TEMPTATION

3. Halo-halo

2007-03-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

Halo-halo without ice cream.

Source: dessertcomesfirst.blogspot.com

Halo-halo with ice cream.

Source: pinoyurbanblog.com

Another version of halo-halo.

Source: www.podcastdirectory.com

It is a popular dessert in Philippine. It is a mixture of shaved ice, (fresh or condensed) milk, sugar, sweet beans, and fruits. Some people may include ice cream at the top of this dessert.

2. Dinengdeng / inabraw

2007-03-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

Dinengdeng.

Source: www.seasite.niu.edu

This is a bugguong or bagoong soup-based dish. It is an Ilocanos cuisine. This dish contains many vegetables. It is also popular to add fried fish or other meats to the dish.

1. Adobo

2007-03-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

Chicken and pork adobo.

Source: lolaskitchen.blogspot.com

This is basically marinated or seasoned meat, typically pork and/or chicken, in soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaf, and black peppercorns. This is a very common packed food for mountaineers and travelers due to its relatively longer shelf life. There are 2 main flavors which are sweet flavor (by adding sugar, orange juice, or pineapple juice) and spicy flavor (by adding more chili peppers).

Some people may add coconut milk into adobo. There is also Chinese-Filipino version of adobo with some Chinese ingredients such as star anise, rock sugar, and rice wine added into it. There is also Batangas version of beef adobo with some Mexican ingredients. There is another dried version of adobo called pinatuyo which is similar to the Mexican pork dish called carnitas.

FILIPINO CUISINE

2007-03-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

Cuisine of Philippine is strongly influenced by Malay, Chinese, Indian, Spanish, Mexican, and American cuisines. The popular meats used are pork and chicken.

1. Bi cha

2007-03-18T06:44:00.000-07:00

Com tam bi cha.

Source: banhmiso1.com

This is Cambodian fried rice with strong flavoring. There are varieties of bi cha and most of them are greatly influenced by Chinese style of cooking. One of the examples is the com tam bi cha or broken rice with shredded pork which is served over rice with egg meat cake.

KHMER CUISINE

2007-03-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Cuisine of Cambodia is said to be very similar to its neighbor countries in Southeast Asia especially Thailand and Vietnam. Other than that, there are influences from China and India to this cuisine. The food in Cambodia tastes similar to Thai cuisine. Fish sauce is widely used in preparing the dishes and kari or curry dishes are very popular in Cambodia.

2. Laphet / lephet

2007-03-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

Laphet.

Source: www.myanmartravelinformation.com

This is a popular snack in Myanmar. It is pickled tea leaves salad with a dash of oil. Other than tea leaves, other main ingredients are including sesame seeds, fried garlic, and roasted peanuts.

1. Mohinga

2007-03-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Mohinga.

Source: the.honoluluadvertiser.com

It is a Myanmar national dish which contains rice vermicelli in fish soup. It is mainly served as breakfast. There are varieties of mohinga in various regions of Myanmar. The main ingredients of this dish are chickpea flour, crushed toasted rice, garlic, onions, lemon grass, banana tree stem, ginger, fish paste, fish sauce, and catfish. It is garnished with fish sauce, lime, crispy fried onions, coriander, spring onions, and crushed dried chilies. Other add-ons include urad dal, gourd, boiled egg, and fried fish cake.

BURMESE CUISINE

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Burmese cuisine in Myanmar has been influenced by cuisines from Chinese, India, and Thailand. Use of seafood is more prevalent along coastal cities while meat and poultry are more commonly used in inland cities. Burmese salads are also very popular in Myanmar.

2. Tam mak hung (Lao) / som tam (Thai)

2007-03-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

Som tam.

Source: www.wired2theworld.com

This is a spicy green papaya salad which is very popular in Laos and Thailand. The main ingredients are unripe papaya which has been seasoned and pounded to a soft state, palm sugar, chili, garlic, lime, and fish sauce. Yardlong beans and tomatoes are optional add-ons to the dish. It also can be served with pork rinds, raw water spinach, raw winged beans, or raw cabbage. It is often paired with gai yang or grilled chicken in Thailand. Lao version is usually saltier while Thai version is usually sweeter.

There are few variations of this dish including tam ma-muang (mango version) and tam mak teng (cucumber version).

1. Laap / laab / larb

2007-03-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Laap.

Source: www.thaitable.com

This is a national dish for Laos and is very popular in Northeast Thailand too. It is basically a salad with a spicy mixture of marinated meat that is sometimes raw, vegetables, herbs, and spices. The meats commonly used are chicken, beef, duck, turkey, pork, and fish. It is flavored with fish sauce and lime. In Thailand, other local condiments for flavor and seasoning are more commonly used. This dish is usually served with sticky rice.

LAO CUISINE

2007-03-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

Lao ethnic group exists in Laos and Isaan of Northeast Thailand. The main ingredients in most dishes of Lao are galangal and fish sauce. The Lao dishes are not that popular as compared to other ethnics’ dishes. Other than Lao cuisine, you may find that French cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine are very popular in Laos.

2. Pho

2007-03-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

Pho bo (beef pho).

Source: thinkthinkthink.wordpress.com

It is a type of noodle soups which is a very well known Vietnamese dish. The broth is rich and clear which is cooked by boiling bones and different herbs for a long period of time.

A close look on pho ga (chicken pho).

