Food & Drink – Modern Trekker https://moderntrekker.com The World Is Waiting Fri, 15 Feb 2019 10:01:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.10 https://moderntrekker.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-Plane2-32x32.jpg Food & Drink – Modern Trekker https://moderntrekker.com 32 32 144266218 7 Teas In India That Every Tea Lover Must Try https://moderntrekker.com/tea-in-india/ https://moderntrekker.com/tea-in-india/#respond Thu, 14 Feb 2019 11:54:28 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=6120 India is the world’s second-largest consumer and exporter of tea. In…

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India is the world’s second-largest consumer and exporter of tea. In the eyes of Indian society, tea is an important part of culture because it is considered a valuable and healthy drink. For example, in Assam, a state in Northeast India, tea is the official state drink. Various varieties of teas in India have been shown to have good effects on bodily health while also soothing the drinker.

Here are 7 types of Indian tea to enjoy that tea-lovers will love:

1. Spicy Himalayan Tea

This tea is a tea made from a mixture of black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. Of the various components, this tea has many health benefits ranging from helping the digestive process, reducing blood sugar levels, and maintaining cardiovascular fiber health.

2. Assam Tea

The Assam is black tea named after its production region, Assam, India. This tea comes from the Camelia Sinensis plant. This tea has a fresh, malt and bright color. It is a perfect replacement for coffee in the morning or for a treat in the afternoon.

3. Darjeeling Tea

Darjeeling Tea Plantation
A Darjeeling tea plantation. Photographer: Shankar s.

Darjeeling tea is a black tea made from tea leaves from tea plantations in the Darjeeling area, West Bengal, India. This tea is high quality and so won the nickname “The Champagne of Teas”. Water steeping Darjeeling tea is bright with an aroma that is more fragrant than other types of black tea.

4. Assam Cardamom Tea

The Cardamom adds a special touch to Assam tea. Cardamom tea is also widely used in Indian food since it adds a spicy-sweet kick to any sweet or savory dish. This tea, when drank by itself, has a cool and refreshing sensation and can be drunk in weight loss diets.

5. Nilgiri Tea

This tea is known for its distinctive aroma and is ideally mixed with other tea variants. This soft Nilgiri tea is perfect to be enjoyed throughout the day. It has a smooth and mellow taste which is great to help one relax.

6. Ceylon Tea

Ceylon Tea
Photographer: Chandimal Pathirage

This tea is available in many varieties such as black ceylon, white ceylon and green ceylon tea . Ceylon tea is a good source of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, flavonoids and provides a number of benefits to the body such as strengthening the immune system, good for the cardiovascular system, making skin healthy and good for patients suffering from diabetes.

It is known for having a full and bold taste.

7. Masala Tea

Masala Tea is a typical South Indian drink. This tea is a mixture of milk and spices such as cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and ginger. This tea has a sweet and thick flavor.


These are some of the tea variants that are very popular in India. Which tea have you tried? Are you looking for tips on going out in India this week? If so visit here for some tips.

Suggested next reading: 5 Best Restaurants Of Jaipur For Authentic Cuisine

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8 Best Balkan Foods That’ll Make Your Mouth Water https://moderntrekker.com/best-balkan-food/ https://moderntrekker.com/best-balkan-food/#respond Wed, 06 Feb 2019 21:14:53 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=5009 For those wanting to know what kind of food is…

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For those wanting to know what kind of food is Balkan, all you need to know is that it is hearty, filling and delicious. The best Balkan food includes a diverse mix of cheeses, meats, vegetables, beans and a variety of pies.

In here, I’ve gone for Tavče Gravče, Srpska Salata, Kebapci, Mămăligă, Byrek, Pleskavica, Štruklji, and Mekici. I’ll be explaining more about each one just below! But first…

What Counts As “Balkan”?

The Balkan region itself covers mainly the countries of former Yugoslavia (Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia) as well as the post-communist countries of Romania, Bulgaria, and Albania. While from a geographic point of view, only parts of Romania, Croatia, or Slovenia are part of the region, many records nonetheless consider these countries as Balkan.

Some records also include Greece and the European part of Turkey (including half of Istanbul) in the Balkan region. From a gastronomic point of view though, Greece’s gastronomy is mostly related to Mediterranean food while Turkey has influences from the Middle East.

This debate of whether somewhere is Balkan or not can be infinitely discussed. For the sake of some common features though, I’ll focus on the traditional Balkan dishes that historically and genuinely represent the essence of the Balkans. This is mainly because, until two hundred years ago, most of the countries in this region were part of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore many traditional dishes in the Balkans have Ottoman influences, use similar types of ingredients, and similar recipes.

The Best Balkan Food

Here are 8 of the most popular and best Balkan foods that you will find throughout the region. Some of them can be found in a variety of forms in multiple countries, whereas some are popular only in a certain region. Make sure you’ve eaten before reading this article!

1. Tavče Gravče

Best Balkan Food Tavče Gravče
Photographer: Oliver Manev

Tavče gravče is oven-cooked white fresh beans, in a sauce flavored with dry red pepper and bay leaves. The dish has a special taste if cooked and served in special earthenware. It’s a classic comfort-food and simply one of the best foods in the Balkans.

Tavče gravče is a national and staple dish in Macedonian cuisine (and popular in the Northern part of Greece too), but it is also a staple of Serbian food and Bosnian cuisine as well.

2. Srpska Salata

Best Balkan Food Sopska Salta

Srpska salata is very popular in Serbia and it is made of raw peppers, onions, and tomatoes, dressed with oil, vinegar and sometimes even hot chili.

A similar, more widespread variant is the Šopska salata, which is made of tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, topped with grated or diced white brine cheese (sir or sirinje). This is the traditional Bulgarian salad and also the national Macedonian salad, so you will find it extensively in these two neighboring countries.

Best Balkan Food Sopska

Šopska salata is very similar to the traditional Greek salad, but this last one is served with diced feta cheese which gives a slightly different taste.

3. Kebapci, Ćevapčići / Ćevapi

Best Balkan Food Kebapci
Kebapci

Kebapci, Ćevapčići / Ćevapi are some of the favorite foods in the Balkans. They are spicy minced meatballs of lamb, beef or pork, well grilled. Usually served in groups of five to ten pieces, they can be paired with fried potatoes or simply with bread (in some regions flatbread) and often chopped onions, kajmak (a special type of sour cream), or ajvar (a pepper-based condiment made from red bell peppers and oil).

Kebapci have their origins during the Ottoman period and this is why they are so popular in southeastern Europe (which was under the Turkish rule for quite a long time).

They are easy to find especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia, but can also be ordered on menus in Slovenia, Montenegro and Albania…not to mention this is also a Croatian food too. You can’t miss this food in the Balkans!

In Romania, mici are similar to kebapci, but they are bigger in size and the recipe and taste are slightly different, so you should try both of them to accurately experience the difference. Which one is the best Balkan food? We’ll let you decide!

