restaurant. Lao Kitchen had a wide range on their menu including curries, laab, vegetables, and different dips and sauces. I only snacked here as a pre-dinner meal.

Khai pehn – river weed seasoned and sun dried; served deep fried with jeow bong

This was a delicious starter as it was salty and crunchy. Sesame seeds, slices of tomatoes and garlic were dried onto the seaweed sheets, giving it a richer flavor. The dipping sauce, jeow bong, is made with tomatoes, garlic, buffalo skin, sugar and chillies. It added spiciness, elevating every bite!

Next, I had this deep fried chicken cartilage with a garlic dipping sauce. It’s a great way of utilizing extra parts of the chicken! The cartilage is from the knob of the drumstick and is crunchy and chewy.

If you ever have time in Vientiane, visit the COPE museum! It’s very eye opening and is an easy way of learning about a part of history.

Southeast Asia: Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

After Bangkok, I traveled up north to Chiang Mai. After an overnight bus ride, all I thought about was eating a delicious meal. I stopped by this cute, family owned restaurant named Sailomjoy Thai Restaurant. I pretty much went there everyday for the time I was there. The most memorable dish was probably the khao soi, a curry noodle soup influenced by Myanmar.

I loved that this soup had fried egg noodle served on the top because it offered a different texture and the pickled vegetable helped cut the fattiness from the coconut milk.

I went on a tour that consisted of elephant riding, white water rafting, and visiting a tiger conservation. In between all these activities, my songtao driver took me to this small restaurant and I had the best noodle soup and pad thai!

I was in such disbelief that in the middle of nowhere, there could be such an amazing restaurant! Even if I were to go back to Chiang Mai, I wouldn’t even know how to find this place.

There was a restaurant (Lert Ros) close by to the guesthouse I was staying that offered fried fish everyday. I would walk by it in the morning and see an elderly man preparing food for the day. I would continue seeing him throughout the day walking back and forth from the guesthouse. On my last night, I finally decided to try the food.

sticky rice (top), sausage (middle), and fried fish (bottom)

The fried fish was perfectly cooked on the inside and evenly fried on the outside. The sausage was interesting as it had more of a fermented taste than you would expect from a sausage. I instantly became hooked on the sticky rice because it went well with everything and tasted great with dipping sauces.

Chiang Mai was a charming little city and it was like taking a break from my trip. I got to relax a bit and enjoyed exploring things like the night market! My next stop was Chiang Rai. I arrived in the evening time and walked right into a night market. I was surprised by all the lights from the main road and wandered a bit before finding a place to stay. When I explored the next morning, I grabbed a bite to eat at Rosprasert Muslim Food and I highly recommend their chicken biryani!

In this Thai version of biryani, the basmati rice was perfectly cooked as well as the piece of chicken. The fried shallots are a great addition to the meal!

For my last meal in Chiang Rai, I ate at Barrab Restaurant, which sat on one of the main roads near the Clock Tower. I tried the khao soi again and I was surprised that it differed from the one I had in Chiang Mai.

It had the same fried egg noodle toppings but it lacked the pickled vegetable and it was far richer. Be sure to check it out during dinner so you can see the Clock Tower show! Also be sure to check out Wat Rong Khun. It’s a very unique, white temple and it’s a definite must see in Chiang Rai!

Has anyone been to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai? What was your favorite part?

Southeast Asia: Bangkok

Hi everyone!

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in so long! Since my last post, I have gone on a two and a half month trip to Southeast Asia! My first stop was Bangkok, Thailand and the food was amazing!

Below are a few pictures of some of the meals I had. The streets of Bangkok are filled with goodies and only walking around will you find them!

A dessert shaped like tacos but has the texture of a fortune cookie, filled with a cream and topped with sweet potato shreddings

Beef noodle soup (left) and pork noodle soup (right)

A lot of my meals in Bangkok consisted of noodle soups. They were extremely cheap (about a dollar or two) and one of the safest things you can eat off the street. They came with delicious condiments like pickled peppers!

I ordered this porridge out of curiosity and it’s quite similar to congee, just served in a different fashion. I loved the runny egg!

After trying the noodle soups, the next day I returned to the same shop and ordered the fried chicken dish. It’s your typical fried chicken but served with a spicy sauce.

Rambutan (far left) and Mangosteen (right)

I was lucky enough to still be in Bangkok during a weekend because I got to go to Chatuchak Market. The streets were filled with all sorts of vendors and I randomly ran into this fruit stand! I got to try the rambutan, mangosteen, and some apples. They were all sweet, juicy, and very fresh…I could have eaten them all day long!

At the market, I also got to try this amazing papaya salad! I was walking around when I saw a basket of tiny crabs. The woman at the stand crushed the crabs first then added the papaya and sauces. This was by far the best papaya salad I had in all of Southeast Asia!

Nightlife in Thailand is so lively and different carts, like the one above come out. I decided to be daring and tried a couple of these bugs…let’s just say, all fried things do not taste the same.

I highly recommend you to explore as much as Bangkok as you can, especially being adventurous to trying different foods!

miniature bites.

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