Source: noodleson.com

There are varieties of pho with different selections of meats, such as beef (pho bo) and chicken (pho ga), along with beef balls. It includes thin or wide white rice noodle, spring onion, slices beef, and the broth. It is usually garnished with bean sprouts, lime wedges, onions, and other herbs. Other add-ons include tendon, tripe, meatballs, chicken leg, chicken breast, and chicken organs are also available. Sauces like hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and sriracha or the Thai hot sauce are served for this dish.

1. Bun bo hue

2007-03-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

Bun bo hue.

Source: randomfoodie.blogspot.com

It is a lemon grass flavored and spicy beef noodle soup originated from the Royal Hue City of Central Vietnam. The rice noodle used is very thick as compared to pho which I’ll introduce after this dish. The broth is made from cooking beef bones for a long period of time and large varieties of spices which are different from pho’s broth. Shrimp paste is also added into the broth. Overall, it tastes hotter than pho.

It is commonly served with mint leaves, bean sprouts, lime wedges, lettuce or thinly sliced banana blossom or sliced purple cabbage, and cilantro sprigs. It usually includes thin slices of marinated beef shank, chunks of well-cooked oxtails, and pig’s knuckles. In addition, cubes of beef blood can also be included in this dish.

VIETNAMESE CUISINE

2007-03-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese cuisine is known for its use of fish sauce, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce or Chinese barbecue sauce. Like other ethnics’ cuisines, many vegetables, herbs, and spices are used in Vietnamese cuisine including lemon grass and lime. The cuisine is also largely influenced by other cultures especially Chinese culture. Vietnamese are known for their huge variety of noodle soups and spring and summer rolls (as introduced in Chinese-inspired cuisine). Vietnamese cuisine is now widely available in many countries around the world.

3. Thai fried rice / khao pad (Thai)

2007-03-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

It is similar to the Chinese fried rice. However, it uses jasmine rice instead of regular long-grain rice. Chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, and crab are types of meat used in Thai fried rice. Egg, onions, cilantro, and fried garlic are usually mixed in the dish. Cucumber slices, tomato slices, sprigs of green onion, and lettuce leaf are served as garnishes to the dish.

Thai fried rice.

Source: www.vegsource.com

The most famous version of Thai fried rice is the pineapple fried rice which is also called khao pad sap ba rot in Thai. Chicken, pork, or shrimp is more commonly used. While omitting garnishes and some ingredients like onions, tomatoes, and cilantro, curry powder and pineapple are added into the dish.

Pineapple Thai fried rice.

Source: thaifood.about.com

2. Pad thai

2007-03-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

It is basically a stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind, red chili pepper, served with bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu. It is garnished with lime, crushed peanuts, and coriander. This dish is similar to Chinese char kway teow.

There are 2 versions of pad thai. In the streets of Thailand, pad thai sold is relatively dry and light; while in the restaurants in Western countries, it has a heavier taste.

Shrimp pad thai.

Source: www.thaiindochine.com

Tofu pad thai.

Source: the.honoluluadvertiser.com

1. Tom yum / tom yam

2007-03-16T07:45:00.002-07:00

Famous tom yum goong.

Source: www.panix.com

It is a type of soups originated from Thailand and it is a very famous dish. You can easily find this dish in many Southeast Asia countries where hawkers of other ethnics, especially Malays, are good in preparing this dish. Its uniqueness is of its distinct hot and sour flavors with fragrant herbs and ingredients like lemon grass, lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind, mushrooms (straw or oyster mushrooms), chilies, coriander leaves, and so on.

There are various types of tom yum including tom yum goong (prawn), tom yum gai (chicken), tom yum pla (fish), or tom yum talay or tom yum po tak (mixed seafood). There are also other less popular variety of tom yum like tom yum nam khon which broth is added with coconut milk and tom kha which is dominated by galangal flavor.

THAI CUISINE

2007-03-16T07:45:00.001-07:00

Thai cuisine is known for its balance of 5 fundamental flavors, including spicy, sour, sweet, salty, and/or bitter, in each dish or overall meal. Thai cuisine is also influenced by other cultures but successfully maintain its own uniqueness. It actually influenced by Chinese stir-fried and Indian curry. It is known for its use of various spices and herbs in the dish. Thai cuisine is not only popular in Thailand. It is also popular in Southeast Asia region and around the world.

4. Roti canai (Malaysia) / roti prata (Singapore) / paratha (India) / palata (Myanmar)

2007-03-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Traditional roti canai.

Source: idrus.blogspot.com

It is a breakfast or supper originated from India. It is a pancake made of dough composed fat, egg, flour, and water. It is traditionally served with a blob of butter spread, pickles and yoghurt, or dal or thick spicy curries of meat or vegetables. It is served with dal, sugar, or condensed milk in Southeast Asia countries. The difference between the Indian version and the Southeast Asian version is that the paratha is generally thinner and larger in

India

.

New versions of paratha have been devised to suit the more adventurous tastes of more affluent Malaysians and Singaporeans including roti telur (egg version), roti bawang (onion version), roti bom (thicker version), roti planta (margarine version), roti pisang (banana version), roti tisu (thinner and flakier cone shape version), and roti sardine. Generally, most of the plain roti are round while those with fillings are square after being folded. Other varieties of roti including chocolate, cheese, durian, and garlic versions are more commonly found in Singapore than in Malaysia.

Roti tisu (left) vs roti bom.