4. Mămăligă Cu Brânză Şi Smântână

Best Balkan Food Mămăligă

Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână is one of the national Romanian dishes. It is basically polenta or boiled cornmeal mush served with white sheep cheese and fresh sour cream. Polenta is usually hearty and fills your stomach, but just be on the safe side, you can also order it topped with fried eggs and paired with scallions or chopped red onion.

You can find polenta with cheese as a main dish in many restaurants throughout Romania, but simple polenta is also popular as a side dish for other courses. It is also cooked a lot in family homes and, if you hike in the mountains, stop at a sheepfold and ask for their polenta—it has a special flavor when cooked on a wood fire.

Be curious and read more about different variants of serving polenta and other Romanian foods here.

5. Burek / Byrek

Best Balkan Food Byrek
Photographer: Ed

Burek or byrek is a delicious filo-pastry pie stuffed with cheese, spinach, potato, minced meat or even mushrooms. Byrek is traditionally prepared in a large pan, then cut into smaller pieces after baking and served as individual pastries (usually they have the form of a triangle).

This ubiquitous snack is mostly served cold or hot with yogurt for breakfast. It’s so hearty that you can eat it for lunch too if you’re in a hurry.

Byrek is originally from Anatolia (a province in current Turkey) and it is widely found in the cuisines of the Balkan countries. In the former Yugoslavian countries, stop at the shops with pekara (this means “bakery” in Slavic languages) written on the street-front and snack cheaply on a burek or two. If you try a burek of each type, you’d have to be very hungry as they are quite filling and nourishing.

Burek can be also found in Albanian cuisine in different variants. It is usually stuffed with cheese, ground meat, spinach and eggs, as well as with tomato and onions, peppers and beans, potato or pumpkin.

6. Pleskavica

Best Balkan Food Pleskavica-fries

Pleskavica is spiced meat patty made of pork, beef or lamb, which is well grilled on both sides. It is a hearty main course, usually served with chopped onions, a big spoon of kajmak (a type of very tasty, clotted milk cream), French fries or simply with bread (in some regions it is popularly paired with a big flatbread, like a hamburger). When stuffed with cheese it’s called pleskavica sharri, and the melted cheese has a special taste that can’t be compared with anything else.

The origin of this Balkan food is Serbia, but this spicy hamburger is easy to find in one form or another throughout the Balkans. You can find it in all of the former Yugoslavian countries, but it’s popular mostly in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Kosovo.

Best Balkan Food Pleskavica

It is big enough to fill your stomach for half a day, and sometimes even for a whole day. So keep that in mind when you order it and don’t choose anything for the dessert until you have eaten the big pleskavica in your plate!

7. Štruklji

Best Balkan Food Štruklji

Štruklji are rolled pastries that are either baked or cooked and, depending on the filling, can be sweet or savory. Particularly popular in Slovenian cuisine, it was once a Balkan food reserved for special occasions but now is one of the most featured foods in Slovenian homes.

Zagorski Štrukli is its traditional Croatian relative since Štruklji itself goes all the way back to the 16th Century and probably beyond. However, it is in Austria that it first makes its definitive appearance in history in a recipe left behind by a chef in Graz, Austria’s second largest city, in the year 1589.

Fillings that are typical for Štruklji include tarragon (this was actually used in the aforementioned chef’s original recipe), poppy seeds, walnuts, cottage cheese, and apple.

8. Mekici

Best Balkan Food Mekici
Source: C00lfon

Mekici are soft, traditional Bulgarian donuts, with the kneaded dough made with deep fried yogurt. In Serbian cuisine they are called mekike. The best way to describe them is perhaps to compare them to a British Yorkshire pudding, although Mekici are usually eaten in the morning, whereas Yorkshire puddings are eaten for lunch or dinner.

The risen dough is torn into pieces, then fried in oil and, once fully fried, powdered with icing sugar. Jam is usually garnished on the top. If you’re looking for the best Balkan food for dessert or a snack, this is a great contender.

They are quite similar to lángos, which is a deep-fried dough popular in Hungarian cuisine. However, lángos are usually served with ketchup or mayonnaise, whereas mekici are not since they tend to be sweet. Despite this, sometimes mekici are garnished with sirene (brined white cheese).


 best Balkan food comes in all shapes and sizes and can be found throughout the whole region…did we miss any on our list? Comment below if you know of other authentic Balkan foods, or want to share your impression of eating these foods with us!

Suggested next reading: 6 Amazing Locations In The Balkans You Might Not Know About

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5 Best Restaurants Of Jaipur For Authentic Cuisine https://moderntrekker.com/best-restaurants-of-jaipur/ https://moderntrekker.com/best-restaurants-of-jaipur/#respond Fri, 18 Jan 2019 11:09:58 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=5670 The Pink City is quite famous for the romance and…

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The Pink City is quite famous for the romance and luxury it can sprinkle on your vacation. The top-most element of a great vacation is cuisine. For a great dining experience, authentic Jaipur cuisine would add the right blend of royalty to your table. To fill it up, it’s better to choose the best restaurants of Jaipur, to enjoy the evening you deserve.

The 5 Best Restaurants Of Jaipur Are:

  1. 1135 AD
  2. Peshawari
  3. Marble Arch
  4. Giardino
  5. House of Han
Best Restaurants Of Jaipur
Amer Fort.

Now, here is a little bit about each restaurant!

1. 1135 AD

This restaurant is quite famous for its luxury and grandeur look. Even luxury trains like Palace on Wheels, make it a point to add this restaurant to the itinerary. Located inside Amer Fort, this is the right portal to go through to travel back to a royal past.

1135 AD is the best place to eat Rajasthani food in Jaipur and the décor matches the quality of the food. If you are looking for a grand meal experience and for romantic restaurants in Jaipur, visit Amer Fort.

2. Peshawari

This is one of the restaurants of ITC groups. With this name, you can be sure about the hospitality, décor, culture and food in this restaurant. This multi-cuisine spot is actually famous for authentic Northwestern Indian cuisine. You can find all the signature Mughal dishes and the dessert section is mind-blowing.

The pots on the wall, copper platter, wood beams and log table make it one of the more unique restaurants in Jaipur and will add more value to the dining experience, without a doubt.

3. Marble Arch

Located inside the Palace Hotel of Jai Mahal, this heritage hotel has a long history to it. This tradition is expressed in the décor with stoneware, traditional ambience and authentic delicacies of the past. You can find universal cuisines too in this restaurant.

Starting from rosewater pannacotta to Murgh Tia Mirza Hassan, you can find a wide range of delicacies served with the utmost luxurious service.

4. Giardino

This open-air poolside restaurant is famous for the ‘“Taj experience” that’ll add lots more value to your vacation. This traditional fine dining Italian restaurant is complemented with chic décor, art decorations and fine wines to balance the palate.

If you are planning to spend a special mealtime in the laps of luxury, this is the right place.

5. House Of Han

How about enjoying a day with traditional Chinese dishes surrounded by authentic Chinese décor and style? Even the dishes and cooking styles are traditional.

