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.

A week in paradise

Yes, I know it must seem like I'm on holidays all the time, but I am just back from a week's beach break in the Philippines. And wow. What a holiday!

We stayed for a week* at Apulit Island Resort in the island province of Palawan in the south-west of the Philippines. We caught a charter flight from Manila in a 20-seater plane, then a 10-minute jeepney ride, followed by a 40-minute boat ride. 

Home to just 50 bungalows all built on stilts over water, the eco-resort can only be reached by boat. 

We were lucky to nab the end bungalow so we could snorkel from our door. 

The resort was perfect for what we were seeking: total relaxation. No roads, no shops, no fancy restaurants and no distractions. And because I get sunburned fully clothed sitting in the dark, I wanted a balcony with a view. Hey presto! 

The resort was on the pricey side, mainly as it's so remote, but I found a discount on Agoda that included all meals and water activities (snorkelling, island hopping, kayaking) so it actually turned out to be a great deal. We knew all our costs upfront and could relax without worrying about a looming food and drinks bill. While the food wasn't as gourmet as you might expect for a five-star resort, you really can't argue with freshly-caught seafood, especially when it's barbecued to order. 

Apart from the sheer beauty of the unspoiled landscape, the service was the highlight. All the staff without exception were wonderful. It was sad saying goodbye to them as they waved our boat farewell. My husband was called "Sir Andrew" wherever he went. Much to his dismay this will not be continuing at home...

* And yes, we paid!  No freebies this time for this ex-magazine travel editor...

A long weekend in Seoul

I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Seoul recently. My husband had some business meetings there for a few days, so we decided to stay on for the weekend. Seoul is often give a bad rap as unattractive and boring and with bad traffic, but we did not find that to be true at all. In fact, we found it to be clean, efficient, buzzy and very friendly. The people are uber-fashionable and there are quite a few different districts to explore, bursting with palaces, art galleries, shopping malls, boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. It has a healthy contemporary art scene, not to mention its pop and youth culture dominance throughout the region.

I love to draw parallels to my past destinations, so here goes: for me, Seoul is more like Japan than China, and more like Taipei than Hong Kong; and the surrounding mountains give it a sense of drama like in Taipei or Kyoto. That said, it’s got its own flavour entirely. It’s a big city, home to 10 million-plus people, so we hardly scratched the surface. But we did manage to fit a fair bit in, and I'd love to return in the future as it's only a 90-minute flight from Shanghai and a perfect city break.

As always, we came armed with some travel guides (Wallapaper and Luxe being our favourites) and my buddy Ross, who lived in Seoul for a couple of years, gave me his list of must-sees. So here's what we did:

Changing of the guard at Deoksu-gong

        
                          The Bus Tour

I’m a big fan of hop-on, hop-off double-decker tourist buses, particularly on short breaks. On the first day in a new city, it’s a time-efficient and cost-effective way of getting to grips with new surroundings. I like to get my bearings and a handle on the “vibe” of the city and its neighbourhoods and attractions before committing to spending too long in one area. I never hop off, I like to sit on with map in hand and figure out what I’d like to go back and see in more detail. I can highly recommend the Seoul tourist bus. It’s not a double-decker but its daytime route covers a large amount of ground in two hours -- more than I could ever do on foot or by train or taxi. 

The Food

Dumplings, Korean BBQ, Japanese izakayas, European fine-dining, great cafes. Seoul has it all. A few years back, my office in Sydney had a Korean restaurant down the road which I adored (chilli chicken baby!) and my Singapore office also had plentiful Korean eateries in the surrounding streets. As a result, I absolutely LOVE Korean food. We didn’t make any bookings or do much research on specific places (a bit of a first for us) but found the dining scene to be pretty accessible: we managed to eat some pretty great stuff by simply strolling the streets and popping in wherever we fancied.

The Hotel
We stayed at the Plaza Hotel located directly opposite City Hall (due to be completed next year). It was an ideal spot to be based for a short stay. Tourist bus at door, shopping districts all around, the Deoksu-gung palace within walking distance.