Source: ms.wikipedia.org / www.faces.com.my

Roti KLCC in Malaysia which is a new version of roti tisu.

Source: www.sinar.fm

3. Tandoori Chicken

2007-03-16T05:54:00.000-07:00

It is a spicy dish originated in Mughal Empire including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The chicken is marinated in a yogurt seasoned with garam masala or blend of ground spices including garlic, ginger, cumin, cayenne pepper, and other spices. It is either red (red chilies) or yellow (turmeric) in color depending on the spices put. It is traditionally cooked at high temperatures with charcoal fire in an earthen oven called tandoor. It can also be prepared on a traditional grill. It is normally served with fresh cut onions and wedges of fresh lime.

Tandoori Chicken.

Source: squarehe.com

2. Putu mayam

2007-03-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

A hawker selling putu piring.

Source: masak-masak.blogpsot.com

It is a snack or breakfast originated from South India and Sri Lanka and is popular in South India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore. It tastes sweet and is made from rice noodles with coconut and jaggery or unrefined sugar used in India. Instead of jaggery, gur or date palm sugar, or gula Melaka or coconut palm sugar is used as sweetener. In Malaysia and

Singapore

, there is another version of putu mayam called putu piring in which the rice flour dough is used to form a small cake, instead of noodles, with coconut and gur or jaggery fillings.

Putu mayam (left) vs putu piring (right).

Source: mika.textamerica.com / plaza.rakuten.co.jp

1. Thosai / Dosa / Dosai

2007-03-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thosai which is still in the cooking process.

Source: Docfiles.blogspot.com

It is a snack or breakfast originated from South Indian. Its batter is made from lentils and rice blended with water, left to ferment overnight. The batter will then spread out into a circular shape and is fried with edible oil until golden brown. It will be folded in half and served with a side accompaniment such as sambar, wet chutneys (coconut), dry chutneys (powder of spices and desiccated coconut), Indian pickle, milagai podi or a dry spice mixture, and chicken or mutton curry.

There are varieties of dosa including egg dosa, chili dosa, onion dosa, ghee dosa, butter dosa, thin and crispy roast, long family roast, long paper dosa, green dosa (dosa stuffed with fresh vegetables and mint chutney), chow-chow dosa (dosa stuffed with Chinese noodles), and cheese dosa.

Paper Dosa.

Source: forums.edullet.org

Another paper dosa.

Source: www.chettinaadpalace.com

Onion Dosa.

Source: eatingasia.typepad.com

INDIAN-INSPIRED SOUTHEAST ASIA CUISINE

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In the earlier years, immigrants from India have brought along their culture and food to Southeast Asia countries. The Indian cuisine is best known for its sophisticated use of spices and herbs and some of them are strongly influenced by the practice of vegetarianism in Indian society.

3. Nyonya cakes

2007-03-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

Peranakan is also famous for the various types of nyonya cakes.

Bingka ubi

It is a baked kuih of tapioca mixed in sweet pandan-flavored custard. It is yellow in color but is covered by a dark brown crust at the top caused by the baking process.

Bingka ubi.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Kuih dadar / kuih ketayap

It is a cylinder-shaped kuih with caramelized grated coconut flesh inside and is wrapped by a green pancake skin.

Kuih dadar.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Lapis sagu

It is basically a multi-colored layer cake which is very chewy and is made by rice flour and coconut.

Kuih lapis sagu.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Kuih talam

It has 2 layers. The white layer is made from rice flour and coconut milk while the green layer is made from green pea flour and extract of pandan leaf.

Kuih talam.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Pulut inti

It is glutinous rice topped with caramelized grated coconut

flesh and is wrapped in a cut banana leaf to form a pyramid shape.

Pulut inti.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Kuih kosui

It is made by gula Melaka or palm sugar mixed with rice flour an

d coated with white grated coconut.

Kuih kosui.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

Kuih koci

It is pyramid glutinous rice flour which is filled with a sweet peanut paste.

Kuih koci.

Source: pt.inimage.com

Ondek-ondek

It is a little green ball coated with freshly shredded coconut. It is chewy with gula Melaka or palm sugar syrup inside it. It is commonly made by glutinous rice flour with pandan flavored. It can also be made by sweet potatoes.

Ondek-ondek.

Source: www.bengawansolo.com.sg

2. Otak-otak / otah-otah

2007-03-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Otak-otak grilled over charcoal.

Source: members.virtualtourist.com

It is a spicy fish cake originated from Thailand ho mok, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It is very popular in these countries and Singapore. Over years, it has been altered and modified and become one of Peranakan specialties. It can be eaten as snack or with salad, plain rice, sandwich, or katong laksa. It can be steamed or grilled over charcoal. It is basically made by minced fish paste, chilies, garlic, shallots, turmeric, lemon grass, and coconut milk. The mixture will be wrapped by a leaf, normally banana or coconut leaf is used.

Indonesia’s otak-otak looks whiter since no additional red chili sauce is put in it while Malay style otak-otak , especially in Malaysia and Singapore, with red chili sauce in it, looks reddish and is spicier and hotter. Nyonya otak-otak can always be found in Penang, Malaysia. It is steamed as a cake in pandan leaf. Other than traditional otak-otak made by fish meat, there are also other versions with other kinds of meat such as crab, prawn, cuttlefish, or even chicken. Muar of Johor state of Malaysia is very famous for its fresh and original otak-otak.

Peranakan version.