Located inside Crowne Plaza, this restaurant provides a five-star East Asian cuisine and a fully stocked bar. Do not miss getting tea served in a large sprouted teapot.


Do you want to enjoy this type of dining throughout your whole vacation? The best way to do so is by booking Palace on Wheels. The choice of restaurants in the itinerary is luxurious and, also not to be forgotten, are the professional star-styled restaurants inside the train itself.

Suggested next reading: 5 Luxury Trains In India That Are Fit For Royalty

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6 Authentic Romanian Dishes That’ll Send Your Tastebuds Soaring https://moderntrekker.com/traditional-romanian-dishes/ https://moderntrekker.com/traditional-romanian-dishes/#respond Fri, 16 Nov 2018 23:00:53 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=4715 Traditional Romanian dishes have a homemade character and they are…

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Traditional Romanian dishes have a homemade character and they are delicious especially when prepared in large quantities for the whole family. Most of them are cooked by smiling women who have learned delicious recipes from their grand-grandmother.

A normal meal in Romania comprises two courses: a warm soup as the first dish (especially during the cold season), and then a cooked meal or a barbecue as the main course. Of course, there is also the dessert if you can eat more.

Beware that Romanian cuisine has warm and hearty dishes, meant to satisfy and fill your stomach. So don’t overate your capacity to eat three dishes for a meal.

Some of these traditional Romanian dishes have borrowed certain recipes and ingredients from neighboring or occupying cultures (such as Saxon, Slav, Hungarian, and Turkish) but most of them use pork meat in some form, paired with potatoes, polenta, or cooked vegetables.

Now that you are already hungry, let’s see what to order and what to expect from the Romanian dishes.

1. Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână

Mămăligă cu brânză și smântână is basically polenta or boiled cornmeal mush with salty sheep cheese and fresh sour cream.

This is maybe the most unusual Romanian recipe but very quick to cook. I cook it a lot because it’s hearty, easy to prepare, and also tasty if you add the right proportion of ingredients.

ÊIt can be also topped with fried eggs and paired with onion (spring onion or chopped red onion). Polenta is cooked in family homes and households as well as in inns and restaurants.

Another version of polenta with cheese is the bulz ciobănesc. Bulz is traditionally made in a sheepfold and is the everyday food of the shepherds. A medium-sized ball made of hot boiled polenta is filled with bellows cheese (one of the oldest Romanian foods), which melts inside and becomes very tasty.

2. Sarmale or sărmăluțe (it means smaller sarmale)

Sarmale or sărmăluțe are rolled cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with spiced meat, rice, and herbs. They are usually cooked with pork meat but in different parts of Romania, you may find them filled with sheep meat, chicken, or even fish (in the region close to the Black Sea).

In order to be tasty, sarmale have to be well boiled for several hours. They are served three to four pieces per portion and traditionally paired with simple polenta (just the maize mush), sour cream on top, and maybe a red hot pepper.

This is the national Romanian dish, although the recipe was imported from the Ottomans who ruled the south and eastern part of the country for centuries. For similar reasons, you can find sarma in different sizes throughout the Balkan region, in the Slav neighboring countries.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba9pv5fll3L/

3. Mici or mititei cu muștar

Mici or mititei cu muștar are grilled rolls of spiced minced meat. The mixture can have pork or beef but you will also find mici made with sheep meat. They are always served with mustard or a hot horseradish cream.

You can find mici as a street-food option and in this case, they simply come with a few slices of bread and two toothpicks to grab them. Restaurants serving Romanian food always have mici on their menus and you can serve them paired with French fries or simple polenta.

This is one of the Romanian delicacies and during summer, many people go out for a picnic and make a barbecue with mici. Of course, they go very well with beer!

4. Ciorbă de burtă

Ciorbă de burtă means tripe soup and it is a common dish throughout the Balkans.

In Romania, parts from the stomach of a cow are sliced and boiled with vegetables for almost three hours. The result is a creamy yellowish soup, which is served with a welcome dollop of sour cream and a hot pepper.

Some restaurants bring a small cup of hot garlic sauce too but this is not a rule. All Romanian restaurants have tripe soup on their menu, especially for lunch. In the evening, it is possible you won’t find it because we usually eat soup only as the first dish for a lunch meal.

5. Salata de boeuf

Salata de boeuf is a salad made of boiled root vegetables, eggs, and finely chopped beef meat, all of them mixed with a lot of mayonnaise. The salad turns out very colorful and it is garnished with thin slices of pickled vegetables or eggs.

Even if the name seems French (boeuf is the French name for beef meat), this is actually among the traditional Romanian dishes that are perfect to eat during winter. It is usually cooked for the winter celebrations and festive meals (i.e. for Christmas and the New Year’s Eve).

You will never find it in restaurants. It is prepared only in family homes so if someone invites you to a Christmas dinner, say “yes” in order to taste this delicious salad.

6. Papanași

Papanași are fried or boiled pastries, doughnut-shaped, topped with sour cream and different kinds of fruit jams.

The dough is prepared with flour, eggs, and sweet soft cheese (usually cow cheese or urdă—cheese made of cow, sheep, or goat milk). As additional ingredients, some women add cinnamon or vanilla powder to give a special flavor to the papanași.

Besides crepes and a wide assortment of pies, this is the most popular dessert in Romania. They are made in family homes and many households in the rural area but also in the restaurants throughout the country.

In a Romanian restaurant, a normal portion comprises two big papanași so keep this in mind when you order them at the end of your meal.

Papanași
Photographer: Papanași

This is just a limited number of our traditional Romanian dishes but I assure you that if you step into a Romanian restaurant, you will be overwhelmed and won’t know what to choose from because of the wide range of courses.

Many restaurants have “the special dish of the house” and this is usually a combination of many traditional Romanian dishes and will be the chef’s best invention. So it’s always good to ask what they recommend and you might have a great surprise.

Don’t forget the beer or the vine, and maybe also try small shots of țuică or palincă (flavored fruit alcoholic drink…very strong though, so be careful how much you drink!)

In 2019, the Sibiu county is going to be a European Gastronomic Region and culinary events will take place in towns and villages in Sibiu throughout the year—so it will be an ideal time to visit!

Many old recipes will be reinvented and this is a good chance for foodies to try a wide range of various traditional Romanian dishes.

Suggested next reading: 6 Amazing Locations In The Balkans You Might Not Know About

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8 Authentic & Affordable Dishes In Singapore That Even Food Critics Will Love https://moderntrekker.com/dishes-to-eat-in-singapore/ https://moderntrekker.com/dishes-to-eat-in-singapore/#respond Mon, 22 Oct 2018 07:00:53 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=3784 Due to its history as a seaport, Singapore has a…

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Due to its history as a seaport, Singapore has a rich cultural past that has cemented its reputation as an International Food city. It’s for this reason that if you tried to define Singaporean food, you’d probably need to borrow from a lot of other cultures in doing so—which sounds alright to us. So pick up your chopsticks and loosen your belt, as we rundown 8 of the best dishes to eat in Singapore.