The view from the Plaza Hotel

And the biggest bedside lamps you've ever seen!

Here's the different neighborhoods we explored:

Samcheong-dong
If you only have a short time in Seoul, head here. This was one of our favorite places and perfect for an afternoon of strolling. Sitting in between the two palaces of Gyeongbok-gung (to its west) and Changdeok-gung (to its east) is this really charming area full of winding streets packed full of contemporary art galleries, cafes, restaurants, boutiques and more.

Bukchon
We picked up a walking map from the tourist centre and wandered the nearby backstreets and alleys of Bukchon village, a cluster of traditional Korean wooden homes, called hanok, with a spectacular backdrop of the nearby Bukhansan mountain peak that overlooks the president's house and National Folk Museum.

Garoso-gil
We headed to this tree-lined street in Sinsa-dong for an afternoon of shopping with a massive side serve of people-watching. There are copious amounts of boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants and when night fell, the bars were packed. We particularly liked sitting one level up with wine in hand and people-watching all the fashionable folk (and their cars). It felt like a condensed version of Tokyo's Harajuku with a splash of Ginza.

Namsan
This mountain is the centerpiece of the city. The views from the top are pretty spectacular and you can really understand the size of the city that stretches out underfoot in all directions. This time, we caught the bus up (and unfortunately missed taking any good pics), but next time I'd like to try the cable car.

The view from Namsan facing south

Cheonggyecheon Stream
Located in downtown Seoul, is this pretty remarkable public walkway. It used to be a natural stream that ran through the heart of the city, but then an elevated freeway was built over the top of it. In 2005, a restoration project was undertaken to restore it to its former glory, resulting in a 5.8km walkway below street level. When I visited, it was full of strolling couples, workers on their lunch break, old locals sitting atop rocks and contemplating life, school kids on excursions and fascinated tourists.

Chongno
Nearby is Chongno, filled with laneways full of eateries -- Korean barbecue places, Japanese izakayas, donkatsu and ramen joints, Western-style pizza places, etc. At night it becomes a neon-lit paradise filled with office workers, teenagers and tourists. Kinda like Tokyo's Shinjuku or Taipei's Ximending.

We stopped in at a Korean barbecue place and were pretty amused by our nearest neighbors, a trio of mates catching up after work over beers and bbq meat, and each watching the baseball live on their handheld TVs!

Insadong
A block north of Chongno, is Insadong, a pedestrian mall packed with tourists, coffee shops, souvenir shops, boutiques, street food sellers, museums, galleries and traditional tea shops. On a weekday night it was relatively calm. On Sunday afternoon, it was absolutely heaving!

Myongdong
This is a pretty busy shopping district, packed with posh department stores like Lotte and Shinsegae and flagship shops for the likes of Zara, H&M, Muji, etc. As Ross told me, "If you’ve ever seen those bits on CNN where they show huge crowds filing down a semi-narrow street in Korea, you’ve seen Myongdong."

The food hall at Shineagae department store

Itaewon
With the US military base in the adjoining neighborhood, this area is clearly an expat enclave - Western-style sports bars, restaurants, furniture shops, clothes shops. It had some red light beginnings (not so apparent now), and it doesn't have anything authentically Korean about it at all, but we enjoyed wandering around the area, kinda like a grittier version of Hong Kong's Lan Kwai Fong. And most importantly, we found a bar playing the rugby!

On my list for our next visit:

- Stay south of the river and explore more of the areas of Cheongdam-dong and Apgujeong (known as the "Beverly Hills of Seoul"), particularly the high-end dining scene

- Take a side trip to the North Korean border and check out the DMZ

- Head back to Garusogil and Samcheong-dong for the people-watching and boutique shopping

- Catch the cable car up Namsan mountain

- Explore the palaces in more detail, particularly Gyeongbok-gung and Changdeok-gung

- Hit up some tourist spots - the War Museum, National Museum, Dandaenum markets

- Depending on the season, go hiking or skiing