Source: www.powsing.com.sg

1. Laksa

2007-03-13T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is a popular spicy noodle soup from Peranakan culture in Malaysia and Singapore. There are mainly 2 different types of laksa which are curry laksa with coconut curry soup and assam laksa with sour fish soup. It can be served with any types of noodles. For curry laksa, normally bee hoon or rice vermicelli, or yellow noodles are served; for assam laksa, normally thick rice noodles are preferred.

Curry laksa is usually served with tofu puffs, fish cakes, shrimp or chicken, and cockles. In most of the states in Malaysia, people call this dish as curry mee rather than curry laksa. Laksa lemak is a type of curry laksa with rich coconut gravy. This dish is made with fish-based gravy and is heavily influenced by Thai laksa and is claimed to be the same. Katong laksa is the most famous curry laksa in Singapore. Laksam in Kelantan, Malaysia, is made with thick flat with rice flour noodles in white gravy of boiled fish and coconut milk.

Katong laksa.

Source: chowtimes.com

In Johor, Malaysia, there are actually 2 types of laksa. One is actually a traditional curry laksa. Another one is actually similar to assam laksa which is made of dried prawn, lemon grass, galangal, slices of onion, beansprouts, mint leaves, cucumber, pickled white radish, and hard-boiled egg. However, it uses both fish and coconut gravy. It is usually served with sambal belacan or spicy shrimp paste. Spaghetti is served in this dish. Sarawak laksa is originated in Kuching of Sarawak, Malaysia. It tastes slightly different from curry laksa and assam laksa. It has a base of sambal belacan, sour tamarind, garlic, lemon grass, coconut milk, bean sprouts, omelette strips, chicken strips, shrimp, fresh coriander, and lime.

Johor laksa: assam flavored (left) vs curry flavored (right).

Source: jenkinyat.wordpress.com / www.batupahat.org

Assam laksa in Penang, Malaysia is the most famous one. It is a sour fish-based soup served with assam or tamarind, shredded fish (mainly kembung fish or mackerel), lemon grass, galangal, sliced vegetables like cucumber, onions, red chili, pineapple, lettuce, mint leaves, and pink bunga kantan or ginger buds. Petis udang or thich sweet prawn paste is added as topping. Ipoh laksa in Perak, Malaysia, is similar to Penang laksa but has a more sour taste. Kuala Kangsar laksa from Perak is similar to Ipoh laksa, but has a lighter taste.

Penang laksa.

Source: izinikb.blogspot.com

PERANAKAN-INSPIRED SOUTHEAST ASIA CUISINE

2007-03-13T07:22:00.000-07:00

Peranakan is an ethnic group which is the mixed of Chinese-Malay. Their generation started when the Emperor of China in Ming Dynasty betrothed his daughter Princess Hang Li Po to the Sultan of Malacca. The male is being known as Baba and the female is being known as Nyonya. However, the term “Peranakan” is originated in Indonesia for the descendents of immigrant Chinese who had married and integrated with local Indonesians. Although the first Peranakan community was in Malacca, many of them also settled in Penang and Singapore. This ethnic has very special traits. They practice Chinese customs and traditions and also live in the local Malay way of life. They speak Malay language and also some Chinese dialects. They wear kebaya, Malay costume and celebrate many of their ceremonial in traditional Malay custom. They are best known for their Nyonya food. The dishes use mainly Chinese ingredients but blends with Southeast Asian spices, especially Malay spices and herbs such as coconut milk, lemon grass, turmeric, screwpine leaves, chilies, belacan or dried shrimp paste, and sambal.

Nyonya food in Penang, Malaysia is different with nyonya food in Malacca and Singapore. The ones in Malacca and Singapore are influenced by Indonesian style of cooking. They are generally sweeter, richer with the use of coconut milk and more traditional Malay spices. In Malacca, the food is also influenced by Portugese-Eurasian style of cooking. However, in Penang, the food is influenced more by the Thai cooking style with tangy or sour food.

6. Cendol / chendol

2007-03-12T06:29:00.000-07:00

One of the stalls selling cendol.

Source: asianimages.wordpress.com

It is a type of Javanese dessert originated from Java, Indonesia. Although it is originated from Javanese, it has become a very popular dessert in Malay community in most Southeast Asia countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Southern Thailand. Basically, cendol is referring to the jelly which is in the sugar syrup and coconut milk. Cendol is made by pea flour noodles and is in green color with pandan-flavored. In Malaysia and Singapore, cendol is mainly sold by Malays, Indian Muslims, and Chinese. Red beans, grass jelly, sago pearl, and shaved ice are add-ons to it. Sometimes you may also find cendol as an add-on to ais kacang.

Different views of cendol.

Source: www.thingsasian.com / www.ximnet.com.my

5. Mee rebus

2007-03-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

Mee rebus.

Source: www.pbase.com

This dish is very popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. It is the egg noodles stir with the sweet and spicy curry gravy. The thick gravy is made from mashed potatoes, curry powder, water, salted soy sauce, dried shrimps, and peanuts. The dish is served with a hard boiled egg, limes, spring onions, Chinese celery, green chilies, tau kwa or dried firm tofu, fried shallots, and bean sprouts. Penang and Johor in Malaysia are very famous for this dish.

Another mee rebus.

Source: www.sxc.hu

4. Curry puff

2007-03-08T00:52:00.000-08:00

Different shapes of curry puff.