1. Singapore Chili Crab

Singapore Chili Crab, Dishes To Eat In Singapore
Photographer: Kojach

Created in 1956 this is a recipe that’s stood the test of time. But then why wouldn’t it? Soft yielding crab, sweet tomato sauce, a little tickle of chili heat. It’s everything you could wish for on one plate. Served from many a hawker stall, this messy treat is best eaten with your hands and accompanied by a Mantous or steamed or deep fried bun. It’s arguably Singapore’s most famous dish and if you want to visit where it all started, you can! The restaurant famed for inventing the dish, the Palm Beach Seafood Restaurant, is still serving up this delicious crab to this day.

2. Hainanese Chicken Rice

A post shared by Helen Le (@helenrecipes) on

Your first taste of Hainanese chicken rice might be on the plane over as it is one of a small number of local dishes that Singapore airline serves. It is a great example of what can be done when you try to squeeze every bit of flavor from your ingredients.

Firstly the chicken is poached and the resulting broth (including any fat) is combined with ginger, garlic and Pandan leaves to cook the rice. What results is a very flavorful and slightly greasy rice which has been dubbed “oily rice” for obvious reasons. This is served alongside the chicken and fresh cucumber, which has also been boiled in the stock. A fiery, garlicky dipping sauce finishes it all off, cutting through the grease and setting your lips tingling. If that sounds like something you’d like, you’re in luck. One of the most popular dishes to eat in Singapore, this dish can be found pretty much anywhere but for the really good stuff, head to the Chinatown district and join the exceedingly long queue extending from the Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken stand. Not only will you get a Michelin starred meal, you’ll get the cheapest Michelin starred meal in the world. And that’s worth the plane ride.

3. Oyster Omelet

Oyster Omelet, Dishes To Eat In Singapore
Photographer: Joy

It could be argued that we’re generally not big oyster eaters in the West, but maybe that’s because we’ve been missing a trick by not putting them in omelets. Oyster omelets are made with a slightly sturdier batter than your traditional omelet. One that has been thickened with tapioca or potato starch. This mixture is cooked over a high heat in pork lard, until the edges are brown and crispy and the middle is liltingly soft and yielding. It’s all presented with a scoop of spicy chilli sauce, spiked with lime and finished with fresh coriander. Of course, if you really don’t fancy oysters, you can get exactly the same dish with shrimp instead. Both options are commonly regarded by locals as being possibly the best dishes to eat in Singapore; probably on account of being shockingly delicious.

4. Char Kway Teow

Char Kway Teow, Dishes To Eat In Singapore

Now I’m going to say two words to you and I want you to steel yourself.

Ready? Ok, here goes.

Blood Cockles.

I know, I know, on the surface it doesn’t sound great. But honestly, these tasty little clams are surprisingly fresh, succulent and well worth the effort of getting past the name. Which you’ll have to if you want to try one of the most popular dishes to eat in Singapore, Char Kway Teow. This delicious street food literally means flat rice noodles, blistered in a hot wok with dark soy sauce, chili, bean sprouts, prawns and of course, blood cockles. It’s all finished with a topping of crispy pork lard which may not add to the health content but certainly ramps up the texture.

5. Laksa

Laksa, Dishes To Eat In Singapore

Now the chances are that you may have already heard of or even tried Laksa, but this very old dish has a lot of variants to its name. Generally speaking, Laksa consists of spicy, curry soup and noodles. Whether that’s rice noodles or vermicelli, or a coconut milk base rather than a sour asam base, depends on the region and variety you’re eating. One thing’s for certain though, they all taste very good indeed. Why not see if you can try them all and let us know your favorite?

6. Kaya Toast

Kaya Toast, Dishes To Eat In Singapore
Photographer: The Integer Club

Everyone loves a sweet treat with a hot beverage and the people of Singapore are no exception. That’s why they have Kaya Toast with their coffee. This morsel is very thin toast spread with a thick jam made with coconut, sugar and egg and it’s served with a little square of butter. Eaten either at breakfast, teatime or just as a snack, you’ll see this on many hawker stalls and you can even buy the jam or Kaya separately if you want to try it at home.

7. Nasi Lemak

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They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that’s why you should have Nasi Lemak. This hearty but healthy breakfast consists of rice cooked in coconut milk, with a side of cucumber, omelet, fried anchovies with peanuts and sambal. Once again there are many variants of this dish across the region, including two in Singapore alone. But the basic structure is the same and the flavors are all delicious. If it seems too strange to be eating something spicy for breakfast, don’t worry, you can also add it to the already large repertoire of great dishes to eat in Singapore during lunch—quite versatile!

8. Sugarcane Juice

Sugarcane juice is popular across a lot of Asia but the high temperatures of Singapore might mean you appreciate it just that little bit more here. Sweet, cool, and tangy if you ask for lemon, this refreshing drink can revitalize a weary traveler, meaning for just a small sum you are free to go forward and try even more Singaporean delights!

Well, that’s our list. Truth be told, Singapore is such a food lover’s paradise that you’ll be spoilt for choice. Fancy some authentic Japanese Ramen? Not a problem. How about a New York style bagel? Sure, sounds good. Or maybe some Korean BBQ or a delicate bowl of pasta. Yes, yes, yes. All these things are available and so much more. You certainly won’t run out of incredible dishes to eat in Singapore!

Suggested next reading: 6 Hong Kong Dishes You Simply Can’t Afford To Miss (& 1 You Probably Can)

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Chiang Mai Street Food: What To Eat & Where To Find It https://moderntrekker.com/chiang-mai-street-food/ https://moderntrekker.com/chiang-mai-street-food/#respond Fri, 12 Oct 2018 07:00:36 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=4203 Who’s hungry? Me. Always. If I could eat Chiang Mai…

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Who’s hungry? Me. Always. If I could eat Chiang Mai street food for the rest of my life I would do so. To be honest, I was a little worried at first….well, because you know….food poisoning and the such that tends to happen when you travel.

However, with that first bite ofsai ua along with my dragon fruit smoothie my life changed and now I’m addicted.

If you head to Chiang Mai, binging on street food will be a MUST for anyone who loves food. Unless you decide to stay in a hotel and eat every meal there while experiencing zero of the culture, you cannot miss Chiang Mai street food.

What’s the deal with Chiang Mai street food?

Chiang Mai Markets

Chiang Mai street food has a unique flavor that’s not easy to come by down south. Thai food is all very regional, and the northern Lanna food has its own obsession with pork, veggies, and adding enough spice to put tears in your eyes.

So if you’ve said….“Ahhhh I loved that pad thai I had in Bangkok,” well….you’ve not experienced the best part of Thai food! Go to Chiang Mai, bring your stretchy pants, and get eating!

My top three favorite foods in Chiang Mai:

Chiang Mai Street Food
There are also lots of different kinds of seafood on offer in Chiang Mai!

1. Pork Curry: Also known as gaeng hang lay, is my all time favorite curry. It’s a thick and soft pork that soaks in ginger, garlic and spices. Eat it at Aroon Rai over rice.

