My top 20 favourite Asian dishes

A big part of travelling and living abroad is indulging in local food. Eating and remembering certain tastes from different countries is a critical part of travelling and exploring another culture. I've barely scratched the surface in China (note to self: need to travel more) - or Asia for that matter - but I've certainly accumulated a long list of favourite dishes. I don't cook any of these myself, it's strictly food I order out. In no particular order, here are the top 20 Asian dishes I can't live without...

1. Xiaolongbao (China)

These soup-filled dumplings are a Shanghai specialty, however I first tried them at a Singapore branch of Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain who are known for their xialongbao. I could eat these every week. And I do! You dip the whole dumpling in ginger and soy, bite off the beautifully folded top to let the heat escape and then let the broth and meat (pork, shrimp) do their work.

2. Kare-pan (Japan)
I dream of this snack and haven't found a good one in Shanghai (yet)! Otherwise known as a Japanese curry doughnut or a curry bun, I first tried kare-pan at my local supermarket in Singapore, Isetan, a Japanese-owned store and then ate a couple (or more) when in Japan last year. They're always for sale in the Isetan bakery upfront, but a few times a year, Isetan hold regional food fairs, including a stall that made kare-pan to order!! I'm salivating just thinking about it -- Japanese curry (not to be confused with Indian curry) surrounded by dough and covered in panko crumbs then deep fried. It's so naughty, but it's worth every calorie. I cannot tell you how good it tastes. A lot of bakeries bake the doughnut rather than deep frying, but it's a pale imitation. Accept no substitutes!!

3. Roti Prata (Singapore)

This has to be one of the best hangover dishes of all time. It's a Singaporean invention and is a fried flour-based pancake served with an accompanying bowl of meat or vege curry. You can have the bread plain or you can load it up with cheese, onions, mushrooms, whatever you fancy. You tear the bread into pieces, dunk it in the curry and try not to burn your hands or tongue as you chomp away. I often see a sweet variation in Thailand at roadside stalls with nutella, chocolate, bananas or peanuts. Also amazing.

4. Bulgogi and Banchan (Korea) 
Bulgogi is a marinated and barbecued meat (beef, pork or chicken) and banchan are the side dishes that accompany it. I love this dish and usually order the pork. I first started eating this in Sydney when a local Korean restaurant opened up the road from my office and it became a much-loved lunch spot for the gang. Equally important is the array of side dishes that come with the sizzling hotplate. Lots of pickled and marinated veges (kongnamul which is a pickled bean sprout dish is my fave), dried fish, kimchi and heaps more.

5. Banh xeo (Vietnam)

I haven't had this recently, but this is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes. I remember eating this savoury crepe filled with prawns, pork and bean sprouts for breakfast each morning of our honeymoon at Evason Ana Mandara in Nha Trang. The best bit is when you dip the pancake into a special fermented soy bean sauce. It's so fresh and tasty.

6. Banh mi (Vietnam)

I spoke about this Vietnamese-style sandwich already on my blog. Read it here. I could eat this for lunch every day. In fact, I used to when I worked in Sydney around the corner from Little Devil. Although I think they added a bit of MSG as I was always so thirsty by about 3pm every day! This one (pictured left) is from B Real in Shanghai and is fantastic.

7. Peking duck (China)

I really got into this dish properly when I lived in London and used to visit Chinatown a lot. The combination of duck meat, duck skin, hoisin sauce, spring onions and pancake is magic. It's been a while since I've had a great version, but I'm travelling to Beijing soon and am going to go hell for leather.

8. Tom Yum Goong (Thailand) 

This soup is one of my favourite Thai dishes. It is the perfect combination of spicy, sour and fragrant. I once learned how to cook this at a cooking school in Chiang Mai, but it was over ten years ago and I've never attempted it since. The best version I've ever had was on a press trip at the Phulay Bay Ritz Carlton Reserve in Krabi. It was super spicy, but also perfectly sour. But then again, I've had some pretty great versions from cheap roadside stalls in Bangkok to takeaway restaurants all over the world.

9. Takoyaki (Japan)

Another fabulous Japanese snack. This is one of my all-time faves. It's a deep fried octopus (or prawn) surrounded by batter and lathered in takoyaki sauce, mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes. This isn't a restaurant dish, you'll usually find it in roadside kiosks or food halls and it's a stand-up stack. Poke into it with a stick and eat away. But beware: these balls are HOT. Don't pop a just-cooked whole one in your mouth or you may get third degree burns. But if you have the patience for it to cool down a bit, go for it!