Source: www.seremban-siewpow.com.my / kuali.com

This is another famous Malay snack in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. It is a small pie containing unique curry with chicken, half a boiled egg, onion, and potatoes in a deep fried pastry shell. This snack is sold by both Malay and Chinese. There is one Malay version called epok-epok and it is usually smaller filling with the canned sardines or mashed potatoes and curry. In Singapore, there are other fillings like yam, durian, corn, or custard.

Epok-epok.

Source: www.junmas.com

3. Pisang goreng + keropok (Malaysia) / kerupuk (Indonesia)

2007-03-08T00:38:00.000-08:00

Stall selling various Malay snacks.

Source: www.the-inncrowd.com

Fried sweet potato balls vs pisang goreng.

Source: www.aromacookery.com / singaporedailyphoto.blogspot.com

One of the popular Malay snacks in Southeast Asia countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia is pisang goreng or goreng pisang. It is a deep fried banana in batter. In addition to fried bananas, most of the stalls, especially Chinese stalls, are also selling fried sweet potatoes, fried yam, and so on. Other than that, some stalls in Malaysia also sell keropok lekor, keropok losong, and keropok keping.

Keropok keping vs keropok lekor found in Terengganu, Malaysia.

Source: pmr.penerangan.gov.my / masak-masak.blogspot.com

Keropok is another Malay snacks originated from Indonesia and Malaysia. It is the deep fried crackers made from flour flavored with fish, prawns, or vegetables. This is similar to American shrimp cracker and Chinese colorful shrimp or prawn cracker. There are varieties of keropok in Indonesia and the most common one would be keropok udang or shrimp cracker. In Malaysia, Terengganu state is famous for her keropok made by grinding fish and mixed with sago including keropok lekor which is long and chewy, keropok losong which is the steamed keropok lekor, and keropok keeping which is thin and crispy.

2. Nasi Lemak / nasi dagang (Terengganu/Kelantan) / nasi uduk (Indonesia)

2007-03-07T03:26:00.000-08:00

Traditional nasi lemak.

Source: commons.wikimedia.org

It is a breakfast that can be commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei. It is made by steaming rice with coconut milk. Other things such as pandan, ginger, or lemon grass can also be added for additional fragrance. Traditionally, this dish is served with cucumber slices, ikan bilis or small dried anchovies, roasted peanut, kangkong or stir fried water convolvulus, hard boiled egg, and sambal or spicy sauce. Sometimes, fried chicken, or achar or pickled vegetables can be added. In Indonesia, nasi uduk is normally served with fried chicken, beef, or offal. However in Terengganu and Kelantan, Malaysia, this dish is normally served with tuna fish curry and vegetable pickle.

Different displays of nasi lemak: nasi lemak bungkus vs nasi lemak sold at mamak stalls.

Source: commnerd.wordpress.com / jimmychi.99.com.my

Nasi uduk in Indonesia.

Source: makansakan.com

1. Satay / Sate

2007-03-07T02:13:00.000-08:00

Grilling satay.

Source: fred-factor.blogspot.com

It is originated in Sumatra or Java in Indonesia. However, you may find it so popular in many other Southeast Asia countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand. This dish is also brought into China. Other similar dishes are yakitori in Japan, shish kebab in Turkey, en brochette in French, shashlik in Russian, and sosaties in South Africa.

Although you may find the recipes and ingredients vary from country to country, satay generally consists of chunks or slices of meat, such as beef, mutton, pork, chicken, venison, fish, shrimp, or crocodile, on bamboo or coconut leaf spine skewers, which are then grilled over a wood or charcoal fire. Turmeric is often used to marinate it, so you may find satay is normally yellow in color. It is usually served with a spicy peanut sauce, slivers of onions and cucumbers, and ketupat or Malay dumpling made from rice. Indonesian normally uses soy-based dip as the main sauce.

Add-ons to satay: ketupat, onions, cucumbers, and spicy peanut sauce.

Source: www.friedchillies.com / cpamedia.com

First, we look at Indonesian sate. There are different versions of satay you can find in Indonesia. One of which is sate tegal or sate of goat meat without marinate and is served with sweet soy sauce sliced fresh chili, sliced raw shallots, and quartered green red tomatoes. Satay madura, which named after an island near Java, is also famous amongst Indonesian due to the use of black sauce made from soy sauce, palm sugar, garlic, shallots, peanut paste, fermented shrimp paste, pecans, and salt. Bali is famous with its satay lilit which is made from minced beef, chicken, fish, pork, duck, or even turtle meat. The meat is then mixed with grated coconut, thick coconut milk, lemon juice, shallots, and pepper. Moreover, you can find sate susu in both Bali and Java which is grilled spicy cow breast with milky taste. Satay padang from Padang in west Sumatra and satay Makassar from Southern Sulawesi are distinctive from other types of satay because they are made from cow or goat offal. In addition, satay Makassar has a unique sour and spicy taste and is served without sauce. In Purwakarta and Bandung in Java, there is a satay meranggi which has a unique smell and liquor-like taste due to the use of Nicola buds. Another special satay in Sumatra is called satay kulit, which is a crispy chicken skin satay.

Satay in Indonesia: satay lilit (seafood) vs shrimp and beef satay.