2. Khao Soi: For just over $1, you’ll be able to indulge in one of the most famous dishes of Chiang Mai. It’s a thick and spice-filled broth that typically is made with chicken. There are both fried and soft noodles within the soup. You can add lime, spices, pickled vegetables, and shallot to your meal however you feel necessary. Eat it here for just 45 baht!

3. Sai Ua: This is the best sausage I have ever had in my life. It can be found at street cart vendors all over the city. Thai people love their sausages, and no, not that frozen gross processed stuff you buy at your hometown grocery store. The sausage is unique as it is a bit drier than what you may be used to. Mixed in are different bits such as lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and chilis. While some sai ua makes my mouth turn to fire, I find that most are very tolerable for my weak spice buds.

Although that may seem pretty meat-heavy, Chiang Mai is also loaded with tons of vegetarian options and even has a slew of vegan restaurants popping all over the city.

My favorite places to go for Chiang Mai street food:

Chiang Mai Street Food

1. The Chiang Mai Gate food stalls: Every Saturday I head down to the southern part of the city for a $5 foot massage and pork noodle and wonton soup. For just about $1.50 I can slurp my soup in front of 7-Eleven while people watching and drinking a cold beer. Throughout the entire southern part of the moat are tons of street carts selling everything imaginable—meat skewers, fruit shakes, mango sticky rice, corn on the cob, bugs, durian, meatballs, spring rolls…and the list goes on. As you walk around you’ll be swarmed by loads of smells that make you drool with hunger…well, usually, unless it’s that bad sewer smell that lingers throughout southeast Asia. Regardless, you’ll be grabbing snacks for a few bucks while frolicking wide-eyed through the market.

2. The Chiang Puak Market food stalls: If you aren’t too keen on crazy crowds, the street food at the north gate offers a more laid-back vibe. Yes, it may have been made famous when Anthony Bourdain came and munched on pork and rice. Get on over to the Cowboy Hat Lady for one of the top recommendations in town. Throughout the area you can get wonderful treats without feeling too overwhelmed by the tourist crowds.

3. The Night Bazaar: During the week, you should head to Chiang Mai’s Night Bazaar to binge on even more goodies. Here you will find a lot of pad see ew, assortments of noodles, different kinds of curries, and skewers a-plenty. Food stalls surround the perimeter of the location where you can listen to live music. Here you won’t find solely Thai food but loads of other mouthwatering eats as well.

4. Thanin Market: There are tons of markets around Chiang Mai where you can buy either on-the-go food or ingredients to bring back home and cook. My favorite market is just north of the old city in the neighborhood of Santitham. Thanin Market has EVERYTHING you need and is extremely local and affordable. As it doesn’t cater to tourists, you’ll be able to eat your meals for much cheaper while supporting the locals who aren’t at the busy markets in the old city. You can weave your way through multiple food stalls and snag wontons, soups, sausage, shakes, fruit, veg, dumplings, and more! These food items will be about half the price as the typical markets. So go for the local feel and head to Thanin Market to binge on more Thai snacks.

BONUS: Tao Rai?” you ask. Thai locals will LOVE if you can ask for their treats in their language. You may even score a discount if you ask politely.

Chiang Mai Street Food

Reading about Chiang Mai street food is not as thrilling as experiencing it in person. You won’t really know what that smell is until you’ve tasted it. You’ll be drooling with no shame when you pop around the various street food markets in Chiang Mai.

Don’t know what you’re eating? Good! That’s part of the adventure. Support the local vendors who work so hard to make Chiang Mai delicious! It’s hard to miss the street food in Chiang Mai—actually, it’s quite impossible. So grab that ice cream cone from the man waiting in the heat for a sale. You’ll be doing good and eating great!

Suggested next reading: 8 Incredible Outdoor Adventures Near Chiang Mai

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5 Incredible Chicago-Style Foods You’ve Got To Try In The Windy City https://moderntrekker.com/chicago-style-foods/ https://moderntrekker.com/chicago-style-foods/#respond Tue, 09 Oct 2018 07:00:51 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=3793 Although it might not seem this way to the casual…

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Although it might not seem this way to the casual observer, Chicago is actually an incredible foodie oasis in the middle of the Midwestern meat, potatoes, salads with jello, and processed cheese desert (but don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing in the world better than a Midwestern home-cooked meal, even though it might eventually give you diabetes). Unfortunately for the vegetarians out there, the majority of Chicago’s best food offerings are based around meat, but there will still be something for you to enjoy as well.

If you’re planning a trip to the Windy City, here are the top 5 Chicago-style foods you should absolutely try when you’re in town:

1. Deep Dish Pizza

Deep dish pizza is a Chicago classic and comes right after “gangsters” on the list of things that people I meet while traveling ask me about Chicago. There’s a major rivalry between Pizzeria Uno, Lou Malnati’s, and Giordano’s about who created the original recipe back in the 1940s. You really can’t go wrong with any of them (but Lou Malnati’s will always be my favorite—sorry, not sorry).

A piece of advice for deep dish pizza tasting: if you go in with the expectation that it will be like any regular (non-deep dish) pizza you’ve had before, you’re not going to like it. It tastes a bit more like a lasagna with crust instead of noodles—still good, but definitely different than a traditional, thin crust pizza so don’t set yourself up for disappointment.

In addition to deep dish pizza, be sure to try the square-cut thin crust pizza at Giordano’s, which is actually more popular among the locals (and my personal favorite of all the Chicago food options).

2. Chicago-style Hot Dog

The traditional Chicago-style hot dog is an all-beef hot dog on a poppyseed bun, topped with mustard, onions, relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato wedges, peppers, and celery salt. It is considered blasphemous to put ketchup on a Chicago-style dog, to the point where many Chicago hot dog vendors do not have ketchup as a condiment option.

Some great spots to grab a Chicago-style dog: Wiener Circle (Lincoln Park), Dog Haus Biergarten (Lincoln Park), Chicago’s Dog House (Fullerton), Downtown Dogs (Gold Coast), Portillo’s (everywhere), Devil Dawgs (Loop), and a zillion other delicious spots.

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3. Polish Sausage

This is along the same lines as the Chicago hot dog but is made with Kielbasa sausage and topped with grilled onions, yellow mustard, and peppers. Be sure to visit Maxwell Street Polish (one of the most famous spots and where the Chicago-style Polish allegedly originated), pick one up at Portillo’s, one of Chicago’s best restaurant chains, or, in true Chicago style, pick one up from the stands at a baseball game along with an ice cold beer.

More great spots to grab a Polish: Jim’s Original (Little Italy), Kurowski’s Sausage Shop (Avondale), and Gene’s Sausage Shop and Delicatessen (Ravenswood).

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4. Italian Beef

The name Italian beef is deceptive because this incredible sandwich was created in Chicago in the 1930s. This delicious masterpiece consists of thinly sliced roast beef served au jus on an Italian roll, which is then dipped into the au jus used to cook the beef, and finally topped with giardiniera, or grilled sweet peppers.