10. Pad Thai (Thailand)
It's a classic, but for a reason. The combo of noodles, peanuts, spring onions, chili, lime is killer. But for all the fancy ones I've tasted, I still think a 20 baht roadside stall dish I tasted ten years ago comes up trumps.

11. Yakitori (Japan)

This is traditionally grilled chicken on a stick and cooked in front of you over charcoal. But it can also refer to any type of food on a skewer, not just chicken. Think beef, scallops, pork belly, mushrooms; you name it. It's one of my favourite Japanese foods. One of the best spots I've been to was a place called Kushiwakamaru in Tokyo's Naka-Meguro neighbourhood. It's been open for over 30 years and often has big queues.We got there early and got in straight away. The food and ambience were fantastic.

12. Okonomiyaki (Japan)

Yum. This is known as a Japanese 'pizza' but I don't really get that description as it's more like a savoury pancake filled with prawns and spring onions and doused in sauce, mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Divine. One of the more memorable versions of this was when we were in Kyoto and we ate at a grill-your-own place and cooked it ourself on a hotplate at our table.

13. Tonkatsu / Katsudon (Japan)
This deep fried pork cutlet can come on its own with a side serve of cabbage and sesame seed dip (tonkatsu, left). Or you can whack the cutlet on top of a bowl of rice and cover it with egg and spring onions (right). Both are delicious.

14. Pho (Vietnam)
There's conjecture over how to pronounce this, I was told 'feh' or 'fer' by locals in Vietnam. All I know is it's not 'foe'. Nevertheless this is one fragrant and filling dish consisting of a hearty meat-based broth with noodles plus slices of beef, sprouts, herbs, chili, soy, chili sauce, fish sauce, more herbs, whatever you want to keep adding really. This was a favourite lunch time staple when I worked in Chinatown in Singapore. Healthy and delicious.

15. Goi cuon (Vietnam)

Rice paper rolls filled with prawns, noodles and herbs. Simple, fresh, fragrant, tasty. Dip it in the accompanying sauce and enjoy. I have made these myself before and they're actually really easy. I went through a phase of having these for lunch every day. Yes, I am a creature of habit.

16. Agedashi dofu (Japan)

Yum. Silken tofu covered in cornstarch and deep fried then covered in a beautiful broth (dashi, mirin, sho-yu) and served with spring onions, bonito flakes and daikon. This is a perfect side dish. The taste is just so clean and crisp. Although I do need to work on my chopstick technique with this dish. The cubes always slide all over the shop! But it always tastes good.

17. Massaman curry (Thailand)
This southern Thai dish has Muslim origins and is one of my favourite dishes of all time. I remember eating a sensational version of this dish in Kanchanaburi (near the River Kwai) when I was backpacking a decade ago. The combination of beef (or duck), coconut milk, cashews, potatoes and spices such as cardamon, star anise and cinnamon is just beautiful. I almost always order this when I spot it on the menu.

18. Ramen (Japan)
This Japanese noodle dish can have lots of variations, but essentially it's a meat-based broth with noodles and vegetables plus meat. I usually love pork slices or pork belly the best. And sometimes corn. In Singapore, we used to eat at Ippudo in the Mandarin Gallery a lot. A pint of Asahi, a bowl of ramen, a side of gyoza and pork buns. Heaven.

19. Laksa (Singapore/Malaysia)

A spice noodle soup from the Peranakan culture (a mix of Malay and Chinese), I used to eat this regularly when living in Singapore. People say you shouldn't (cos it could cause a stomach upset) but I always asked for cockles to be added. They're just too good. The salty seafood taste makes this dish even more delicious.

20. Cha siu bao (China)

I'm not actually that big a fan of yum cha / dim sum as I find so many of the dishes to be very greasy, but I do love a BBQ pork bun.









Also on my radar:

1. Satay - what's not to love about peanut sauce?
2. Sushi and sashimi (Japan)  I'm a big seafood fan, so sushi always hits the spot with me
3. Gyoza (Japan)  Love these potsticker dumplings.
4. Bibimbap (Korea) - This is always a winner. Especially that bottom crust.
5. Chili Crab (Singapore) - a lot of mess for little reward but that sauce is fantastic
6. Larb (Thailand) and Papaya salad (Thailand) - spicy, healthy salads
7. Rendang (Indonesia) - I've not yet been to Indonesia so I can't properly add this yet.
8. Green curry, red curry (Thailand) - love them
9. Hainanese Chicken rice (Singapore) - please don't hate me, but I don't love it, I only like it
10. Cold soba noodles (Japan) - the perfect, healthy dish; noodles, dipping sauce, a quail egg, seaweed, wasabi. Yum.