Source: www.baliguide.com

Next, we look at Malaysian satay. You can also find a range of different types of satay in different states of Malaysia. The most famous satay in Malaysia would be the satay kajang in Kajang, Selangor due to the thicker and more generous slices of meat provided. Satay endut in Ipoh is also popular due to its thick smooth gravy. You may also find pork satay with pineapple-based spicy sauce in Malacca and Sarawak. In addition, in Malacca, there is another type of satay called satay celup or steamboat satay. It is a variation of yong tau foo. In Singapore, the common types of satay sold are satay ayam (chicken), satay lembu (beef), satay kambing (mutton), satay perut (intestine), and satay babat (beef tripe).

Famous satay kajang in Malaysia.

Source: www.yummycorner.com

Satay celup in Malacca, Malaysia.

Source: papimami.blogspot.com

MALAY-INSPIRED FOOD IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

2007-03-07T00:29:00.000-08:00

As we know, Malay ethnic is one of the main ethnic groups in Southeast Asia countries especially in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, and Singapore. They are claimed to be one of the oldest ethnics in these countries. They are believed to have discovered in Sumatra and later have expanded outwards into Malay Peninsula. Thus, you can easily find local Malay cuisine in these countries. You may also find that most of the Malay foods taste spicy.

6. Spring rolls

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Spring rolls in Southeast Asia countries are similar to spring rolls in China and Taiwanese lunpia.

In Malaysia and Singapore, popiah is commonly sold. It is a fresh type of Hokkien-style spring rolls. Its thin skin is made by wheat flour and is not fried like other versions of spring roll. The filling is the mixture of ingredients such as jicama, bean sprouts, French beans, lettuce leaves, grated carrots, dried prawns, Chinese sausage, seaweed, shredded omelette, and sweet chili pepper sauce. Some stalls do let their customer to choose the proportions of ingredients to suit their personal taste. Other than that, you can also find little fried shrimp spring rolls in Malaysia and Singapore. This is especially popular in Chinese New Year period. Moreover, you can easily find different types of spring rolls everywhere in Malaysia and Singapore.

Popiah in Malaysia and Singapore.

Source: www.makansutra.com / www.the-inncrowd.com

In Philippines and Indonesia, spring roll is called lumpia or lumpiang, derived from Taiwanese name of lunpia. In Indonesia, lumpia basah is a type of wet spring roll without frying and is filled with bean sprout, carrot, shrimp, and/or chicken. It is served with sweet tauco sauce. Another type of lumpia in Indonesia is lumpia semarang, which is named after the capital city of Central Java and is created by Chinese immigrant there. It is filled with bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, chicken, and/or prawn. It is served with a sauce made from dried shrimp, coconut sugar, red chilies, bird’s eye chilies, ground white pepper, tapioca starch, and water. In Philippines, one of the popular spring rolls is lumpiang sariwa. It is a type of fresh spring rolls which consists of minced palm tree trunk, flaked chicken, crushed peanuts, and turnips as an extender in a double wrapping of lettuce leaf and a egg crepe. It is served with sauce made from chicken or pork stock, a starch mixture, and fresh garlic. Lumpiang hubad is simply lumpiang sariwa without the egg crepe. Another popular spring roll in Philippines is lumpiang shanghai. Obviously, this dish is strongly influenced by the Chinese cultural. It is filled with ground pork, minced onion, carrots, and spices with the mixture held together by beaten egg. Green peas are added as extenders. It is served with sweet and sour sauce or spicy sauce. There is a fried spring roll called lumpiang prito which is filled with bean sprouts and various types of vegetables. Sometimes, morsels of meat or seafood are added. It is served with vinegar and chili peppers, or toyo-mansi or mixture of sauce and juice of calamansi. Furthermore, there is a spring roll called lumpiang ubod which is made from coconut julienne or palm heart. Lumpia banana is a fried dessert made by slices of bananas and granulated sugar.

Lumpia Semarang (Indonesia) vs lumpiang shanghai (Philippines).

Source: www.sedap-sekejap.com / maxsofmanila.com

Lumpiang banana (Philippines).

Source: scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com

In Vietnam, there is a spring roll called cha gio or nem ran which is very popular. It is basically a fried spring roll containing pulverized lean meat, crabmeat or shrimp, minced onion and garlic, bean sprouts, nuoc mam or Vietnamese fish sauce, black pepper and so on. Moreover, you can find fresh version of summer roll (not spring roll) called goi cuan in Vietnam. It is composed of lettuce, bean sprouts, carrot, cucumber, rice vermicelli, shrimp, and herbs like cilantro and mint. In Cambodia, you can also find a raw summer roll called nime chow which is similar to goi cuan.

Of course, spring rolls also quite common in other Southeast Asia countries like Thailand and Laos.

Goi cuan vs cha gio or nime chow.

Source: www.flickr.com / www.deliciousdelicious.com

5. Char kway teow (fried flat noodles)

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This dish is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore. The flat rice noodles is fried and stirred with dark soy sauce, chili, prawns, cockles, egg, bean sprouts, and Chinese chives. Some stalls offer to put in add-ons like slices of Chinese sausage and fish cake. It was a dish invented mainly to serve labor as a cheap source of energy and nutrients. Traditionally, it is fried in pork fat. However, nowadays, lesser chefs are using pork fat because people have become more and more health-conscious.

Char kway teow in Singapore: Makansutra Gluttons Bay version(left) vs normal restaurant version.