The best places to get one are Portillo’s (again, everywhere) or Al’s Beef (multiple locations)—both quintessential Chicago chains. Portillo’s is always my first stop on the way home from the airport when I come home to Chicago, if that gives you any indication of the role it plays in the traditional Chicago food scene. There are many other good spots throughout the city to grab a bite of heaven, so you really can’t go wrong.

Other great spots to try some Italian beef: Bari (West Town), Buona (multiple locations), Jay’s Beef (Logan Square), Luke’s Italian Beef (Loop), or Mr. Beef (River North).

5. Garrett’s Popcorn

You can now find Garrett’s Popcorn around the world, but the chain originates from Madison Street, right in the heart of Chicago. This popcorn chain is renowned for the “Chicago Mix”, a real Chicago-style blend of cheese and caramel popcorn (now called the “Garrett Mix”, but old names die hard in Chicago—RIP Sears Tower and Comiskey Park). It sounds weird but trust me, it’s delicious. They have a decent variety of flavors so there’s something for everyone to love. They’ve even got a location in the airport, so be sure to pick some up for your friends and coworkers back home (it’s always a big hit in the office), that is, if you don’t eat it all yourself before you get home.

Fun fact: former President Barack Obama (a longtime Chicago resident) is a huge fan of Garrett’s Popcorn, and reportedly gives it as a birthday gift to former Vice President Joe Biden each year for his birthday.

BONUS: Malört

Ok so this is a liquor, not a food, but it’s also an essential part of the Chicago experience. Your first shot of malört is almost a rite of passage. Malört was originally sold as a medicinal alcohol, allowing it to be consumed legally during Prohibition when it was sold door-to-door. It goes down incredibly smoothly, but the strong, herby aftertaste from the wormwood (the key ingredient) will definitely catch you by surprise and linger for a while. Wormwood is also the key ingredient in absinthe, however drinking malört doesn’t have the same trippy, mind-bending effects.

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If you’re looking for a more palatable way to imbibe like a local while in Chicago, be sure to check out any beers made by Revolution Brewing or Goose Island, local Chicago breweries (they’re all awesome). My personal favorite Chicago beer is the Revolution Anti-Hero (an IPA), although you really can’t go wrong with any of the local brews.

Chicago has so many incredible food options beyond the classics listed here, so by no means should you treat this as an exhaustive guide to Chicago’s food scene, but it’s a great place to start.

Suggested next reading: Chicago: Amazing Things To See And Do Without Breaking The Bank

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15 Best Foods In Paris You Should Eat https://moderntrekker.com/best-foods-in-paris/ https://moderntrekker.com/best-foods-in-paris/#respond Sat, 06 Oct 2018 07:00:25 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=4165 French food is one of the most appreciated and well-known…

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French food is one of the most appreciated and well-known cuisines in the world. Wines, cheeses, meat, and delicious desserts are just typical meals in Paris. If you plan to leave for the beautiful French capital and want to find out what the best foods in Paris are, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

So forget just the top 10 French foods, here’s 15. But first, here’s a quick summary of the best French food in Paris, followed by more info about each one below. So, let’s begin!

The Best Foods In Paris Are:

Name What Is It?
1. Ris de Veau Calf sweetbread.
2. Omelette Fried beaten eggs stuffed with cheese and more.
3. Escargot Snails flavored with butter, garlic and parsley.
4. Vichyssoise Cold soup of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes and cream.
5. Soupe à l’Oignon Onion soup done the French way.
6. Quiche Savory open flan encased in pastry crust, filled with eggs and more.
7. Fois Gras / Foie Gras Duck or goose liver.
8. Pâtè en Croute Pie baked inside a pastry, sometimes with jelly on top.
9. Frog Legs Legs of frogs flavored with many seasonings.
10. Breton Galette Savory buckwheat flour pancakes.
11. Cheeses Brie, Camembert, Beaufort, Roquefort, etc.
12. Macarons Small, round and sweet meringues with a filling.
13. Pains au Chocolat Sweet roll puff pastry with chocolate inside.
14. Paris-Brest Ringed choux pastry dessert with flavored cream.
15. Andouillette Sausage made with intestines and more.
Best Foods In Paris

1. Ris de Veau

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: Sebleouf | Best Foods In Paris

Ris de veau is calf sweetbread. But what is “sweetbread”? Well, prepared to be scandalized by how much the name throws you off from the truth! Sweetbread is actually made from the internal organs of animals.

So, sweetbread is neither sweet nor bread. You may think it’d taste horrible, but it’s actually one of the best foods to eat in Paris and especially tasty fried. Worth trying!

2. Omelette

Best Foods In Paris
Napoleon once ordered a whole town to make a huge omelette for his soldiers. | Best Foods In Paris

Looking for what to eat for breakfast in Paris? This is it. You’ve probably tried an omelet at home but a French omelette is a different experience (after all, it’s even spelled a bit differently!)

Stuffed with cheese and other delicious ingredients of your choice, this is also a quick and cheap food in Paris that can be enjoyed in one of the many bistros scattered throughout the city.

3. Escargot

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: eatingeast | Best Foods In Paris

Perhaps you ordered this dish because you liked the name but had no idea what it is? Well, know that you are about to eat delicious and succulent snails!

Flavored with butter, garlic and parsley, les escargot (snails) are among the typical meals in Paris. Don’t be squeamish, this classy dish may prove tastier than you expect!

4. Vichyssoise

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: E4024 | Best Foods In Paris

More similar to a cream of leeks and potatoes than a soup, vichyssoise is preferably served at room temperature in some of the best restaurants in Paris.

Potatoes and leeks (only the delicate white part) are sprinkled with defatted chicken broth until cooked; whisk the whole and sieved with a fine knit strainer. Complete with fresh cream or cold milk, and served with a few leaves of chives or chervil.

5. Soupe à l’Oignon

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: Hotel du Vin & Bistro | Best Foods In Paris

Yes, you may have translated it right, it’s a real onion soup. After eating it, be aware that you cannot kiss your loved one all day, but I assure you it’s worth it.

Eat it in the bars à soupes (soup bars), special unique places where soups are served. It ain’t rocket science and sure is tasty.

6. Quiche

Best Foods In Paris
A quiche in Paris = a good quiche. | Best Foods In Paris

Another typical meal in Paris that you’ve probably eaten elsewhere, French quiche is a savory pie that has several variations, as you’d also expect from it back home.

Like back home, the main ingredient is eggs and it can also be prepared with bacon or vegetables. But the French do it really well. A real delicacy and deserving as one of the best foods in Paris!

7. Fois Gras / Foie Gras

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: Dale Cruse | Best Foods In Paris

Perfect and delicate, fois gras is one of the top dishes to try on a trip to Paris. The fattened liver meat, in all of its variants, is one of the most popular foods in Paris.

But only for the bravest and for the “unscrupulous” is foie gras, goose liver or duck liver, another typical Parisian dish.

8. Pâtè en Croute

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: De montfalcon | Best Foods In Paris

Coming from a medieval solution to preserve meat, pâté en croute means “pâté in crust” and was used as a way to preserve meat by encasing it in pastry. Originally the crust was never eaten, but over time it became edible.

A great option if you’re eating lunch in Paris, it is often served in slices with a salad, pickled onions and gherkins.

9. Frog Legs

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: Tomas Castelazo | Best Foods In Paris

Definitely one of the best foods in Paris to try simply for the novelty. Frog legs are flavored with salt, pepper & lemon, breaded, sautéed in egg and fried in olive oil, and are considered a refined dish of French cuisine.

There is nothing to fear by eating this protein-rich and low-fat specialty that tastes like chicken, but with the consistency of white fish. Taste the cuisses de grenouille (French for “thighs of frogs”) with a dry white wine and you’ll be surprised at how tasty they are!

10. Breton Galette

Best Foods In Paris
Photographer: Katherine Lim | Best Foods In Paris

A staple food in the Brittany region of France but also a typical meal in Paris. Breton Galette is a sort of savory crepe prepared with buckwheat. It is stuffed with meat or vegetables and cheese.

A bulls-eye egg placed on top is ideal to complete this work of art!

11. Cheeses

Best Foods In Paris
The French LOVE their cheeses! | Best Foods In Paris

Cheeses are generally eaten as a dessert with the most famous including Beaufort, Brie or Roquefort. All of these cheeses should be up there on your list of what to eat in Paris.

They also all go great with wine, strictly French wine of course!

12. Macarons

Best Foods In Paris
Macarons.Get.In.My.Mouth.Please. | Best Foods In Paris
Best French Foods In Paris
Do you think Macron likes macarons? | Best Foods In Paris

The crispy sweetness of the meringue meets the intensity and smoothness of the cream. They’re the perfect dessert “sandwich”. To be devoured one after another in a variety of tasty flavors. Warning, they are addictive!

13. Pains au Chocolat

Best French Food In Paris
Are you team chocolatine or team pain au chocolat? | Best Foods In Paris

What to eat in Paris while walking under the Eiffel Tower? The chocolate bread (pains au chocolate literally means “bread of chocolate”!)

Even bread in Paris becomes chic. Pain au chocolat is a bread puff-pastry with chocolate inside that can be bought in patisseries. If you want to know what to eat for breakfast in Paris, look no further.

It must be absolutely crumbled on clothes while you feel enchanted walking under the Eiffel Tower.

Fun fact: there is a national debate in France as to whether it should be called pain au chocolat or chocolatine! However, in Paris, it is almost always called pain au chocolat.

14. Paris-Brest

Typical Meals In Paris
Photographer: Deror_avi | Best Foods In Paris

One of the best foods in Paris (in our opinion), the Paris-Brest is a traditional pastry cake made of choux pastry filled with cream and garnished with almonds.

The circular shape represents the wheel of a bike, in fact, Louis Durand—a Maisons Laffitte pastry chef—created it to celebrate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race.

15. Andouillette

French Street Food
Photographer: Saveurs France | Best Foods In Paris

Andouillette is a highly controversial sausage that can be made from all sorts: pork, wine, intestines, pepper, onions, seasonings, and more.

Despite sounding somewhat interesting and exotic, it does have a more—shall we say—more down-to-earth side to it in that it is often made from entrails. Definitely for the more adventurous!


Still in doubt about what are the best foods in Paris? Go for the most authentic, local and typical meals in Paris and you won’t regret it!

Suggested next reading: 6 Must-See Places You Absolutely Have To Experience In Paris

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How To Eat Your Way Through Southeast Asia Like A Pro https://moderntrekker.com/southeast-asian-food/ https://moderntrekker.com/southeast-asian-food/#respond Fri, 05 Oct 2018 07:00:08 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=4157 Southeast Asia is comprised of 11 countries from Myanmar to…

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Southeast Asia is comprised of 11 countries from Myanmar to Indonesia and has over 620 million inhabitants. The region is known for its incredible natural beauty, friendly locals, low cost of living, and of course, the unique Southeast Asian food. If you are a picky eater and have a weak stomach, then Southeast Asia will certainly test your comfort zone. It’s important to come to the area with an open mind because the food is so different than what you might eat back home. You’ll quickly realize that in between trying new foods, experiencing mouthwatering spices, and different flavors that there is a reason that many chefs come to Southeast Asia to experiment with new dishes and gain a variety of cooking skills. Here are 4 ways to successfully and safely eat your way through Southeast Asia:

Southeast Asian Food Stalls

Southeast Asian Food in Bangkok, Thailand

What comes to mind when you think of food stalls back home? Cheap? Lower quality food? In Southeast Asia, some of the best places to eat are food stalls at the local market. Although you might think that a restaurant is a better idea and a safer bet, it’s not. At restaurants, you cannot see them cooking the food and you don’t know how long the food has been sitting back there. Be especially wary of a restaurant if it serves Western-style food such as hamburgers or pizza. Those restaurants almost guarantee that you’ll get food poisoning. At Southeast Asian food stalls, however, you can watch your food being prepared hot and fresh. Often times, the food stall is just a family or man and woman cooking food over a fire pit. You’ll want to watch where locals are eating and follow them. If you look out of place, then you know that you are in a good spot. Another thing to look for is the plastic chairs. If a food stall has plastic chairs, no matter how uncomfortable they may be, this is a good sign. There’s nothing quite like eating some Thai street food sitting on a tiny plastic stool while people watching and drinking a cold beer. The simple pleasures in life.

Try New Foods

Scorpion On A Stick, Southeast Asian Food

Speaking of new experiences, Southeast Asia is a different world than any Western country. Some of the first things you’ll notice are the chaos, wild dogs, and of course, the smells. Some are delightful, while others are not so much…Regardless, different types of food being cooked is a part of these smells. Some of the Southeast Asian food you’ll see may not be familiar. Southeast Asia is for adventurous eaters so it is important to keep an open mind about the food choices. Whether it be fried spiders in Cambodia, hard-boiled duck eggs in the Philippines, grasshoppers in Thailand, or deep-fried scorpion on a stick in Vietnam, there are plenty of new foods to try wherever you go. My favorite Southeast Asian food that I tried was actually rat in Thailand. It actually costs more than chicken or pork and is considered a delicacy in the country. It actually had quite a lot of flavor with almost no fat. If you find yourself in Southeast Asia, I highly recommend trying new foods and expanding your horizon. Some foods you may not enjoy, but there may be some that you really love!

Use The Condiments Provided

 

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If you are already overwhelmed by the food, you might just skip over the condiments. That is a big mistake in my book. To use an analogy that many might be familiar with, it’s like having pancakes without maple syrup…It simply cannot be done. The two go hand in hand. There are quite a few condiments to choose from depending on what you are looking for. You can easily find different sauces from spicy to sweet. In my opinion, however, there are really only three you need to know. The first one is Sambal Belacan. It is a chili shrimp paste that is delicious on almost any kind of food and can be found in most countries throughout the region. Be careful though, I’m not kidding when I say it is spicy…Really spicy! The second sauce to try is called Tuk Trey It is a sweet and sour dipping sauce found in Cambodia and it is to die for! The sauce is mainly used with appetizers, but of course, it can also be used for entrees as well. My final favorite Southeast Asian sauce is called Fish Sauce. The reason the sauce has this name is because it’s created from fermented fish. (In other words, they let the fish get rotten and create a sauce out of it.) Due to the fact that it comes from a fish, the sauce is quite salty and is often used in curries. It can also be used with meat. In Vietnam, for example, fish sauce is often put on Banh Mi beef sandwiches, a local snack, to add some saltiness to the sandwich.