Source: www.makansutera.com / www. thefoodpornographer.com

Even though you can find char kway teow in both Malaysia and Singapore, you may find that they actually taste differently from each other. Singapore version is a lot sweeter than Malaysia version because Singapore chefs put more thick dark soy sauce into it. On the other hand, you may find Malaysia version is hotter than Singapore version. This may be due to the cultural differences. In general, Malaysian can take hotter food (personal opinion, ha!).

In Malaysia, Penang char kway teow is the most famous one. Sometimes you may find that it is added with duck’s egg and crab meat to enrich the taste. Due to the increasing popularity of char kway teow amongst the Muslims in Malaysia, there is also a halal version of char kway teow.

Famous Penang char kway teow. Supperb!

Source: ieatishootipost.blogspot.com

4. Douhua / dou fu hua (Mandarin) / dau fu fa (Cantonese) / tau huay (Hokkien) / annin dofu (Japanese) / taho (Philippines)

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Shanshui dau fu fa vs normal dau fu fa.

Source: en.wikipedia.org / lyyyl.blogspot.com

Taiwan dou hua: yam version vs red bean version.

Source: allabout.co.jp

It basically is beancurd jelly with sugar syrup on top. It mainly serves as a dessert. Again, it comes from China. You can find it in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines. The most famous one would be Hong Kong Shanshui dau fu fa. In Hong Kong, it can be served with ginger or syrup, and sometimes as a mixture with black sesame paste or with coconut milk. In northern China, it is usually eaten with soy sauce. In Taiwan, it is served with toppings like cooked peanuts, azuki beans or red beans, mung beans or green beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, or yam, with a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. However, in Malaysia and Singapore, it is served with clear sweet syrup alone, with Ginkgo seeds suspeded in the syrup, or in a sugar syrup infused with pandan. In Philippines, it served warm with a dark brown sugar syrup and sago or tapioca.

Hawker selling taho in Philippines.

Source: acloba.tipod.com / photos.the-protagonist.net

3. Hum Chim Peng (Cantonese) + Youtiao (Mandarin) / yau char kwai (Cantonese) / u char kway (Hokkien) / e kya kway (Myanmar) / quai (Vietnam) / guozi

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Stall selling quai in Vietnam.

Source: noodlepie.typepad.com

Youtiao - before and after look.

Source: foodcrazee.blogspot.com

You can find youtiao, not only in China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, but everywhere in Southeast Asia countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, and Vietnam. It is a golden brown, deep fried strip of dough. It is usually served as breakfast in Chinese society. It tastes crispy outside and soft inside, lightly salted and can be torn into two. In Southeast Asia countries, it is normally eaten together with hot unsweetened soy milk and kopi “o” or black coffee with sugar. In Myanmar, it is served with Indian tea. Sometimes, it also served as an accompaniment for rice congee or porridge, tau suan or green bean porridge, or bak kut teh. Recently, in Malaysia and Singapore, there is a new way of eating it by dipping it to mayonnaise.

Geylang (Singapore) long youtiao.

Source: kuanyilogy.blogspot.com

Youtiao with tau suan vs youtiao with soy milk.

Source: ieatishootipost.blogspot.com / kuanyilogy.blogspot.com

There is a story behind the name for youtiao in Cantonese or Hokkien. Yau char kwai or u char kway literally means “oil-fried ghost”. It was used as a tool to express contempt to a corrupt official called Qin Kuai and his wife, who are accused to have framed the general Yue Fei in Song Dynasty. Thus, you can always find that the youtiao is always made as 2 roll of dough joined along the middle to represent this traitorous couple.

In Malaysia and Singapore, when you go to a stall which sells youtiao, you may usually find that there is another food called hum chim peng. It is a Chinese deep-fried bun-like pastry. It is made of flour with some five spice powder. Most of the time, it is sprinkled with sesame seeds and it will puff up upon frying, like the Indian poori. There are mainly 3 types of hum chim peng including the salty one, the one with glutinous rice, and the one with red bean paste. You can also find a food called Bánh Tiêu or hollow doughnuts in Vietnam which is similar to hum chim peng. It is a light, round, slightly sweet, and with a hollow center.

Hum chim peng in Malaysia vs Bánh Tiêu in Vietnam.

Source: globalmalaysians.com / pwnf.blogspot.com

2. Hainanese Chicken Rice

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Steamed chicken.

Source: eatingaisa.typepad.com

It is a Chinese rice dish originated from Hainan, China. Hainanese immigrants had brought this dish to Nanyang. You can find this dish easily in Malaysia and Singapore. It is also commonly sold in Thailand. After entering Southeast Asia region, this dish has adapted to the local cultures in Malaysia and Singapore, and has combined both Hainanese and Cantonese versions.

There are some differences in preparing the chicken rice between chefs in Hainan and chefs in Singapore and Malaysia. Traditional Hainanese chicken rice cooking methods involve the boiling of the entire chicken in a pork and chicken bone stock, reusing the broth over and over, and topping up with water whenever is necessary to create a “master stock” for the preparation of the flavorful “oily rice”. Alternatively, the chicken rice can be prepared by adding coconut milk into it and this is similar to but taste richer than the Malay nasi lemak. However, in Singapore and Malaysia, the chicken is boiled in water together with garlic and ginger. Later, the broth is used to serve as soup and to cook rice.

The differences between Hainanese version and Cantonese version of chicken rice are the types of bird used and the cooking styles. The Hainanese prefers to use big, fat birds to render lots of oil to make rice fragrant while the Cantonese prefers to use younger birds to produce tender meats with lesser fat.

Different dips are served to this dish including chili sauce and ground ginger. In addition, in Hainan, oyster sauce with garlic-mix is served while in Malaysia and Singapore, dark soy sauce or a mixture of chili and garlic are more commonly served. Besides, in Malaysia and Singapore, the chili sauce is soured with lime instead of watered down with white vinegar. The chili is much hotter in Malaysia and Singapore reflecting its Southeast Asian influences especially by Indian and Malay ethnics. Sliced cucumbers are always served with the chicken rice. Some stalls do offer extras side dishes like hard boiled eggs, chicken liver, tofu, and kai-lan or Chinese broccoli. Furthermore, some stalls also serve other dishes, such as chicken chop rice, BBQ chicken rice, char siew or BBQ pork rice, pork chop rice, and roasted duck rice, in addition to the main chicken rice. Most hotels in Singapore tend to serve the chicken rice on a circular or rectangular wooden tray.

Hainanese chicken rice at Chatterbox, Meritus Mandarin Singapore.

Source: www.mandarin-singapore.com

Other than the normal steamed or roasted chicken rice, there are also other versions of chicken rice that can be found in some states in Malaysia. The first one would be the famous Malacca chicken rice balls. This is simply a chicken is served with few rice balls instead of a bowl of rice. Some chefs argue that by doing so, the rice can be kept warm for a longer time. Some people argue that this will make it easier for people to take away. Other than Malacca, you can also find this dish in Muar, Johor. The second version would be the Ipoh chicken rice which is served with bean sprouts. Instead of eating with rice, locals prefer to eat this bean sprouts chicken with hor fun, a type of wide Chinese noodle made by rice. This dish is typically served with light soy sauce and sesame oil.

Chicken rice balls in Malacca(left) and Muar(right).

Source: blog.yam.com / www.xes.cx

Ipoh bean sprouts chicken.

Source: eatingasia.typepad.com / www.pbase.com

Malaysian and Singaporean are so attracted by the Hainanese chicken rice until you can find chain restaurants selling this dish established in both countries such as The Chicken Rice Shop in Malaysia, and Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice and Boon Tong Kee in Singapore.

The Chicken Rice Shop in Malaysia.

Source: www.thechickenriceshop.com

1. Bak Kut Teh (pork-rib tea)

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This is a type of Chinese soup popularly served in Malaysia, Singapore, and also states of neighbour countries like Brunei, Batam of Indonesia and Hat Yai of Thailand. It is a soup cooked and boiled for hours with herbs, garlic and pork ribs. This dish is reported to have invented in Port Klang by a man called Lee Boon Teh, for port coolies in the early 20th century to supplement their meagre diet and as a tonic to boost their health. This dish is so popular and you can find ready-made version which allow you to cook it at home easily.

Malaysia A1 bak kut teh noodle/Singapore PURE bak kut teh spices
Source: www.alibaba.com

It is normally served in a clay pot and is usually eaten with rice either normal white rice or oily rice or yam rice. It is also commonly served with youtiao (strips of fried dough), tofu, and oily vegetables. As a customer, in addition to the ribs and mushrooms, you can choose to add either fatty pork or non fatty pork or both, intestine, and stomach. If your wallet is up for it, you can also add some sea cucumbers or abalone into the soup in certain bak kut teh shops. Some shops do put some dried bean curd skin on top of the soup. Light or dark soy sauce with diced chili padi and minced garlic is preferred in serving this dish. Various types of Chinese tea like Tieguanyin and Oolong tea are consumed together with this dish as to help to dilute the fat in this pork-laden dish.

Add-ons to bak kut teh.
Source: kyspeaks.com

There are mainly 4 types of bak kut teh. The first one would be the Teochew style with more pepper and lighter soup’s color. The second type would be the Hokkien style with more soy sauce and saltier and darker soup. The third type is the Cantonese style with more medicinal herbs and stronger flavored soup. Lastly, there is a new invented version of bak kut teh in Malaysia, which is the dry bak kut teh with dark soy sauce, dried chilies, ladies fingers, dried shrimps, onions, and ikan bilis or dried cuttlefish instead of traditional soup version. Singapore’s bak kut teh is different with Malaysia’s bak kut teh. Singapore is more famous for the Teochew and Hokkien style of bak kut teh while Malaysia is more famous for Cantonese style of bak kut teh and the dry bak kut teh. A chicken version of bak kut teh is invented in Malaysia, which is called chik kut teh. This is a halal version of the bak kut teh to cater to Muslims.

Klang (Malaysia) bak kut teh - with soup and without soup.
Source: www.jessieling.com

Singapore bak kut teh - Teochew and Hokkien types.
Source: www.sngs.sch.edu.sg / food.recentrunes.com

CHINESE-INSPIRED FOOD IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

2007-03-04T07:09:00.000-08:00

You can easily find different types of Chinese food in most Southeast Asia countries which are mostly derived from the mainland Chinese cuisine. However, these foods may taste differently from the mainland Chinese cuisine. Although they remain distinctly Chinese, they might have been strongly influenced by local cultures and the use of ingredients might be different from the mainland Chinese cuisine and between countries in Southeast Asia. The Chinese cuisine in Southeast Asia has been introduced to the rest of the world and becomes famous and popular in other countries including China and Hong Kong.

Well, I'll introduce some of the famous food to you in my blog. I'll mainly get my information from www.wikipedia.org and some from others' blogs. Of course, I'll also add-on my own words here.