Make Sure Food Is Prepared In Front Of You

Southeast Asian Food

When anyone thinks about food in Southeast Asia, they immediately think of getting sick and having their trip be ruined. It’s always a toss-up whether you’ll get sick or not since the bacteria is so different. I’ve heard stories of being sick for a month or others that have lived there for some time and have never experienced food-related sickness. I previously mentioned that restaurants are a no go because you cannot see them prepare the food, To be safe when eating all that Southeast Asian food, it’s important to watch them cook your food fresh. You have to be strict about it. Sometimes you’ll notice that some street vendors just reheat food that was previously unsold. You have no idea whether that food was made earlier in the day or a week ago. Unfortunately, Southeast Asia does not have the same food safety measures that are in place for other countries and it is up to you to protect yourself. I always ask for the freshest meat they have and if I notice that the food sitting out has a lot of flies swarming it, I won’t eat it. If you watch vendors make your food, chances are you’ll be able to safely and happily enjoy your eating adventure in Southeast Asia.

Suggested next reading: 5 Crazy & Delicious Foods I Tried While Traveling

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Best Things To Eat In Miami On A Budget https://moderntrekker.com/best-things-to-eat-in-miami/ https://moderntrekker.com/best-things-to-eat-in-miami/#respond Thu, 04 Oct 2018 07:00:42 +0000 https://moderntrekker.com/?p=4140 Miami Beach is a beautiful microcosm of beach vacation life,…

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Miami Beach is a beautiful microcosm of beach vacation life, but between the ritzy resorts and the club lifestyle, it can be really tough on your budget. If you plan to go to bars or clubs while you’re there, know that at some places a beer will cost you at least $10 and a cocktail will be upwards of $15-20 (!). In addition, many of the hostels in Miami don’t have a great kitchen space for you to cook your own food and there aren’t very many decent grocery stores to stock up on the basics. I’ve put together this list of the best things to eat in Miami on a budget after spending six weeks living there. It’s by no means exhaustive and some of these are South Florida chains, but these were my favorites:

Happy Hour on Española Way

There are two great streets for al fresco dining in Miami Beach—Lincoln Road and Española Way. Lincoln Road is home to some great high-end shopping, but if you’re looking for something a little bit more cozy and intimate, Española Way should be your go-to. This pedestrian-only street is full of Italian restaurants and makes a perfect setting for a romantic dinner with bae, but the entrees can get a little pricey.

However, if you go for an early dinner around 5-7pm, you can grab some delicious food and drinks at happy hour prices, and stay and watch the fairy lights come on as the sun goes down. It’s pretty magical and a great way to feel fancy without breaking the bank. Each restaurant will have people lined up on the street to convince you to try their fare, so choose the one with the happy hour food that appeals the most to you and enjoy!

And for my vegetarians, you will absolutely be able to find some delicious Italian dishes here!

 

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You can’t come to Miami and not try Cuban food

If you’re tight on time and can’t make it out to Little Havana, or you made it there and loved it so much that you want to eat Cuban food for every meal (like me), be sure to check out Las Olas Cafe (6th and Euclid Ave) for some massive portions of delicious Cuban cuisine. The plates are HUGE so if you’re not a super hungry person, bring a friend to share or take some home for a second dinner.

 

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Another awesome spot for counter-serve Cuban fare is the Playa Cafe (Collins Ave between 15th and 16th). It’s also open until 4am for all your late night snacking needs. If you work super weird hours (or go out all hours), South Beach Munchies is another Cuban cafe that’s open 24 hours and has large, decently priced portions (17th and Lincoln Rd.)

PS. Cuban food is unfortunately not always vegetarian-friendly.

Give me that greasy, fast food fix

If you’re looking for pizza, my personal favorite spot was Pizza Days, on the corner of 5th and Ocean Drive. It’s not necessarily the cheapest pizza in South Beach, but it’s one of the best things to eat in Miami. To get the freshest of the fresh, call on your way over so they can pop a new pizza in the oven and have it waiting for you when you arrive, and then take it down to the beach and live your life.

Other good cheap pizza spots are Pizza Rustica (9th and Washington), Pizza Bar (Lincoln Rd. and Collins Ave.), or Groovy’s Pizza (multiple Lincoln Rd. locations)

 

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For good, cheap burgers and fries that don’t come from one of those soulless national chains, check out Top Burger, a South Florida Chain (8th and Washington), or BurgerFi (13th and Washington). However, if you’re visiting from outside the United States, looking to try some high-quality American fast food, and don’t mind a bit of a walk, hit up Shake Shack (Lincoln Lane and Lenox Ave).

I’m not sure about BurgerFi because I went there as a meat-eater, but Top Burger has got a decent veggie burger as well!

 

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I don’t know about you, but I eat tacos at least once a day.

Tacos are my primary food group, so I know just about every place to get a taco fix in South Beach. If you’re looking for cheap, filling, and satisfactory, check out Taco Rico (a chain)—they’ve got a great lunch special that comes with tacos, rice, beans, and chips for under $10, which is awesome. There’s one at 16th and Washington (which happens to be around the corner from WeWork, for my digital nomads).

 

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Another good spot is Alma Mexicana for good, decently portioned tacos, burritos, and other Mexican fare. The portions are not as generous as Taco Rico, however, they are both delicious (and they’re both chains).

 

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If you’re looking for hole-in-the-wall Mexican food, check out the very descriptively named Fresh Mexican Taco Bar on the corner of 13th and Washington. There’s not much inside seating, but the food is delicious.

And of course, you can’t forget sushi.

If you’re looking for cheap sushi, be sure to visit Hiro’s Sushi Express near the corner of 15th and Washington for some delicious and filling sushi combos (under $10!)

Another sushi place that I LOVE is Fung Kü (17th and Collins)—it’s a little bit more expensive but also they have a live DJ in the evenings and their sushi is surely one of the best things to eat in Miami, so it’s worth it to pay a little bit more. Also, their cocktails are pretty good too, which makes it a great place to have some food and pregame before going out for the night.

 

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I’m sure there are other delicious places to get some grub in South Beach that I’ve missed, but after living there for six weeks, these are, in my opinion, the best things to eat in Miami. And, if you get bored of Miami Beach, you can always venture across the bridge into downtown Miami for a plethora of exciting culinary options as well.

Suggested next reading: Miami To Key West: The Ultimate Scenic Road Trip or Miami’s Best Instagrammable Spots That’ll Explode Your IG Feed

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